South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Practitioner Psychologist, Psychotherapist & Psychological Therapist

The closing date is 07 September 2025

Job summary

We are looking to appoint a Psychologist / Psychological Therapist to work with High Frequency attenders / those at risk of frequent in patient admissions at the Guys and St Thomas Emergency Department (ED) as part of our Liaison Psychiatry and psychological therapy services in Lambeth.

The post holder will work with a small High Frequency Attenders multidisciplinary team. They will do brief crisis and care planning psychological work with patients, their carers and families and liaise with inpatient and community Mental Health Teams in Lambeth. Teams work with working age adults with complex mental health needs. The team often meets on Wednesdays.

The postholder will offer evidence based assessment and brief interventions in group and individual formats.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work with a small High Frequency Attenders multidisciplinary team. They will provide direct and indirect work. Indirect work will include support, consultation and liaison with ED, and with in patient and community MH teams. Direct work will be will be to do one off or brief crisis and care planning psychological work with patients, their carers and families. They will regularly assess and use psychological therapy formulations and psychologically informed care and risk management plans to adults with severe and complex mental health needs. They will review existing care and risk plans.

They may also provide clinical supervision and consultancy and contributing to teaching and research activity. This post provides a link psychology & psychotherapy role within the Lambeth services and is based within the liaison psychiatry team.

Line management is through the Psychiatric liaison manager : Nyasha Kajawu

About us

Our Values:We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I'm going to do is at the heart of everything we do.

About the location:The posts will be based at Guys or St Thomas Hospital, London.

Career progression: We are committed to get the very best out of our staff and support staff in their career aspirations. South London & Maudsley NHS Trust is a large Trust with a range of career as well as training and development opportunities.

Flexible working:We are proud to offer flexible working as part of our new ways of working, and we are happy to talk flexible working during Monday - Friday at the interview stage. This post wold require working in the hospital.

Details

Date posted

15 August 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£72,921 to £83,362 a year pa inc. of HCA pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

334-CLI-7386293

Job locations

St Thomas Hospital

Westminster Bridge Rd,

London

SE1 7EH


Job description

Job responsibilities

To provide a highly specialist psychological therapy service, as part of a multidisciplinary liaison team, to service users, and their families and caregivers, including specialist assessment and brief intervention, multidisciplinary formulation and care planning. To liaise with ED, other staff teams and ward staff.

Implementation and monitoring of outcomes according to relevant guidance and the evidence base.To be proactive in engaging individuals and their carers, who might express some ambivalence about engaging in care plans or psychological therapy.To support staff wellbeing and 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 specialist in complex and severe mental health presentations.

To work flexibly across settings.To undertake service evaluation, audit and research, as appropriate.To work as an autonomous professional within guidelines and codes of conduct, or equivalent 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.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To provide a highly specialist psychological therapy service, as part of a multidisciplinary liaison team, to service users, and their families and caregivers, including specialist assessment and brief intervention, multidisciplinary formulation and care planning. To liaise with ED, other staff teams and ward staff.

Implementation and monitoring of outcomes according to relevant guidance and the evidence base.To be proactive in engaging individuals and their carers, who might express some ambivalence about engaging in care plans or psychological therapy.To support staff wellbeing and 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 specialist in complex and severe mental health presentations.

To work flexibly across settings.To undertake service evaluation, audit and research, as appropriate.To work as an autonomous professional within guidelines and codes of conduct, or equivalent 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.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology/Psychological Therapy (Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent) that has been accepted by the HCPC or equivalent body for purposes of professional registration/accreditation. Clinical psychologist: Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent; Counselling psychologist: MSc and PG Diploma in Counselling Psychology; Forensic psychologist: MSc in Forensic Psychology plus completion of the British Psychological Society's Qualification in Forensic Psychology Stage 2) For Family / Systemic Psychotherapists: Postgraduate qualification in relevant mental health/social welfare profession and demonstrable practice in this field (A/I) PLUS Masters level qualification in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy or equivalent qualification, accredited by UKCP (A/I) For Psychotherapists: Entry-level qualification in Psychotherapy that has been accepted by the BPC/UKCP/BACP/BABCP (specify which, according to nature of post) for purposes of professional registration. Plus Master's level additional training in modality relevant to the post.
  • Additional training in specialised psychological assessment and interventions for severe and complex mental health problems 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 OR willingness to undertake training to meet this requirement
  • Registered with the HCPC or equivalent as Practitioner Psychologist or equivalent, and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC or equivalent registration

Experience

Essential

  • Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in relevant services
  • Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in inpatient and/or rehabilitation and/or community services, including experience of working with people who have suffered severe and early sexual, physical and/or emotional abuse.
  • Experience of carrying out post-doctoral research, audit or service evaluation projects.
  • Experience and skills at developing formulations, risk, crisis, relapse and recovery plans and psychological reports for clients with severe mental illness.
  • experience working with urgent /crisis presentations
  • experience working with physical health issues

Desirable

  • Experience of supervising assistant and trainee psychological therapists having completed the relevant training.
  • Record of publications in either peer reviewed, academic or professional journals/books

Knowledge/Skills

Essential

  • Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological assessments and interventions for severe and complex mental health problems, such as trauma, behavioural and neurodevelopmental, or psychosis/bipolar in the context of acute, rehabilitation, or community settings.
  • Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment of presentations of severe mental health and behavioural conditions, including acute presentations.
  • Advanced knowledge of psychological assessment and clinical psychometrics for the relevant client group
  • To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences and hostility to or rejection of information.
  • Skills to provide teaching and training to other professional groups
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology/Psychological Therapy (Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent) that has been accepted by the HCPC or equivalent body for purposes of professional registration/accreditation. Clinical psychologist: Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent; Counselling psychologist: MSc and PG Diploma in Counselling Psychology; Forensic psychologist: MSc in Forensic Psychology plus completion of the British Psychological Society's Qualification in Forensic Psychology Stage 2) For Family / Systemic Psychotherapists: Postgraduate qualification in relevant mental health/social welfare profession and demonstrable practice in this field (A/I) PLUS Masters level qualification in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy or equivalent qualification, accredited by UKCP (A/I) For Psychotherapists: Entry-level qualification in Psychotherapy that has been accepted by the BPC/UKCP/BACP/BABCP (specify which, according to nature of post) for purposes of professional registration. Plus Master's level additional training in modality relevant to the post.
  • Additional training in specialised psychological assessment and interventions for severe and complex mental health problems 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 OR willingness to undertake training to meet this requirement
  • Registered with the HCPC or equivalent as Practitioner Psychologist or equivalent, and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC or equivalent registration

Experience

Essential

  • Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in relevant services
  • Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in inpatient and/or rehabilitation and/or community services, including experience of working with people who have suffered severe and early sexual, physical and/or emotional abuse.
  • Experience of carrying out post-doctoral research, audit or service evaluation projects.
  • Experience and skills at developing formulations, risk, crisis, relapse and recovery plans and psychological reports for clients with severe mental illness.
  • experience working with urgent /crisis presentations
  • experience working with physical health issues

Desirable

  • Experience of supervising assistant and trainee psychological therapists having completed the relevant training.
  • Record of publications in either peer reviewed, academic or professional journals/books

Knowledge/Skills

Essential

  • Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological assessments and interventions for severe and complex mental health problems, such as trauma, behavioural and neurodevelopmental, or psychosis/bipolar in the context of acute, rehabilitation, or community settings.
  • Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment of presentations of severe mental health and behavioural conditions, including acute presentations.
  • Advanced knowledge of psychological assessment and clinical psychometrics for the relevant client group
  • To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences and hostility to or rejection of information.
  • Skills to provide teaching and training to other professional groups

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

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).

Employer details

Employer name

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Address

St Thomas Hospital

Westminster Bridge Rd,

London

SE1 7EH


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

St Thomas Hospital

Westminster Bridge Rd,

London

SE1 7EH


Employer's website

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


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Head of Psychology and Psychotherapy, Lambeth

John Manley

john.manley@slam.nhs.uk

Details

Date posted

15 August 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£72,921 to £83,362 a year pa inc. of HCA pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

334-CLI-7386293

Job locations

St Thomas Hospital

Westminster Bridge Rd,

London

SE1 7EH


Supporting documents

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