Job summary
As a CBT practitioner within our expert team, you will deliver transformative care through both our specialist inpatient programme and intensive home-based therapy, working with patients who have complex needs and have not responded to previous treatments.
Based at our distinguished Seacole Ward--a 14-bed unit within Springfield University Hospital--you'll provide highly specialised psychological services for severe and profound OCD/BDD cases. This unique role offers opportunities to contribute to a nationally commissioned NHS England tier 6 service, work alongside BABCP Accredited therapists, participate in research, and develop advanced specialist skills through robust supervision.
We're looking for qualified mental health professionals who are either BABCP accredited (or working towards accreditation) or HCPC registered Clinical Psychologists. While experience with OCD and BDD is desirable, we primarily seek individuals passionate about developing expertise in this specialist area.
Join us in delivering innovative, evidence-based care at the forefront of OCD and BDD treatment.
Main duties of the job
As a Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist at our nationally-renowned service, you'll provide specialised mental health care at Springfield University Hospital, delivering expert cognitive behavioural therapy to individuals with severe OCD and BDD. Your clinical work will focus on evidence-based treatment approaches within both inpatient and community settings.
In this role, you'll have the opportunity to:
o Collaborate with our multidisciplinary team to provide comprehensive care through both our specialist inpatient programme and intensive home-based therapy
o Develop treatment approaches for complex cases that haven't responded to previous interventions
o Contribute to service development and research initiatives
Our service combines intensive inpatient care with community outreach, enabling you to work flexibly across different care settings. You'll occasionally travel to support patients across the UK, but your primary base will be our purpose-designed facility at Springfield Hospital.
We're looking for someone who combines clinical expertise with the professional resilience needed to support individuals through challenging periods. If you have experience in specialist mental health care and want to work with a team dedicated to advancing OCD/BDD treatment, we want to hear from you.
About us
We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.
We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' - we aspire to be 'outstanding'.
This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services.
We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.
We offer flexible working, career development and a variety ofbenefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.
Springfield University Hospital, Tooting
Our largest, 19-ward site is in Springfield Village, created following our £150m investment into two new world class mental health facilities. A 32-acre public park, shops and cafes are coming soon. Close to shops, cafes and Tooting Bec on the Northern Line plus Earlsfield and Tooting rail stations and bus routes.
Service is due to move to Tolworth Hospital in 2027.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To identify the nature, severity and complexity of adult patients mental health problems, and to advise both patients and their referrers on appropriate management of those problems, enabling referral to other highly specialist services and/or non-statutory services where appropriate.
- To formulate and implement plans for the intensive psychological treatment and/or management of a clients mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods of intervention that are based upon evidence of treatment efficacy.
- To make appropriate use of specialist assessments of patients mental health, including structured and semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, rating scales and guided inquiry methods.
- To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide advice to other clinicians in Secondary Care on psychological aspects of risk assessment, including the risk of self-harm.
- To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, couple or family.
- To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the efficiency of all aspects of the service, including assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are within the service remit.
- To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care and to monitor progress during the course of their treatment within the national service.
- To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are within the service remit.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To identify the nature, severity and complexity of adult patients mental health problems, and to advise both patients and their referrers on appropriate management of those problems, enabling referral to other highly specialist services and/or non-statutory services where appropriate.
- To formulate and implement plans for the intensive psychological treatment and/or management of a clients mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods of intervention that are based upon evidence of treatment efficacy.
- To make appropriate use of specialist assessments of patients mental health, including structured and semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, rating scales and guided inquiry methods.
- To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide advice to other clinicians in Secondary Care on psychological aspects of risk assessment, including the risk of self-harm.
- To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, couple or family.
- To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the efficiency of all aspects of the service, including assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are within the service remit.
- To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care and to monitor progress during the course of their treatment within the national service.
- To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are within the service remit.
Person Specification
Training and Qualifications
Essential
- Qualification in a core graduate or post graduate mental health profession and registered with a professional body
- Accredited practitioner of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy [CBT] by the British Association of Behavioural Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP)
- Evidence of regular post qualification development
Desirable
- Advanced training in Behavioural Cognitive Psychotherapy.
Exprience
Essential
- Experience of assessment and treatment of people with a wide range of mental health problems, of varying severity and complexity
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems and verbal and physical abuse
- Demonstrate further specialist training/experience through having received a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision of working as a specialist cognitive behaviour therapist over a minimum of 18 months, or an alternative agreed by the Director of Psychology and Psychotherapies
Desirable
- Experience of working in both primary and secondary mental health care, including multi-agency working
- Experience of mental health problems and the capacity to use that experience to the benefit of patient care
- Experience of CBT group work and in supervising/facilitating others practice in running therapeutic/psychoeducational groups
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration
- Ability to demonstrate knowledge and therapeutic skills necessary to deliver psychological treatments in line with NICE guidelines as relevant to anxiety disorders in particular OCD/BDD
- Skills in the assessment and evaluation of risk associated with mental ill health and related psychopathology
- 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
- Knowledge of legislation and its implication for clinical practice and the appropriate management of people presenting with mental health problems
Desirable
- Advanced practitioner skills in at least one model of psychological therapy
- High-level knowledge in the assessment and evaluation of the psychological therapies
Person Specification
Training and Qualifications
Essential
- Qualification in a core graduate or post graduate mental health profession and registered with a professional body
- Accredited practitioner of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy [CBT] by the British Association of Behavioural Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP)
- Evidence of regular post qualification development
Desirable
- Advanced training in Behavioural Cognitive Psychotherapy.
Exprience
Essential
- Experience of assessment and treatment of people with a wide range of mental health problems, of varying severity and complexity
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems and verbal and physical abuse
- Demonstrate further specialist training/experience through having received a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision of working as a specialist cognitive behaviour therapist over a minimum of 18 months, or an alternative agreed by the Director of Psychology and Psychotherapies
Desirable
- Experience of working in both primary and secondary mental health care, including multi-agency working
- Experience of mental health problems and the capacity to use that experience to the benefit of patient care
- Experience of CBT group work and in supervising/facilitating others practice in running therapeutic/psychoeducational groups
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration
- Ability to demonstrate knowledge and therapeutic skills necessary to deliver psychological treatments in line with NICE guidelines as relevant to anxiety disorders in particular OCD/BDD
- Skills in the assessment and evaluation of risk associated with mental ill health and related psychopathology
- 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
- Knowledge of legislation and its implication for clinical practice and the appropriate management of people presenting with mental health problems
Desirable
- Advanced practitioner skills in at least one model of psychological therapy
- High-level knowledge in the assessment and evaluation of the psychological therapies
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).