South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Clinical/Counselling Psychologist or Psychotherapist

This job is now closed

Job summary

We are looking to recruit a highly skilled and motivated Psychologist/Psychotherapist to join the Ladywell Unit team at the University Hospital Lewisham, working across the adult inpatient services. There are two male and two female acute inpatient wards based at Ladywell as well as a male Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit and the post-holder will work across all these services.Clients present with complex and enduring serious mental illness, including schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder, other psychotic problems and personality disorder. In addition, clients present with emotionally difficult situations (e.g. abuse, trauma, threats to others, self-harm, suicide attempts).

Main duties of the job

You will provide highly specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions for clients admitted to the inpatient wards and PICU. An essential part of your role will be to support ward staff and advise teams as to how to provide specialist psychological care and assist in the development of robust behavioural and risk management plans.You will have experience of both individual and group work and be able to provide culturally appropriate psychological interventions for patients, carers and families. You will be expected to develop and carry out Quality Improvement projects, research and audits as required and supervise trainees and assistant psychologists.This is a varied role with excellent opportunities to develop desirable and transferable skills working with adults experiencing an acute phase of their mental illness. You will receive regular clinical supervision and be supported by the broader inpatient team.For further details / informal visits contact: Madhuri Lokhande, Lead Inpatient Psychology, 07920774282 or madhuri.lokhande@slam.nhs.uk or

Denis Muganga, Clinical Service Lead Lewisham Acute & Crisis Services at denis.muganga@slam.nhs.uk

About us

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, There are 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.

Other benefits include:

Counselling services
Wellbeing events
Long service awards
Cycle to work scheme
Season ticket loan
Childcare vouchers
Staff restaurants

We look forward to receiving your application.

Date posted

09 September 2022

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£47,126 to £53,219 a year per annum plus HCAs

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

334-LEW-4422173-A

Job locations

University Hospital Lewisham

Ladywell Unit, Lewisham High Street

London

SE13 6LW

Job description

Job responsibilities

SOUTH LONDON & MAUDSLEY NHS TRUST

TRUST JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title

Clinical/Counselling Psychologist or Psychotherapist

Grade

Agenda for Change Band 8a

Hours per week

37.5 hours per week, 1 year fixed term

Department

Acute and Crisis Inpatient Psychology Service

Location

Ladywell Unit, University Hospital Lewisham, Lewisham High Street, London, SE13 6LH, London

Reports to

Inpatient Psychology Acute and Crisis Care in Lewisham

Responsible for

Junior / Trainee / Assistant Psychologists (if there are any in the Team during the contract period)

Professionally accountable to

Lewisham Head of Psychology & Psychotherapy

Working Relationships:

Service Director

Operational Directorate Head of Psychology and Psychotherapy

Clinical Supervisor and Line Manager

Registered (HCPC) Senior Clinical Psychologist/Psychotherapist

Junior Staff and Students

Ward Consultant Psychiatrists and MDTs Acute and Crisis General Manager

Job Purpose:

To provide a highly specialist psychology service to the inpatient acute wards and PICU at Ladywell Unit including specialist assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes.
To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.
To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate, functioning as a lead specialist in Inpatient Psychology Team.
To undertake service evaluation, audit and research.
To work as an autonomous professional within BPS and HCPC guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by principles and policies or procedures of the service, taking responsibility for interpreting policies within defined parameters.
To agree outcomes/results with clinical/professional lead and to decide how they are best achieved.
To adapt standard psychological interventions to the particular demands of home treatment team working enabling multi-disciplinary team members to carry out-short term psychologically informed interventions with the majority of service users.

Relevant Information about the Trust and/or the area of work:

There are 4 inpatient wards at University Hospital Lewisham (2 male and 2 female) as well as one male psychiatric intensive care unit. Clients present with complex and enduring serious mental illness, including schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder, other psychotic problems and personality disorder. In addition, clients present with emotionally difficult situations (e.g. abuse, trauma, threats to others, self-harm, suicide attempts).

Key Responsibilities:

KR 1 Clinical and Client Care

To provide highly specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions for clients admitted to the inpatient wards and PICU including clients with complex mental health needs, including patients presenting with personality disorder, psychosis, complex mood disorders or where cognitive impairment may be a factor affecting recovery.
To provide culturally appropriate psychological interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.
To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans.
To take responsibility for initiating planning and reviewing care plans, co-ordination of network meetings.

KR 2 Contributing to team or service clinical functioning

To contribute to the effective working of the team or service and to a psychologically informed framework for the service.
To contribute to the team or services delivery of accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.
To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.
To advise other members of the service on specialist psychological care of clients.
To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals concerned with clients in order to develop and review care plans.
To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members.

KR 3 Policy and service development

To implement policies and procedures in own area of work, and to propose improvements or beneficial changes.
To contribute to service development through undertaking and participating in appropriate projects.
To contribute to the consultation and engagement of service users in planning and delivering services which meet the needs of local communities.

KR 4 Care or management of resources

To take care of, and use carefully, the Trusts equipment and physical resources.
To ensure that the post-holder has sufficient resources by estimating future needs and requesting or ordering supplies as needed.

KR 5 Management and supervision

To be responsible for the allocation and/or clinical supervision of the work of more junior psychologists with support from a more senior psychologist.
To supervise trainee applied psychologists within own area of specialism.
To contribute to the appraisal of more junior psychologists, as appropriate.
To contribute to the recruitment of more junior psychologists, as appropriate.
To provide supervision for the psychological work of other multi-disciplinary staff as appropriate.

KR 6 Teaching and Training

To undertake occasional teaching and training of pre and post- qualification psychologists and specialised training to other professions as appropriate.
To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within the ward by maintaining an active awareness of current developments in psychology and the wider acute care pathway and by implementing knowledge gained in practice.
To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles.

KR 7 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.

KR 8 Research and development

To initiate, undertake, support and supervise regular complex service evaluation and audits.
To initiate and carry out appropriate research.
To provide expertise in a specialist research area which will contribute to the team and wider acute care pathway.
To initiate and implement the development of outcome measurement and assessment and assist other staff in the implementation of same.

KR 9 Maintaining professional standards and continuing professional development

To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior psychologist according to HCPC and Trust guidelines.
To ensure own Continuing Professional Development in line with BPS and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements and the HCPC Standards for Continuing Professional Development.
To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.
To comply with the HCPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics and Standards of Proficiency, and ensure professional development in line with these.
To adhere to the BPSs Professional Practice Guidelines and Trust policies and procedures.

KR10 General

To travel to other venues (e.g. home visits, community placements, psychology meetings) as appropriate and across the Trust when required.
To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the client group and follow trust policies relating to its management.
To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations such as challenging behaviour, abuse etc. and to support others involved in such situations.
To work across the care pathway, in other parts of the CAG or Trust.

Job description

Job responsibilities

SOUTH LONDON & MAUDSLEY NHS TRUST

TRUST JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title

Clinical/Counselling Psychologist or Psychotherapist

Grade

Agenda for Change Band 8a

Hours per week

37.5 hours per week, 1 year fixed term

Department

Acute and Crisis Inpatient Psychology Service

Location

Ladywell Unit, University Hospital Lewisham, Lewisham High Street, London, SE13 6LH, London

Reports to

Inpatient Psychology Acute and Crisis Care in Lewisham

Responsible for

Junior / Trainee / Assistant Psychologists (if there are any in the Team during the contract period)

Professionally accountable to

Lewisham Head of Psychology & Psychotherapy

Working Relationships:

Service Director

Operational Directorate Head of Psychology and Psychotherapy

Clinical Supervisor and Line Manager

Registered (HCPC) Senior Clinical Psychologist/Psychotherapist

Junior Staff and Students

Ward Consultant Psychiatrists and MDTs Acute and Crisis General Manager

Job Purpose:

To provide a highly specialist psychology service to the inpatient acute wards and PICU at Ladywell Unit including specialist assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes.
To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.
To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate, functioning as a lead specialist in Inpatient Psychology Team.
To undertake service evaluation, audit and research.
To work as an autonomous professional within BPS and HCPC guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by principles and policies or procedures of the service, taking responsibility for interpreting policies within defined parameters.
To agree outcomes/results with clinical/professional lead and to decide how they are best achieved.
To adapt standard psychological interventions to the particular demands of home treatment team working enabling multi-disciplinary team members to carry out-short term psychologically informed interventions with the majority of service users.

Relevant Information about the Trust and/or the area of work:

Key Responsibilities:

KR 1 Clinical and Client Care

To provide highly specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions for clients admitted to the inpatient wards and PICU including clients with complex mental health needs, including patients presenting with personality disorder, psychosis, complex mood disorders or where cognitive impairment may be a factor affecting recovery.
To provide culturally appropriate psychological interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.
To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans.
To take responsibility for initiating planning and reviewing care plans, co-ordination of network meetings.

KR 2 Contributing to team or service clinical functioning

To contribute to the effective working of the team or service and to a psychologically informed framework for the service.
To contribute to the team or services delivery of accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.
To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.
To advise other members of the service on specialist psychological care of clients.
To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals concerned with clients in order to develop and review care plans.
To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members.

KR 3 Policy and service development

To implement policies and procedures in own area of work, and to propose improvements or beneficial changes.
To contribute to service development through undertaking and participating in appropriate projects.
To contribute to the consultation and engagement of service users in planning and delivering services which meet the needs of local communities.

KR 4 Care or management of resources

To take care of, and use carefully, the Trusts equipment and physical resources.
To ensure that the post-holder has sufficient resources by estimating future needs and requesting or ordering supplies as needed.

KR 5 Management and supervision

To be responsible for the allocation and/or clinical supervision of the work of more junior psychologists with support from a more senior psychologist.
To supervise trainee applied psychologists within own area of specialism.
To contribute to the appraisal of more junior psychologists, as appropriate.
To contribute to the recruitment of more junior psychologists, as appropriate.
To provide supervision for the psychological work of other multi-disciplinary staff as appropriate.

KR 6 Teaching and Training

To undertake occasional teaching and training of pre and post- qualification psychologists and specialised training to other professions as appropriate.
To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within the ward by maintaining an active awareness of current developments in psychology and the wider acute care pathway and by implementing knowledge gained in practice.
To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles.

KR 7 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.

KR 8 Research and development

To initiate, undertake, support and supervise regular complex service evaluation and audits.
To initiate and carry out appropriate research.
To provide expertise in a specialist research area which will contribute to the team and wider acute care pathway.
To initiate and implement the development of outcome measurement and assessment and assist other staff in the implementation of same.

KR 9 Maintaining professional standards and continuing professional development

To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior psychologist according to HCPC and Trust guidelines.
To ensure own Continuing Professional Development in line with BPS and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements and the HCPC Standards for Continuing Professional Development.
To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.
To comply with the HCPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics and Standards of Proficiency, and ensure professional development in line with these.
To adhere to the BPSs Professional Practice Guidelines and Trust policies and procedures.

KR10 General

To travel to other venues (e.g. home visits, community placements, psychology meetings) as appropriate and across the Trust when required.
To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the client group and follow trust policies relating to its management.
To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations such as challenging behaviour, abuse etc. and to support others involved in such situations.
To work across the care pathway, in other parts of the CAG or Trust.

Person Specification

essential and desirable

Essential

Qualifications and Professional Registration
Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological assessments and interventions
Post-qualification experience
conducting risk assessments

Desirable

expertise in acute mental health settings

Person Specification

essential and desirable

Essential

Qualifications and Professional Registration
Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological assessments and interventions
Post-qualification experience
conducting risk assessments

Desirable

expertise in acute mental health settings

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).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

Certificate of Sponsorship

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Address

University Hospital Lewisham

Ladywell Unit, Lewisham High Street

London

SE13 6LW

Employer's website

https://www.slam.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Address

University Hospital Lewisham

Ladywell Unit, Lewisham High Street

London

SE13 6LW

Employer's website

https://www.slam.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)