Job summary
An exciting and innovative vacancy for a permanent full-time Deputy Course Director for Research in doctoral training has arisen at the Tavistock & Portman. Two of our flagship programmes with national and international reputations - the professional doctorates in Child & Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy [M80] and in Child, Community & Educational Psychology [M4] - are recruiting for a research leadership role across the two programmes that may especially appeal to potential job-sharers and/or experienced research leads in higher education.
Trainees on our programmes qualify as either a Child & Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist with eligibility for membership of the Association of Child Psychotherapists [M80] or as an Educational Psychologist with eligibility for statutory registration as a practitioner psychologist with the Health & Care Professions Council [M4]. Both courses are validated by the University of Essex.
We hope to recruit one research specialist with relevant knowledge and experience to lead in both programmes in a full-time role, or two subject research specialists, one to lead in each programme, who will work together to build the liaison and development part of the role.
For those wishing to apply for a job share, the course days for M80 are Monday and Wednesday and for M4 are Tuesdays and Fridays.
Main duties of the job
The Deputy Course Director for Research [M4 & M80] will take a strategic lead for doctoral research on both courses. We are keen to hear from practitioners with an established research and publication record, skills in supporting research at doctoral level and/or an interest in developing their scope of practice in this area. The successful candidate[s] will work closely with the rest of the team and our partners in curriculum development when required, including ensuring inclusion, equity, disadvantage and discrimination are appropriately addressed and may take a lead in the planning of identified course activities. They will assist with initiatives; support in research supervision; student recruitment and selection; contribute to course resources and participate in or lead projects resulting in improvements to delivery.
The post-holder[s] will line manage the respective research course teams, co-ordinate research teaching and supervision and the internal and external examination, ensuring university and Office for Students processes and requirements are met in terms of research student progression and completion. They will manage the recruitment of all research visiting lecturer staff and examiners and contribute to the financial management of course and staff budgets.
***Please see the attached job description for a comprehensive overview of the role and main responsibilities.
About us
The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health trust with a focus on training and education alongside a full range of mental health services and psychological therapies for children and their families, young people and adults.
We are committed to improving mental health and emotional wellbeing, believing that high quality mental health services should be available for all who need them. We bring a distinctive contribution based on the importance we attach to social experience at all stages of people's lives, and our focus on psychological and developmental approaches to the promotion of health and the prevention and treatment of mental ill health.
The Trust develops and delivers training initiatives that meet the needs of a modern health, social care and education sector. The Trust is a welcoming and supportive organisation committed to ensuring its student body is diverse and reflects the populations its trainees will be working with. Its offer, provided through a range of platforms both digital and face to face, includes postgraduate programmes, CPD courses, and bespoke training for organisations.
The Trust is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion. We are particularly keen to attract candidates from underrepresented backgrounds to better meet the needs of the service users and students that we serve.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the attached job description for a comprehensive overview of the role and main responsibilities.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the attached job description for a comprehensive overview of the role and main responsibilities.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Doctoral level qualification in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy or a discipline or field with transferable skills in relation to leading the research pathway in a Doctoral level psychoanalytic clinical training. -OR- Doctoral level qualification in Child, Community & Educational or a discipline or field with transferable skills in relation to leading the research pathway of a professional doctorate degree (e.g., doctoral level training in a related field)
- Advance HE/HEA Fellowship/PG Cert in Higher Education or equivalent or a commitment to applying for fellowship
- Qualification and relevant experience in applied practice (e.g., as an Educational Psychologist)
- Membership of relevant regulatory body (e.g., HCPC, SWE, etc
Desirable
- Training in Psychoanalysis or Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, with children and young people or with adults. This may be ongoing. Eligibility for membership of a professional body regulating clinical work in psychoanalysis or psychoanalytic psychotherapy, for instance the Association of Child Psychotherapists
- Doctorate in Child, Community & Educational Psychology or equivalent
- Further postgraduate research methods qualifications
- Membership or eligibility for membership of relevant professional body (e.g., BPS)
- HEA Fellowship/PG Cert in Higher Education or equivalent or a commitment to applying for fellowship
Experience
Essential
- A combination of academic, research and educational psychology/psychoanalytic clinical skills and experience
- Significant experience of research methodology and reasoning skills teaching, with direct relevance and applicability to Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy and Child, Community & Educational Psychology, at postgraduate Doctoral and Masters levels, including providing individual and group/workshop supervision of Doctoral and Masters level research projects.
- Significant experience of examining at Doctoral level as an internal and/or external examiner. Significant experience completing and managing Doctoral level course work assessments in relevant subject areas to the M4 and M80 programmes, for large groups of students (50 - 100 students).
- Experience of complex negotiations with multiple stakeholders.
- For the M80 programme: Clinical experience in the role of psychoanalytic psychotherapist or psychoanalyst with children and young people or adults or equivalent. This may be experience gained during training in this role. Clinical experience in working with the impact of diversity and equalities issues in the therapeutic relationship. Experience in a multiprofessional network and awareness of issues for such networks and teams, including attention to diversity and equalities within a team or organisation and in relation to the work underway
- For the M4 programme: Experience of working with children, young people, their families and the systems around them in clinical and non-clinical (i.e., community) contexts
Desirable
- Experience of enhancing the interface between clinical practice skills and research skills learning, in a clinical training course, for students and staff.
- Experience of managing complex situations around student/trainee circumstances impacting on their development, and on issues arising from dissatisfaction or complaint about teaching, supervision or assessment.
Skills
Essential
- Capacity to work efficiently to specified timeframes.
- Ability to develop new training/education initiatives and contribute to business development initiatives including digital/blended delivery.
- Commitment and aptitude to building liaison and development in research teaching, supervision and examining, for course team, teaching staff and student trainees, across and between Doctoral training programmes.
- Commitment and aptitude to explore opportunities for innovation in pedagogy and to develop personal digital and in the room academic learning capabilities, and those of students and staff.
- Capacity to communicate clearly and effectively both verbally and in written form.
- Effective IT skills - extensive knowledge and experience of using Microsoft Office packages and digital platforms such as zoom.
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of the infrastructure requirements for delivering postgraduate and professionally accredited programmes of study, including academic governance and quality assurance processes. Understanding of and commitment to the value of difference in experience in a training context and of overseeing inclusive teaching, learning and assessment strategies
- For the M80 programme: Knowledge of the body of psychoanalytic theory studied in the Doctoral training programme (including the key theories and concepts of Freud, Klein, Bion, and drawn from the Post-Klein and Independent traditions).
- Knowledge of current context of Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy training, including training funding and commissioning, the ACP, CAMHS Service Transformation.
- For the M4 programme: Knowledge of the relevant research methodologies fit for professional doctorate/applied working practices
- Knowledge of the current wider context of EP training including funding and commissioning
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
Essential
- A flexibility and a willingness to co-operate.
- Proven ability to work in a complex multidisciplinary context.
- Commitment and aptitude to explore opportunities for digital innovation in pedagogy and develop personal capabilities in relation to digital and in the room teaching and supervising capabilities
- Active commitment to anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice in applied work
- Valuing centring the service user and placing children, young people and their families at the heart of everything we do
OTHER
Essential
- Commitment to maintain confidentiality of sensitive research and clinical data and to handle personal information with sensitivity and discretion.
- Commitment to equal opportunities, developing an antiracist approach to learning and teaching; challenging discrimination and oppression and supporting increased access to training and career development for people with disabilities and from underrepresented communities
- Flexibility with regard to working patterns and to travel if needed.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Doctoral level qualification in Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy or a discipline or field with transferable skills in relation to leading the research pathway in a Doctoral level psychoanalytic clinical training. -OR- Doctoral level qualification in Child, Community & Educational or a discipline or field with transferable skills in relation to leading the research pathway of a professional doctorate degree (e.g., doctoral level training in a related field)
- Advance HE/HEA Fellowship/PG Cert in Higher Education or equivalent or a commitment to applying for fellowship
- Qualification and relevant experience in applied practice (e.g., as an Educational Psychologist)
- Membership of relevant regulatory body (e.g., HCPC, SWE, etc
Desirable
- Training in Psychoanalysis or Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, with children and young people or with adults. This may be ongoing. Eligibility for membership of a professional body regulating clinical work in psychoanalysis or psychoanalytic psychotherapy, for instance the Association of Child Psychotherapists
- Doctorate in Child, Community & Educational Psychology or equivalent
- Further postgraduate research methods qualifications
- Membership or eligibility for membership of relevant professional body (e.g., BPS)
- HEA Fellowship/PG Cert in Higher Education or equivalent or a commitment to applying for fellowship
Experience
Essential
- A combination of academic, research and educational psychology/psychoanalytic clinical skills and experience
- Significant experience of research methodology and reasoning skills teaching, with direct relevance and applicability to Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy and Child, Community & Educational Psychology, at postgraduate Doctoral and Masters levels, including providing individual and group/workshop supervision of Doctoral and Masters level research projects.
- Significant experience of examining at Doctoral level as an internal and/or external examiner. Significant experience completing and managing Doctoral level course work assessments in relevant subject areas to the M4 and M80 programmes, for large groups of students (50 - 100 students).
- Experience of complex negotiations with multiple stakeholders.
- For the M80 programme: Clinical experience in the role of psychoanalytic psychotherapist or psychoanalyst with children and young people or adults or equivalent. This may be experience gained during training in this role. Clinical experience in working with the impact of diversity and equalities issues in the therapeutic relationship. Experience in a multiprofessional network and awareness of issues for such networks and teams, including attention to diversity and equalities within a team or organisation and in relation to the work underway
- For the M4 programme: Experience of working with children, young people, their families and the systems around them in clinical and non-clinical (i.e., community) contexts
Desirable
- Experience of enhancing the interface between clinical practice skills and research skills learning, in a clinical training course, for students and staff.
- Experience of managing complex situations around student/trainee circumstances impacting on their development, and on issues arising from dissatisfaction or complaint about teaching, supervision or assessment.
Skills
Essential
- Capacity to work efficiently to specified timeframes.
- Ability to develop new training/education initiatives and contribute to business development initiatives including digital/blended delivery.
- Commitment and aptitude to building liaison and development in research teaching, supervision and examining, for course team, teaching staff and student trainees, across and between Doctoral training programmes.
- Commitment and aptitude to explore opportunities for innovation in pedagogy and to develop personal digital and in the room academic learning capabilities, and those of students and staff.
- Capacity to communicate clearly and effectively both verbally and in written form.
- Effective IT skills - extensive knowledge and experience of using Microsoft Office packages and digital platforms such as zoom.
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of the infrastructure requirements for delivering postgraduate and professionally accredited programmes of study, including academic governance and quality assurance processes. Understanding of and commitment to the value of difference in experience in a training context and of overseeing inclusive teaching, learning and assessment strategies
- For the M80 programme: Knowledge of the body of psychoanalytic theory studied in the Doctoral training programme (including the key theories and concepts of Freud, Klein, Bion, and drawn from the Post-Klein and Independent traditions).
- Knowledge of current context of Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy training, including training funding and commissioning, the ACP, CAMHS Service Transformation.
- For the M4 programme: Knowledge of the relevant research methodologies fit for professional doctorate/applied working practices
- Knowledge of the current wider context of EP training including funding and commissioning
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
Essential
- A flexibility and a willingness to co-operate.
- Proven ability to work in a complex multidisciplinary context.
- Commitment and aptitude to explore opportunities for digital innovation in pedagogy and develop personal capabilities in relation to digital and in the room teaching and supervising capabilities
- Active commitment to anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice in applied work
- Valuing centring the service user and placing children, young people and their families at the heart of everything we do
OTHER
Essential
- Commitment to maintain confidentiality of sensitive research and clinical data and to handle personal information with sensitivity and discretion.
- Commitment to equal opportunities, developing an antiracist approach to learning and teaching; challenging discrimination and oppression and supporting increased access to training and career development for people with disabilities and from underrepresented communities
- Flexibility with regard to working patterns and to travel if needed.
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
