Job summary
An opportunity has arisen for the successful applicant to be appointed to a new 0.5 w.t.e. 8a post in Adult Psychotherapy in the Hammersmith and Fulham Psychotherapy Service.
The H&F Psychotherapy Service serves the adult population of Hammersmith and Fulham and provides psychotherapy expertise to primary care and mental health services operating within the borough. It has a longstanding tradition of close joint working with community psychiatry colleagues for the provision of outpatient psychotherapy treatment for patients with complex needs. It has an ethos of integrating psychotherapy treatment and psychoanalytic thinking with psychiatric care. It provides a range of direct clinical care through individual, group and systemic psychotherapy.
The Psychotherapy service is situated in the Claybrook Centre, an outpatient community psychiatry building. The post holder joins an experienced team comprising of a Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy, a part time Principal Adult Psychotherapist, two part-time Principal Psychotherapists in Group and Systemic Psychotherapy and a part-time Highly Specialist Adult Psychotherapist.
The successful applicant will offer psychotherapy assessment and psychodynamic psychotherapy to patients from primary care but also patients who are in general psychiatry.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will also have an opportunity to take active role in linking and providing consultation to the community psychiatry MINT teams and primary care about the management of complex cases.
There are opportunities for further development in reflective practice, supervision, teaching and audit according to the post holder's interests.
It is essential that the post holder is able to work at the Department on Thursday as this is the day of the department team meetings.
To contribute to the development of a high quality, responsive and accessible service for the patients referred and treated in the department
To provide specialist assessments for psychodynamic psychotherapy for referred patients, including risk assessment, making appropriate use of complex data from a variety of sources including referral information, liaison with other teams and agencies. To communicate in a timely way, the outcome of the assessment and therapy to the patient, the referrer, the multidisciplinary team and other involved agencies as appropriate.
To provide individual psychodynamic psychotherapy treatment and management for patients with severe and complex needsusing sensitivity, skill and an understanding of unconscious processes
To provide expert clinical consultation to clinicians across the service (MINT) and primary care regarding the psychoanalytically informed care of patients.
To engage and contribute to the team's meetings.
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 over 5,000 staff, of whom 59% are BME. Our turnover for 2024-25 is over £500m.
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
The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached
The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached
The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
Essential
- A BPC accredited (or equivalent) qualification as a Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist or Psychoanalyst (or being close to obtaining this)
- Qualification in a core profession e.g. medical, psychology, social work, nursing, teaching or extensive clinical experience at post-qualification level.
- Relevant honours degree or a recognised equivalent.
Desirable
- Recognised further training in other modality or type of psychotherapy e.g. group psychotherapy
Experience
Essential
- A personal analytical psychotherapy or psychoanalysis of at least three times per week and of sufficient intensity and duration to be able to work according to psychoanalytic principles with the most difficult and demanding cases
- Experience in assessment and treatment, including individual psychoanalytic psychotherapy, in an outpatient setting
- Experience in carrying own caseload in psychoanalytic psychotherapy, working independently and autonomously as a specialist practitioner.
Desirable
- Experience in offering consultation, staff support and reflective practice to multidisciplinary staff teams and other professionals.
- Experience of clinically supervising, teaching and training junior staff and trainees.
- Experience of representing psychotherapy within the context of multi-disciplinary care.
- Experience of the application of psychodynamic thinking in different cultural contexts.
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Well-developed ability to effectively communicate highly sensitive and/or technical information to patients, as well as to professional colleagues within and outside the NHS both orally and in writing.
- Knowledge of psychotherapy research and relevant national treatment guidelines.
- Knowledge of relevant legislation and policy and its implication for clinical practice, professional management and service development.
- Evidence of on-going commitment to relevant CPD.
- Ability to respond flexibly to service developments and patient needs.
- Knowledge of and respect for other psychological treatment models employed in the NHS together with an understanding of the role of psychodynamic psychotherapy in a modern NHS Mental Health Service
- Adequate keyboard skills and an ability to use Word, email and internet. Some familiarity with other software such as Excel and PowerPoint
- Ability to respond flexibly to service developments and patient needs.
Desirable
- Knowledge of different pathways of care and mental health provision available in statutory and non-statutory sectors.
- Knowledge of psychiatric diagnoses and treatments.
- Knowledge of audit and research design and methodology, including techniques of analysing quantitative and qualitative data.
- Well-developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychotherapeutic approaches to the care of specific difficult to treat groups including personality disorder
Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
Essential
- A BPC accredited (or equivalent) qualification as a Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist or Psychoanalyst (or being close to obtaining this)
- Qualification in a core profession e.g. medical, psychology, social work, nursing, teaching or extensive clinical experience at post-qualification level.
- Relevant honours degree or a recognised equivalent.
Desirable
- Recognised further training in other modality or type of psychotherapy e.g. group psychotherapy
Experience
Essential
- A personal analytical psychotherapy or psychoanalysis of at least three times per week and of sufficient intensity and duration to be able to work according to psychoanalytic principles with the most difficult and demanding cases
- Experience in assessment and treatment, including individual psychoanalytic psychotherapy, in an outpatient setting
- Experience in carrying own caseload in psychoanalytic psychotherapy, working independently and autonomously as a specialist practitioner.
Desirable
- Experience in offering consultation, staff support and reflective practice to multidisciplinary staff teams and other professionals.
- Experience of clinically supervising, teaching and training junior staff and trainees.
- Experience of representing psychotherapy within the context of multi-disciplinary care.
- Experience of the application of psychodynamic thinking in different cultural contexts.
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Well-developed ability to effectively communicate highly sensitive and/or technical information to patients, as well as to professional colleagues within and outside the NHS both orally and in writing.
- Knowledge of psychotherapy research and relevant national treatment guidelines.
- Knowledge of relevant legislation and policy and its implication for clinical practice, professional management and service development.
- Evidence of on-going commitment to relevant CPD.
- Ability to respond flexibly to service developments and patient needs.
- Knowledge of and respect for other psychological treatment models employed in the NHS together with an understanding of the role of psychodynamic psychotherapy in a modern NHS Mental Health Service
- Adequate keyboard skills and an ability to use Word, email and internet. Some familiarity with other software such as Excel and PowerPoint
- Ability to respond flexibly to service developments and patient needs.
Desirable
- Knowledge of different pathways of care and mental health provision available in statutory and non-statutory sectors.
- Knowledge of psychiatric diagnoses and treatments.
- Knowledge of audit and research design and methodology, including techniques of analysing quantitative and qualitative data.
- Well-developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychotherapeutic approaches to the care of specific difficult to treat groups including personality disorder
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).
