Job overview

Principal Psychodynamic Psychotherapist / Psychologist

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a qualified and experienced Psychodynamic Psychotherapist or Clinical / Counselling Psychologist with a specialism in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy. The post is a permanent 0.6 WTE (3 days per week) position within the  Mental Health and Wellness Team psychological provision in Barking & Dagenham.

This post involves providing leadership for the psychodynamic pathway (including Mentalisation Based Therapy) and within the Mental Health and Wellness Team (MHWT) North. This includes working closely with the MHWT North Operational Lead to ensure effective functioning of the team and a positive and supportive culture, including offering reflective practice and complex case consultation to MHWT staff.  The role will provide leadership and clinical supervision for individual and group psychodynamic psychotherapy and individual and group Mentalisation Based Therapy, and a small amount of direct clinical work.

The post is based at the Becontree Centre and Barking Community Hospital (BCH) to enable close working relationships with the MHWT North (at Becontree Centre), and to maintain effective leadership of Psychological Professions staff working across the borough (including attendance at weekly meetings at BCH). The post holder will be required to work on site three days per week, and Tuesday is a core day for the role (the other working days are flexible).

Main duties of the job

Providing leadership of the psychodynamic psychotherapy pathway within the service. 

Working closely with the Operational Lead of the MHWT to ensure the effective functioning and positive culture of the team, and ensuring that the psychological needs and formulation of all service users accessing the team are considered.

Providing a psychological perspective and leadership within the MHWT, including promoting psychological thinking in formal and informal discussions and meetings, and ensuring  collaborative multidisciplinary care planning for all service users.

Providing clinical leadership and high-quality clinical supervision in the integrated care pathway, under the direction of the PP Lead. This will typically involve the supervision of Band 7 and Band 8a colleagues and will also include overseeing the supervision of Assistant Psychologists and Clinical Associate Psychologists (CAPs), as appropriate.

Providing specialist consultation and clinical input to complex cases presenting with significant distress associated with psychosis, anxiety, mood disorders, such as depression and also enduring difficulties that may have been given the diagnosis of ‘personality disorder’ across the directorate. 

Working for our organisation

Starting with NELFT
NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop in sessions focusing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.

Probationary Period

This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary  period or currently a bank member of staff). 

High Cost Area Supplement - London

This post attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (minimum payment of £4,714 and a maximum payment of £5,941 per annum pro rata).

Certificates of Sponsorship

Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all job roles. Please check your eligibility under the UKVI points based system.