Clinical / Counselling Psychologist Psychotherapist

Job overview

The SLaM Psychology in Hostels (PIH) Service is an innovative multi award-winning specialist homeless psychology service. For 12 years PIH has led in the development of ‘Psychologically Informed Environments’ (PIEs) delivering ‘Trauma Informed Approaches’ and developing best practice for working with excluded and multiply disadvantaged populations across Lambeth and Westminster.

The client population experience complex trauma, substance misuse, neurological issues, risk-taking behaviour and contact with the criminal justice system. This complex combination of needs leads to multiple social exclusion and barriers accessing mainstream services.

We are recruiting to a Band 7 Psychology / Psychotherapy role to work alongside our Principal Psychologist, together we will support the development and delivery of PIE services across Connection at St Martins – a charity working with people experiencing rough sleeping, primarily in Westminster.

A PIE is any service that integrates a psychologically and trauma-informed approaches into its model. PIH PIE model adopts a Mentalization-Based Treatment approach. At CSTM we have developed a bespoke model drawing extensively on Trauma Informed and Community Psychology principles, Narrative and Solution Focused ways of working, and a systems approach. Our aim is promote wellbeing for staff and people accessing CSTM services by taking a whole system approach, and fostering genuinely trauma informed ways of working across the entire organisation.

Main duties of the job

This role will support a specialist women’s only accommodation project near Clapham South. This is a new flagship project for CSTM, with substantial investment and resources being committed to create a best practice service model. The role will support both sites in developing integrated trauma-informed PIE services.

The post holders will -

• Work closely with CSTM staff, leadership and other psychologists to develop PIE approaches.
• Support and train third sector partners and the wider network.
• Offer individual and group clinical work to clients.
• Support assessment and onwards referral to mainstream services.

This role will sit within a wider Psychology in Hostels team based across Westminster and Lambeth, which includes: Consultant Clinical Lead, a Principal grade psychologist, an administrator, five Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologists, eight Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologists, a Nurse Psychotherapist, an Art Therapist, neuro-homeless GP specialist and several Trainee Clinical Psychologists. This post will be supervised by one of the senior psychologists in the team.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To provide a specialist psychology service to adult clients accessing homeless services including specialist assessment, psychological therapy, trauma specific interventions, rehabilitation, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes.

Key Responsibilities:

Clinical

• To provide expertise in a specialist clinical area, the psychological needs of those experiencing complex needs and multiple disadvantage (incl. homeless people, rough sleepers).
• To provide specialist assessment and clinical formulation to clients with a wide range of mental health needs, including complex trauma, personality disorder, anxiety and depression, addictions, learning difficulties and psychosis.
• To select and deliver evidence-based specialist psychological treatments, monitoring outcome and modifying and adapting interventions, drawing on a range of theoretical options.
• To advise other team members and partner services on specialist psychological care of clients.

Teaching, training, and supervision

• To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior psychologist or psychotherapist according to HCPC and Trust guidelines.
• To provide specialist training in psychological and trauma-informed approaches to care for other professionals as appropriate, particularly to third sector staff, peer support workers, project MDT working with ex-rough sleeper hostels.
• To provide clinical supervision for psychological work undertaken by assistant psychologists, placement students, trainee psychologists and the MDT team as appropriate.

Management, recruitment, policy and service development

• To identify any aspects of the service which could be improved and contribute to the service development through undertaking and participating in appropriate projects.
• To manage own workload and the agreed workload of junior staff, as required, under supervision from a more senior psychologist.
• To participate in clinical governance initiatives as agreed by the Directorate clinical governance committee and team.

Research and service evaluation

• To lead, support and/or participate in service evaluation, including gathering and analysing output and outcome data, as required.
• To carry out appropriate research to improve the quality of care and provide research advice to other staff undertaking research within the service.

General Responsibilities

• To ensure own Continuing Professional Development in line with HCPC, BPS and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements.

A full Job Description and Person Specification is attached to the advert.