Clinical/Counselling Psychologist (Learning Disabilities)

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust; London; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a prestigious NHS Foundation Trust in London, providing specialized care to adults with learning disabilities alongside a dedicated team. This role offers opportunities for development with mentoring, training, and a collaborative environment, focusing on improving lives through tailored therapies and service user engagement.

Benefits

Continuous Professional Development sessions

Special interest/supervision groups

Supportive team environment

Qualifications

• Entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology.
• Knowledge of psychopathology and relevant treatments for learning disabilities.
• Skills in neuropsychological testing and psychometric assessments.

Responsibilities

• Direct and indirect work with adults with learning disabilities.
• Conduct a range of psychological assessments and interventions.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams.

Skills

Communication

Clinical Assessment

Therapeutic Skills

Teamwork

IT Skills

Education

Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent

Job description

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond.

We are committed to provide a high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good'.

We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone's potential as change makers.

The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.

Our Values

We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I'm going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you'll be part of something special.

As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.

Job overview

Do you have experience of working with adults with learning disabilities who have additional mental health and/or behaviours that challenge? Would you like to further develop your therapeutic and consultation skills within a community team working with adults with learning disabilities and their networks? If you have an interest in using your skills and abilities to help improve the lives of local people with learning disabilities, we would love to hear from you. We are a supportive and friendly team and would welcome applications from those who are recently or newly qualified

Main duties of the job

You will be expected to work directly and indirectly with adults with learning disabilities, families, and staff teams to provide a range of high quality, collaborative assessments, including neuropsychological assessments, and interventions, and be skilled in psychological formulation. You will be expected to carry out research and audits as part of your work and encouraged to collaborate on service developments and quality improvement initiatives with local stakeholders, particularly service users and carers. We are looking for someone who is keen to work creatively and inclusively to work alongside people with learning disabilities and carers to improve health and wellbeing

Working for our organisation

You would be part of the specialist borough MHLD community team comprising Clinical Psychologists, Behaviour Support Practitioner, Psychiatrists, Community Psychiatric Nurses, Administrators and a Team Leader. We are committed to multiagency working and work closely with health and social care colleagues and other stakeholders as part of LD Partnership.

You will be also part of the wider professional group of 15 Psychologists and Behaviour Support Practitioners working across the 3 boroughs of Lewisham, Southwark and Lambeth, with a Consultant Clinical Psychologist providing leadership within in each borough.

You will be encouraged to make use of regular CPD sessions within the Trust as well as special interest/supervision groups offered by MHLD Psychologists and Behaviour Support Practitioner within the service, aimed at further developing therapeutic skills and knowledge, such as systemic, CAT, neuropsychology and Positive Behaviour Support

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

You will be expected to work collaboratively to offer a range of psychological assessments and interventions for and with people with learning disabilities and their networks. This includes direct work with adults with learning disabilities, individually and in groups, and indirect work with carers, families and paid support staff. You may be expected to take on care coordinator role and facilitate network meetings. You will be required to take on team roles in some areas to support MDT and multi agency working, such as assisting in care pathway development.

We work closely with the IOPPN DClinPsy programme and the Estia Centre, a training, research and development resource for people with support adults with learning disabilities and additional mental health needs. This means there are opportunities to be involved in teaching and training others and supporting the development of others as part of your role and opportunities for working collaboratively on shared research interests

See job description for detailed information about role and responsibilities

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology (Doctorate in Clinical Psychology; MSc and PG Diploma in Counselling Psychology) OR Masters level qualification in Psychotherapy that has been accepted by the APC/BPC/UKCP/BACP/BABCP for purposes of professional registration

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment of adults with learning disabilities who have additional mental health needs, psychological distress or challenging behaviour
• Knowledge of psychological assessment, therapy and its therapeutic application as well as clinical psychometrics
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities
• Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care.
• To deliver psychological/psychotherapeutic therapy across cultural and other differences

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience of receiving clinical supervision across a range of client needs
• Experience of assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature within the specialty of learning disabilities
• 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
• Experience of developing and carrying out audit/research projects
• Significant post-qualification/graduation experience including experience of individual and group therapy with people with complex mental health needs

Desirable criteria

• The Trust encourages and welcomes applications from people with lived experience of mental health challenges. We see this as valuable and recognise the positive impact this experience can have on the work we do

Skills

Essential criteria

• To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences and hostility to or rejection of information
• To plan and schedule assessment and interventions for individual clients and groups and carers (and for meetings such as CPA and case reviews where appropriate
• To be skilled in the administration of psychometric and neuropsychological tests, including those that require complex manipulation of test materials
• To plan allocation of tasks to assistants/trainees as appropriates
• Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data

Abilities

Essential criteria

• Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate
• Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings
• Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions, and to deal with unexpected interruptions or changes during these
• Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour

The Trust is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and that promote equality of opportunity. We are a Disability Confident Employer, we welcome applicants from all sections of the community and people of all protected characteristics. We provide reasonable adjustments for candidates with a disability and are committed to treating people fairly with compassion, respect and dignity and in promoting equality and human rights. We aim to put this commitment into practice by:

• Embedding our commitment to tackling inequality, eliminating discrimination and harassment; promoting equality of opportunity and fostering good relations in our everyday practice
• Ensuring that all our services and all staff understand and support our commitment
• We believe that people who use our services, their carers and our staff, should be treated with compassion, respect and dignity

Please note:

• That all applications for this post will need to be made online
• That you read and understand the Job Description and Personal Specification attached to the role. Your Statement in Support should reflect the requirements specified as your application will be judged against these criteria
• That the closing date listed is a guide only and that the vacancy may close earlier should sufficient number of applicants have been received. We advise that you submit your application as early as possible
• That once you have submitted your application you agree to your application being transferred to a 3rd party e-recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs
• That should you not have heard from us within three weeks from the closing date your application has not successful
• That priority consideration for applications may be given to at-risk NHS employees
• That should you be successful and appointed, you authorise South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust to confirm your previous NHS service via an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process
• That we are a smoke-free Trust

SLaM is a Stonewall Diversity Champion , Stonewall is the largest Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Trans (LGBT) rights charity in Europe'

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

• JD & Person Spec B7 (PDF, 600.5KB)
• JD & Person Spec B7 (PDF, 600.5KB)
• SLaM Staff Benefits (PDF, 1.1MB)
• Happy to Talk Flexible Working (PDF, 680.1KB)