Job summary
We are seeking skilled and compassionate individuals to join the new NHS Children and Young People's Gender Service (London) in the role of Senior Therapeutic Practitioner.The role will play an important part in delivering a highly specialist psychology service within NHS Children and Young People's Gender Service (London), including holistic assessment, treatment planning, therapy and monitoring of outcomes.
We require at least one of your three days working with the gender service to be a Tuesday or Wednesday to engage with regular meetings which are necessary to the effective functioning of the service.
We encourage part-time applications from staff already working within other NHS Services, and specifically other CAMH services to enable transference of knowledge and skills in line with the Cass Review recommendations.
The service is delivered by a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) including paediatricians, mental health practitioners, youth workers, nurses, dieticians, speech and language therapists and endocrinologists. Children and young people receive an in-depth assessment and may be offered a range of care interventions such as therapy, family therapy, physical and mental health support dependent on needs. The team also aims to work in close liaison with health, social and education professionals in a child or young person's locality.
Main duties of the job
To fulfil the main duties of the job successful candidates will need experience working therapeutically (as a registered and regulated practitioner in their relevant field e.g. clinical, counselling or systemic family therapy) with children or adolescents with complex presentations, and preferably, with children who are gender questioning. They will be experienced in assessment and management of children and young people experiencing neurodiversity, social vulnerability, and will have experience and expertise in safeguarding and child protection processes. They will have been involved in service improvement and design and be able to work objectively in a service with a high level of external scrutiny, whilst focusing on delivering the best care for children and young people, aligned to a new service specification.
About us
The Cass Review emphasised the need to move to establish regional services that work to a new clinical model that can better meet the holistic needs of children and young people who have experienced or are experiencing gender dysphoria and/or are gender questioning or are presenting in gender incongruent or gender diverse. The first phase of these plans involved the establishment of two nationally networked services led by specialist children's tertiary care providers, both of which are now live.
The London regional centre, based in London, is delivered by a partnership of Evelina London Children's Hospital (part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust), Great Ormond Street Hospital, and the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.The North West regional centre, based in Manchester and Liverpool, is delivered by a partnership of Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust and the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital (part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust).
As of 2024, the South West regional centre, based at University Hospital Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, has also gone live, contributing to the growing network of centres expected to come online in the future, further expanding the service's reach and ensuring timely access to care for young people across the UK.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Main responsibilities of the role include:
To provide highly specialist psychological/mental health assessments, formulations and interventions for CYPGS clients, presenting with medium to high level complexity
To provide culturally appropriate psychological interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.
To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans.
To act as key worker, initiating, planning and reviewing care plans, liaising with local services when required.
To contribute to the effective working of the team or service and to a psychologically informed framework for the service.
To contribute to the team or services delivery of accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.
To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.
To advise other members of the service on specialist psychological care of clients.
To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals concerned with clients in order to develop and review care plans.
To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members.
Please note that it is expected that the NHS Children and Young Peoples Gender Service will continue to change and evolve as more learning, research and evidence is developed in this area, and therefore we would encourage applications from individuals with a passion for service improvement, audit and research.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Main responsibilities of the role include:
To provide highly specialist psychological/mental health assessments, formulations and interventions for CYPGS clients, presenting with medium to high level complexity
To provide culturally appropriate psychological interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.
To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans.
To act as key worker, initiating, planning and reviewing care plans, liaising with local services when required.
To contribute to the effective working of the team or service and to a psychologically informed framework for the service.
To contribute to the team or services delivery of accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.
To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.
To advise other members of the service on specialist psychological care of clients.
To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals concerned with clients in order to develop and review care plans.
To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members.
Please note that it is expected that the NHS Children and Young Peoples Gender Service will continue to change and evolve as more learning, research and evidence is developed in this area, and therefore we would encourage applications from individuals with a passion for service improvement, audit and research.
Person Specification
Academic/Professional qualification/Training
Essential
- Entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level additional training) that has been accepted by the HCPC for purposes of professional registration. -Clinical psychologist: Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent; -Counselling psychologist: Doctorate or MSc and PG Diploma in Counselling Psychology
- Additional training in a specialised area of psychological practice relevant to working with CYP with gender diversity through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses, or an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice-based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma.
- Completed training course in clinical supervision.
- Registered with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist, and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC.
Experience/Knowledge
Essential
- Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in an area of clinical practice relevant to CYP with gender diversity
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in an area of clinical practice relevant to CYP with gender diversity
- Experience of supervising assistant and trainee psychologists having completed the relevant training.
- Post-qualification experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities.
- Experience of carrying out post-doctoral research, audit or service evaluation projects
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological assessments and interventions for CYP with gender diversity
- Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment of common mental health difficulties experienced by CYP with gender diversity
- Advanced knowledge of psychological assessment and clinical psychometrics.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities.
- Doctoral level knowledge of psychological research methodology and complex statistical analysis.
- Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care
Desirable
- The Trust encourages and welcomes applications from people with lived experience of mental health challenges. We see this as valuable and recognise the positive impact this experience can have on the work we do.
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- To deliver psychological therapy across cultural and other differences.
- To select and administer specialist psychological assessments, interpreting and integrating complex data that require analysis, interpretation and comparison, drawn from several sources
- To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences and hostility to or rejection of information.
- To plan and schedule assessment and interventions for individual clients and groups and carers, and for meetings such as CPAs and case reviews
- To plan allocation of tasks to assistant psychologists.
- To be skilled in the administration of psychometric and neuropsychological tests, including those that require complex manipulation of test materials.
- Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data.
- Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups
- Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate
- Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings
- Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions, and to deal with unexpected interruptions or changes during these.
- Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour.
- Ability to manage verbal aggression and hostility directed at self.
Person Specification
Academic/Professional qualification/Training
Essential
- Entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level additional training) that has been accepted by the HCPC for purposes of professional registration. -Clinical psychologist: Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent; -Counselling psychologist: Doctorate or MSc and PG Diploma in Counselling Psychology
- Additional training in a specialised area of psychological practice relevant to working with CYP with gender diversity through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses, or an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice-based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma.
- Completed training course in clinical supervision.
- Registered with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist, and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC.
Experience/Knowledge
Essential
- Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in an area of clinical practice relevant to CYP with gender diversity
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in an area of clinical practice relevant to CYP with gender diversity
- Experience of supervising assistant and trainee psychologists having completed the relevant training.
- Post-qualification experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities.
- Experience of carrying out post-doctoral research, audit or service evaluation projects
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological assessments and interventions for CYP with gender diversity
- Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment of common mental health difficulties experienced by CYP with gender diversity
- Advanced knowledge of psychological assessment and clinical psychometrics.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities.
- Doctoral level knowledge of psychological research methodology and complex statistical analysis.
- Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care
Desirable
- The Trust encourages and welcomes applications from people with lived experience of mental health challenges. We see this as valuable and recognise the positive impact this experience can have on the work we do.
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- To deliver psychological therapy across cultural and other differences.
- To select and administer specialist psychological assessments, interpreting and integrating complex data that require analysis, interpretation and comparison, drawn from several sources
- To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences and hostility to or rejection of information.
- To plan and schedule assessment and interventions for individual clients and groups and carers, and for meetings such as CPAs and case reviews
- To plan allocation of tasks to assistant psychologists.
- To be skilled in the administration of psychometric and neuropsychological tests, including those that require complex manipulation of test materials.
- Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data.
- Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups
- Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate
- Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings
- Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions, and to deal with unexpected interruptions or changes during these.
- Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour.
- Ability to manage verbal aggression and hostility directed at self.
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).
