Job summary
An excellent opportunity has arisen for an experienced CBT Therapist, ideally with experience in secure care, to join the psychological professions team at West London Forensic Service (WLFS). West London NHS Trust provides a broad range of forensic mental health care in adult male, female and adolescent services, across high, medium and low security settings, as well as in a community and court diversion setting. The trust provides specialist forensic mental health care across eight boroughs in North West London, in addition to national enhanced medium and high secure services.
You would provide group and individual therapeutic interventions across the three units at the St Bernard's site (male low secure, male medium secure and women's service) to male and female service users who present with enduring mental disorders (mental illness and / or personality disorder) and an offending history. This is a full-time Band 8a post (1.0wte) but part-time hours could be considered.
Main duties of the job
Under the leadership of the Principal Psychologist who oversees the integrated group programme, you would have the opportunity to work across all the inpatient services.
You would be responsible for developing and implementing individual and group interventions using a cognitive behavioural approach to address mental health needs and risk to self and/or others. You will be able to utilise skills in assessment, formulation and cognitive-behavioural interventions, tailored to meet the challenging needs of the inpatient client group. You would work closely alongside other members of the psychological professions to deliver cross-ward groups and would be involved in the ongoing development of the group programme.
In addition to the direct clinical work, the role will involve supervision, consultation and training to a range of disciplines, service development and audit. There are also opportunities for research within WLFS.
About us
West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse healthcare providers in the UK, delivering a range of mental health and physical healthcare and community services. The Trust runs Broadmoor Hospital, one of three high secure hospitals in the country, with an international reputation.
Our high secure services care for patients from South of England and we provide low and medium secure services across eight London boroughs. The Trust also provides mental and physical healthcare in three London boroughs (Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham). We employ 4,500 staff, of whom 56% are BME. Our turnover for 2023-24 is £426m.
The Trust is rated as 'Good' overallby the Care Quality Commission. Forensic services are rated as 'Outstanding'.
The Trust is an established partner and contributor in the development of the evolving North West London Integrated Care System and the Integrated Care Board. The Trust leads the NW London Children and Adolescent Mental Health provider collaborative.
Job description
Job responsibilities
You will work as a CBT therapist providing individual and group interventions to culturally diverse service-users with enduring mental health difficulties and offending histories within secure care.
You will be accredited as a cognitive behavioural therapist with the British Association of Cognitive & Behavioural Psychotherapies (BABCP) (or nearing completion of accreditation process) OR hold a doctorate in clinical, counselling or forensic psychology or postgraduate training in another core mental health profession and hold a postgraduate dimple or higher degree in CBT.
You will have significant experience of assessing and formulating using cognitive behavioural theory and delivering cognitive behavioural interventions to individuals and groups at a highly specialist level. You will bring to the work an awareness of how aspects of social difference are contexts that shape our experiences and that involve positions of differential power and privilege. Experience of teaching, training and supervising others is essential and experience of work within secure services is also desirable.
You will share our Trust values of Togetherness, Responsibility, Excellence and Caring.
For further information, please contact Dr Julia OConnor, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Head of Psychological Services on julia.oconnor@westlondon.nhs.uk.
Job description
Job responsibilities
You will work as a CBT therapist providing individual and group interventions to culturally diverse service-users with enduring mental health difficulties and offending histories within secure care.
You will be accredited as a cognitive behavioural therapist with the British Association of Cognitive & Behavioural Psychotherapies (BABCP) (or nearing completion of accreditation process) OR hold a doctorate in clinical, counselling or forensic psychology or postgraduate training in another core mental health profession and hold a postgraduate dimple or higher degree in CBT.
You will have significant experience of assessing and formulating using cognitive behavioural theory and delivering cognitive behavioural interventions to individuals and groups at a highly specialist level. You will bring to the work an awareness of how aspects of social difference are contexts that shape our experiences and that involve positions of differential power and privilege. Experience of teaching, training and supervising others is essential and experience of work within secure services is also desirable.
You will share our Trust values of Togetherness, Responsibility, Excellence and Caring.
For further information, please contact Dr Julia OConnor, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Head of Psychological Services on julia.oconnor@westlondon.nhs.uk.
Person Specification
Training and Qualifications
Essential
- Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical or counseling psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, or post graduate training in another core mental health profession (nursing, Occupational therapy) and postgraduate diploma or higher degree in CBT.
- Accredited as a cognitive behavioural psychotherapist by the British Association of Cognitive & Behavioural Psychotherapies (BABCP) or nearing completion of accreditation process. Professional registration with the appropriate Health Professions Council (HPC), if applicable to core professional training.
Desirable
- Pre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
- Postgraduate CBT Diploma.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in patient settings.
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
- Specialist training/experience of CBT demonstrated through having received a minimum of 50 hours' clinical supervision of working as a specialist psychological therapist or practitioner psychologist over a minimum of 18 months, or an alternative agreed by the Head of Psychology and psychological therapies.
- Experience of supervising cognitive-behavioural therapy interventions.
Desirable
- Experience of working within a forensic service and delivering individual and group interventions with service users detained under the MHA.
- Experience of the application of CBT in different cultural contexts.
- Experience of working with two distinct psychological therapies including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.
- Experience of supervising both low intensity and high intensity workers within an IAPT service.
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of cognitive-behavioural assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS or relevant professional body.
- Formal training in supervision of other clinical staff.
Desirable
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities or long-term physical health conditions etc).
- High-level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
Other Requirements
Essential
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
Desirable
- Experience of working within a multicultural framework.
Person Specification
Training and Qualifications
Essential
- Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical or counseling psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, or post graduate training in another core mental health profession (nursing, Occupational therapy) and postgraduate diploma or higher degree in CBT.
- Accredited as a cognitive behavioural psychotherapist by the British Association of Cognitive & Behavioural Psychotherapies (BABCP) or nearing completion of accreditation process. Professional registration with the appropriate Health Professions Council (HPC), if applicable to core professional training.
Desirable
- Pre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
- Postgraduate CBT Diploma.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in patient settings.
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
- Specialist training/experience of CBT demonstrated through having received a minimum of 50 hours' clinical supervision of working as a specialist psychological therapist or practitioner psychologist over a minimum of 18 months, or an alternative agreed by the Head of Psychology and psychological therapies.
- Experience of supervising cognitive-behavioural therapy interventions.
Desirable
- Experience of working within a forensic service and delivering individual and group interventions with service users detained under the MHA.
- Experience of the application of CBT in different cultural contexts.
- Experience of working with two distinct psychological therapies including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.
- Experience of supervising both low intensity and high intensity workers within an IAPT service.
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of cognitive-behavioural assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS or relevant professional body.
- Formal training in supervision of other clinical staff.
Desirable
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities or long-term physical health conditions etc).
- High-level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
Other Requirements
Essential
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
Desirable
- Experience of working within a multicultural framework.
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).
