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Job overview
We are looking for an enthusiastic and highly motivated Psychologist or Psychological Therapist who has a genuine passion for working with people with 'severe and enduring' mental health presentations.
This post will be working within two of our community neighbourhood teams. The role is specifically focused on providing specialist psychological therapies, as part of a trust-wide initiative to reduce waiting times for evidence-based therapies.
You will be responsible for providing specialist psychological assessment, formulation and interventions for clients who have experiences of complex mental health difficulties. Individual therapy offered includes CBT, as well as other therapeutic approaches as appropriate (including CAT, DIT, ACT, CFT, Systemic, EMDR).
You will be involved in assessing and formulating clients presenting with complex difficulties, such as trauma, psychosis, emotional dysregulation, interpersonal difficulties and neurodiversity. You will join and contribute to team meetings, case discussions and complex case forums, regularly liaising with colleagues and MDT staff.
You will work alongside passionate and supportive psychologists and psychological therapists, including Clinical Psychologists/Psychotherapists, Family Interventions Therapists, and Assistant and Trainee Psychologists. You will also be part of multidisciplinary teams, including Psychiatrists, Vocational, and Care Coordinators, and have an active role within the team.
Main duties of the job
To provide specialist psychological interventions for complex mental health problems - including specialist assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes. • To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment. • To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate. • To promote service evaluation, audit and research. • To work as an autonomous professional within registration body guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by the policies and procedures of the service, taking responsibility for own work including treatment and discharge decisions with support of clinical supervisor. • To be active in the provision of staff support within their area, including but not limited to Critical Incident Staff Support and Reflect-Support-Resolve. To participate, as a recipient, in staff support work when appropriate.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
KR 1 Clinical and Client Care
- To provide specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions for clients (individuals, couples, families and social networks where the identified client has complex mental health needs) within Lewisham Neighbourhood Community Centres.
- To provide culturally appropriate psychological or psychotherapeutic interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.
- To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans.
- To provide reports, including relevant formulation, opinion and interventions, in order to inform referrers and, where appropriate, service users and their families.
- To select and deliver evidence-based specialist therapeutic interventions, drawing from a spectrum of ideas and models, monitoring outcome and modifying and adapting interventions as necessary, based on the highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, couple, family or group.
- To promote psychological support for carers (or families as appropriate) of referred clients.
KR 2 Contributing to team or service clinical functioning
- To contribute to the effective working of Lewisham Community Mental Health Centres and to a psychologically/psychotherapeutically informed framework for the service.
- To contribute to the team or service’s delivery of accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.
- To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.
- To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals concerned with clients in order to develop and review care plans.
- To liaise with the service/s MDT and other professionals.
KR 3 Policy and service development
- To implement policies and procedures in own area of work, and to propose improvements or beneficial changes.
- To contribute to the consultation and engagement of service users in planning and delivering services which meet the needs of local communities.
- To contribute to service development through undertaking and participating in appropriate projects.
KR 4 Care or management of resources
- To take care of, and use carefully, the Trust’s equipment and physical resources.
- To ensure that the post-holder has sufficient resources by estimating future needs and requesting or ordering supplies as needed.
- To ensure the cleanliness and safe functioning and use of equipment that will be used by clients or other persons.
- To monitor and advise clients on the safe use of materials and processes.
- To ensure adequate confidential and safe storage for artefacts produced during the therapy process in line with professional guidelines.
- To be responsible for obtaining, storing and maintaining all materials and equipment for the provision of therapy in work setting within budgetary constraints.
KR 5 Management and supervision
- To be responsible for the allocation and/or clinical supervision of the work of a paid assistant if required, under supervision from a more senior therapist.
- To supervise trainees within own area of specialism after completion of the relevant Supervision Training.
KR 6 Teaching and Training
- To provide occasional specialist training in psychological/psychotherapeutic approaches to care to other professions as appropriate.
- To disseminate research/service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles.
KR 7 Record-keeping and Information Governance
- To ensure that all information generated by own work is recorded as required by Trust policies and local procedures.
- To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry.
KR 8 Research and development
- To undertake regular complex service evaluation, audits or research relevant to service needs.
KR 9 Maintaining professional standards and continuing professional development
- To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior therapist according to discipline, professional body and Trust guidelines.
- To maintain own Continuing Professional Development in line with professional body and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements and professional Standards for Continuing Professional Development.
- To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.
- To comply with professional body Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics/Standards of Proficiency.
KR10 General
- To travel to meetings as appropriate and across the Trust when required.
- To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the client group, and follow trust policies relating to its management.
- To work flexibly which may include offering some regular commitment to late clinics, within the overall Job Plan.
- To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations (such as challenging behaviour, abuse etc) and to support others involved in such situations through Trust-wide approaches including Critical Incident Staff Support and Reflect-Support-Resolve.
Person specification
Skills
Essential
- To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences and hostility to or rejection of information. (A/I/R)
- To plan and schedule assessment and interventions for individual clients and groups and carers (and for meetings such as CPA and case reviews where appropriate).
- To plan allocation of tasks to assistants/trainees as appropriates. (A/I/R)
- Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data. (A/I/R)
- Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups. (A/I/R)
Desirable
- Ability to support case formulation and care planning meetings
Abilities
Essential
- Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles. (A/I/R)
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate. (A/I/R)
- Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings (A/I/R)
- Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions, and to deal with unexpected interruptions or changes during these. (A/I)
- Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour. (A/I)
Desirable
- Ability to support MDT colleagues with psychologically informed care planning
Knowledge
Essential
- Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment (specify for the post if necessary). (A/I/R)
- Knowledge of the theory of psychological therapy and it’s therapeutic application. Associated awareness of assessment and clinical psychometrics. (A/I/R)
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities. (A/I/R)
- Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care. (A/I/R)
- To deliver psychological/psychotherapeutic therapy across cultural and other differences. (A/I/R)
Desirable
- Knowledge of culturally adapted CBT and psychological therapies
Experience
Essential
- Experience of receiving clinical supervision across a range of client needs. (A/I)
- Experience of assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature (A/I)
- Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and / or lived experience. (A/I)
- Experience of developing and carrying out audit/research projects. (A/I)
- Significant post-qualification/graduation experience including experience of individual and group therapy with people with complex mental health needs.
Desirable
- Experience of group work and support of stepped care
Qualifications
Essential
- To have undertaken a recognised qualification in one of the core mental health professions, e.g. psychiatric nursing, clinical psychology, medicine, social work and occupational therapy OR to have equivalent relevant experience and demonstrable competence to work in the mental health field in the NHS.
- Entry-level qualification in applied psychological therapy/mental health/social welfare profession or equivalent and demonstrable practice in this field (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level/supervised practice/additional training) that has been accepted for the purposes of professional registration. For Psychologists: · Entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level additional training) that has been accepted by the HCPC for purposes of professional registration. (A/I) (for a job requiring specific professional qualification(s), change this point to specify the required qualification(s): Clinical psychologist: Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent; Counselling psychologist: MSc and PG Diploma in Counselling Psychology; Forensic psychologist: MSc in Forensic Psychology plus completion of the British Psychological Society’s Qualification in Forensic Psychology Stage 2) For Family / Systemic Psychotherapists: Post-graduate qualification in relevant mental health/social welfare profession and demonstrable practice in this field (A/I) PLUS Masters level qualification in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy or equivalent qualification, accredited by UKCP (A/I) For Psychotherapists: Entry-level qualification in Psychotherapy that has been accepted by the UKCP/BABCP (specify which, according to nature of post) for purposes of professional registration. (A/I) For Arts Therapists: Masters Degree (or equivalent) in Arts Therapy or Dance Movement Therapy. (or specify Art Therapy, Music Therapy, Dramatherapy or Dance Movement Therapy)
- Registered with professional body as appropriate to discipline HCPC/UKCP/BABCP.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Psychotherapist, Practitioner Psychologist & Psychological Therapist with South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust in London, London, England. It is listed as a Psychologist role. The advertised salary is £58,133 - £65,261 per annum inclusive of HCAs. The contract type is 12 months (Fixed Term or Secondment). The application deadline is 12 Aug 2026.
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