South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Highly Specialist Practitioner Psychologist/Psychological Therapist

The closing date is 15 September 2025

Job summary

This role will support the small Psychology and Psychotherapy (P&P) team who work in Lewisham's Acute Inpatient service. A key focus is to ensure there is equitable access to P&P interventions for all patient groups. Creativity and flexibility in finding ways to engage with patients who may not typically consider psychological interventions right for them will be key.The role will include the delivery of brief individual and group psychological interventions for acute inpatients across five wards (two male, two female and one male PICU); facilitating case formulation and reflective practise sessions for the ward staff; offering support to families and carers of inpatients; pro-actively liaising with others involved in the patients' care pathway (including Community Teams, Crisis Teams, Home Treatment Teams and Liaison). The post-holder will jointly manage referrals into the team from across the wards and will supervise Trainee Clinical Psychologists and other more junior staff.

Main duties of the job

Be To provide a highly specialist psychological interventions for a wide range of acutely unwell inpatients, including specialist assessment, treatment, planning,implementation and monitoring of outcomes.

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 in acute adult mental health

To promote service evaluation, audit and research.

To work as an autonomous professional within registration body guidelines and codes of conduct, guided by principles and policies or procedures of the service, taking responsibility for interpreting policies within defined parameters.

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

To be active in the provision of staff support within their area, including but not limited to Critical Incident Staff Support and Reflect-Support-Resolve (reflective practise). To participate, as a recipient, in staff support work when appropriate.

About us

Our values and commitments:

Be caring, kind and polite

Do what I say I'm going to do

Take the time and listen to you

Be honest and direct with you

Be prompt and value your time

Date posted

01 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£61,927 to £68,676 a year per annum inclusive of HCAS

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

334-CLI-7217774

Job locations

Ladywell Unit, University Hospital Lewisham

Lewisham High Street

London

SE13 6LW

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

KR 1 Clinical and Client Care

To provide specialist psychological assessments, formulations and brief interventions that support purposeful admissions for acutely unwell inpatients with varied presentations including but not limited to psychosis, mood disorders, personality difficulties, autism, mild intellectual disabilities and co-morbid substance misuse. Short-term Direct and Indirect work, one-to-one and group interventions. Neuropsychological assessment where appropriate.

To provide culturally appropriate and trauma-informed psychological or psychotherapeutic interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.

To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans; to support more junior members of staff and colleagues to formulate risk.

To provide reports, including relevant formulation, opinion and interventions, in order to inform referrers and, where appropriate, onward services, service users and their families.

To select and deliver evidence-based specialist therapeutic interventions, drawing from a spectrum of ideas and models, monitoring outcome and modifying and adapting interventions as necessary, based on the highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual.

To promote psychological support for carers (or families as appropriate) of referred clients.

KR 2 Contributing to team or service clinical functioning

To contribute to the effective working of the team and overall unit and to promote a psychologically/psychotherapeutically informed framework for the service.

To contribute to theteams delivery of accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities. To model and promote trauma-informed and culturally sensitive ways of working with all service users.

To proactively manage the referrals database jointly with the other Band 8a team member; ensurepatients are seen quickly once referred and communicate with the referring ward team regarding the outcome of referrals.

To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.

To advise other members of the service on specialist psychological/psychotherapeutic care of clients.

To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionalsinvolved in the patients pathway and carein order to support continuity of care.

To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other team members.

To facilitate monthly reflective practise sessions for ward teams within the unit after attending training in SLaMs model of reflective practise (RSR).

To facilitate monthly case formulation sessions with ward teams to support the Trusts aim to reduce restrictive practises; to help embed trauma-informed and anti-racist practise across the unit.

KR 3 Policy and service development

To implement policies and procedures in own area of work, and to propose improvements or beneficial changes.

To contribute to service development through undertaking and participating in appropriate projects, including Quality Improvement Projects.

To contribute to the consultation and engagement of service users in planning and delivering services which meet the needs of local communities.

KR 4 Care or management of resources

To take care of, and use carefully, the Trusts equipment and physical resources.

To ensure that the post-holder has sufficient resources by estimating future needs and requesting or ordering supplies as needed.

To ensure the cleanliness and safe functioning and use of equipment that will be used by clients or other persons.

To monitor and advise clients on the safe use of materials and processes.

To ensure adequate confidential and safe storage for artefacts produced during the therapy process in line with professional guidelines.

To be responsible for obtaining, storing and maintaining all materials and equipment for the provision of therapy in work setting within budgetary constraints.

KR 5 Management and supervision

To be responsible for the allocation and/or clinical supervision of the work of more junior psychological practitioners with support from a more senior practitioner.

To supervise trainee psychological practitioners within own area of specialism having completed the relevant Supervision Training.

To contribute to the appraisal of more junior psychological practitioners as appropriate.

To contribute to the recruitment of more junior psychological practitioners as appropriate.

To provide supervision for the psychological and/or psychotherapeutic work of other multi-disciplinary staff as appropriate.

KR 6 Teaching and Training

To undertake occasional teaching and training of pre- and post- qualification psychological practitioners, and specialised training to other professions as appropriate.

To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within the service by maintaining an active awareness of current developments in psychological therapy and by implementing knowledge gained in practice.

To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations and/or published articles.

KR 7 Record-keeping and Information Governance

To ensure that all information generated by own work is recorded as required by Trust policies and local procedures.

To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry.

KR 8 Research and development

To initiate/undertake, support and supervise regular complex service evaluation and audits.

To initiate and implement the development of outcome measurement and assessment and assist other staff in the implementation of same.

KR 9 Maintaining professional standards and continuing professional development

To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior psychological therapist according to professional body and Trust guidelines.

To maintain own Continuing Professional Development in line with professional body and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements and professional Standards for Continuing Professional Development.

To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.

To comply with professional body Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics/Standards of Proficiency.

KR10 General

To travel to meetings and training at other Trust Sites when required.

To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the client group, and follow trust policies relating to its management.

To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations (such as challenging behaviour, abuse etc) and to support others involved in such situations through Trust-wide approaches including Critical Incident Staff Support and Reflect-Support-Resolve.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

KR 1 Clinical and Client Care

To provide specialist psychological assessments, formulations and brief interventions that support purposeful admissions for acutely unwell inpatients with varied presentations including but not limited to psychosis, mood disorders, personality difficulties, autism, mild intellectual disabilities and co-morbid substance misuse. Short-term Direct and Indirect work, one-to-one and group interventions. Neuropsychological assessment where appropriate.

To provide culturally appropriate and trauma-informed psychological or psychotherapeutic interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.

To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans; to support more junior members of staff and colleagues to formulate risk.

To provide reports, including relevant formulation, opinion and interventions, in order to inform referrers and, where appropriate, onward services, service users and their families.

To select and deliver evidence-based specialist therapeutic interventions, drawing from a spectrum of ideas and models, monitoring outcome and modifying and adapting interventions as necessary, based on the highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual.

To promote psychological support for carers (or families as appropriate) of referred clients.

KR 2 Contributing to team or service clinical functioning

To contribute to the effective working of the team and overall unit and to promote a psychologically/psychotherapeutically informed framework for the service.

To contribute to theteams delivery of accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities. To model and promote trauma-informed and culturally sensitive ways of working with all service users.

To proactively manage the referrals database jointly with the other Band 8a team member; ensurepatients are seen quickly once referred and communicate with the referring ward team regarding the outcome of referrals.

To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.

To advise other members of the service on specialist psychological/psychotherapeutic care of clients.

To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionalsinvolved in the patients pathway and carein order to support continuity of care.

To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other team members.

To facilitate monthly reflective practise sessions for ward teams within the unit after attending training in SLaMs model of reflective practise (RSR).

To facilitate monthly case formulation sessions with ward teams to support the Trusts aim to reduce restrictive practises; to help embed trauma-informed and anti-racist practise across the unit.

KR 3 Policy and service development

To implement policies and procedures in own area of work, and to propose improvements or beneficial changes.

To contribute to service development through undertaking and participating in appropriate projects, including Quality Improvement Projects.

To contribute to the consultation and engagement of service users in planning and delivering services which meet the needs of local communities.

KR 4 Care or management of resources

To take care of, and use carefully, the Trusts equipment and physical resources.

To ensure that the post-holder has sufficient resources by estimating future needs and requesting or ordering supplies as needed.

To ensure the cleanliness and safe functioning and use of equipment that will be used by clients or other persons.

To monitor and advise clients on the safe use of materials and processes.

To ensure adequate confidential and safe storage for artefacts produced during the therapy process in line with professional guidelines.

To be responsible for obtaining, storing and maintaining all materials and equipment for the provision of therapy in work setting within budgetary constraints.

KR 5 Management and supervision

To be responsible for the allocation and/or clinical supervision of the work of more junior psychological practitioners with support from a more senior practitioner.

To supervise trainee psychological practitioners within own area of specialism having completed the relevant Supervision Training.

To contribute to the appraisal of more junior psychological practitioners as appropriate.

To contribute to the recruitment of more junior psychological practitioners as appropriate.

To provide supervision for the psychological and/or psychotherapeutic work of other multi-disciplinary staff as appropriate.

KR 6 Teaching and Training

To undertake occasional teaching and training of pre- and post- qualification psychological practitioners, and specialised training to other professions as appropriate.

To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within the service by maintaining an active awareness of current developments in psychological therapy and by implementing knowledge gained in practice.

To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations and/or published articles.

KR 7 Record-keeping and Information Governance

To ensure that all information generated by own work is recorded as required by Trust policies and local procedures.

To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry.

KR 8 Research and development

To initiate/undertake, support and supervise regular complex service evaluation and audits.

To initiate and implement the development of outcome measurement and assessment and assist other staff in the implementation of same.

KR 9 Maintaining professional standards and continuing professional development

To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior psychological therapist according to professional body and Trust guidelines.

To maintain own Continuing Professional Development in line with professional body and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements and professional Standards for Continuing Professional Development.

To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.

To comply with professional body Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics/Standards of Proficiency.

KR10 General

To travel to meetings and training at other Trust Sites when required.

To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the client group, and follow trust policies relating to its management.

To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations (such as challenging behaviour, abuse etc) and to support others involved in such situations through Trust-wide approaches including Critical Incident Staff Support and Reflect-Support-Resolve.

Person Specification

Qualifications, Experience, Knowledge & Skills

Essential

Entry-level qualification in applied psychological therapy/mental health/social welfare profession or equivalent AND demonstrable practice in this field (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level/supervised practice/additional training) that has been accepted for the purposes of professional registration. (A/I)
Completed training course in clinical supervision and/or accredited to supervised qualified psychological practitioners in relevant discipline. (A/I/R)
Registered with professional body as appropriate to discipline HCPC/APC/BPC/UKCP/BACP/BABCP/ADMPUK. (A/I)
Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the professional body. (A/I)
Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in adult mental health. (A/I)
Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in adult mental health (A/I)
Experience of supervising assistants and trainees having completed the relevant training. (A/I)
Post-qualification experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. (A/I)
Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the treatment of commonly presenting problems in acute adult mental health (psychosis, substance misuse, trauma, personality disorder, mood disorders). (A/I/R)
Advanced knowledge of the theory of psychological therapy and it's therapeutic application. Associated awareness of assessment and clinical psychometrics. (A/I/R)
Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities. (A/I/R)
Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care. (A/I/R)
To deliver psychological/psychotherapeutic therapy across cultural and other differences. (A/I/R)
To select and administer specialist psychological assessments, interpreting and integrating complex data that require analysis, interpretation and comparison, drawn from several sources. (A/I/R)
Knowledge of a range of therapeutic ideas/approaches and systemic models in assessment and treatment relevant to discipline (A/I/R)
Knowledge of racial and other diversity issues and factors affecting access to mental health care. (A/I/R)

Desirable

Substantial post-qualification experience/training and/or accreditation in a relevant therapy model (e.g. CBT/DBT/EMDR/ACT).
BABPC Accreditation
Experience of working in acute mental health wards
Experience of delivering short interventions
Ability to plan, carry out and analyse neuropsychological testing and to incorporate this into formulation and treatment planning

Person Specification

Qualifications, Experience, Knowledge & Skills

Essential

Entry-level qualification in applied psychological therapy/mental health/social welfare profession or equivalent AND demonstrable practice in this field (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level/supervised practice/additional training) that has been accepted for the purposes of professional registration. (A/I)
Completed training course in clinical supervision and/or accredited to supervised qualified psychological practitioners in relevant discipline. (A/I/R)
Registered with professional body as appropriate to discipline HCPC/APC/BPC/UKCP/BACP/BABCP/ADMPUK. (A/I)
Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the professional body. (A/I)
Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in adult mental health. (A/I)
Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in adult mental health (A/I)
Experience of supervising assistants and trainees having completed the relevant training. (A/I)
Post-qualification experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. (A/I)
Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the treatment of commonly presenting problems in acute adult mental health (psychosis, substance misuse, trauma, personality disorder, mood disorders). (A/I/R)
Advanced knowledge of the theory of psychological therapy and it's therapeutic application. Associated awareness of assessment and clinical psychometrics. (A/I/R)
Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities. (A/I/R)
Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care. (A/I/R)
To deliver psychological/psychotherapeutic therapy across cultural and other differences. (A/I/R)
To select and administer specialist psychological assessments, interpreting and integrating complex data that require analysis, interpretation and comparison, drawn from several sources. (A/I/R)
Knowledge of a range of therapeutic ideas/approaches and systemic models in assessment and treatment relevant to discipline (A/I/R)
Knowledge of racial and other diversity issues and factors affecting access to mental health care. (A/I/R)

Desirable

Substantial post-qualification experience/training and/or accreditation in a relevant therapy model (e.g. CBT/DBT/EMDR/ACT).
BABPC Accreditation
Experience of working in acute mental health wards
Experience of delivering short interventions
Ability to plan, carry out and analyse neuropsychological testing and to incorporate this into formulation and treatment planning

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

Certificate of Sponsorship

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

Ladywell Unit, University Hospital Lewisham

Lewisham High Street

London

SE13 6LW

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

Ladywell Unit, University Hospital Lewisham

Lewisham High Street

London

SE13 6LW

Employer's website

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