Senior Assistant Psychologist - Phase 2 SIT Therapist

Job description

Job responsibilities

About the Model

The Brandon Centres Systemic Integrative Treatment (SIT) model has been developed in accordance with NICE guidelines for treating conduct disorder and harmful sexual behaviour. It is an intensive community based family treatment service, developed by the Brandon Centre to achieve lasting change in children and adolescence (age 8yrs-16yrs) with moderate to severe behavioural difficulties. The team works collaboratively with parents in a non-judgemental way to empower them to regain control of their childrens difficult behaviour. This is achieved by building on their strengths and providing families with the tools and confidence to deal with current and future problems and reducing the risk of further harmful, antisocial and offending behaviours.

The service also works across multiple systems where the behaviour occurs including, schools, peer group and the community. There are two phases to the intervention. Phase 1: intensive treatment delivery, which will include 2 - 3 visits per week and can last up to 6 months. Phase 2 can extend total treatment time for up to one year, and includes monthly booster sessions with the family to sustain progress, more intensive (1X weekly) sessions where necessary to prevent relapse, phone/ video-call check ins, attendance at professional meetings, and ongoing consultation with referrers and key professionals in collaboration with the Phase 1 therapist.

Clinician Core Job Practises

Implement SIT Phase 2 treatment using evidence based models as guided by the SIT Clinical Lead and SIT Supervisor with the ultimate goal of helping families and systems to sustain positive outcomes for young people.

Team and Consultation

Complete weekly written updates on all cases where contact has been made with either the family or the familys ecology.

Turn in the weekly updates to the Clinical Lead or Back-up Supervisor 24 hours prior to each group supervision, or as determined by the Supervisor.

Attend twice weekly half-day group supervision (one with each team). Absences should be rare such as in the instance of competing court hearings, Child Protection Conferences, annual leave, or illness.

Come to group supervision and consultation prepared to review all current SIT cases and actively participate in discussion of current cases.

Incorporate feedback from supervision and consultation into the treatment process.

Attend 6 weekly group reflective supervision

Undertake school observations or other occasional clinical tasks to support therapists providing Phase 1 of treatment.

Participate in all training, supervision and consultation activities.

Work a non-traditional schedule and be available to meet with families at times convenient to them

Not hold additional part-time jobs outside of the agency.

Work across London Boroughs

Participate with the supervisor in the creation of a written clinician development plan and updates and annual appraisals.

Video and audio tape sessions as requested by the Clinical Lead or Supervisor. Tape at least one session monthly for review at individual supervision.

Collaborate with supervisor to set up observations of therapeutic work in the community where necessary.

Incorporate supervisor feedback from tapes, observations, role plays, etc., into development plan and into treatment process.

Any other duty compatible with the post holders job description and level that may be necessary from time to time.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• BA or BSc 2:1 or 1st class honours degree or equivalent in psychology or an MSc/PGDip in Psychology (psychology conversion course) with Merit or Distinction.
• Eligibility for Graduate Basis for Registration (GBR) with the British Psychological Society (BPS)

Desirable

• Further postgraduate training in a relevant area of psychology, health and social care practice, and / or research design and analysis

Experience

Essential

• Prior experience of working as an Assistant Psychologist or in similar paid employment.
• Experience of working with families with antisocial young people, preferably across multiple systems in the young persons natural ecology, including family, peers, school and neighbourhood.
• Experience working with local authorities, health services, or the voluntary sector.
• Knowledge of child and adolescent development and its application in treatment.

Desirable

• Understanding and experience of safeguarding and managing clinical risk.
• Experience of working in emotive and challenging community settings.
• Experience in at least one of the following: direct use of pragmatic (i.e., structural, strategic and functional) family therapies; delivering individual therapy using cognitive behavioural techniques; marital therapy using behaviourally-based approaches; delivering behavioural therapy for children and young people displaying challenging behaviour.
• Sound knowledge of at least one of the following: family systems theory and application; social ecological theory and application; behavioural therapies theory and application; cognitive-behavioural therapy theory and application; pragmatic family therapies theory and application.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• High level of communication skills (written and verbal).
• An ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be emotive.
• Ability to be comfortable working with harmful sexual behaviour and associated language
• Excellent organisation and time management skills
• Ability to lone work and manage own workload and time flexibly
• Willingness for clinical work to be closely monitored
• Sound ICT and Microsoft Office skills
• Willingness to travel and work out of hours

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Brandon Centre

Address

26 Prince of Wales Rd

Kentish Town

London

NW5 3LG

Employer's website

https://brandon-centre.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)