Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Highly Specialist Psychologist/Psychological Therapist/Psychotherapist/Family and Systemic Therapist to experience working in our unique Family Interventions and Support Service (FISS) in Croydon to cover a one year maternity leave. This can be for a fixed term contract or secondment.
We are looking for a motivated clinician who is passionate about supporting the families/carers/networks of adults with psychosis and complex mental health difficulties to join us working in Adult Secondary Care.
The successful applicant will have good engagement skills, think creatively, work flexibly and have a range of skills in working collaboratively alongside others. The post holder will be a part of providing therapeutic interventions to the families/carers/networks of individuals living with psychosis and supporting the collaboration and presence of family interventions and needs within the wider community teams. The post will also include the supervision and development of more junior clinicians and provide opportunities to further develop in family approaches for psychosis (e.g. FIp, Open Dialogue).
Main duties of the job
Clinically, you will be: offering a range of family interventions to families/carers/networks and service users living with psychosis; supporting the professional and personal network around service users; supervising junior staff; teaching and offering consultation and support to MDT colleagues. FISS aims to promote the needs of families/carers in Croydon and the community teams, therefore this role also has a strong service development component, including: research and evaluation; developing and refining the existing service; liaison and joint work with colleagues across the directorate and Trust.
Key duties include:
- Working with service users with psychosis under the Croydon CMHTs and/or their families/carers/networks.
- Offering family interventions:
- Assessing and developing specialist formulations and interventions tailored to family/carer needs
- Co-facilitating family interventions with colleagues
- Collaboration and communication with service users's professional and personal networks
- Consultation and liaison with teams and agencies across Croydon
- Supporting, developing and evaluating FISS
- Supporting and directing the work of junior staff in the team
About us
The Family Intervention and Support Service (FISS) is based at Jeanette Wallace House in central Croydon, close to local amenities and public transport. In addition to this post, the team is comprised of a Higher Assistant Psychologist, Trainee Psychologist, Clinical Psychologist and Systemic Family Therapist/Lead.
This small team was established in 2010 and provides specialist input to service users residing within the borough of Croydon who have received a primary diagnosis of psychosis/bi-polar disorder and have relatives / social network who would benefit from a family approach. The service works closely with all secondary care teams in the psychosis care pathway, offering evidence-based family interventions (Family Interventions for Psychosis, Behavioural Family Therapy), Systemic Family Therapy (with a clinic/reflecting team), individual carer support, carer and sibling groups, Open Dialogue informed network meetings, consultation, supervision and teaching. Psychologist colleagues and care coordinators in the surrounding Community Mental Health Teams work in partnership with FISS to provide additional family intervention resource.
FISS is part of the broader psychosis pathway services in Croydon (e.g. EIS and individual psychosis service) which provides many opportunities for collaboration, training and learning. Likewise, there are active Psychology and Psychotherapy networks and discipline specific groups within SLaM which are also available to the candidate.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical and Client Care
- To provide highly specialist psychological interventions/therapy for the carers, families/networks and people living with psychosis and complex mental health problems within secondary care adult psychosis community services in Croydon- including specialist assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes.
- Knowledge, interest and experience of family interventions/approaches for psychosis.
- To ensure cultural context is considered/discussed and to provide culturally appropriate psychological interventions with SUs and their carers/families.
- To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans.
Contributing to team or service clinical functioning
- To contribute to the effective working of the team or service and to a psychologically-informed framework for the service.
- To contribute to the team's or services delivery of accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.
- To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.
- To offer advice, consultation and training for Croydon community teams on the specialist psychological care of clients with psychosis and their families/carers.
- To liaise with referrers and other professionals concerned with clients in order to develop and review care plans.
- To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in therapeutic work and work with other team members.
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.
- To contribute to the consultation and engagement of service users/families/carers in planning and delivering services which meet the needs of local communities.
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 psychologist/psychotherapist.
- To contribute to the recruitment of more junior psychological practitioners, as appropriate.
- To provide supervision for the psychological work of other multi-disciplinary staff as appropriate.
- 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. To participate, as a recipient, in staff support work when appropriate.
Please see JD/PS attached for full list of responsibilities.Interviews will take place on Monday 15th December 2025.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical and Client Care
- To provide highly specialist psychological interventions/therapy for the carers, families/networks and people living with psychosis and complex mental health problems within secondary care adult psychosis community services in Croydon- including specialist assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes.
- Knowledge, interest and experience of family interventions/approaches for psychosis.
- To ensure cultural context is considered/discussed and to provide culturally appropriate psychological interventions with SUs and their carers/families.
- To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans.
Contributing to team or service clinical functioning
- To contribute to the effective working of the team or service and to a psychologically-informed framework for the service.
- To contribute to the team's or services delivery of accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.
- To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.
- To offer advice, consultation and training for Croydon community teams on the specialist psychological care of clients with psychosis and their families/carers.
- To liaise with referrers and other professionals concerned with clients in order to develop and review care plans.
- To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in therapeutic work and work with other team members.
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.
- To contribute to the consultation and engagement of service users/families/carers in planning and delivering services which meet the needs of local communities.
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 psychologist/psychotherapist.
- To contribute to the recruitment of more junior psychological practitioners, as appropriate.
- To provide supervision for the psychological work of other multi-disciplinary staff as appropriate.
- 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. To participate, as a recipient, in staff support work when appropriate.
Please see JD/PS attached for full list of responsibilities.Interviews will take place on Monday 15th December 2025.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Qualified as DClin/Coun Psychologist and/or MSc Family Therapy or Psychotherapist
- Professional registration UKCP/HCPC/BPC/BACP etc.
Desirable
- Additional training in family interventions/approaches for psychosis
- Additional training in supervision/consultation
Experience
Essential
- Evidence of having worked as clinical specialist with individuals and/or families with complex MI w/in NHS secondary MH services
- Experience of working with families/couples/groups/carers in context of complex MH difficulties
- Experience of supervising assistants/trainees
- Experience of post-doc/MSc level research/audit or service evaluation projects
- Experience of working with/adressing issues of diversity in local communities
Desirable
- Experience of working psychologically with individuals/families living with psychosis/BAD
- Experience of providing teaching/training to p&p/professional staff
- Experience of involving service users/carers in research/service evaluation
- Experience of facilitating reflective groups for professionals
Knowledge
Essential
- Knoweldge of evidence base for family interventions for psychosis
- Theoretical knowledge of psychological approaches to workign with families in psychosis (FIP, BFT, CBTp, OD, Systemic)
- Understanding of service provision for psychosis and issues arising for them/families
- Knoweldge of factors affecting accetability/accesability to MH care including racial/diversity issue
Skills
Essential
- To work effectively within MDT
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Qualified as DClin/Coun Psychologist and/or MSc Family Therapy or Psychotherapist
- Professional registration UKCP/HCPC/BPC/BACP etc.
Desirable
- Additional training in family interventions/approaches for psychosis
- Additional training in supervision/consultation
Experience
Essential
- Evidence of having worked as clinical specialist with individuals and/or families with complex MI w/in NHS secondary MH services
- Experience of working with families/couples/groups/carers in context of complex MH difficulties
- Experience of supervising assistants/trainees
- Experience of post-doc/MSc level research/audit or service evaluation projects
- Experience of working with/adressing issues of diversity in local communities
Desirable
- Experience of working psychologically with individuals/families living with psychosis/BAD
- Experience of providing teaching/training to p&p/professional staff
- Experience of involving service users/carers in research/service evaluation
- Experience of facilitating reflective groups for professionals
Knowledge
Essential
- Knoweldge of evidence base for family interventions for psychosis
- Theoretical knowledge of psychological approaches to workign with families in psychosis (FIP, BFT, CBTp, OD, Systemic)
- Understanding of service provision for psychosis and issues arising for them/families
- Knoweldge of factors affecting accetability/accesability to MH care including racial/diversity issue
Skills
Essential
- To work effectively within MDT
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).
