Job summary
We have a fantastic opportunity for a band 7 psychotherapist to join our service.You will work within a team of experienced medical and non-medical psychotherapists. The team consists of: Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy (Service Lead, 0.6WTE), Senior Principal Psychotherapist (0.4WTE) and Principal Psychotherapist (0.6WTE), trainee psychiatrist, and a number of honorary therapists.
You will be part of a team providing assessments and delivering treatments to people with a range of conditions, often with high complexity and comorbidities. You will have exposure to individual and group, short and longer term treatments. You will also have daily exposure to working in a multidisciplinary environment within the Hubs.
The Service works closely with the Complex Emotional Needs (CEN) Pathway, and is part of the wider Westminster Hub Integrated Therapies, which includes all psychosocial therapies offered to adult patients in the Westminster Community Mental Health Hubs.
Main duties of the job
You are expected to have significant NHS clinical experience, a qualification in psychodynamic/psychoanalytic therapy, as well as training in Mentalization Based Treatment. We are looking for someone who is interested in working with complex patients and alongside multidisciplinary colleagues. Your further professional development will be supported, there is opportunity particularly for further MBT and Group Analytic training in the service.
About us
Westminster is one of the most vibrant and diverse boroughs in central London, and this is reflected in the staff mix as well as the patient population.
The staff in the Psychotherapy Service combine a robust psychoanalytic expertise with a commitment to providing personalised, patient-centred care. The Service values innovation and leads on local initiatives to improve provision of psychological treatment.
There is substantial involvement in training. Senior staff are trainers and supervisors in their respective disciplines and have ongoing training involvements with external organisations.
The Trust has an active and inclusive Psychotherapy network focussed on empowering psychotherapy practitioners and facilitating strategic and professional development.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Clinical Responsibilities
- Be responsible for the management and treatment of patients with complex and challenging mental health difficulties. This includes managing difficult emotional situations with sensitivity, skill and an understanding of unconscious processes.
- Manage, under supervision, the organization of complex clinical caseload within psychotherapy service in line with targets agreed within the service. Undertake specialised assessment and risk management with individual patients in line with the psychodynamic principles and offer advice on aspects related to risk to other clinicians involved in the patients care.
- Contribute to screening, coordinating and managing referrals to psychotherapy, by attendance at weekly referrals meeting and ongoing liaison with therapies and non-therapies colleagues within Hubs.
- To conduct psychodynamically informed assessments, care planning and considering treatment options, in collaboration with service users, carers and members of the multi-disciplinary team, in accordance with the locally agreed service model.
- To deliver and co- deliver short- and longer term, individual and group treatments, such as Introductory Groups, MBT (individual and/or group), psychodynamic psychotherapy (individual or group).
- To provide clinical case consultation or facilitate reflective practice to staff, within Hubs or elsewhere in the system, when indicated and as the need arises.
- To provide psychodynamically informed consultation to GPs in the management of patients with complex and challenging mental health difficulties, as and when indicated.
- To be able to provide crisis intervention to service users as and when indicated
- To be able to receive clinical supervision from multi-disciplinary team and clinical supervisors
- To use reflective practice with colleagues and in clinical supervision, to process the emotional impact of the work and remain consistent and constant in the treatment process.
- To keep accurate written and electronic records, including care documentation and risk assessment, and write reports.
- To Identify safeguarding issues and demonstrate an understanding of safeguarding legislation and its implementation.
- Team Responsibilities
- To work independently as well as in collaboration with the multi-disciplinary psychotherapy team
- To work with other psychotherapy staff to coordinate the day to day work and meet service needs
- To work as a key liaison clinician and representative between psychotherapy and the wider Hub system as needed
- To contribute to the strategic development of psychotherapy service
- To attend specific team meetings, supervision and organisational meetings as needed
- To work in partnership with other agencies (e.g GPs, inpatient units, A and E department, Home Treatment Teams, etc) in planning and delivering care
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Clinical Responsibilities
- Be responsible for the management and treatment of patients with complex and challenging mental health difficulties. This includes managing difficult emotional situations with sensitivity, skill and an understanding of unconscious processes.
- Manage, under supervision, the organization of complex clinical caseload within psychotherapy service in line with targets agreed within the service. Undertake specialised assessment and risk management with individual patients in line with the psychodynamic principles and offer advice on aspects related to risk to other clinicians involved in the patients care.
- Contribute to screening, coordinating and managing referrals to psychotherapy, by attendance at weekly referrals meeting and ongoing liaison with therapies and non-therapies colleagues within Hubs.
- To conduct psychodynamically informed assessments, care planning and considering treatment options, in collaboration with service users, carers and members of the multi-disciplinary team, in accordance with the locally agreed service model.
- To deliver and co- deliver short- and longer term, individual and group treatments, such as Introductory Groups, MBT (individual and/or group), psychodynamic psychotherapy (individual or group).
- To provide clinical case consultation or facilitate reflective practice to staff, within Hubs or elsewhere in the system, when indicated and as the need arises.
- To provide psychodynamically informed consultation to GPs in the management of patients with complex and challenging mental health difficulties, as and when indicated.
- To be able to provide crisis intervention to service users as and when indicated
- To be able to receive clinical supervision from multi-disciplinary team and clinical supervisors
- To use reflective practice with colleagues and in clinical supervision, to process the emotional impact of the work and remain consistent and constant in the treatment process.
- To keep accurate written and electronic records, including care documentation and risk assessment, and write reports.
- To Identify safeguarding issues and demonstrate an understanding of safeguarding legislation and its implementation.
- Team Responsibilities
- To work independently as well as in collaboration with the multi-disciplinary psychotherapy team
- To work with other psychotherapy staff to coordinate the day to day work and meet service needs
- To work as a key liaison clinician and representative between psychotherapy and the wider Hub system as needed
- To contribute to the strategic development of psychotherapy service
- To attend specific team meetings, supervision and organisational meetings as needed
- To work in partnership with other agencies (e.g GPs, inpatient units, A and E department, Home Treatment Teams, etc) in planning and delivering care
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- BPC/UKCP or any other relevant body, recognized post-graduate qualification as a Psychodynamic or Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist.
- Training in Mentalization Based Treatment
Desirable
- Post-graduate doctoral level training in Clinical or Counselling psychology as accredited by the British Psychological Society/ OR relevant qualification in nursing or Social Work alongside BPC qualification.
- Mentalization Based Treatment Practitioner Status
- Training in Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy or other brief therapy model
Previous Experience
Essential
- Significant clinical experience of working within the NHS or an equivalent settings (3 years).
- Experience of working with patients with complex mental health problems, trauma and risk management.
- Experience of working in individual and group setting
- Experience of working within a multidisciplinary setting
- Experience of managing risk, working with complex professional systems, NHS governance and Information governance.
Desirable
- Experience of teaching/training/supervising others
- Experience of the application of psychological therapy in different cultural contexts.
Skills, Knowledge and Abilities
Essential
- Demonstrable ability to develop good therapeutic relationships with clients.
- 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.
- Demonstrate understanding and skills in conducting, evaluating, audit, research and/or clinical governance projects
Desirable
- High-level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialized psychological therapies
Aptitudes, attitudes and personal characteristics
Essential
- Ability to form good working relationships and undertake joint work with others in a multi- disciplinary setting.
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice.
- Ability to prioritise work independently and on own initiative.
- Ability to multi-task and set goals for completion
- Demonstrate the ability to tolerate and manage own anxiety and stress when working autonomously
- Demonstrate the ability to tolerate and manage the anxiety of colleagues
- Ability to work as part of a team and operate within and across organisations
- Flexibility, creativity, and preparedness to be innovative.
- Ability to be reliable, co-operative and consistent both as an independent clinician and in team settings.
- Ability to demonstrate commitment to own personal & professional development.
- Good IT skills
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
- BPC/UKCP or any other relevant body, recognized post-graduate qualification as a Psychodynamic or Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist.
- Training in Mentalization Based Treatment
Desirable
- Post-graduate doctoral level training in Clinical or Counselling psychology as accredited by the British Psychological Society/ OR relevant qualification in nursing or Social Work alongside BPC qualification.
- Mentalization Based Treatment Practitioner Status
- Training in Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy or other brief therapy model
Previous Experience
Essential
- Significant clinical experience of working within the NHS or an equivalent settings (3 years).
- Experience of working with patients with complex mental health problems, trauma and risk management.
- Experience of working in individual and group setting
- Experience of working within a multidisciplinary setting
- Experience of managing risk, working with complex professional systems, NHS governance and Information governance.
Desirable
- Experience of teaching/training/supervising others
- Experience of the application of psychological therapy in different cultural contexts.
Skills, Knowledge and Abilities
Essential
- Demonstrable ability to develop good therapeutic relationships with clients.
- 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.
- Demonstrate understanding and skills in conducting, evaluating, audit, research and/or clinical governance projects
Desirable
- High-level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialized psychological therapies
Aptitudes, attitudes and personal characteristics
Essential
- Ability to form good working relationships and undertake joint work with others in a multi- disciplinary setting.
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice.
- Ability to prioritise work independently and on own initiative.
- Ability to multi-task and set goals for completion
- Demonstrate the ability to tolerate and manage own anxiety and stress when working autonomously
- Demonstrate the ability to tolerate and manage the anxiety of colleagues
- Ability to work as part of a team and operate within and across organisations
- Flexibility, creativity, and preparedness to be innovative.
- Ability to be reliable, co-operative and consistent both as an independent clinician and in team settings.
- Ability to demonstrate commitment to own personal & professional development.
- Good IT skills
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).
