South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Practitioner Psychologist, Psychotherapist & Psychological Therapist

The closing date is 21 July 2025

Job summary

This is a secondment opportunity for someone working in SLaM with extensive experience of working with people with Complex Emotional Needs.

We are looking for highly motivated individual to join our team and oversee the service delivery for people with Complex Emotional Needs with Secondary Care Psychological Therapies Tier 1 and our Lambeth Living Well Centres and to hold a liaison role for this with our Primary Care colleagues.

This role will contribute to ensuring adults with severe mental health problems have greater access to psychologically informed interventions and focus on developing integrated care.

We are committed to developing a team that is fully representative of the communities that we serve.

Main duties of the job

The postholder will have experience of managing staff/integrated health services/ co-ordinating a range of complex, multidisciplinary clinical services and ability to show leadership skills. They will have highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies for service users with complex mental health problems, particularly personality presentations, and related interventions/training for frontline professionals. They will have relevant experience and skills working across primary and secondary care contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles, working closely with the Lambeth Short Term Support leadership team to support team development of CEN pathways.

About us

The second largest inner London Borough with an official population of around 350,000. The local population has needs related to a high level of social deprivation such as unemployment, poor social housing and child poverty. There are also pockets of greater affluence. There are high levels of morbidity, and levels and complexity of mental health problems are above the national average

Lambeth CCG and Lambeth Council want people of Lambeth to have a fully integrated and coordinated mental health system which focuses on people's strengths and supports their whole health and wellbeing. They have commissioned SLAM NHS as part of the Lambeth Living Well Network (LWN) Alliance to lead, co-ordinate and, in large part, deliver support and services for those experiencing mental health issues in Lambeth.

The Trust:The South London and Maudsley (SLaM) NHS Foundation Trust is part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC) and committed to innovation, effective interventions and improved service user outcomes. It provides mental health services to the people of Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham and Croydon, and some more specialist services to people from across the UK.

Details

Date posted

07 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£70,387 to £80,465 a year per annum incl. of HCAs pro rata

Contract

Secondment

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

334-CLI-7212784

Job locations

151 Blackfriars Road

Lambeth

SE1 8EL


Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose:

To act, alongside colleagues, as Lead Psychological Therapist for one of the place-based Living Well Centres and the Tier 1 protocolised interventions service, supporting the multidisciplinary team and psychological therapies pathway in the care of complex presentations

To provide specialist psychological assessment, formulation and interventions for people with complex mental health presentations. The role will also involve the provision of advice, education and support to service users and their carers or family members as indicated. You will also act as the psychological therapies lead to ensure effective care between the team and the pathway, leading Tier 1 provision.

To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.

To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate, functioning as a lead specialist clinician in relevant therapies and the Tier 1 context.

To ensure that systems are in place and working effectively for managing care in these components of the pathway, and across relevant care teams/systems.

To undertake service evaluation, audit, research and policy development.

To work as an autonomous professional within BPS/HCPC/ APC/BPC/UKCP/BACP guidelines and codes of conduct. Guided by principles and policies or procedures of SLaM and the borough, and taking responsibility for interpreting policies within defined parameters.

To agree outcomes/results with clinical/professional lead and to decide how they are best achieved.

The post holder will need to provide visible and effective clinical leadership to the clinical teams they supervise and be skilled in working collaboratively with others.

Operational aspects to the role include: Ensuring implementation and reporting of performance and quality; Management and mitigation of risk; Managing the clinical environment and holding responsibility for the Health and Safety of staff and service users/visitors to the service

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose:

To act, alongside colleagues, as Lead Psychological Therapist for one of the place-based Living Well Centres and the Tier 1 protocolised interventions service, supporting the multidisciplinary team and psychological therapies pathway in the care of complex presentations

To provide specialist psychological assessment, formulation and interventions for people with complex mental health presentations. The role will also involve the provision of advice, education and support to service users and their carers or family members as indicated. You will also act as the psychological therapies lead to ensure effective care between the team and the pathway, leading Tier 1 provision.

To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.

To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate, functioning as a lead specialist clinician in relevant therapies and the Tier 1 context.

To ensure that systems are in place and working effectively for managing care in these components of the pathway, and across relevant care teams/systems.

To undertake service evaluation, audit, research and policy development.

To work as an autonomous professional within BPS/HCPC/ APC/BPC/UKCP/BACP guidelines and codes of conduct. Guided by principles and policies or procedures of SLaM and the borough, and taking responsibility for interpreting policies within defined parameters.

To agree outcomes/results with clinical/professional lead and to decide how they are best achieved.

The post holder will need to provide visible and effective clinical leadership to the clinical teams they supervise and be skilled in working collaboratively with others.

Operational aspects to the role include: Ensuring implementation and reporting of performance and quality; Management and mitigation of risk; Managing the clinical environment and holding responsibility for the Health and Safety of staff and service users/visitors to the service

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Professional qualification leading to registration with appropriate psychology/psychotherapy professional body.
  • Additional training leading to accreditation in an evidence-based approach for complex presentations, 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 in clinical supervision through formal course or equivalent supervised experience.
  • Registered with the relevant accrediting body and evidence of continuing professional development as required.

Experience

Essential

  • Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in a service providing an evidence-based therapy for complex presentations
  • Experience of assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature
  • Experience of specialist psychotherapy assessment and treatment of patients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature.
  • Experience of supervising psychologists and/or psychotherapists and having completed the relevant training.
  • Experience of providing teaching and training to psychologists and psychotherapists and/or other professional groups

Desirable

  • Experience of managing staff/integrated health services/ co-ordinating a range of complex, multidisciplinary clinical services and ability to show leadership skills.
  • Proven track record of managing organisational change and development of clinical services; Able to negotiate with colleagues at all levels in the organisation
  • Proven ability to develop and change practice through systems work.

Knowledge

Essential

  • Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies for service users with complex mental health problems, particularly personality presentations, and related interventions/training for frontline professionals (e.g. SCM, KUF).
  • Advanced theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatments for this client group
  • Advanced knowledge of relevant psychological therapy assessment and clinical psychometrics as relevant.
  • Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities.
  • Doctoral-equivalent level knowledge of psychological research methodology and complex statistical analysis

Skills

Essential

  • To 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.
  • To deliver psychological therapy across cultural and other differences.
  • 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 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 projects and work schedules for groups of psychological therapists.

Ability

Essential

  • 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.
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Professional qualification leading to registration with appropriate psychology/psychotherapy professional body.
  • Additional training leading to accreditation in an evidence-based approach for complex presentations, 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 in clinical supervision through formal course or equivalent supervised experience.
  • Registered with the relevant accrediting body and evidence of continuing professional development as required.

Experience

Essential

  • Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in a service providing an evidence-based therapy for complex presentations
  • Experience of assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature
  • Experience of specialist psychotherapy assessment and treatment of patients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature.
  • Experience of supervising psychologists and/or psychotherapists and having completed the relevant training.
  • Experience of providing teaching and training to psychologists and psychotherapists and/or other professional groups

Desirable

  • Experience of managing staff/integrated health services/ co-ordinating a range of complex, multidisciplinary clinical services and ability to show leadership skills.
  • Proven track record of managing organisational change and development of clinical services; Able to negotiate with colleagues at all levels in the organisation
  • Proven ability to develop and change practice through systems work.

Knowledge

Essential

  • Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies for service users with complex mental health problems, particularly personality presentations, and related interventions/training for frontline professionals (e.g. SCM, KUF).
  • Advanced theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatments for this client group
  • Advanced knowledge of relevant psychological therapy assessment and clinical psychometrics as relevant.
  • Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities.
  • Doctoral-equivalent level knowledge of psychological research methodology and complex statistical analysis

Skills

Essential

  • To 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.
  • To deliver psychological therapy across cultural and other differences.
  • 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 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 projects and work schedules for groups of psychological therapists.

Ability

Essential

  • 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.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Address

151 Blackfriars Road

Lambeth

SE1 8EL


Employer's website

https://www.slam.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Address

151 Blackfriars Road

Lambeth

SE1 8EL


Employer's website

https://www.slam.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Co-lead Lambeth SCPT

Hielkje Verbrugge

hielkje.verbrugge@slam.nhs.uk

Details

Date posted

07 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£70,387 to £80,465 a year per annum incl. of HCAs pro rata

Contract

Secondment

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

334-CLI-7212784

Job locations

151 Blackfriars Road

Lambeth

SE1 8EL


Supporting documents

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