Highly Specialist Practitioner Psychologist/Psychological Therapist
| Posting date: | 01 September 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | £61,927 - £68,676 per annum inclusive of HCAS |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 01 October 2025 |
| Location: | London, SE13 6LW |
| Company: | South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 7217774/334-CLI-7217774 |
Summary
A Vacancy at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
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 isequitableaccess 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 onemalePICU); 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.
Be To provide a highly specialist psychological interventions for a wide range of acutely unwell inpatients, including specialist assessment, treatment, planning, implementationand 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 asappropriate, functioning as a lead specialist in acute adult mental health
• To promote service evaluation,auditand 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). Toparticipate, as a recipient, in staff support work whenappropriate.
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
Key Responsibilities:
KR 1Clinical 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 intellectualdisabilitiesand co-morbid substance misuse.Short-termDirect and Indirect work, one-to-one and group interventions. Neuropsychological assessment whereappropriate.
• To provide culturallyappropriateand trauma-informed psychological or psychotherapeutic interventions with carers or families of referred clients whenrequired.
• To assess andmonitorrisk and draw upappropriate riskmanagement plans; to support more junior members of staff and colleagues to formulate risk.
• To provide reports, including relevant formulation,opinionand interventions,in order toinform referrers and, whereappropriate, onward services, service users and their families.
• To select and deliver evidence-based specialist therapeutic interventions, drawing from a spectrum of ideas and models,monitoringoutcomeandmodifyingand adapting interventions as necessary, based on thehighly complexfactors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual.
• To promote psychological support for carers (or families asappropriate)of referred clients.
KR 2Contributing 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 the team’s 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; ensure patients are seen quickly once referred and communicate with the referring ward teamregardingthe outcome of referrals.
• To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.
• Toadviseother members of the service on specialist psychological/psychotherapeutic care of clients.
• To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals involved in the patients’ pathway and care in order tosupport continuity of care.
• To utilise theory, evidence-basedliteratureand research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other team members.
• Tofacilitatemonthly reflective practise sessionsfor wardteams within the unit after attending training inSLaM’smodel of reflective practise (RSR).
• Tofacilitatemonthly case formulation sessions with ward teams to support the Trust’s aim to reduce restrictive practises; to help embed trauma-informed and anti-racist practise across the unit.
KR 3Policy 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 andparticipatinginappropriate 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 4Care or management of resources
• To take care of, and use carefully, the Trust’s 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.
• Tomonitorand 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.
• Tobe responsible forobtaining,storingandmaintainingall materials and equipment for the provision of therapy in work setting within budgetary constraints.
KR 5Management and supervision
• Tobe responsible forthe 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 asappropriate.
• To contribute to the recruitment of more junior psychological practitioners asappropriate.
• To provide supervision for the psychological and/or psychotherapeutic work of other multi-disciplinary staff asappropriate.
KR 6Teaching and Training
• To undertake occasional teaching and training of pre- and post- qualification psychological practitioners, and specialised training to other professions asappropriate.
• To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within theservicebymaintainingan active awareness of current developments in psychological therapy and by implementing knowledge gained in practice.
• Todisseminateresearch and service evaluation findings through presentations and/or published articles.
KR 7Record-keeping and Information Governance
• To ensure that all information generated by own work is recorded as required by Trust policies and local procedures.
• Tomaintainthe highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry.
KR 8Research and development
• Toinitiate/undertake, support and supervise regular complex service evaluation and audits.
• Toinitiateand implement the development of outcome measurement and assessment andassistother staff in the implementation of same.
KR 9Maintaining 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.
• Tomaintainown Continuing Professional Development in line with professional body and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements and professional Standards for Continuing Professional Development.
• Tomaintainan up-to-date knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.
• Tocomply withprofessional body Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics/Standards of Proficiency.
KR10General
• To travel to meetings and training at other Trust Sites whenrequired.
• To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the clientgroup, andfollow 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.
This advert closes on Monday 15 Sep 2025
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 isequitableaccess 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 onemalePICU); 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.
Be To provide a highly specialist psychological interventions for a wide range of acutely unwell inpatients, including specialist assessment, treatment, planning, implementationand 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 asappropriate, functioning as a lead specialist in acute adult mental health
• To promote service evaluation,auditand 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). Toparticipate, as a recipient, in staff support work whenappropriate.
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
Key Responsibilities:
KR 1Clinical 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 intellectualdisabilitiesand co-morbid substance misuse.Short-termDirect and Indirect work, one-to-one and group interventions. Neuropsychological assessment whereappropriate.
• To provide culturallyappropriateand trauma-informed psychological or psychotherapeutic interventions with carers or families of referred clients whenrequired.
• To assess andmonitorrisk and draw upappropriate riskmanagement plans; to support more junior members of staff and colleagues to formulate risk.
• To provide reports, including relevant formulation,opinionand interventions,in order toinform referrers and, whereappropriate, onward services, service users and their families.
• To select and deliver evidence-based specialist therapeutic interventions, drawing from a spectrum of ideas and models,monitoringoutcomeandmodifyingand adapting interventions as necessary, based on thehighly complexfactors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual.
• To promote psychological support for carers (or families asappropriate)of referred clients.
KR 2Contributing 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 the team’s 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; ensure patients are seen quickly once referred and communicate with the referring ward teamregardingthe outcome of referrals.
• To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.
• Toadviseother members of the service on specialist psychological/psychotherapeutic care of clients.
• To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals involved in the patients’ pathway and care in order tosupport continuity of care.
• To utilise theory, evidence-basedliteratureand research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other team members.
• Tofacilitatemonthly reflective practise sessionsfor wardteams within the unit after attending training inSLaM’smodel of reflective practise (RSR).
• Tofacilitatemonthly case formulation sessions with ward teams to support the Trust’s aim to reduce restrictive practises; to help embed trauma-informed and anti-racist practise across the unit.
KR 3Policy 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 andparticipatinginappropriate 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 4Care or management of resources
• To take care of, and use carefully, the Trust’s 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.
• Tomonitorand 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.
• Tobe responsible forobtaining,storingandmaintainingall materials and equipment for the provision of therapy in work setting within budgetary constraints.
KR 5Management and supervision
• Tobe responsible forthe 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 asappropriate.
• To contribute to the recruitment of more junior psychological practitioners asappropriate.
• To provide supervision for the psychological and/or psychotherapeutic work of other multi-disciplinary staff asappropriate.
KR 6Teaching and Training
• To undertake occasional teaching and training of pre- and post- qualification psychological practitioners, and specialised training to other professions asappropriate.
• To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within theservicebymaintainingan active awareness of current developments in psychological therapy and by implementing knowledge gained in practice.
• Todisseminateresearch and service evaluation findings through presentations and/or published articles.
KR 7Record-keeping and Information Governance
• To ensure that all information generated by own work is recorded as required by Trust policies and local procedures.
• Tomaintainthe highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry.
KR 8Research and development
• Toinitiate/undertake, support and supervise regular complex service evaluation and audits.
• Toinitiateand implement the development of outcome measurement and assessment andassistother staff in the implementation of same.
KR 9Maintaining 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.
• Tomaintainown Continuing Professional Development in line with professional body and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements and professional Standards for Continuing Professional Development.
• Tomaintainan up-to-date knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.
• Tocomply withprofessional body Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics/Standards of Proficiency.
KR10General
• To travel to meetings and training at other Trust Sites whenrequired.
• To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the clientgroup, andfollow 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.
This advert closes on Monday 15 Sep 2025