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Job summary

Main area
Psychosexual therapy
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 7
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 30 hours per week
Job ref
846-7446712-EP
Employer
Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Hybrid
Town
Ashford
Salary
£47,810 - £54,710 pro rata per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
25/09/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust logo

Psychosexual Therapists

NHS AfC: Band 7

Job overview

You will utilise highly-developed communication skills, specialist knowledge and therapeutic experience to deliver focused intervention programmes for patients attending the Psychosexual Therapy Service. You will take a flexible approach, using both individual and couple therapeutic programmes, including systemic, cognitive and behavioural interventions.
You will operate on a part-time basis, within a hybrid model of remote working which can, when needed, function from a variety of clinical sites. It may be necessary to work in isolation, independently of other members of the Psychosexual Therapy Service, although a team mentality and liaison is essential. You will be accountable for your own professional actions, operating within codes of professional ethics laid down by either COSRT (College of Sexual and Relationship Therapy) or IPM (Institute of Psychosexual Medicine) and be able to demonstrate sound clinical expertise across all aspects of psychosexual therapy.

A robust understanding of the management of clinical risk and challenging behaviour is a vital component of the clinical work of this post, as is the proven capacity to engage with these productively. You will ensure the effective and efficient delivery of service provision against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

Main duties of the job

Key Result Areas;
All colleagues are committed in providing safe, effective services and providing service users with a positive experience by;

  • Using a specialist training and knowledge base to support in the delivery of a high-quality Psychosexual Therapy Service for patients, abiding by the professional and ethical frameworks recognised by relevant professional bodies (IPM, COSRT).
  • Managing a complex patient caseload, sometimes working through interpreters or advocates and provide specialist assessment and management for individuals and couples requiring Psychosexual Therapy.
  • Drawing on a range of evidence based psychotherapeutic treatments specially formulated for psychosexual difficulties.
  • Working autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the Trust, as well as operating within the Service’s policies and procedures, under the close supervision of the Senior Psychosexual Therapist and the Psychosexual Lead.
  • Contributing to the development and implementation of service evaluation and research and audit programmes.
  • Initiating clinical research within the field of Psychosexual Therapy, both to contribute to the field and develop own specialist interests.
  • You will be required to ensure that resources are used effectively, planning workload to meet the priorities by the most efficient use of time, equipment and manpower and other resources

Working for our organisation

Rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC, we’ve got a passion for delivering high standards of patient care and excellent services to improve the health of our communities. To do this we need outstanding people who share our values compassionate Aspirational Responsive Excellent

We know a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion leads to better patient care and a happier workforce. We pride ourselves in being diverse and welcome applications from people with varied backgrounds, perspectives and experiences

We ask for information about your protected characteristics on our application forms. This isn’t visible to anyone involved with shortlisting or interviewing you, except when you choose to be considered under the guaranteed interview scheme due to disability. Short listers will see two ticks alongside your application to ensure they apply the principles of the scheme to your submission

The data we collect helps us to ensure we are attracting diversity in our applicants, that all our colleagues have equitable access to career opportunities and supports us on our journey to being a Great Place to Work

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want you to be able to work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you. Talk to us about a flexible working arrangement that won’t involve sacrificing time for personal interests or family commitments. We’ll support you to work flexibly in a way that will suits us both

See where you can go with KCHFT career pathways

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

As a community Trust many of our roles require individuals to be able to drive to perform their duties. As such you will be asked to confirm you have a full UK driving licence where driving is a requirement of the role to be able to proceed with your application.  We are committed to supporting candidates with disabilities into employment, if you are unable to drive due to a disability, please contact the Recruitment Team via [email protected] quoting the vacancy reference number so we can support you further.

The job description and person specification gives you all the information you need about this role. Please look carefully at the criteria in the person specification and tell us what you have done that shows you meet this in your application. If you need an application form in an alternative format please let our recruitment team know. All information you supply on your application should, to the best of your knowledge, be true and accurate.

Still have questions? The recruiting manager would love to hear from you, their contact details can be found in the job advert.

We can get a lot of applications for some roles so to be in with the best chance of being shortlisted please make sure you apply as soon as possible. A vacancy may close early if there is a lot of interest in the job.

At KCHFT we strongly encourage colleagues in clinical and non-clinical roles who have direct or social contact with patients to be fully vaccinated. In this way we will be doing all we can to ensure your safety and that of your colleagues and the patients we serve.

Find out more about the community difference here.

Good luck! We can’t wait to meet you and welcome you to #teamKCHFT, #cometocommunity.

Person specification

Qualification

Essential criteria
  • Educated to post-graduate level Holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychosexual Therapy validated by the College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists (COSRT) or the Institute of Psychosexual Medicine (IPM).
  • Evidence of continuing professional development.
  • Have achieved COSRT accreditation
Desirable criteria
  • Other experience and qualification in therapy, particularly couple therapy

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Over 200 hours of supervised clinical psychosexual practice
  • Experience of assessing psychosexual difficulties in individuals and couples
  • Evidence of undertaking psychosexual therapy with a wide range of clients and presentations
  • Practical experience in managing health related projects/complex caseloads
  • Work experience in a service offering brief, time limited psychosexual interventions
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of working within or alongside a community sexual health service
  • Experience of working with people with mental health difficulties
  • Experience with the use of Microsoft Office and a variety of IT packages (E-Pay / E-roster/ TAPS/ Rio/ Lille, Inform)
  • Training 1-1 or groups

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Evidence of continued relevant professional development and implementation in practice within the last 12 months Gender, sexuality and sexual orientation awareness of current debates relating to these topics.
  • Diversity awareness in therapy
  • A highly skilled capacity to understand confidentiality and its limitations as it applies to psychosexual therapy in an NHS setting
  • Up-to-date knowledge of research-based treatments in the field of psychosexual therapy
  • Understanding of National Service Frameworks and NICE guidance to relevant to care setting and its application across health care services
Desirable criteria
  • Special interest of, or experience of, dealing with safeguarding issues.
  • p-to-date knowledge of the legal aspects of sexual practice
  • Applied expert knowledge of a range of programmes to address psychosexual presentations.
  • Highly developed specialist knowledge base in the physiology and psychology of sexual function and dysfunction

Skills and abilities

Essential criteria
  • Highly skilled in assessment, intervention and treatment of psychosexual presentations. Ability to manage own caseload and manage time effectively and productively, and to work in a self-motivated and self-starting manner. Specialist knowledge of therapeutic techniques through substantial training in the assessment and psychological treatment of trauma. Ability to work alongside other professionals as part of a multi-disciplinary team. Able to make appropriate referrals to other specialist services/colleagues. Highly developed skills in communicating effectively in written and oral modes, including the capacity to impart clinically sensitive and technical information to a range of recipients.
  • Ability to communicate complex, sensitive information to individuals and groups
  • Ability to manage time effectively, priorities and work under pressure to meet deadlines
  • Recognition of own therapeutic limitations
  • Ability to make skilled and effective use of psychosexual therapy supervision
  • Good computer skills

Personal attributes

Essential criteria
  • Acute awareness of own value base and does not allow judgements to negatively impact on therapeutic work
  • Ability to work under pressure
  • Ability to motivate and organise others to ensure best practice
  • Able to work effectively as part of a team

Ability to manage

Essential criteria
  • Able to support the implementation of local and national agendas for health under the guidance of the senior Practitioner
  • Ability to manage own time effectively
  • Ability to prioritise care delivery in a professional manner, considering Trust policies and procedures

Employer certification / accreditation badges

NHS Pastoral Care Quality AwardVeteran AwareDisability confident leaderArmed Forces Covenant (Silver Award)Care quality commission - OutstandingKent Community - Platinum Award LogoKEiBA Valuing Disability Business of the Year 2021Accredited Menopause Friendly EmployerRIDI Awards Finalist 2024

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Application numbers

This vacancy may close early if it receives a high number of applications. Please complete and submit your application in good time to avoid disappointment.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Juliet Messenger
Job title
Psychosexual Therapy Lead
Email address
[email protected]
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