NELFT North East London Foundation Trust

Principal Psychodynamic Psychotherapist / Psychologist

The closing date is 09 September 2025

Job summary

Principal Psychodynamic Psychotherapist / Psychologist

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a qualified and experienced Psychodynamic Psychotherapist or Clinical / Counselling Psychologist with a specialism in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy. The post is a permanent 0.6 WTE (3 days per week) position within the Mental Health and Wellness Team psychological provision in Barking & Dagenham.

This post involves providing leadership for the psychodynamic pathway (including Mentalisation Based Therapy) and within the Mental Health and Wellness Team (MHWT) North. This includes working closely with the MHWT North Operational Lead to ensure effective functioning of the team and a positive and supportive culture, including offering reflective practice and complex case consultation to MHWT staff. The role will provide leadership and clinical supervision for individual and group psychodynamic psychotherapy and individual and group Mentalisation Based Therapy, and a small amount of direct clinical work.

The post is based at the Becontree Centre and Barking Community Hospital (BCH) to enable close working relationships with the MHWT North (at Becontree Centre), and to maintain effective leadership of Psychological Professions staff working across the borough (including attendance at weekly meetings at BCH). The post holder will be required to work on site three days per week, and Tuesday is a core day for the role (the other working days are flexible).

Main duties of the job

Providing leadership of the psychodynamic psychotherapy pathway within the service.

Working closely with the Operational Lead of the MHWT to ensure the effective functioning and positive culture of the team, and ensuring that the psychological needs and formulation of all service users accessing the team are considered.

Providing a psychological perspective and leadership within the MHWT, including promoting psychological thinking in formal and informal discussions and meetings, and ensuring collaborative multidisciplinary care planning for all service users.

Providing clinical leadership and high-quality clinical supervision in the integrated care pathway, under the direction of the PP Lead. This will typically involve the supervision of Band 7 and Band 8a colleagues and will also include overseeing the supervision of Assistant Psychologists and Clinical Associate Psychologists (CAPs), as appropriate.

Providing specialist consultation and clinical input to complex cases presenting with significant distress associated with psychosis, anxiety, mood disorders, such as depression and also enduring difficulties that may have been given the diagnosis of 'personality disorder' across the directorate.

About us

Starting with NELFTNELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop in sessions focusing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.

Probationary Period

This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).High Cost Area Supplement - London

This post attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (minimum payment of £4,714 and a maximum payment of £5,941 per annum pro rata).

Certificates of Sponsorship

Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all job roles. Please check your eligibility under the UKVI points based system.

Details

Date posted

12 August 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£64,455 to £74,896 a year plus HCAS per annum (pro rata)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

395-BD067-25

Job locations

Becontree Centre

508 Becontree Avenue

Dagenham

RM8 3HR


Job description

Job responsibilities

Conducting high quality psychological assessments, treatments, and systematic outcome measurements for service users under the care of the Mental Health and Wellness Team, with a particular focus on those with complex emotional needs.

Working in close collaboration with other psychology services to ensure a smooth pathway for service-users and their families, under the direction of the Psychological Professional Leads.

Ensuring that a high quality, timely, accessible and evidence-based psychological service is available to all service users who need it, under the direction of the Psychological Professional Leads.

Use of AI

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Conducting high quality psychological assessments, treatments, and systematic outcome measurements for service users under the care of the Mental Health and Wellness Team, with a particular focus on those with complex emotional needs.

Working in close collaboration with other psychology services to ensure a smooth pathway for service-users and their families, under the direction of the Psychological Professional Leads.

Ensuring that a high quality, timely, accessible and evidence-based psychological service is available to all service users who need it, under the direction of the Psychological Professional Leads.

Use of AI

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Psychodynamic Psychotherapy training to Masters level leading to full registration with UKCP, BPC or BACP OR Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or Counselling Psychology HCPC with post doctoral psychodynamic training

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working with high levels of risk and severe mental health difficulties
  • Experience of providing specialist psychodynamic assessments (brief screening and in-depth interventions to patients with complex problems.
  • Experience of providing clinical supervision
  • Knowledge, understanding and experience of working with service users from diverse ethnic, economic and cultural backgrounds

Desirable

  • Experience of offering group interventions

Skills

Essential

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the preparation of highly complex clinical reports and assessments
  • Skills in providing consultation to other professionals and non-professionals
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Psychodynamic Psychotherapy training to Masters level leading to full registration with UKCP, BPC or BACP OR Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or Counselling Psychology HCPC with post doctoral psychodynamic training

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of working with high levels of risk and severe mental health difficulties
  • Experience of providing specialist psychodynamic assessments (brief screening and in-depth interventions to patients with complex problems.
  • Experience of providing clinical supervision
  • Knowledge, understanding and experience of working with service users from diverse ethnic, economic and cultural backgrounds

Desirable

  • Experience of offering group interventions

Skills

Essential

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the preparation of highly complex clinical reports and assessments
  • Skills in providing consultation to other professionals and non-professionals

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

NELFT North East London Foundation Trust

Address

Becontree Centre

508 Becontree Avenue

Dagenham

RM8 3HR


Employer's website

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


Employer details

Employer name

NELFT North East London Foundation Trust

Address

Becontree Centre

508 Becontree Avenue

Dagenham

RM8 3HR


Employer's website

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


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Consultant Clinical Psychologist

Abi Harris

abigail.harris@nelft.nhs.uk

03005551014

Details

Date posted

12 August 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£64,455 to £74,896 a year plus HCAS per annum (pro rata)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

395-BD067-25

Job locations

Becontree Centre

508 Becontree Avenue

Dagenham

RM8 3HR


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

NELFT North East London Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)