This consultant post leads family and systemic therapy provision across Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, sitting within its psychological leadership team. It combines a specialist clinical caseload with supervision, consultation and training for qualified and trainee family therapists, plus input to strategic service and workforce development. The post is three days a week (0.6 WTE), with most days on site and travel between Berkshire sites. Fit turns on UKCP psychotherapist registration and an AFT-accredited family therapy qualification.
What the job involves
- Provide clinical leadership, supervision, consultation, training and clinical governance for family and systemic therapy across mental health, learning disability and physical health services for all ages
- Maintain a specialist clinical role, preferably in CAMHS, and work across services where your expertise is required
- Oversee systemic and family therapy provision, ensuring qualified and trainee therapists receive high-quality supervision and clinical support
- Lead and develop services and staff, and implement governance frameworks
- Influence strategic service and workforce development with Consultant Psychologists and Heads of Service
- Support accessible, high-quality psychological care pathways across the Trust
- Collaborate with colleagues, services, professional groups and external agencies to improve psychological care and service delivery
- Provide professional leadership within the psychological leadership team, including change management
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree at 2:2 or above, or equivalent graduate qualification in a relevant mental health or social care discipline
- MSc or equivalent in family and systemic psychotherapy, accredited by AFT
- Postgraduate qualification in systemic supervision, plus post-qualification specialist training to an accreditable level in at least two relevant psychological practice areas
Registration & licences
- UKCP psychotherapist registration within the College of Family, Couple and Systemic Psychotherapy
- UKCP Approved Supervisor registration reflecting AFT supervisory standards
Experience
- Extensive experience as a qualified principal family and systemic psychotherapist at a highly specialist level, including NHS mental health services and work with children and young people
- Substantial evidence-based work with service users, carers and families across the full range of severity and care settings, including highly emotive or threatening situations
- Extensive experience of complex safeguarding, risk management, clinical governance, complaints and investigations
- Leading multidisciplinary or multi-agency teams and services with complex caseloads, with a professional leadership qualification or equivalent substantial experience, and accountability for local and national targets
Skills & knowledge
- Extensive experience of teaching, clinical supervision and developing training and supervisory models
- Consultation, coaching, teaching and group facilitation skills, and managing a demanding caseload while supporting junior colleagues
- Highly effective written and oral communication, including difficult discussions with system partners where responsibility for care is disputed
- Advanced IT skills (such as RiO, Outlook and MS Office) and ability to produce complex multimedia presentations
Other
- Ability to work autonomously, build effective interpersonal networks and lead others through change
- Responds sensitively to people's needs, including all aspects of diversity
- Works flexibly, including on call where relevant, and travels independently between locations
What’s offered
- Flexible working options to support work-life balance
- 27 days' annual leave rising with service, plus opportunity to buy and sell
- Generous NHS pension scheme
- Excellent learning and career development opportunities
- 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
- Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
- Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
- Free parking across Trust sites