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Job overview
We are seeking an experienced and passionate Band 8a Highly Specialist Systemic Family and Couples Psychotherapist to be part of an expanding Specialist Perinatal Service working collaboratively to deliver the ambitions of the NHS Long Term Plan in Greater Manchester.
This is an exciting opportunity to provide systemic psychotherapy and systemic practice and therapeutic interventions to women, couples and families during pregnancy and 12 months post partum (due to extend to 15mths). You would be part of newly developed systemic pathway within the Specialist Perinatal Service.
The role will involve working with couples and families experiencing a range of perinatal mental health difficulties offering systemic psychotherapy that recognises the relational context of perinatal distress.
We will consider applications from those candidates with less experience. Less experienced candidates will be appointed at band 7 and work towards band 8a competencies.
Main duties of the job
-Providing specialist psychotherapy assessments, systemic formulation and interventions for couples and families within the perinatal period.
- Providing systemic guidance, consultation and support to members of the MDT and other professional disciplines within the service under supervision from the Principal Systemic Family and Couples Psychotherapist.
-Setting up and running a Family Therapy Clinic and offering supervision to the reflecting team and other team members as required.
-Contributing to service development, pathway design and quality improvement initiatives.
-Contributing to research and audit.
-Providing training to perinatal staff and the wider perinatal system alongside other colleagues within the systemic pathway.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see attached job description and person specification
Staff benefits
- Pay Enhancements – 30% additional for Evenings (8pm onwards) and Saturdays and 60% additional for Sundays and Bank holidays.
- 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising to 29 after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years
- Excellent pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Salary sacrifice car scheme
- Wellbeing programme
- Blue Light Card Discounts
Person specification
Knowledge
Essential
- Advanced knowledge and skills in using the complete range of approaches within systemic practice as required to meet the needs of different clients and settings
- Advanced skills in the use of videotape and other multi-media materials suitable for presentations in public, professional and academic settings
- Ability to take full clinical responsibility for client care and treatment
- Interpersonal skills of the highest level to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, in order to convey complex and clinically sensitive information to family members of all ages and to a wide range of lay and professional persons, within and outside of the NHS
- Knowledge of research design and methodology consistent with systemic practice to Masters level
Desirable
- Advanced knowledge and skills in providing consultation to other professionals
- Knowledge of relevant legislation and the implications for both clinical practice and professional management
Experience
Essential
- -Extensive experience of specialist systemic psychotherapeutic assessment, formulation and treatment of clients (less experienced candidates will be appointed at band 7 and work towards band 8a competencies)
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
- Extensive experience of teaching, training and supervision
Desirable
- Experience of working in a perinatal / parent infant team
- Experience of the application of systemic psychotherapy in different cultural contexts
- Extensive experience of working in and leading in a Family Therapy Clinic setting with a reflecting team
Other Requirements
Essential
- A commitment to the continuous improvement of services using feedback from individual clients, families, user surveys and clinical research
Desirable
- Ability to identify and provide appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and severely challenging behaviours
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Ability to teach and train others using a variety of complex multi media materials for presentations within public, professional and academic settings
- Ability to identify and employ as appropriate clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice
Desirable
- Ability to demonstrate leadership and management skills and to articulate the value added by systemic psychotherapy services to multi-disciplinary work
Education/Qualifications
Essential
- To have a core professional qualification in the field of mental health e.g RMN, Clinical Psychologist, Social Worker, OT and be currently registered with the appropriate body
- To have a recognised qualification (Post Graduate Diploma in Systemic Therapy to a Masters level of knowledge)
- UKCP or AFSP accredited
Desirable
- Training and qualifications in other therapeutic interventions
- Qualification in systemic supervision
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Highly Specialist Systemic Family and Couples Psychotherapist with Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester, North West, England. It is listed as a Band 8 Psychologist role. The advertised salary is £57,528 - £64,750 per annum pro rata. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 13 Jul 2026.
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