Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity to join the Lewisham Integrated Therapies Team (LIT) as an Assistant Psychologist.
The LIT Team is a friendly and diverse therapy team comprising Clinical/Counselling Psychologists, CBT Practitioners, Psychotherapists, Clinical Associate Psychologists and trainees. We offer a range of evidence-based and goal focused talking therapies to people with complex emotional difficulties and with a range of presentations who might traditionally fall between primary and secondary care mental health services. We also reach into the local Primary Care Mental Health Teams (PCMHTs), promoting psychological thinking and supporting the provision of stepped care.
Main duties of the job
You will work within LIT and also be involved with the PCMHTs. Part of the role will be clinical - offering assessments and brief, goal focused and trauma-informed interventions for people who present with emotional instability and/or risk issues, and working alongside carers and other team members, under the supervision of a psychological practitioner.
An important part of the role will be clinically related administration, for example, supporting the clinical pathways, collection of statistics, outcome measures and activity data, audit projects and producing clinical materials.
About us
You will be based at The Lind Clinic in Deptford, and at least one other community base in Lewisham. We are currently working with a hybrid model of face-to-face and remote working.
Some of the benefits of working for SLaM are highlighted here:
- Generous pay, pensions and leave,we offer a comprehensive pay, pensions and leave package which is dependent on the role and length of service.
- Work life balance,flexible working and support a range of flexible options, such as: part-time working and job sharing.
- Career development,we support your development through a number of programmes such as mentoring, coaching, positive people management, collective leadership and other talent programmes
- Car lease,our staff benefits from competitive deals to lease cars
- Accommodation,our staff benefits fromkeyworker housing available which is available on selected sites
- NHS discounts,with discounts up to 10% from a variety of well-known retail brands though Health Service Discounts website.
Other benefits include:
- Counselling services
- Long service awards
- Cycle to work scheme
- Season ticket loan
- Childcare vouchers
- Staff restaurants
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Work with service users who present with a range of emotional and relational difficulties, and who meet the inclusion criteria for PCMHT.
- Use a range of psychological skills including assessment and formulation, and working in a trauma-informed framework
- Offering guidance to service users and their carers to support mental well-being and recovery
- Attend MDT meetings where appropriate; follow and contribute to multi-disciplinary clinical discussion.
- Contribute to the psychologically-informed culture in the PCMHTs
- Membership of the LIT team; attending business and clinical meetings and supporting the team operations with clinically relevant administration
- Key responsibilities are detailed in the Job description and person specification.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Work with service users who present with a range of emotional and relational difficulties, and who meet the inclusion criteria for PCMHT.
- Use a range of psychological skills including assessment and formulation, and working in a trauma-informed framework
- Offering guidance to service users and their carers to support mental well-being and recovery
- Attend MDT meetings where appropriate; follow and contribute to multi-disciplinary clinical discussion.
- Contribute to the psychologically-informed culture in the PCMHTs
- Membership of the LIT team; attending business and clinical meetings and supporting the team operations with clinically relevant administration
- Key responsibilities are detailed in the Job description and person specification.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- A First-class or Upper-second-class Bachelors degree with Honours in Psychology (or related behavioural science) that is accredited by the British Psychological Society and confers the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society
- Masters level qualification in applied psychology
Desirable
- Relevant specialist training in relation to working with a range of MH diagnoses
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working within an NHS setting as an assistant psychologist.
- Sufficient post-graduate experience of psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs who present in crisis with acute risks.
- To be able to work clinically without direct supervision.
- Post-graduate experience of conducting research projects or audits.
- Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and/or lived experience..
Desirable
- Experience of working with service users in community mental health service
knowleadge
Essential
- Graduate level knowledge of psychological research methodology and statistical analysis.
- Good theoretical knowledge of the problems experienced by and needs of service users presenting with urgent/complex needs
- Methods of psychological assessment and treatment for those with complex mental health needs.
- Awareness of racial and diversity issues through attendance of relevant training.
Desirable
- Knowledge of interventions such as CBT, distress tolerance and emotional regulation.
- Knowledge of issues around risk of harm to self or others.
- Understanding of principles of treatment in relation to complex emotional and relational difficulties
- experience of working with people with neurodiversity
Skills
Essential
- Skills in relevant psychological assessment and interventions that enable working independently as a pre-qualified practitioner with clinical supervision.
- Well-developed verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex, sensitive or contentious information to clients, families and colleagues.
- Skills in completing literature reviews and summarising research findings to inform clinical practice or for the purpose of publication.
- Skills in supporting the development of training materials.
- Well-developed IT skills including using excel and SPSS in the analysis of research data.
Desirable
- Experience of data collection, analysis and interpretation using large service wide datasets.
Abilities
Essential
- Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.
- Highly organised, able to manage workload, work to deadlines with competing tasks.
- Ability to identify and follow relevant clinical governance procedures.
- Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in self-harming or aggressive behaviour.
- Ability to manage verbal aggression and hostility directed at self.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- A First-class or Upper-second-class Bachelors degree with Honours in Psychology (or related behavioural science) that is accredited by the British Psychological Society and confers the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society
- Masters level qualification in applied psychology
Desirable
- Relevant specialist training in relation to working with a range of MH diagnoses
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working within an NHS setting as an assistant psychologist.
- Sufficient post-graduate experience of psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs who present in crisis with acute risks.
- To be able to work clinically without direct supervision.
- Post-graduate experience of conducting research projects or audits.
- Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and/or lived experience..
Desirable
- Experience of working with service users in community mental health service
knowleadge
Essential
- Graduate level knowledge of psychological research methodology and statistical analysis.
- Good theoretical knowledge of the problems experienced by and needs of service users presenting with urgent/complex needs
- Methods of psychological assessment and treatment for those with complex mental health needs.
- Awareness of racial and diversity issues through attendance of relevant training.
Desirable
- Knowledge of interventions such as CBT, distress tolerance and emotional regulation.
- Knowledge of issues around risk of harm to self or others.
- Understanding of principles of treatment in relation to complex emotional and relational difficulties
- experience of working with people with neurodiversity
Skills
Essential
- Skills in relevant psychological assessment and interventions that enable working independently as a pre-qualified practitioner with clinical supervision.
- Well-developed verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex, sensitive or contentious information to clients, families and colleagues.
- Skills in completing literature reviews and summarising research findings to inform clinical practice or for the purpose of publication.
- Skills in supporting the development of training materials.
- Well-developed IT skills including using excel and SPSS in the analysis of research data.
Desirable
- Experience of data collection, analysis and interpretation using large service wide datasets.
Abilities
Essential
- Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.
- Highly organised, able to manage workload, work to deadlines with competing tasks.
- Ability to identify and follow relevant clinical governance procedures.
- Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in self-harming or aggressive behaviour.
- Ability to manage verbal aggression and hostility directed at self.
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).
