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.
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.
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provide the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK as well as substance misuse services for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol.
We work closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London and are part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre.
SLaM employ around 5000 staff & serve a local population of 1.1 million people. With 230 services, we also provide inpatient care for approximately 5,300 people each year & treat more than 45,000 patients in the community in Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark; as well as substance misuse services for residents of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich.
By coming to work at SLaM, you will gain experience of being part of an organisation with a rich history & international reputation in mental health care. You will have access to professional development & learning opportunities & have the chance to work alongside people who are world leaders in their field. SLaM delivered more than 14,000 training experiences in 2014; providing an extensive range of learning opportunities for staff at all levels. Our working
relationship with King's Health Partners allows those working at the Trust to get involved in academic research.
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.
