Job summary
We are seeking a passionate and dedicated Clinical / Counselling Psychologist or CBT Therapist to join our highly respected National OCD/BDD Service at Springfield Hospital. This is a unique opportunity to work at the forefront of specialist care for individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).
The National OCD/BDD Inpatient Service at Springfield University Hospital, operated by South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust, provides intensive, specialist care for adults experiencing severe and treatment-resistant Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). As part of a nationally commissioned specialist consortium, the service plays a vital role in supporting individuals across the UK who have not responded to conventional treatments.
Located on Seacole Ward, a 14-bed mixed-gender facility for adults aged 18 and over (with no upper age limit), the unit offers a structured, evidence-based six-month treatment programme. This programme is delivered by a highly skilled multidisciplinary team, including specialist nursing staff, and is designed to address OCD and BDD alongside complex comorbidities--ensuring a holistic and person-centred approach to recovery.
Main duties of the job
To provide a specialist cognitive behavioural assessment and therapy service to patients referred to the National Service for OCD/BDD. This will include offering advice and consultation on patients' psychological care to other healthcare workers throughout the UK. The post holder will be expected to work within recognised professional guidelines and the overall framework of the Trust's policies and procedures. The post holder is expected to contribute to the training of cognitive behavioural psychotherapists in delivering effective, evidence-based specialist psychological interventions and to utilize their research and training skills for effective audit and service development within the service. An important part of the role will be to offer clinical and professional supervision to cognitive behavioural psychotherapists in the National OCD BDD Service. Finally, jointly with the Consultant Psychiatrist Lead for the service and the team manager the post-holder will lead on strategic service changes and improvements to processes and practice as required.
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 as we invest a further £120m to upgrade and modernise our estate by 2027.
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 of benefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.
Come and join our inclusive teams and help our patients on their recovery journey.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To provide a comprehensive specialist assessment and high intensity therapeutic service for adult patients with OCD/BDD. These patients will be referred nationally by other secondary and tertiary services, and most interventions will be based on evidence based cognitive behaviour therapy principles, working within the context of the agreed policies and procedures of the specialist services.
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 CBT treatment and/or management of a clients mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the client's 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 and Primary Care on psychological aspects of risk assessment, including the risk of self-harm.
To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options, considering 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 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 provide a comprehensive specialist assessment and high intensity therapeutic service for adult patients with OCD/BDD. These patients will be referred nationally by other secondary and tertiary services, and most interventions will be based on evidence based cognitive behaviour therapy principles, working within the context of the agreed policies and procedures of the specialist services.
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 CBT treatment and/or management of a clients mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the client's 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 and Primary Care on psychological aspects of risk assessment, including the risk of self-harm.
To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options, considering 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 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 To be an accredited practitioner of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) with the British Association of Behavioural Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP) Or: Doctoral level training in clinical psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology, as accredited by the BPS Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) under the appropriate domain specific title And Evidence of regular post qualification development Evidence of continuing professional development formal training in supervision of other cognitive behaviour therapists and/or related clinicians
Desirable
- Advanced training in Behavioural Cognitive Psychotherapy and / or Accreditation with BABCP as CBT Supervisor
Experience
Essential
- Experience of assessment and treatment of people with a wide range of mental health problems, of varying severity and complexity including profound refractory OCD. 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 or clinical / counselling psychologist over a minimum of 2 years.
Desirable
- Experience of working in both primary and secondary mental health care, including multiagency 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 educational 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
- Knowledge of legislation and its implication for clinical practice and the appropriate management of people presenting with mental
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 To be an accredited practitioner of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) with the British Association of Behavioural Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP) Or: Doctoral level training in clinical psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology, as accredited by the BPS Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) under the appropriate domain specific title And Evidence of regular post qualification development Evidence of continuing professional development formal training in supervision of other cognitive behaviour therapists and/or related clinicians
Desirable
- Advanced training in Behavioural Cognitive Psychotherapy and / or Accreditation with BABCP as CBT Supervisor
Experience
Essential
- Experience of assessment and treatment of people with a wide range of mental health problems, of varying severity and complexity including profound refractory OCD. 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 or clinical / counselling psychologist over a minimum of 2 years.
Desirable
- Experience of working in both primary and secondary mental health care, including multiagency 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 educational 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
- Knowledge of legislation and its implication for clinical practice and the appropriate management of people presenting with mental
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).
