Head of Psychology & Psychotherapy (Neurodevelopmental Services)

Job overview

We’re seeking an exceptional leader to become Head of Psychology & Psychotherapy for Neurodevelopmental Services at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (Mental Health & Learning Disabilities and Specialist Neurodevelopmental Services). This role offers the opportunity to influence care across a range of community settings, including National & Specialist Services and local services, as well as inpatient settings.  The role will guide and lead a diverse and expert team of psychological professionals.

You’ll drive clinical excellence, workforce development, and strategic innovation across the services that include Mental Health & Learning Disabilities (MHLD) covering the London boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham, and Specialist Neurodevelopmental Services, made up of an in-patient National & Specialist Autism ward at the Bethlem Royal Hospital (NAU), National Adult ADHD and Autism Psychology Service (NAAAPS), the Transforming Care Autism Service (TCA), and the Three-Borough Service (Croydon, Lewisham, Lambeth).

As a key member of the Trust-wide Psychology & Psychotherapy leadership group you will help shape policy, governance, and quality standards across the organisation.

We offer a unique environment where care, research, and education intersect - partnering with King’s College London and King’s Health Partners. Join us to lead meaningful change, support individualised care, and contribute to nationally recognised service development.

Main duties of the job

To work with operational managers and senior clinical leaders to ensure all service users, families, carers, and partner organisations of the Neurodevelopmental Services (NDS) have appropriate access to psychology or psychotherapy as an element in their pathway to recovery.

To provide strategic neurodevelopmental psychology and psychotherapy leadership, encapsulating service development; workforce development; implementation and development of psychology and psychotherapy guidance and policy; and development of psychology and psychotherapy protocols specific to the NDS.

To lead, manage and plan the delivery of a highly specialist psychology and psychotherapy service, in conjunction with clinical and managerial service leads, and personally provide expert direct clinical input.

The postholder will ensure the conduct of research, service evaluation and audits relevant to evidence-based practice in the services.  This will link with establishing training needs and ensure good communication and liaison with the Trust Director of Psychology & Psychotherapy, Trust advisors and the Education and Training Department, in partnership with the Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology (IoPPN).

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The role covers a wide range of services as outlined above.  The P&P staffing complement is currently in excess of 50 individuals and this is growing with current service developments. The team work together to deliver individualised care in a range of therapy modalities, in direct and indirect interventions, group interventions, and support for carers and other partner agencies.  The service has recently benefitted from the inclusion of peer support work, and the service development continues to grow this aspect.  The implementation of the Patient & Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF) has been a priority of the Trust in its aspirations to implement the Trust’s Anti-Racism Action Plan and the postholder will support these developments across the NDS.