Principal Family & Systemic Psychotherapist

Job overview

We are looking for an experienced Principal Family & Systemic Psychotherapist with advanced clinical skills and leadership experience to join our Community Children and Young People's (CYPS) Mental Health Team in North East Hampshire, based at the Aldershot Centre for Health.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a well-established, welcoming, and multi-skilled team that supports the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. The successful candidate will provide specialist systemic assessments and interventions for young people with a range of emotional, behavioural, and complex mental health needs, alongside providing supervision and consultation.

Main duties of the job

You'll provide clinical leadership and direct systemic input as part of a multidisciplinary team that includes psychologists, nurses, therapists, and support workers. You'll work with schools, GPs, local authorities and other partners to ensure coordinated and person-centred care. The team also has strong links to our Eating Disorder Service, Hope Service, Crisis Intervention and Early Intervention in Psychosis teams.

You will work closely with the team manager and to support and develop the team, whilst also playing a clinical role in the provision of systemic psychotherapy.  The post holder will be supervised by the consultant family & systemic psychotherapist and work in partnership with them to provide strategic leadership, governance, and service development trust wide.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of clinical work and care. To maintain high standards of care in all areas of practice in accordance with the UKCP and AFSP Code of Conduct, professional guidelines and Trust Policies and Procedures. To act within the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act (2005). To be aware of and implement Safeguarding Adult and Child Protection Policies, Procedures and legislation.
• To plan and deliver a highly specialist Systemic service (in leadership or advanced therapy role) and to oversee its clinical governance.
• To be responsible for the professional leadership and continued development of a team and/or service area.
• To lead in the supervision and contribute to Individual Performance Review/Appraisal of psychology staff, as required.
• To ensure that the healthcare needs of people using services are communicated to and work in partnership with service commissioners and other healthcare providers for the best outcomes. To positively contribute to Trust and divisional developments in relation to systemic practice. To advocate and represent the service.
• To be responsible for the development and implementation of appropriate policies, protocols and care pathways.
• Contribute to appropriate staff recruitment and contribute to the wider strategic plans regarding psychology recruitment.
• To ensure that the needs of people with protected characteristics are addressed within local services and future developments.
• To demonstrate highly specialist expertise and specialist systemic skills such as specialist systemic formulation, therapeutic interventions and consultation to support people with complex needs.
• To act as supervisor/teacher in teaching, facilitating and supporting pre-registration students and junior personnel and to participate in the audit of educational placements. To participate in new staff induction.
• To research national best practice and enable services to benchmark practice against nationally recognised standards, in partnership with people who use services and carers.
• To lead in developing and conducting clinical audit and research, maintaining current knowledge of research findings and development within the relevant area of practice.
• To influence and develop team cultures that support and encourage innovation, creativity, partnership working and curiosity.