Job summary
Admission Avoidance Pathway - Adolescent Mental Health Team
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Family and Systemic Psychotherapist to take up a senior position with the CAMHS Adolescent Mental Health Team and across our alternative to admission pathway. The post holder will form an integral part work of our dynamic and creative Multi-Disciplinary clinically led Team
The post is located within the Adolescent Mental Health team and will offer therapeutic support across our Alternative to Admission pathway, offering targeted family therapy and intervention to families under our Home Treatment/Intensive Support Team with a specific emphasis on adolescents with complex and severe mental health problems. It will include the provision of specialist advice/consultation, psychological assessment, liaison with other agencies, clinical systemic interventions, clinical supervision and teaching of staff and/or students.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for someone who is an experienced Family and Systemic Psychotherapist with a substantial knowledge in the field of child and adolescent mental health, especially in the areas of adolescent mental health and crisis / risk management. In addition to contributing to the operational delivery of the Adolescent Mental Health team and wider alternative to admission pathway, the post holder will be responsible for the supervision/management of Band 7 and other staff as required. The post holder will formulate and undertake clinical audit, service evaluation, service development and research activities as directed by the Clinical Team Lead.
The post holder will need to work flexibly, and be able to provide the appropriate contextualised formulation-based intervention, using the evidence base and have the ability to design individually tailored intervention program based on client need, clear analysis of causes of symptomatology and a formulation based and trauma-informed approach.
We are looking for a dynamic, enthusiastic and experienced practitioner to join our award winning, friendly and professional team. The post-holder will require a high degree of professional autonomy, self-management and drive with the ability to work well in a team and within the multi-agency environment.
Our clinically-led service is strongly committed to continuously improving the experience and quality of care we offer our families.
About us
ELFT has long been recognised as a centre of excellence for mental and health care, innovation and improvement. So it is a very exciting time for you to come and work for us. Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
The Senior Management Team within North Bedfordshire CAMHS is committed to staff development: there are regular opportunities for staff to apply for appropriate training courses and to get involved in quality improvement initiatives and new developments in the service, some associated with a higher banding during the time of the project. We also have a significant number of positions in the trust for clinicians up to band 8D, opening up paths for promotion for ambitious members of staff. The East London NHS Trust prioritizes staff wellbeing and we are introducing a range of staff wellbeing initiatives to support this.
Job description
Job responsibilities
This post is based in Bedford, Bedfordshire, close to the M1 and easily reached by rail and car from North London, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire. The clinic also has the added benefit of free parking and all clinicians are supported by very dedicated and efficient administrative staff. Whilst some of the work is based in the clinic, access to a car is essential as some travel will be required to undertake outreach support at home or other CAMHS/ multi-agency sites.
If you have highly developed communication and leadership skills and would enjoy this opportunity to ensure robust patient safety, improved patient experience, clinical outcomes, quality and performance standards, we encourage you to apply.
Job description
Job responsibilities
This post is based in Bedford, Bedfordshire, close to the M1 and easily reached by rail and car from North London, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire. The clinic also has the added benefit of free parking and all clinicians are supported by very dedicated and efficient administrative staff. Whilst some of the work is based in the clinic, access to a car is essential as some travel will be required to undertake outreach support at home or other CAMHS/ multi-agency sites.
If you have highly developed communication and leadership skills and would enjoy this opportunity to ensure robust patient safety, improved patient experience, clinical outcomes, quality and performance standards, we encourage you to apply.
Person Specification
Education/ Qualification/ Training
Essential
- Qualification in appropriate mental health/social welfare profession such as Social Work, Nursing, Psychology, Psychiatry, Teaching OR AFT-agreed equivalent
- Masters or Doctoral level qualification in Systemic Psychotherapy or AFT agreed equivalent
- UKCP Registration
- Evidence of CPD
Experience
Essential
- Experience in relevant first profession
- Post-qualifying experience
- Experience of working with a wide variety of patient groups across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
- Experience of working with children and young people in an emotionally demanding environment.
- Experience of working with children and young people and their families in a therapeutic context.
- Experience of working with children, young people and families in emotional crisis.
- Knowledge and experience with working with child protection issues and serious mental health problems
- Experience of risk assessment and risk management.
- Experience in working in a complex multi-disciplinary context.
- Experience, skills and flexibility to contribute to and facilitate effective working within a multi-disciplinary team setting.
- Experience/knowledge of working in a multi-ethnic community and of working with interpreters.
- Experience of using audio visual/video equipment in clinical setting.
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of specialist systemic assessment and treatment of individuals, couples, family systems and groups
- A specialist level of clinical skill
- Skills in applying systemic theory to work with individuals, couples, family systems, groups and organisations
- Evidence of continuing professional development as required by UKCP/AFT guidelines.
- Knowledge of and skill in using a wide variety of systemic theories and interventions and the ability to use these appropriately in relation to client need and work setting.
- Sufficient knowledge of other modalities to engage appropriately with colleagues and their work with clients.
- Knowledge of child and adolescent development.
- Up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation, and ethical issues, including The Children Act 1989, and strategic frameworks and their implications for both clinical practice and professional management.
- Knowledge of current developments in systemic family therapy, in clinical psychology and in psychiatry generally, in working with children and adolescents with serious mental health problems.
- Ability to develop and maintain highly specialist knowledge of clinical aspects of child and adolescent mental health.
- Communication & Relationship skills: Well-developed skills to communicate effectively, orally and in writing at an age appropriate level, complex, highly technical and /or clinically sensitive information to children, adolescents, their families, carers and professionals within and outside the NHS
- Ability to communicate distressing and unwelcome information to children, adolescents and their families
- Ability to work with a racially and culturally diverse community in a wide variety of contexts including highly specialist skills for working therapeutically in family homes
- Ability to deal sensitively with stressful situations including:- staff and /or organisational problems, child abuse, family breakdown, serious mental ill health
- Ability to cope with verbal abuse and to recognise and diffuse potential physical abuse from clients.
- Ability to work within a multi-disciplinary team
- Ability to work flexibly across service boundaries and CAMHS Tiers
- Skills and ability to liaise effectively with other agencies and professionals
- Ability to use supervision effectively
- Knowledge of the Children's Act, Mental Health Act, CPA legislation and national treatment guidelines
- Analytical & judgmental skills: Able to draw upon a broad theoretical knowledge base in the analysis of highly complex facts or situations to arrive at appropriate formulations.
- Able to compare and select from a range of treatment options, based on a contextualised formulation.
- Planning and organisational skills: Able to plan, organise and prioritise own workload.
- Physical skills: Competent use of other IT packages e.g. PowerPoint, Excel and Access, RiO
- Information resources: Able to record and report on as required clinical information.
- Competent in use of basic IT packages - word processing, e-mail and internet.
- Research & Guidance: Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis.
- Up to date knowledge of psychological research and national guidance relevant to the client groups.
- Knowledge of legislation and its implications for clinical practice with the client groups.
- Cultural awareness: Aware of the potential impact of discrimination & disadvantage on mental health.
- Able to provide a cultural competent service
- Flexibility: Able to be flexible and adapt approach according to need.
- Capacity to work effectively and reflectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary team.
Desirable
- Knowledge of adapting therapies for adolescents and presentations, including working with young people on the Autistic Spectrum
- Knowledge of current developments in the assessment and treatment of a range of serious mental illnesses, including psychotic disorder, obsessive/compulsive disorder, schizo-affective disorder and other related issues
- Working with victims of child sexual abuse and relational trauma
- Working with looked after children
Personal
Essential
- Physical effort: Able to sit in constrained positions for a substantial proportion of working time.
- Ability to travel to various other locations as part of the role, and deliver therapy in alternative environments
- Mental effort: Able to concentrate intensely for a substantial proportion of working time, during client contact, teaching/supervision sessions, team meetings, preparing written work etc.
- Ability to work autonomously, setting appropriate goals, in accordance with professional ethics guidelines and Trust policies
- Emotional effort: Able to manage effectively frequent exposure to highly distressing/highly emotional circumstances and exposure to traumatic circumstances
- Able to contain and work with organisational stress and able to hold the stress of others.
- Values: Respectful approach to service users, families, carers, colleagues and other professionals. Willing to negotiate and can handle confrontation effectively and professionally.
Other
Essential
- Able to work to professional guidelines. Must be capable of accountability for own work, of autonomous clinical practice, of being guided by precedent and of working towards defined results.
Person Specification
Education/ Qualification/ Training
Essential
- Qualification in appropriate mental health/social welfare profession such as Social Work, Nursing, Psychology, Psychiatry, Teaching OR AFT-agreed equivalent
- Masters or Doctoral level qualification in Systemic Psychotherapy or AFT agreed equivalent
- UKCP Registration
- Evidence of CPD
Experience
Essential
- Experience in relevant first profession
- Post-qualifying experience
- Experience of working with a wide variety of patient groups across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
- Experience of working with children and young people in an emotionally demanding environment.
- Experience of working with children and young people and their families in a therapeutic context.
- Experience of working with children, young people and families in emotional crisis.
- Knowledge and experience with working with child protection issues and serious mental health problems
- Experience of risk assessment and risk management.
- Experience in working in a complex multi-disciplinary context.
- Experience, skills and flexibility to contribute to and facilitate effective working within a multi-disciplinary team setting.
- Experience/knowledge of working in a multi-ethnic community and of working with interpreters.
- Experience of using audio visual/video equipment in clinical setting.
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of specialist systemic assessment and treatment of individuals, couples, family systems and groups
- A specialist level of clinical skill
- Skills in applying systemic theory to work with individuals, couples, family systems, groups and organisations
- Evidence of continuing professional development as required by UKCP/AFT guidelines.
- Knowledge of and skill in using a wide variety of systemic theories and interventions and the ability to use these appropriately in relation to client need and work setting.
- Sufficient knowledge of other modalities to engage appropriately with colleagues and their work with clients.
- Knowledge of child and adolescent development.
- Up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation, and ethical issues, including The Children Act 1989, and strategic frameworks and their implications for both clinical practice and professional management.
- Knowledge of current developments in systemic family therapy, in clinical psychology and in psychiatry generally, in working with children and adolescents with serious mental health problems.
- Ability to develop and maintain highly specialist knowledge of clinical aspects of child and adolescent mental health.
- Communication & Relationship skills: Well-developed skills to communicate effectively, orally and in writing at an age appropriate level, complex, highly technical and /or clinically sensitive information to children, adolescents, their families, carers and professionals within and outside the NHS
- Ability to communicate distressing and unwelcome information to children, adolescents and their families
- Ability to work with a racially and culturally diverse community in a wide variety of contexts including highly specialist skills for working therapeutically in family homes
- Ability to deal sensitively with stressful situations including:- staff and /or organisational problems, child abuse, family breakdown, serious mental ill health
- Ability to cope with verbal abuse and to recognise and diffuse potential physical abuse from clients.
- Ability to work within a multi-disciplinary team
- Ability to work flexibly across service boundaries and CAMHS Tiers
- Skills and ability to liaise effectively with other agencies and professionals
- Ability to use supervision effectively
- Knowledge of the Children's Act, Mental Health Act, CPA legislation and national treatment guidelines
- Analytical & judgmental skills: Able to draw upon a broad theoretical knowledge base in the analysis of highly complex facts or situations to arrive at appropriate formulations.
- Able to compare and select from a range of treatment options, based on a contextualised formulation.
- Planning and organisational skills: Able to plan, organise and prioritise own workload.
- Physical skills: Competent use of other IT packages e.g. PowerPoint, Excel and Access, RiO
- Information resources: Able to record and report on as required clinical information.
- Competent in use of basic IT packages - word processing, e-mail and internet.
- Research & Guidance: Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis.
- Up to date knowledge of psychological research and national guidance relevant to the client groups.
- Knowledge of legislation and its implications for clinical practice with the client groups.
- Cultural awareness: Aware of the potential impact of discrimination & disadvantage on mental health.
- Able to provide a cultural competent service
- Flexibility: Able to be flexible and adapt approach according to need.
- Capacity to work effectively and reflectively as a member of a multi-disciplinary team.
Desirable
- Knowledge of adapting therapies for adolescents and presentations, including working with young people on the Autistic Spectrum
- Knowledge of current developments in the assessment and treatment of a range of serious mental illnesses, including psychotic disorder, obsessive/compulsive disorder, schizo-affective disorder and other related issues
- Working with victims of child sexual abuse and relational trauma
- Working with looked after children
Personal
Essential
- Physical effort: Able to sit in constrained positions for a substantial proportion of working time.
- Ability to travel to various other locations as part of the role, and deliver therapy in alternative environments
- Mental effort: Able to concentrate intensely for a substantial proportion of working time, during client contact, teaching/supervision sessions, team meetings, preparing written work etc.
- Ability to work autonomously, setting appropriate goals, in accordance with professional ethics guidelines and Trust policies
- Emotional effort: Able to manage effectively frequent exposure to highly distressing/highly emotional circumstances and exposure to traumatic circumstances
- Able to contain and work with organisational stress and able to hold the stress of others.
- Values: Respectful approach to service users, families, carers, colleagues and other professionals. Willing to negotiate and can handle confrontation effectively and professionally.
Other
Essential
- Able to work to professional guidelines. Must be capable of accountability for own work, of autonomous clinical practice, of being guided by precedent and of working towards defined results.
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).
