Job requirements
Requirements from the employer’s person specification. These describe the role, not your personal match.
Essential
9 listedRequirements the employer expects applicants to meet.
- Knowledge
Comprehensive knowledge of psychiatric diagnoses/conditions and their recommended treatments.
- Knowledge
Demonstrable commitment to working with people with personality disorders.
- Knowledge
An ability to tolerate difficult and at times unpredictable working conditions which can include risky behaviour, acts of self-harm and high levels of distress by service users
- Knowledge
A commitment to working compassionately and reflectively with a team which includes holding high levels of emotion and includes peer support.
- Experience
Substantial mental health service work with people with a range of mental health problems.
- Experience
Experience of facilitating groups in a mental health setting.
- Experience
Experience of undertaking risk assessments and communicating to others, ensuring outcomes. (A&I)
- Qualifications
Hold a valid Professional Registration either as a Registered Mental Nurse, Mental Health Social Worker, Occupational Therapist or Practitioner Psychologist. Registered with NMC, HCPC or Social Work England.
- Qualifications
Willingness to develop mental health practice skills including undertaking MBT training.
Desirable
5 listedAdditional qualities the employer would prefer.
- Knowledge
Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of the resilience needed to work safely with this patient group
- Experience
Experience of supervision and or mentoring students or junior colleagues.
- Qualifications
Basic Level Mentalization Based Therapy (MBT) accredited by the Anna Freud Centre.
- Qualifications
Working towards completion of MBT Practitioner status accredited by the Anna Freud Centre and the BPS.
- Qualifications
Working towards completion of specialist post graduate training.
Job overview
Lewisham Personality Disorder Service (LPDS) is looking to recruit a Band 7 or Band 6 MBT practitioner for a one-year fixed term post. This may be a secondment from elsewhere in the NHS. The aim of the post is to deliver individual MBT in order to reduce a long waiting list of assessed patient. It is an opportunity to join a well-established and effective MBT team of MBT therapists, contributing towards a treatment programme consisting of individual and group MBT.
Specialist supervision is provided, and the role would suit someone with an interest in this patient group who likes working as part of a team and is wants to practice MBT. Support for MBT in the wider organisation is excellent with Trust wide special interest groups and strong links to the Anna Freud Centre.
In terms of career progression, it will enhance your intervention skills working therapeutically with personality disorder or other mental health difficulties in collaboration with other team members. You will either by MBT trained, or training will be provided during supervision to enable you to pursue MBT after this initial experience.
The post is suitable for a qualified clinical or counselling psychologist, or a mental health worker (eg CPN, OT, practitioner psychologist, social worker) with good NHS mental health experience.
If you are Band 6, you would be employed at Band 6.
If you are already accredited as an MBT therapist or psychological therapist, you could start at Band 7.
Main duties of the job
Your job would be delivering individual mentalisation based therapy as part of our MBT team. We would support you in learning MBT. You would be involved in supervision groups with other members of the existing five-strong MBT team.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- To deliver Mentalization Based Therapy (MBT) in individual and group therapy with accredited MBT training and weekly supervision provided..
- Ensure that potential risk is being assessed within a culture of positive risk taking and report concerns in line with Risk Management Policy.
- Keep up-to-date documentation and administration.
- Comply with policies, procedures and guidelines.
- Undertake other relevant duties as requested.
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.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for MBT Practitioner / Community Practitioner with South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust in Beckenham, England. It is listed as a Band 6 Practitioner role. The advertised salary is per annum incl. of HCAs pro rata. The contract type is Fixed term: 12 months (Also available as a secondment). The application deadline is 27 Sep 2026.
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