Job summary
Maternal Mental Health Services (MMHS) integrate maternity, reproductive health and psychological therapy, offering mental health assessment and intervention for women and birthing people experiencing mental health difficulties arising from, or related to, the maternity experience. This includes thosewith experience of PTSD and other moderate to severe mental health problems in the context of perinatal loss.
The service also plays a role in supporting care pathways for those who experience PTSD after birth or severe fear of childbirth (tokophobia). The service is committed to promoting trauma informed care in maternity services and addressing health inequalities.
The Helix MMHS Service went live in 2023 and serves Croydon, Lambeth and Southwark with a view to open to Lewisham in the near future. There has been extensive community engagement and co-production, mapping current provision and gaps for mental health in maternity across the footprint, establishing baseline data, and planning a service model to fit needs of local communities.
This new service complements ongoing expansion of perinatal community mental health services, including increasing access to a wider range of psychological therapies for women and families in the perinatal period.
Main duties of the job
We are pleased to be seeking to recruit a Principal Clinical/Counselling Psychologist/Psychological Therapist to join the leadership of the Helix Maternal Mental Health Service for SLaM .
The successful candidate will be responsible for leading a team of staff across maternity and mental health, implementing and evaluating the service.
You will work alongside the Principal Clinical Psychologist for MMHS in Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham.
Applicants require specialist knowledge of perinatal psychology and particularly the application of this in a maternity setting. The successful applicant will be part of a friendly and supportive psychological therapies service that offers excellent opportunities for research and continuing professional development.
The post holder will contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment. Regular professional and clinical supervision will be provided by the Consultant Clinical Psychologist for Community Perinatal Mental Health Services.
About us
Helix MMHS comprises a small multi-disciplinary team including psychology, midwifery, peer support worker and assistant psychologist. The service works very closely with maternity/obstetric services as well as other agencies (e.g. third sector).
This service builds upon provision from existing Perinatal Mental Health Teams (PMHTs): these are secondary care mental health teams that specialise in supporting women in the perinatal period (pregnancy through until 12 months postnatal) who have severe and complex mental health difficulties.
These assess and treat a range of difficulties including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychosis, personality disorders and eating disorders. Services are designed to provide timely input to women and their families to mitigate the impact of mental health disorder on the child.
Maudsley Hospital
Our Trust headquarters is located at Denmark Hill less than 5 minutes from the train station (zone 2) and is within walking distance from the beautiful green spaces of Ruskin park and the vibrant high-street that offers great shopping opportunities and with a wide range restaurants.
Bethlem Royal Hospital
Bethlem Royal Hospital is based in a beautiful setting in over 200 acres of green space in the London Borough of Bromley, South East London. The hospital has easy access to nearby main roads, offers free parking and is within walking distance from of Eden Park and West Wickham overland stations.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the full job description for further information.
This post is open to Clinical Psychologists, Counselling Psychologists and Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapists who have the relevant professional registration and qualification/accreditation in one or more of the following: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR), Interpersonal Therapy (IPT). Experience of working in a specialist perinatal mental health or maternity setting is desirable.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the full job description for further information.
This post is open to Clinical Psychologists, Counselling Psychologists and Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapists who have the relevant professional registration and qualification/accreditation in one or more of the following: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR), Interpersonal Therapy (IPT). Experience of working in a specialist perinatal mental health or maternity setting is desirable.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Qualifications and Professional Registration oClinical psychologist: Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent; Counselling psychologist: MSc and PG Diploma in Counselling Psychology; Psychological Therapist: BABCP accreditation
- Additional training in a relevant psychological therapy e.g. CBT including trauma-focused CBT, EMDR, 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. (A/I/R) o
- Completed training course in clinical supervision. (A/I/R)
- oFor psychologists: Registered with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist, and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC.
Desirable
- oTraining in psychological interventions for complex presentations (DBT, schema therapy, EMDR) o
- oTraining in providing family or couple interventions
- Training in interventions focussing on the parent-infant relationship (e.g. VIG, Circle of Security)
Knowledge
Essential
- Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies for women presenting with mental health difficulties in the perinatal period (A/I/R)
- oAdvanced knowledge of the impact of maternal mental illness on the baby, including the impact on the mother-infant relationship
- oKnowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities. (A/I/R)
- oKnowledge of the psychological and physical context of pregnancy and childbirth and the impact of these on mental health
Experience
Essential
- oEvidence of having worked as a clinical specialist therapist under supervision in perinatal mental health (A/I)
- oExperience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in perinatal mental health (A/I)
- oFor psychologists: Experience of supervising assistant and trainee psychologists having completed the relevant training. (A/I)
- Experience of carrying out post-doctoral research, audit or service evaluation projects. (A/I)
- oExperience of proposing and implementing service development projects within own service area. (A/I)
Desirable
- Experience of having worked as a psychologist or psychological therapist in a maternity service
- Experience of providing interventions such as DBT, schema therapy, EMDR
- Experience of providing interventions focussing on the parent-infant relationship
- Experience of providing interventions focussing on the couple relationship
- Lived experience of mental health challenges
Skills
Essential
- oTo deliver psychological therapy across cultural and other differences.
- oTo select and administer specialist psychological assessments, interpreting and integrating complex data that require analysis, interpretation and comparison, drawn from several sources, on which expert opinion may differ.
- oTo 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.
- oTo plan and schedule assessment and interventions for individual clients and groups and carers, and to organise meetings such case reviews, and joint activities with staff of partner agencies
- oWell-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data. (A/I/R)
Abilities
Essential
- oAbility to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles. (A/I/R)
- oAbility to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings (A/I/R)
- oAbility 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. (A/I)
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Qualifications and Professional Registration oClinical psychologist: Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent; Counselling psychologist: MSc and PG Diploma in Counselling Psychology; Psychological Therapist: BABCP accreditation
- Additional training in a relevant psychological therapy e.g. CBT including trauma-focused CBT, EMDR, 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. (A/I/R) o
- Completed training course in clinical supervision. (A/I/R)
- oFor psychologists: Registered with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist, and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC.
Desirable
- oTraining in psychological interventions for complex presentations (DBT, schema therapy, EMDR) o
- oTraining in providing family or couple interventions
- Training in interventions focussing on the parent-infant relationship (e.g. VIG, Circle of Security)
Knowledge
Essential
- Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies for women presenting with mental health difficulties in the perinatal period (A/I/R)
- oAdvanced knowledge of the impact of maternal mental illness on the baby, including the impact on the mother-infant relationship
- oKnowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities. (A/I/R)
- oKnowledge of the psychological and physical context of pregnancy and childbirth and the impact of these on mental health
Experience
Essential
- oEvidence of having worked as a clinical specialist therapist under supervision in perinatal mental health (A/I)
- oExperience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in perinatal mental health (A/I)
- oFor psychologists: Experience of supervising assistant and trainee psychologists having completed the relevant training. (A/I)
- Experience of carrying out post-doctoral research, audit or service evaluation projects. (A/I)
- oExperience of proposing and implementing service development projects within own service area. (A/I)
Desirable
- Experience of having worked as a psychologist or psychological therapist in a maternity service
- Experience of providing interventions such as DBT, schema therapy, EMDR
- Experience of providing interventions focussing on the parent-infant relationship
- Experience of providing interventions focussing on the couple relationship
- Lived experience of mental health challenges
Skills
Essential
- oTo deliver psychological therapy across cultural and other differences.
- oTo select and administer specialist psychological assessments, interpreting and integrating complex data that require analysis, interpretation and comparison, drawn from several sources, on which expert opinion may differ.
- oTo 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.
- oTo plan and schedule assessment and interventions for individual clients and groups and carers, and to organise meetings such case reviews, and joint activities with staff of partner agencies
- oWell-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data. (A/I/R)
Abilities
Essential
- oAbility to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles. (A/I/R)
- oAbility to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings (A/I/R)
- oAbility 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. (A/I)
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).
