Systemic Family Therapist

Job responsibilities

Clinical responsibilities

• To provide specialist assessment and clinical systemic formulation to individuals, couples, families and social networks where the identified client has severe and highly complex mental health needs, including (but not limited to) emotional and behavioural disturbance, parenting difficulties, acute and chronic mental and physical illness, deliberate self-harm, suicide risk, experiences of violence and trauma, and adult and child safeguarding.
• To select and administer specialist assessments as appropriate through the use of a range of systemic assessment tools. This would include analysis and assessment of multiple levels of contextual meaning, deconstruction of current interactional patterns of behaviour and meaning around mental health issues and complex relationships.
• To provide reports, including relevant formulation, opinion and interventions to inform referrers, service users and their families.
• To select and deliver specialist therapeutic interventions, drawing from a broad spectrum of systemic 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 undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management.
• To act as lead professional where necessary, taking responsibility for the planning and reviewing of care plans for service users.
• To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with service users. carers and colleagues taking account of communication needs.
• To ensure that all services provided are acceptable and accessible to the diverse communities which make up the Borough of Brent. At all times to work in ways that are sensitive to and appropriate for the needs of families from a wide range of racial, cultural and religious backgrounds, and to be aware and sensitive to the different contexts that shape different families experiences, beliefs and perceptions. This will include working with interpreters.

Contributing to the wider service

• To contribute to the effective working of the team and to a psychologically and systemically informed framework for the service.
• To provide consultations to other clinical staff on the use of family therapy and systemic psychotherapy techniques and, where appropriate, to jointly work with other team members in the provision of therapeutic interventions
• To take a proactive stance in challenging discrimination and support the development of a culturally competent service.
• To provide systemically informed advice and consultancy to local teams and services for clients.
• To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals to develop and review care plans and to arrange and lead network meetings as appropriate.
• To use theory, evidence-based literature and research to support clinical practice and work with other team members.

Policy and service development

• To implement policies and procedures in own area of work.
• To identify aspects of the service that could be improved and initiate and implement service development projects.
• To participate in clinical governance initiatives as agreed by the team.
• To contribute to the consultation and engagement of service users and their families in planning and delivering

Management of resources

• To take care of, and use carefully, the Trusts equipment and physical resources.

Management and supervision/consultation

• To be responsible for providing consultation to mental health practitioners developing systemic skills.
• To contribute to the appraisal of trainee family therapists, and other mental health practitioners developing systemic skills.
• To participate in the recruitment of trainee family therapists, and other mental health practitioners developing systemic skills..
• To provide consultation for the systemic and family work of other multi-disciplinary staff as appropriate.

Teaching and training

• To contribute to the teaching and training of family and systemic psychotherapists and specialised training to other professions as appropriate.
• To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within the Brent Integrated Psychology and Psychotherapy Service by maintaining an active awareness of current developments in the field of systemic practice and Adult Mental Health and by implementing knowledge gained in practice.
• To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles.
• To provide training in family/social network inclusive practice to multi-disciplinary teams as appropriate

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.

Research and development

• To contribute to service evaluation and audits
• To contribute to appropriate research within the service.
• To initiate and implement the development of outcome measurement and assessment and assist other staff in the implementation of same
• Initiate and participate in evaluating systemic approaches within particular areas of the service.

Maintaining professional standards and continuing professional development

• Regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior family and systemic psychotherapist will be available according to AFT, UKCP and Trust guidelines.
• To ensure own Continuing Professional Development in line with AFT and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements and the UKCP Continual Professional Development guidelines
• To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.
• To adhere to the UKCP Ethical Principles and Code of Professional Conduct and Trust policies and procedures

General

• To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour and follow trust policies relating to its management.
• To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations and to support others involved in such situations.

This is not intended as an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities of the role. The postholder may be required to undertake other duties which fall within the grade of the job, in discussion with their manager.

This job description will be reviewed regularly and may change from time to time to meet the changing needs of the Trust and Department.

Values and Behaviours

Essential

• oCommitment to inclusivity and anti-discriminatory practice.
• oAbility to work constructively with colleagues, including other psychological treatment modalities and other professional backgrounds.
• oApproachable, respectful attitude towards service users and staff.

Qualifications

Essential

• oPost-graduate qualification in relevant mental health/social welfare profession and demonstrable practice in this field.
• oMasters level qualification in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy or equivalent qualification, accredited by UKCP.
• oRegistered with the UKCP as a Systemic Psychotherapist (or equivalent) and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the UKCP.

Desirable

• oAdditional qualification in a specialised area of family or couple therapy such as Open Dialogue, EFT or ABFT.
• oRecognised qualification in another psychotherapy modality or application, such as psychodynamic psychotherapy, EMDR, MBT, DBT, CBT etc.

Experience

Essential

• oSubstantial experience in a relevant first profession (in Health and/or Social Care settings).
• oExperience of providing specialist systemic assessment, formulation and intervention with clients across with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature.
• oExperience of working with, and addressing issues of, diversity, including experience of working within a multicultural framework.
• oExperience of conducting general psychological assessments and an ability to think broadly about the needs of clients.

Desirable

• oPost-qualification experience working as a family/systemic psychotherapist.
• oExperience of offering clinical supervision.
• oExperience of providing consultation to a range of staff groups.
• oExperience of carrying out research, audit or service evaluation projects.
• oExperience of providing teaching and training to family and systemic psychotherapists or other professional groups.
• oExperience of having worked in an adult mental health context

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• oSignificant knowledge of the theory and practice of family and systemic psychotherapy relevant to an Adult Mental Health setting.
• oTheoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment.
• oAdvanced knowledge of a range of systemic models in assessment and treatment, including knowledge of specific family and systemic theories and evidence relevant to an Adult Mental Health setting
• oKnowledge of a range of psychotherapeutic modalities used in an Adult Mental Health setting.
• oKnowledge of legislation in relation to an Adult Mental Health setting including Adult and Child Safeguarding.
• oKnowledge of racial and other diversity issues and factors affecting access to mental health care.

Desirable

• oWell-developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult-to-treat groups (e.g. personality difficulties, complex and chronic mood and anxiety disorders, and behaviours that challenge etc.)

Personal Characteristics

Essential

• oAbility to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and taking some leadership roles.
• oAbility to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate.
• oAbility to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings.
• oAbility to manage highly complex situations involving multiple difficulties, and competing/conflicting views about those difficulties; and to help create contexts that develop systemic engagement, and harness the strengths and abilities of those involved.

Other

Essential

• oAbility to identify provide and promote appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and severely challenging behaviours.
• oAbility to identify, and employ as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
• oAbility to self-manage within a busy and often emotionally clinical environment.

Desirable

• oExperience of working within a multicultural framework.
• oExperience of multi-agency working

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).