This is a 12 month fixed term cover of a highly valued leadership role within the Southwark Adult Mental Health Directorate at the South London & Maudsley NHS Trust. We are seeking to appoint an experienced psychologist, psychotherapist or psychological therapist with strong leadership skills to this Consultant role, ideally starting in October 2026.
As the Psychology and Psychotherapy Lead for Community Psychosis in Southwark, you will operationally, professionally and clinically lead psychological professionals across the pathway.
The person appointed to this post will provide leadership and management in relation to the Community Psychosis pathway, including overseeing safe, effective and timely care and treatment whilst supporting continuous improvement and service development.
The successful candidate will provide direct clinical care and treatment within the community psychosis pathway and enable stepped care with the support of multidisciplinary team colleagues.
We are committed to ensuring our staff get the most out of their benefits package and understand the importance of a healthy work life balance. There is an extensive range of excellent benefits for you and your family. We want you to feel like you are part of a close knit team at SLaM. It's important to us that you valued and appreciated and that are why we have a comprehensive benefits package on offer
Some of our benefits are highlighted here:
Generous pay, pensions and leave, we offer a comprehensive pay, pensions and leave package which is dependent on the role and length of service.
Work life balance, flexible working and support a range of flexible options, such as: part-time working and job sharing.
Career development, The Trust and P&P provide plenty of opportunities to progress your career and we support your development through a number of programmes such as mentoring, coaching, positive people management, collective leadership and other talent programmes
Car lease, our staff benefits from competitive deals to lease cars
Accommodation, our staff benefits from keyworker housing available which is available on selected sites
NHS discounts, with discounts up to 10% from a variety of well-known retail brands though Health Service Discounts website.
Counselling services
Wellbeing events
Long service awards
Cycle to work scheme
Season ticket loan
Childcare vouchers
Staff restaurants
We are looking for exemplary leadership and communication skills. You will have significant experience inspiring and supporting staff including psychologists and psychotherapists to work effectively, compassionately and collegiately. You will be used to dealing with multiple competing demands and you will be able to maintain your governance role whilst simultaneously having the drive and enthusiasm to support colleagues undertaking quality improvement projects, service delivery and performance responsibilities.
This post also offers excellent opportunities for continuing professional development.
This role will require ensuring appropriate managerial structures are in place to address professional and developmental needs; ensuring appropriate governance structures, roles and responsibilities are in place that support and promote collaborative leadership and team working. integrate research, teaching and clinical activity so that there is a continual cycle of innovation, review, evaluation and improvement based on best practice standards and creating an environment that fosters innovation and service development
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
Doctoral level qualification in clinical or counselling, forensic, health or educational psychology or equivalent professional qualification in psychological therapy (eg systemic psychotherapy, arts psychotherapy)
Post doctoral training in an additional specialised area of psychological practice directly relevant to NHS mental health services (e.g. working with psychosis)
Appropriate professional and/or statutory registration eg with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist, or with UKCP/BACP/ACP/BABCP/
Evidence of continuing training in a specialised area of psychological practice through formal post-doctoral training (diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses, OR an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice-based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice (psychosis), assessed by an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a postgraduate diploma
Experience
Essential
Experience in leadership of mental health professionals including psychologists and/or psychotherapists
Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for the psychological care and treatment with clients with psychosis and complex needs
Experience of providing teaching and training to psychological therapists and/or other professional groups.
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
Skills in negotiating with management on strategic policies
Highly developed verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex, highly technical and sensitive information to colleagues, clients and families
Ability to establish and communicate courses of action and targets to ensure achievement of objectives
Advanced knowledge of psychological assessment and, where relevant, clinical psychometrics
Advanced level knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to the client group, mental health issues and child protection
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
