East London NHS Foundation Trust

Clinical / Counselling Psychologist

The closing date is 15 August 2025

Job summary

Clinical or Counselling Psychologist

This is an exciting opportunity for a HCPC registered Clinical or Counselling Psychologist or an Allied Professional with experience in MBT to join the Newham Mentalisation Based Therapy Service. The post is a fixed term post covering maternity leave. The role is a part-time 8a role at 0.6

The service offers a full MBT program to individuals with Complex Emotional Needs. Candidates with past experience in working therapeutically with individuals with complex mental health needs are welcome to apply. Past experience in MBT treatment is preferable.

This post is an exciting opportunity to progress into a band 8a role and for individuals look to develop their clinical and leadership experience. In addition to offering clinical interventions, you will be involved in other service development initiatives including consultation to other services, improving the our offer to families and young people, and outreach work to community and inpatient teams within the borough.

MBT in Newham is a team based approach. We would like to hear from candidates who value working as part of a reflective, in-person team. Service Users are discussed regularly and the team collaborates closely around care planning, treatment and management. We would welcome applications from people who are reflective and can consider the therapeutic relationship and the impact the work has on them.

Main duties of the job

To provide a clinical service to patients open to the Newham Mentalisation Based Therapy Service and to provide expert support and advice to other members of the team.

The role will require the post holder to:

Undertake specialist psychological assessment of patients referred to the Mentalisation Based Therapy Service and provide specialist reports to referrers and patients

Formulate and implement appropriate treatment plans and provide specialist Mentalisation-Based therapy to patients under the care of the service

Offer clinical supervision to colleagues as well as consultation to professionals and agencies

Liaise with other professionals to contribute to the establishment of continuity of care across services

Work autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the team's policies and procedures.

To take a lead role in the team for the provision of offering a treatment approach for patients with complex needs; offering specialist assessment, intervention and treatment.

Assist in participating, collating and developing on-going research within the specialist service.

About us

Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users

Details

Date posted

25 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£59,490 to £66,239 a year per annum Inc HCAs

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

363-NEW7317069

Job locations

Newham Specialist Psychological Therapies Services

409 High Street

Stratford

E15 4QZ


Job description

Job responsibilities

For full details of the role, please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

Job description

Job responsibilities

For full details of the role, please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

Person Specification

Education/ Qualification/ Training

Essential

  • Doctorate in Clinical / Counselling Psychology or equivalence (statement of equivalence and able to demonstrate eligibility for BPS CPsychol (Chartered Psychologist)
  • HCPC registration or allied registration

Desirable

  • Accredited Practitioner Training in MBT
  • Further training in a therapeutic modality relevant to personality disorder

Experience

Essential

  • Experience in working with patients with complex emotional needs presentations (i.e. 'Personality Disorder') and/or risk of self-harm.
  • Experience of delivering therapeutic interventions to individuals with Complex Emotional Needs.
  • Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team offering support to adults with severe and enduring mental health problems.
  • Experience of group work.
  • Experience of delivering training/consultation and providing clinical supervision.

Desirable

  • Work within at least two therapeutic modalities.
  • Experience of the application of psychology/therapy in different cultural contexts

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

  • Skills in psychological assessment, intervention and management, including the use of theoretical models to develop formulations upon which to base choice of treatment.
  • Skills in the effective communication of technical and/or clinically sensitive information to a wide variety of recipients in a range of settings within and outside the NHS, including the ability to produce comprehensive and coherent letters, reports and associated documentation.
  • Skills in the assessment of risk for patients with mental health problems and specifically for patients with complex Emotional Needs
  • Capacity to work calmly and thoughtfully when working with traumatic psychological issues, demonstrating an awareness of the sensitivity and unpredictability of patients with complex needs, and a capacity to tolerate the strong emotions evoked by such work
  • Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
  • Knowledge and understanding of diagnosis of Personality Disorder.
  • Skills in working in multidisciplinary settings.
  • Knowledge of legislation in relation mental health.
  • Evidence of CPD
  • Ability to provide a culturally-competent and non-stigmatising service including an awareness of the potential impact of discrimination and disadvantage on mental health.
  • Knowledge of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult - to - treat groups (e.g. complex needs, self harm, personality disorder/psychosis, dual diagnosis, persons with additional disabilities etc).

Desirable

  • Some knowledge and understanding of psychoanalytic models and developmental processes associated with Personality Disorder (eg: Transference Focused Psychotherapy (TFP), Mentalization-based Treatment (MBT).

Other

Essential

  • Ability to manage effectively verbal aggression and abuse from service users, carers etc, and the risk of physical aggression.
  • Ability to independently travel across sites as required

Desirable

  • Demonstrably respectful approach to service users, carers, colleagues, other professionals and professional contacts. Willingness to negotiate and ability to handle confrontation effectively and professional
  • Ability to speak to local community language (e.g Hindi/Urdu/Bengali/Somali etc)
Person Specification

Education/ Qualification/ Training

Essential

  • Doctorate in Clinical / Counselling Psychology or equivalence (statement of equivalence and able to demonstrate eligibility for BPS CPsychol (Chartered Psychologist)
  • HCPC registration or allied registration

Desirable

  • Accredited Practitioner Training in MBT
  • Further training in a therapeutic modality relevant to personality disorder

Experience

Essential

  • Experience in working with patients with complex emotional needs presentations (i.e. 'Personality Disorder') and/or risk of self-harm.
  • Experience of delivering therapeutic interventions to individuals with Complex Emotional Needs.
  • Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team offering support to adults with severe and enduring mental health problems.
  • Experience of group work.
  • Experience of delivering training/consultation and providing clinical supervision.

Desirable

  • Work within at least two therapeutic modalities.
  • Experience of the application of psychology/therapy in different cultural contexts

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

  • Skills in psychological assessment, intervention and management, including the use of theoretical models to develop formulations upon which to base choice of treatment.
  • Skills in the effective communication of technical and/or clinically sensitive information to a wide variety of recipients in a range of settings within and outside the NHS, including the ability to produce comprehensive and coherent letters, reports and associated documentation.
  • Skills in the assessment of risk for patients with mental health problems and specifically for patients with complex Emotional Needs
  • Capacity to work calmly and thoughtfully when working with traumatic psychological issues, demonstrating an awareness of the sensitivity and unpredictability of patients with complex needs, and a capacity to tolerate the strong emotions evoked by such work
  • Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
  • Knowledge and understanding of diagnosis of Personality Disorder.
  • Skills in working in multidisciplinary settings.
  • Knowledge of legislation in relation mental health.
  • Evidence of CPD
  • Ability to provide a culturally-competent and non-stigmatising service including an awareness of the potential impact of discrimination and disadvantage on mental health.
  • Knowledge of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult - to - treat groups (e.g. complex needs, self harm, personality disorder/psychosis, dual diagnosis, persons with additional disabilities etc).

Desirable

  • Some knowledge and understanding of psychoanalytic models and developmental processes associated with Personality Disorder (eg: Transference Focused Psychotherapy (TFP), Mentalization-based Treatment (MBT).

Other

Essential

  • Ability to manage effectively verbal aggression and abuse from service users, carers etc, and the risk of physical aggression.
  • Ability to independently travel across sites as required

Desirable

  • Demonstrably respectful approach to service users, carers, colleagues, other professionals and professional contacts. Willingness to negotiate and ability to handle confrontation effectively and professional
  • Ability to speak to local community language (e.g Hindi/Urdu/Bengali/Somali etc)

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

East London NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Newham Specialist Psychological Therapies Services

409 High Street

Stratford

E15 4QZ


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

East London NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Newham Specialist Psychological Therapies Services

409 High Street

Stratford

E15 4QZ


Employer's website

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


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

MBT Service Lead

David Beecraft

david.beecraft1@nhs.net

02082216000

Details

Date posted

25 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£59,490 to £66,239 a year per annum Inc HCAs

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

363-NEW7317069

Job locations

Newham Specialist Psychological Therapies Services

409 High Street

Stratford

E15 4QZ


Supporting documents

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