Job summary
- Main area
- Psychology and Psychotherapy
- Grade
- 8b
- Contract
- Secondment: 5 months (Extended depending on outcome)
- Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Job ref
- 334-CLI-7208805
- Employer
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Bethlem Royal Hospital
- Town
- beckenham
- Salary
- £67,950 - £78,028 per annum inclusive of outer HCAS pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 15/06/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Psychotherapist, Practitioner Psychologist & Psychological Therapist
8b
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond.
We are committed to provide a high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’.
We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone’s potential as change makers.
The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.
Our Values
We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I’m going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you’ll be part of something special.
As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.
Job overview
PLEASE NOTE:
THIS IS A FIXED TERM SECONDMENT UNTIL DEC 2025. POSSIBLY EXTENDED PENDING OUTCOME AND EVALUATION
We are pleased to announce a Clinical Lead post, as part of an expansion of the Crisis Plus model. The successful candidate will lead the implementation of Crisis Plus model across Croydon directorate, specifically targeting those with Complex Emotional Needs (CEN). The successful candidate will use their range of clinical experience to lead and develop a small team working with service users who have Complex Emotional Needs (CEN) who are at risk of repeated use of crisis and acute services & private inpatient services. The post requires offering clinical expertise across the range of Adult Mental Health Services to deliver excellent highly integrated clinical care. It’s a role that would be suit an experienced 8a psychologist or psychotherapist who is looking to develop their leadership skills across adult MH services. Applicants would benefit from having experience specialist skills in working with Personality Disorder, managing self-harm, substance, good MDT and multi-agency working.
Main duties of the job
To lead the CEN Crisis Plus model within Croydon Adult Mental Health Services, leading a team of 2 x Assistant Psychologist (pending recruitment). In addition, to the clinical work, the candidate would support and build upon other HIU initiatives in the directorate / trust. The role would also involve preparing and reporting on KPI to Senior managers and clinicians. There would also be support to collaborate with others on service evaluation, audit and research
Working for our organisation
The candidate will work across secondary mental health care services in the Croydon directorate .
SLaM is a mental health trust that working with SU who have high social and psychological needs with considerable cultural diversity. Mental Health services support an ethnically diverse group of clients, where English may not be their first language and who present with a wide range of common mental illnesses at varying levels of severity. Many clients present with multiple problems including social, housing and employment issues.
Some of our benefits are highlighted here:
• Generous pay, pensions and leave, we offer a comprehensive pay, pensions and leave package which is dependent on the role and
length of service.
• Work life balance, flexible working and support a range of flexible options, such as: part-time working and job sharing.
• Career development, we support your development through a number of programmes such as mentoring, coaching, positive people
management, collective leadership and other talent programmes
• Car lease, our staff benefits from competitive deals to lease cars
• Accommodation, our staff benefits from keyworker housing available which is available on selected sites
• NHS discounts, with discounts up to 10% from a variety of well-known retail brands though Health Service Discounts website.
Other benefits include:
• Counselling services
• Long service awards
• Cycle to work scheme
• Season ticket loan
• Childcare vouchers
• Staff restaurants
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- To use expertise around those who frequently experience MH crisis / relapse to provide specialist assessment and clinical formulation to clients with significant difficulties with emotional and behavioural dysregulation, across the diagnostic spectrum.
- To make use of evidence base psychological principles for those who frequently experience MH crisis / relapse to support teams working with service users who are at risk of relapse due to poor coping skills including disengagement from appropriate services.
- To ensure delivery of high quality psychologically informed crisis and care planning for the most challenging clients across the Operational Directorate by supporting staff through consultation to develop and deliver these Crisis and care plans and interventions consistently.
- To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual service users and to provide general advice to other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and management
- To provide training in psychologically informed care and crisis planning to staff so that they can support and coach clients effectively in the management of their crises.
- Support development and integration of service alongside Crisis Line, Crisis Café and future third sector / partnership developments.
- To directly manage trainee psychologists / psychotherapists and Band 5 Assistant Psychologists to support this work across the Operational Directorate including partnership agencies. Including the recruitment and appraisal of staff within the service and the wider operational directorate, as appropriate.
- To work as an autonomous professional within Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) or relevant professional body guidance and the policies and procedures of the service, taking responsibility for own work including treatment and discharge decisions, under supervision.
- To work as an effective team member (being able to give and receive constructively critical feedback, be non-defensive. To liaise with other professionals concerned with clients in order to develop and review psychologically informed crisis and care plans and interventions.
- To communicate skilfully and sensitively, complex and sensitive information with clients and carers taking account of any sensory and cultural barriers to communication.
- To produce reports as requested, including relevant formulation, opinion and interventions, in order to inform referrers and, where appropriate, clients.
- To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations (e.g. disclosures of abuse, self-harm, suicide) and to support others involved in such situations.
- To receive regular clinical and professional supervision according to HCPC and Trust guidelines. To provide supervision (both individual and group) for the HIU informed work of other multi-disciplinary staff as appropriate. To provide clinical supervision to Band 8a Psychological Therapists and Band 5 Assistant Psychologists.
- To identify any aspects of the service which could be improved and contribute to the service development through undertaking and participating in appropriate projects, in consultation with others including the head of service.
- To contribute to the consultation and engagement of clients in planning and delivering services.
- To participate in clinical governance initiatives as agreed by the Directorate clinical governance committee and team.
- To ensure own Continuing Professional Development in line with Trust Personal Development Plan requirements. To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.
- To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry.
- To comply with the HCPC 'Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics' and ensure professional development in line with the HCPC 'Standards for Continuing Professional Development' and 'Standards of Proficiency'.
- To ensure that all services provided are acceptable and accessible to the diverse communities which make up the Croydon Operational Directorate.
Person specification
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- To have undertaken a recognised qualification in one of the core mental health professions, e.g. psychiatric nursing, clinical psychology, medicine, social work and occupational therapy OR to have equivalent relevant experience and demonstrable competence to work in the mental health field in the NHS.
- Entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level additional training) that has been accepted by the HCPC for purposes of professional registration (i.e. Clinical psychologist: Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent; Counselling psychologist: MSc and PG Diploma in Counselling Psychology; Forensic psychologist: MSc in Forensic Psychology plus completion of the British Psychological Society’s Qualification in Forensic Psychology Stage 2) And/or Post-graduate qualification in relevant mental health/social welfare profession or significant demonstrable practice in this field (A/I) PLUS Masters level qualification in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy or equivalent qualification, accredited by UKCP (A/I) And/or Entry-level qualification in Psychotherapy that has been accepted by the APC/BPC/UKCP/BACP/BABCP for purposes of professional registration.
- Additional training in a specialised area Desirable Requirements Training in CBT / DBT / MBT or NICE recommended psychological intervention for Personality disorder. Trained in open dialogue Additional training in interventions on suicide / self-harm. Training on working with dual diagnosis of psychological practice (such as any NICE and/or evidence base recommended psychological interventions for personality disorder such as DBT, MBT) through formal postqualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses, or an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice–based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma.
- Registered with professional body as appropriate to discipline HCPC/APC/BPC/UKCP/BACP/BABCP/AD MP-UK.
- Completed training course in clinical supervision and/or accredited to supervised qualified psychological practitioners in relevant discipline.
Desirable criteria
- Training in CBT / DBT / MBT or NICE recommended psychological intervention for Personality disorder.
- Trained in open dialogue Additional training in interventions on suicide / self-harm.
- Training on working with dual diagnosis
Experience
Essential criteria
- • Experience of psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature.
- • Experience of working with adult clients with a range of difficulties using CBT
- • Experience of working with clients with Personality Disorder, Bipolar Affective Disorder and Psychosis
- • Experience of delivering intervention for those with Personality disorder
- • Experience of having offered supervision to multidisciplinary staff groups in both an individual and group format.
Desirable criteria
- • Experienced in working with SU presenting with complex needs, particular those with Complex Emotional Needs or Personality disorders
- • Experience of working with HIU / frequent users of crisis services, particular those with Complex Emotional Needs or Personality disorders
- • Experience of working with those who present with a high level of risk to self and others, particular those with Complex Emotional Needs or Personality disorders
- • Experience of completing large scale data projects / service evaluations
- • Experience of delivering reflective practice
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- • Knowledge of psychological assessment and formulation.
- • Specialist and transferable psychological skills and knowledge relevant to working with clients with Borderline Personality Disorder, Bipolar Affective Disorder and Psychosis (A/I)
- • Theoretical knowledge of CBT and psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment. (A/I)
- • Theoretical knowledge of DBT.
- • Knowledge of key legislation in relation to mental health issues and Borderline Personality Disorder, Bipolar Affective Disorder and Psychosis (A/I)
Desirable criteria
- • Good understanding of theory linked to those who frequently attend crisis services
- • Good understanding of psychological principles to engage and assess a range of complex psychological problems
- • Experience of developing and carrying out research projects
Skills and abilities
Essential criteria
- Skills in psychological assessment, formulation and in DBT and CBT interventions for working with clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature. (A/I)
- Highly developed verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex, highly technical and sensitive information to clients, families and colleagues. (A/I)
- Consultation skills to work with the multiprofessional Community Mental Health Teams or other relevant services. (A/I)
- Ability to work as an autonomous practitioner with appropriate level of clinical and managerial supervision. (A/I)
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Ketan Sonigra
- Job title
- P&P Lead Croydon Acute, Crisis and Complex Care
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
[email protected] - P&P Lead Croydon Acute, Crisis and Complex Care / Trust wide lead for Crisis Plus
[email protected] - General Manager for Croydon Community AMHS
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