Brandon Centre

Senior Assistant Psychologist - Phase 2 SIT Therapist

The closing date is 13 June 2025

Job summary

Please note that the take-home salary is for 0.8 FTE at£23407(4 days per week)

We are looking for a Senior Assistant Psychologist to provide Phase 2 of Systemic Integrative Treatment (SIT) in the community to families and carers who have a child between 8 and 16 years old. Young people receiving SIT display moderate to severe behavioural difficulties, including in some cases harmful sexual behaviour. The post holder will be working primarily with the adults around a young person to sustain the progress made in Phase 1 of treatment, within a social-ecological model through modalities including pragmatic family therapies, behavioural therapy, CBT and other therapies as appropriate.

Full training in the SIT model will be provided to the successful candidate.

We welcome applications from all sections of the community, but particularly encourage applicants from Black and Global Majority backgrounds to apply.

Main duties of the job

Responsibilities:

Maintain progress that families have made in Phase 1 of treatment by providing families with up to 8 SIT sessions across the 6 months of Phase 2. These sessions will center on reviewing sustainability plans, and managing relapses by identifying where families may be struggling, and providing booster sessions using a variety of therapeutic models.

To deliver (at least) monthly booster sessions and phone check ins to up to 38 families a year, provide ongoing consultation and attending professionals meetings as required in Phase 2 of treatment as part of the SIT intervention.

Booster sessions will include reviewing sustainability plans from Phase 1 of treatment and using evidence based psychological interventions which may include behavioural therapy, pragmatic family therapy, CBT, marital therapy and interventions for substance misuse to prevent relapse.

Attend weekly team supervision to discuss and formulate cases and any blocks to progress. Monthly 2-1 supervision will also be provided with both team supervisors.

Maintain clear and concise documentation of treatment efforts which demonstrate compliance with the SIT Model.

Collaborate with key participants within each system to help sustain positive changes in behaviour, and support the system(s) to continue their efforts to overcome any setbacks in Phase 2 of treatment.

Provide direct clinical treatment using methods compatible with SIT (as above).

About us

The principal objective of the Brandon Centre has always been to provide a professional, accessible and flexible service which responds to the psychological, and social needs of young people age 8-25 yrs.

Services include:

Individual counselling and psychotherapy for young people, using a range of evidence-based therapies

Systemic Integrative Treatment (SIT) for families

Parenting programmes

Therapeutic work in community settings (outreach)

Details

Date posted

30 May 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£29,259 a year Salary per annum pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

B0129-25-0015

Job locations

26 Prince of Wales Rd

Kentish Town

London

NW5 3LG


Job description

Job responsibilities

About the Model

The Brandon Centre's Systemic Integrative Treatment (SIT) model has been developed in accordance with NICE guidelines for treating conduct disorder and harmful sexual behaviour. It is an intensive community based family treatment service, developed by the Brandon Centre to achieve lasting change in children and adolescence (age 8yrs-16yrs) with moderate to severe behavioural difficulties. The team works collaboratively with parents in a non-judgmental way to empower them to regain control of their childs difficult behaviour. This is achieved by building on their strengths and providing families with the tools and confidence to deal with current and future problems and reducing the risk of further harmful, antisocial and offending behaviours.

The service also works across multiple systems where the behaviour occurs including, schools, peer group and the community. There are two phases to the intervention. Phase 1: intensive treatment delivery, which will include 2 - 3 visits per week and can last up to 6 months. Phase 2 can extend total treatment time for up to one year, and includes a minimum of 8 booster sessions with the family to sustain progress (with the frequency of these sessions tapering off gradually over 6 months), phone/ video-call check ins, attendance at professional meetings, and ongoing consultation with referrers and key professionals in collaboration with the Phase 1 therapist.

Please note that we welcome applications from all sections of the community, but particularly encourage applicants from Black and Global Majority background to apply

Clinician Core Job Practices

Model Integrity

Implement SIT Phase 2 treatment using evidence based models as guided by the SIT Clinical Lead and SIT Supervisor with the ultimate goal of helping families and systems to sustain positive outcomes for young people.

Team and Consultation

Complete weekly written updates on all cases where contact has been made with either the family or the family's ecology.

Attend twice weekly half-day group supervision (one with each team). Absences should be rare such as in the instance of competing court hearings, Child Protection Conferences, annual leave, or illness.

Come to group supervision and consultation prepared to review all current SIT cases and actively participate in discussion of current cases.

Incorporate feedback from supervision and consultation into the treatment process.

Work collaboratively with other services working to support the young person and family and where necessary attending and participating in meetings such as Child Protection Conferences, Core Group meetings, and CP and CIN plans with the support of the Phase 1 therapist and supervisor.

Undertake school observations or other occasional clinical tasks to support therapists providing Phase 1 of treatment.

Participate in all training, supervision and consultation activities.

Scheduling and Coverage

Work a non-traditional schedule and be available to meet with families at times convenient to them

Work across London Boroughs

Training and Adherence Monitoring

Participate with the supervisor in the creation of a written clinician development plan and updates and annual appraisals.

Video and audio tape sessions as requested by the Clinical Lead or Supervisor, to be used for supervision purposes

Incorporate supervisor feedback from tapes, observations, role plays, etc., into development plan and into treatment process.

Any other duty compatible with the post holders job description and level that may be necessary from time to time.

Job description

Job responsibilities

About the Model

The Brandon Centre's Systemic Integrative Treatment (SIT) model has been developed in accordance with NICE guidelines for treating conduct disorder and harmful sexual behaviour. It is an intensive community based family treatment service, developed by the Brandon Centre to achieve lasting change in children and adolescence (age 8yrs-16yrs) with moderate to severe behavioural difficulties. The team works collaboratively with parents in a non-judgmental way to empower them to regain control of their childs difficult behaviour. This is achieved by building on their strengths and providing families with the tools and confidence to deal with current and future problems and reducing the risk of further harmful, antisocial and offending behaviours.

The service also works across multiple systems where the behaviour occurs including, schools, peer group and the community. There are two phases to the intervention. Phase 1: intensive treatment delivery, which will include 2 - 3 visits per week and can last up to 6 months. Phase 2 can extend total treatment time for up to one year, and includes a minimum of 8 booster sessions with the family to sustain progress (with the frequency of these sessions tapering off gradually over 6 months), phone/ video-call check ins, attendance at professional meetings, and ongoing consultation with referrers and key professionals in collaboration with the Phase 1 therapist.

Please note that we welcome applications from all sections of the community, but particularly encourage applicants from Black and Global Majority background to apply

Clinician Core Job Practices

Model Integrity

Implement SIT Phase 2 treatment using evidence based models as guided by the SIT Clinical Lead and SIT Supervisor with the ultimate goal of helping families and systems to sustain positive outcomes for young people.

Team and Consultation

Complete weekly written updates on all cases where contact has been made with either the family or the family's ecology.

Attend twice weekly half-day group supervision (one with each team). Absences should be rare such as in the instance of competing court hearings, Child Protection Conferences, annual leave, or illness.

Come to group supervision and consultation prepared to review all current SIT cases and actively participate in discussion of current cases.

Incorporate feedback from supervision and consultation into the treatment process.

Work collaboratively with other services working to support the young person and family and where necessary attending and participating in meetings such as Child Protection Conferences, Core Group meetings, and CP and CIN plans with the support of the Phase 1 therapist and supervisor.

Undertake school observations or other occasional clinical tasks to support therapists providing Phase 1 of treatment.

Participate in all training, supervision and consultation activities.

Scheduling and Coverage

Work a non-traditional schedule and be available to meet with families at times convenient to them

Work across London Boroughs

Training and Adherence Monitoring

Participate with the supervisor in the creation of a written clinician development plan and updates and annual appraisals.

Video and audio tape sessions as requested by the Clinical Lead or Supervisor, to be used for supervision purposes

Incorporate supervisor feedback from tapes, observations, role plays, etc., into development plan and into treatment process.

Any other duty compatible with the post holders job description and level that may be necessary from time to time.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • BA or BSc 2:1 or 1st class honours degree or equivalent in psychology or an MSc/PGDip in Psychology (psychology conversion course) with Merit or Distinction.
  • Eligibility for Graduate Basis for Registration (GBR) with the British Psychological Society (BPS)

Desirable

  • Further postgraduate training in a relevant area of psychology, health and social care practice, and / or research design and analysis

Experience

Essential

  • Prior experience of working as an Assistant Psychologist or in similar paid employment.
  • Experience of working with families with antisocial young people, preferably across multiple systems in the young persons natural ecology, including family, peers, school and neighbourhood.
  • Experience working with local authorities, health services, or the voluntary sector.
  • Knowledge of child and adolescent development and its application in treatment.

Desirable

  • Understanding and experience of safeguarding and managing clinical risk.
  • Experience of working in emotive and challenging community settings.
  • Experience in at least one of the following: direct use of pragmatic (i.e., structural, strategic and functional) family therapies; delivering individual therapy using cognitive behavioural techniques; marital therapy using behaviourally-based approaches; delivering behavioural therapy for children and young people displaying challenging behaviour.
  • Sound knowledge of at least one of the following: family systems theory and application; social ecological theory and application; behavioural therapies theory and application; cognitive-behavioural therapy theory and application; pragmatic family therapies theory and application.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • High level of communication skills (written and verbal).
  • An ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be emotive.
  • Ability to be comfortable working with harmful sexual behaviour and associated language
  • Excellent organisation and time management skills
  • Ability to lone work and manage own workload and time flexibly
  • Willingness for clinical work to be closely monitored
  • Sound ICT and Microsoft Office skills
  • Willingness to travel and work out of hours
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • BA or BSc 2:1 or 1st class honours degree or equivalent in psychology or an MSc/PGDip in Psychology (psychology conversion course) with Merit or Distinction.
  • Eligibility for Graduate Basis for Registration (GBR) with the British Psychological Society (BPS)

Desirable

  • Further postgraduate training in a relevant area of psychology, health and social care practice, and / or research design and analysis

Experience

Essential

  • Prior experience of working as an Assistant Psychologist or in similar paid employment.
  • Experience of working with families with antisocial young people, preferably across multiple systems in the young persons natural ecology, including family, peers, school and neighbourhood.
  • Experience working with local authorities, health services, or the voluntary sector.
  • Knowledge of child and adolescent development and its application in treatment.

Desirable

  • Understanding and experience of safeguarding and managing clinical risk.
  • Experience of working in emotive and challenging community settings.
  • Experience in at least one of the following: direct use of pragmatic (i.e., structural, strategic and functional) family therapies; delivering individual therapy using cognitive behavioural techniques; marital therapy using behaviourally-based approaches; delivering behavioural therapy for children and young people displaying challenging behaviour.
  • Sound knowledge of at least one of the following: family systems theory and application; social ecological theory and application; behavioural therapies theory and application; cognitive-behavioural therapy theory and application; pragmatic family therapies theory and application.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

  • High level of communication skills (written and verbal).
  • An ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be emotive.
  • Ability to be comfortable working with harmful sexual behaviour and associated language
  • Excellent organisation and time management skills
  • Ability to lone work and manage own workload and time flexibly
  • Willingness for clinical work to be closely monitored
  • Sound ICT and Microsoft Office skills
  • Willingness to travel and work out of hours

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Brandon Centre

Address

26 Prince of Wales Rd

Kentish Town

London

NW5 3LG


Employer's website

https://brandon-centre.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Brandon Centre

Address

26 Prince of Wales Rd

Kentish Town

London

NW5 3LG


Employer's website

https://brandon-centre.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Service Lead - SIT Service

Eleanor Brookhouse

eleanorbrookhouse@brandoncentre.org.uk

07575809814

Details

Date posted

30 May 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£29,259 a year Salary per annum pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

B0129-25-0015

Job locations

26 Prince of Wales Rd

Kentish Town

London

NW5 3LG


Privacy notice

Brandon Centre's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)