Consultant Systemic Psychotherapist

Job responsibilities

Overview of the Post

To provide and ensure the systematic provision of a high-quality specialist Systemic psychotherapy service to clients of AMH and OPMH Greenwich and the Community Mental health directorate.

To hold a caseload within AMH Greenwich of complex assessment, treatment and consultation work. To work autonomously within Trust and professional guidelines and to exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of systemic psychotherapy practice within AMH Greenwich, and the wider directorate as required, and to ensure that systems are in place and working effectively for the clinical and professional supervision and support of all psychotherapists in this area, including clear systems for effective recruitment, professional appraisal, and the identification of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) needs. The post holder will contribute actively to service development, including culturally appropriate services for people of differing ethnicity and socio-economic status.

To be a member of relevant groups for development and governance, proposing and implementing policy and service development changes, carrying out audit and research activities and/ or programmes in partnership with the senior management team.

Working closely with the Head of Psychological Therapies for secondary care, relevant Clinical Leads and other professionals, post-holder will be expected to plan and develop a strong evidence-based framework for the provision of systemic family therapy for clients of AMH and OPMH within Greenwich and the Community Mental Health directorate.

In conjunction with the Head of Psychological Therapies the post holder will have responsibility for the development, delivering and evaluation of a range of systemic/ family intervention training and supervision programmes, enhancing systemic practice outside of the discipline across the directorate.

The post involves lone working with clients of the Greenwich AMH and OPMH services in a range of settings, including primary care and community settings, clients homes, and other mental health service sites, traveling between sites, as required. There is potential exposure to verbal and physical aggression, as well as high levels of distress in others.

Key Task and Responsibilities

To participate as a senior clinician in the development of a high quality, responsive and accessible service for clients, their carers and families within the service, including advising both service and professional management on those aspects of the service where systemic and/or organisational matters need addressing, including monitoring and implementation of professional standards and effective supervision in psychological practice for systemic therapy.

To exercise delegated responsibility working closely with operational mangers and professional leads for the delivery of psychological assessment, intervention, and therapy for systemic psychotherapy resources, both in terms of models of systemic/ family therapy and materials employed in the assessment and treatment of service users and their families.

To work as an autonomous professional within registration body guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by principles and policies or procedures, and interpret these and be responsible for their implementation within the service areas of responsibility.

To advise and participate in appropriate professional systemic psychotherapy recruitment and workforce planning within the service/ directorate, including professional appraisal, and CPD activities. Including the active recruitment and development of staff from diverse backgrounds to reflect the local communities.

To support the budget holder for the service and to jointly be responsible for the management of the specialty within the specified budget.

To initiate audit, policy and service development and research activities within the service to ensure the delivery of a reflexive, high quality, and financially efficient service with a sound basis in evidence-based treatment and best clinical practice.

To be responsible for service development and expansion, following best practice policy and guidance and local organisational priorities and to lead on service innovation and evaluation, ensuring services provided are acceptable and accessible to the diverse communities of Greenwich.

To ensure accurate record keeping, report writing and routine outcome monitoring for all psychological therapists using the agreed information systems and according to professional and Trust polices.

To maintain standards of practice according to the employer and any regulating bodies for self and all psychological therapists the post-holder has leadership or management responsibility.

Management responsibilities

To provide clinical leadership, including in the specialist area of systemic psychotherapy practice, to all staff members, psychological practitioners and other professionals in the service.

To take responsibility for ensuring that the professional, clinical, governance and management of systemic psychotherapy and /or psychological therapy staff adheres to all organisational, HR policies and procedures, and professional regulations and codes of conduct.

To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.

To take lead responsibility for the long-term planning and development of systemic psychotherapy in the service, consulting and engaging with service users to ensure services meet the needs of local communities.

Leadership

To organise access to, and provide, specialist clinical placements for trainee systemic psychotherapists ensuring that they acquire the necessary clinical and research skills where appropriate, and competencies and experience to contribute effectively to good systemic therapy practice and contributing to the assessment and evaluation of those competencies.

To ensure appropriate systems and to provide clinical and professional supervision of and to qualified and trainee family therapists and other disciples across Oxleas Community Mental Health directorate including compliance with directorate and other Trust requirements such as RTT.

To identify training needs and be responsible for planning, organising, and the delivery of teaching and training of pre- and post- qualification psychological practitioners and specialist training, including systemic therapy, to other professions.

Clinical

Working within a highly specialised clinical area to provide highly developed specialist systemic psychotherapy/ psychological therapy assessments, formulations, interventions, consultation and advice for clients, carers, their families and teams based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological (and neuropsychological) tests, self-report measures, rating scales direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the clients care.

To undertake risk assessment and risk management for relevant individual clients and to provide general and specialist advice on systemic aspects of risk assessment and management in line with Trust and inter-agency policies and procedures, including work with clients deemed as vulnerable adults.

To communicate in a highly skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care, families, carers and others as appropriate through oral and written reports, and to monitor and evaluate progress during the course of care.

To provide expertise and advice to facilitate and support the effective and appropriate provision of psychological care and psychologically informed care by all disciplines within Greenwich services and the wider Community Mental Health Directorate.

To work in partnership with other professionals and agencies, maintaining links with statutory and non-statutory agencies, promoting multi-agency work.

To hold responsibility for standards of systemic psychotherapy clinical practice, ensuring appropriateness of referrals, and competence of clinical personnel for their designated roles.

Research

To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in all therapeutic work and advice, including work with other professionals, managers teams and agencies.

To ensure the planning, initiation and completion of research, service evaluation and audits, and quality improvement projects relevant to the service and the directorate research agenda to help develop and improve services to clients and their families.

Communication

To communicate, in a highly skilled and sensitive manner, to clients, family carers and others information that may be contentious or highly distressing concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care.

To liaise with commissioners of the service, clinical team leaders, team managers and all members of the service/sector management group for strategic and other management purposes.

To ensure the development, maintenance, and dissemination of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes.

To ensure that all family therapists within CMH directorate maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific client group and mental health.

Essential Education/Qualifications

Entry-level qualification in applied psychological therapy/ mental health/ social welfare profession or equivalent and demonstrable practice in this field that has been accepted for the purposes of professional registration.

Appropriate professional registration

Education/ Qualifications

Essential

• Entry-level qualification in applied psychological therapy/ mental health/ social welfare profession or equivalent and demonstrable practice in this field (ie professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level/supervised practice/additional training) that has been accepted for the purposes of professional registration.
• Post-graduate training and qualification in systemic family therapy as accredited and recognised within the UK
• Post-graduate Qualification and relevant registration in clinical supervision and/or accredited to supervise qualified psychological practitioners in relevant discipline.
• Registered with professional body or regulatory body as appropriate to psychological therapy discipline i.e., HCPC/ UKCP/ BACP/ BABCP.

Desirable

• Post-graduate qualification in leadership/management.

Experience

Essential

• Experience of professional and operational management of a team of qualified psychological practitioners to provide a psychological assessment, intervention, and therapy service against specific performance targets.
• Experience of clinically supervising qualified psychological practitioners having completed the relevant training.
• Experience of proposing and implementing service development projects that impact beyond own service area.
• Experience of carrying out post-qualification research, audit, or service evaluation projects.
• Experience of managing staff through HR processes (e.g., sickness, capability, grievance)
• Experience of providing teaching and training to psychological practitioners or other professional groups
• Experience of working with, and addressing issues of, diversity, including experience of working within a multicultural framework.
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in adult mental health.
• Experience of clinically supervising qualified psychological practitioners having completed the relevant training.
• Experience of undertaking leadership roles.
• Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in adult mental health
• Post-qualification experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities.

Desirable

• Experience of having worked in specialist services for Anxiety, Depression, Affective Disorders, Personality Disorder or Trauma
• Experience of working with older people with mental health issues
• Experience in teaching clinical supervision
• Experience of working in Forensic and / or prison settings.

Skills/Abilities/Knowledge

Essential

• Advanced level knowledge of systemic psychotherapy including highly developed knowledge of lifespan developmental psychology, models of psychopathology and evidence-based models of systemic psychotherapy
• Demonstrates an understanding for the need to use evidence based psychological therapies and how it relates to this post.
• Knowledge and skills gained in managing qualified and unqualified psychological practitioners, including recruitment and retention, appraisal and performance review and personal development procedures, sickness absence, maternity leave/paternity leave, annual leave, and disciplinary procedures.
• High level knowledge of the issues presented by client with complex needs and with personality disorders Advanced theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatments
• Knowledge of a range of therapeutic ideas/ approaches/ models in assessment and treatment relevant to discipline.
• Knowledge of and ability to work with protected characteristics and diversity and factors affecting access to mental health care in a wide variety of contexts'
• Skills in providing supervision, teaching and training to other professional groups.
• Excellent written communication skills, able to write in a coherent and engaging way.
• Skills in providing supervision, teaching and training to other professional groups.
• Advanced skills in professional supervision; including skills for offering live supervision of both psychotherapists and multi-disciplinary colleagues.
• Consultation skills to work with the multi-professional team or other professional groups and sensitively managing, a number of people's needs simultaneously within the context of therapeutic work/consultation
• Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.
• Ability to demonstrate leadership and management skills, and to articulate the value added by psychotherapy services to multi-disciplinary work

Desirable

• Knowledge and skills gained in the management of budgets and resources in relation to staff group and the profession.

Effort and Environment

Essential

• Physical stamina to support clinical caseload which requires intense concentration whilst sitting with client groups engaging with and observing clients for prolonged periods.
• Emotional stamina and ability to respond constructively in highly stressful situations where individuals hold very different perspectives, and there is a high level of distress, ambiguity and conflict.
• Ability to organise and coordinate areas of work that are complex and demanding

Other Requirements

Essential

• Ability to articulate and interpret clearly the role of the profession of systemic psychotherapy based on a good understanding of the framework of government and national professional policy
• A commitment to the continuous improvement of services using feedback from individual clients, families, user surveys, and clinical research
• Ability to identify and provide appropriate means of support to staff exposed to highly distressing situations and severely challenging behaviours

Desirable

• A record of having published in peer reviewed or academic professional journals and books
• A demonstrated interest in supporting the development of the field through participation in professional bodies and activities

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).