Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is committed to improving equity of access to psychological therapies for under-represented service users across community psychosis services in Southwark specifically, and the Trust more broadly. This one-year post, which is funded by the Maudsley Charity, is part of a wider body of work aimed at improving the services we provide for the Black community. The postholder will lead on part of the programme, which will include the refinement and/or transformation of the current psychological therapy pathway within the CMHTs to better meet the needs of Black service users that have experienced psychosis. They will support the development of the psychological therapy psychosis team in developing its anti-racist practice and improving in cultural humility, which is a journey that the team has paid particular attention to over the last two years.
The aim of the programme of work is to ensure that we are offering psychological therapy services that resonate with the communities we serve; provision that is anti-racist, culturally-sensitive and trauma-informed. The post holder will have a keen interest in Trauma Informed Care approaches to health care and anti-racism, with a view to creatively integrating these approaches into our existing community mental health services.
Main duties of the job
To forge effective links and working relationships with key members of local community and/or service user groups in order to understand their needs with regards to provision of psychological treatment and to facilitate improved access to psychological treatments for Black people.
To engage in a consultation process with key contacts from local BME groups about current provision and ways to improve access to psychological therapy for Black service users.
To directly and indirectly provide highly specialist clinical input to service user groups under-represented within the psychological therapy service, specifically Black people.
To investigate how models of psychological treatment and modes of delivery can be utilised, adapted or transformed to increase access for racially minoritised service users, particularly Black service users.
To identify training and personal-professional development needs within the CMHT psychological workforce and facilitate solutions (e.g., training, reflective groups) in collaboration with the Psychological Services.
To provide clinical supervision, consultation, teaching and reflective practice (as appropriate) in the service of building an anti-racist psychological therapy service.
About us
About Southwark Directorate Community Mental Health Services:
In Southwark we have gone through a period of service transformation in which we have developed integrated Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs). The aim of these teams are to deliver mental health care that is accessible and promotes personal recovery. CMHTs are multi-disciplinary services with different professional groups working together to support the needs of the local community.
About South London and Maudsley:
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provide the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK as well as substance misuse services for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. We work closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London and are part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. There are very few organisations in the world that have such wide-ranging capabilities working with mental illness. Our scope is unique because it is built on three major foundations: care and treatment, science and research, and training.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To develop services in order to improve access for service users under-represented in psychological therapy services, specifically Black services users under the Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs).
- To investigate how models of psychological treatment and modes of delivery can be utilised, adapted or transformed to increase access for racially minoritised service users, particularly Black service users.
- To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.
- To undertake service evaluation, audit, research and policy development related to the project to reduce racial disparities in psychological therapy access within Community Psychosis Services.
- To work as an autonomous professional within BPS and HCPC/BABCP/BACP/UKCP 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 supervise, support and co-ordinate the psychological assessment and therapy provided by other psychologists and other clinical members of the service who provide psychologically based care and treatment.
- To work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice within the service.
- To utilise research skills for audit, policy and service development and research. To propose and implement policy changes within the area served by the service.
- To contribute to regular progress reports for the Maudsley Charity as the programmes commissioners, Southwark Governance committee and the Trust's Equality and Diversity committee.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To develop services in order to improve access for service users under-represented in psychological therapy services, specifically Black services users under the Community Mental Health Teams (CMHTs).
- To investigate how models of psychological treatment and modes of delivery can be utilised, adapted or transformed to increase access for racially minoritised service users, particularly Black service users.
- To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.
- To undertake service evaluation, audit, research and policy development related to the project to reduce racial disparities in psychological therapy access within Community Psychosis Services.
- To work as an autonomous professional within BPS and HCPC/BABCP/BACP/UKCP 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 supervise, support and co-ordinate the psychological assessment and therapy provided by other psychologists and other clinical members of the service who provide psychologically based care and treatment.
- To work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice within the service.
- To utilise research skills for audit, policy and service development and research. To propose and implement policy changes within the area served by the service.
- To contribute to regular progress reports for the Maudsley Charity as the programmes commissioners, Southwark Governance committee and the Trust's Equality and Diversity committee.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology (for Clinical psychologist: Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent; for Counselling psychologist: MSc and PG Diploma in Counselling Psychology) that has been accepted by the HCPC for purposes of professional registration. (A/I) OR Entry-level qualification in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (plus supervised practice) that has been accepted by the (BABCP) for purposes of professional registration and full BABCP accreditation as a Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist
- Additional training in a specialised area of psychological practice in working with psychosis (e.g. CBT for psychosis, FI for psychosis) through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses, or an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice-based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma
- Registered with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist, and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC
Desirable
- Recognised qualification in Project Management (e.g., PRINCE2) or Quality Improvement
Experience
Essential
- Experience of supervising assistant and trainee psychologists or psychological therapists having completed the relevant training
- Post-qualification experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of race and racism within local communities
- Experience of proposing and implementing service development projects within own service area
Desirable
- Experience of leading anti-racism projects or initiatives within clinical services
- Experience of facilitating formal and informal reflective practice spaces
Knowledge
Essential
- Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies for Black people
- Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies for psychosis
- Doctoral level knowledge of psychological research methodology and complex statistical analysis
- Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care for Black communities
Desirable
- Personal, lived experience of racism, mental health problems, or of caring for someone with experience of mental health problems
Skills
Essential
- To plan projects and work schedules for groups of psychologists
- Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups
- To deliver psychological therapy across cultural and other differences
abilities
Essential
- Ability to effectively lead and/or support the development of pathways that better meet the needs of Black service users under the CMHTs
- Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology (for Clinical psychologist: Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent; for Counselling psychologist: MSc and PG Diploma in Counselling Psychology) that has been accepted by the HCPC for purposes of professional registration. (A/I) OR Entry-level qualification in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (plus supervised practice) that has been accepted by the (BABCP) for purposes of professional registration and full BABCP accreditation as a Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist
- Additional training in a specialised area of psychological practice in working with psychosis (e.g. CBT for psychosis, FI for psychosis) through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses, or an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice-based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma
- Registered with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist, and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC
Desirable
- Recognised qualification in Project Management (e.g., PRINCE2) or Quality Improvement
Experience
Essential
- Experience of supervising assistant and trainee psychologists or psychological therapists having completed the relevant training
- Post-qualification experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of race and racism within local communities
- Experience of proposing and implementing service development projects within own service area
Desirable
- Experience of leading anti-racism projects or initiatives within clinical services
- Experience of facilitating formal and informal reflective practice spaces
Knowledge
Essential
- Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies for Black people
- Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies for psychosis
- Doctoral level knowledge of psychological research methodology and complex statistical analysis
- Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care for Black communities
Desirable
- Personal, lived experience of racism, mental health problems, or of caring for someone with experience of mental health problems
Skills
Essential
- To plan projects and work schedules for groups of psychologists
- Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups
- To deliver psychological therapy across cultural and other differences
abilities
Essential
- Ability to effectively lead and/or support the development of pathways that better meet the needs of Black service users under the CMHTs
- Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings
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).
