Highly Specialist Family and Systemic Psychotherapist

NHS; Greater London; On-site; GBP 64,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent NHS mental health service provider in Greater London is looking for a Highly Specialist Family and Systemic Psychotherapist to join its team. The role involves providing systemic family therapy to individuals over 65, alongside engaging with multi-disciplinary teams. Candidates should have a Masters in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy and be registered with UKCP. Experience in complex psychological needs, alongside cultural competence, is essential. This position offers a competitive salary and the opportunity to develop within the NHS.

Qualifications

• Registered with UKCP as a Systemic Psychotherapist.
• Post-graduate qualification in a relevant mental health/social welfare profession.
• Experience of assessment and treatment of clients with complex psychological needs.

Responsibilities

• Provide highly specialist systemic psychotherapy to older adults and their families.
• Monitor outcomes and adapt interventions to complex historical and developmental factors.
• Contribute to team clinical functioning and promote culturally competent services.

Skills

Family Therapy

Psychological assessments

Risk management

Cultural competence

Education

Masters level qualification in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy

Recognised qualification in a core mental health profession

Training in clinical supervision

Job description

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Highly Specialist Family and Systemic Psychotherapist

The closing date is 11 February 2026

Role Overview

This is an exciting opportunity to join the secondary mental health Psychology & Psychotherapy Service for Older People as a Senior Family Therapist registered with UKCP for 0.6 WTE. The role involves the provision of systemic family therapy to service users over the age of 65 (and their families). Referrals present with various complex and chronic mental health presentations, and sometimes other comorbid physical conditions, as well as social care needs.

The older adult family therapy clinic sits within the wider Psychology and Psychotherapy Service for Older Adults. The clinic offers therapy to couples, families and their support systems across the 4 boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham and Croydon. Referrals are seen in two clinic bases; Lewisham and Croydon.

Staff in the Psychology & Psychotherapy service work alongside the CMHTs for older adults. We are therefore looking for an enthusiastic Senior Family Therapist who is aware of the importance of close working relationship with Multi‑Disciplinary Team colleagues. You must show an understanding of the issues older adults and their families experience, as well as an interest in working with older adults and their networks, although prior experience with this age‑group is not essential.

You will be expected to work autonomously, with service users and their families and to support other professionals by offering supervision, consultation and systemic formulation.

Main duties of the job

• Provide highly specialist systemic psychotherapy to older adults and their families under the care of the Psychology & Psychotherapy Service for Older Adults; including specialist assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes.
• Contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.
• Provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate.
• Promote service evaluation, audit and research.
• Work as an autonomous professional within AFT and UKCP guidelines and codes of conduct, guided by the policies and procedures of the service, taking responsibility for own work including treatment and discharge decisions with support of clinical supervisor.
• Be active in the provision of staff support within the area, including but not limited to Critical Incident Staff Support and Reflect‑Support‑Resolve, and participate as a recipient when appropriate.

About us

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provides the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK as well as substance misuse services for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. We work closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London and are part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. We offer training, research and clinical services across an exceptional breadth of capability.

SLaM employs around 5,000 staff and serves a local population of 1.1 million people. We have more than 230 services, including inpatient wards, outpatient and community services. Currently we provide inpatient care for approximately 5,300 people each year and treat more than 45,000 patients in the community in Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, as well as substance misuse services for residents of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich.

Joining SLaM gives you the chance to develop professionally within an internationally recognised organisation, with access to ongoing learning and the opportunity to work alongside world leaders in mental health care.

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

1. Clinical and Client Care
   
   • Provide specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions for clients (individuals, couples, families and social networks) with complex mental health needs.
   • Deliver culturally appropriate psychological or psychotherapeutic interventions with carers or families when required.
   • Assess and monitor risk and develop appropriate risk management plans.
   • Generate reports and documentation to inform referrers, service users and families.
   • Select and deliver evidence‑based therapeutic interventions, monitor outcomes and adapt interventions to complex historical and developmental factors.
   • Promote psychological support for carers or families as appropriate.
2. Contributing to Team or Service Clinical Functioning
   
   • Contribute to effective working of the Psychology & Psychotherapy Service for Older Adults and to a psychologically informed framework for the service.
   • Assist in the delivery of accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.
   • Proactively challenge discrimination and support culturally competent services.
   • Liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals to develop and review care plans.
   • Collaborate with the service and MDT and other professionals.
3. Policy and Service Development
   
   • Implement policies and procedures in own area and propose improvements or beneficial changes.
   • Contribute to consultation and engagement of service users in planning and delivery of services.
   • Participate in service development projects.
4. Care or Management of Resources
   
   • Take care of and use Trust equipment and physical resources responsibly.
   • Estimate future needs and request or order supplies as required.
   • Ensure cleanliness and safe functioning of equipment used by clients.
   • Monitor and advise clients on safe use of materials and processes.
   • Maintain confidential and safe storage for artefacts produced during therapy in line with professional guidelines.
   • Be responsible for obtaining, storing and maintaining all materials and equipment within budgetary constraints.
5. Management and Supervision
   
   • Allocate and/or supervise the work of a paid assistant if required, under supervision from a more senior therapist.
   • Supervise trainees within own area of specialism after completion of relevant supervision training.
6. Teaching and Training
   
   • Provide occasional specialist training in psychological/psychotherapeutic approaches to other professions as appropriate.
   • Disseminate research or service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles.
7. Record‑Keeping and Information Governance
   
   • Ensure all information generated by own work is recorded as required by Trust policies and local procedures.
   • Maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry.
8. Research and Development
   
   • Undertake complex service evaluation, audits or research relevant to service needs.
9. Maintaining Professional Standards and Continuing Professional Development
   
   • Receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior therapist according to discipline, professional body and Trust guidelines.
   • Maintain own CPD in line with professional body and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements and professional Standards for Continuing Professional Development.
   • Keep knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and relevant legislation and policies up to date.
   • Comply with professional body standards of conduct, performance and ethics/standards of proficiency.
10. General
    
    • Travel to home visits, community placements and meetings as appropriate and across the Trust when required.
    • Be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour among the client group and follow trust policies relating to its management.
    • Work flexibly, which may include offering some regular commitment to late clinics or Saturday working, within the overall Job Plan.
    • Respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations (such as challenging behaviour, abuse etc.) and support others involved in such situations through Trust-wide approaches including Critical Incident Staff Support and Reflect‑Support‑Resolve.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Recognised qualification in one of the core mental health professions (e.g., psychiatric nursing, clinical psychology, medicine, social work or occupational therapy) OR equivalent experience and demonstrable competence in the NHS mental health field.
• Post‑graduate qualification in a relevant mental health/social welfare profession and demonstrable practice in this field.
• Masters level qualification in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy or equivalent, accredited by UKCP.
• Registered with the UKCP as a Systemic Psychotherapist and evidence of continuing professional development as required by UKCP (A/I).
• Completed training in clinical supervision and/or accredited by AFT to supervise qualified Systemic and Family Psychotherapists (A/I).

Experience

• Experience of receiving clinical supervision across a range of client needs.
• Experience of assessment and treatment of clients with complex psychological needs.
• Experience supporting diversity within local communities, gained through work, research, volunteering or lived experience.
• Experience of developing and carrying out audit/research projects.
• Significant post‑qualification experience including individual and group therapy with people with complex mental health needs.
• Experience working with older adults.
• Experience working in secondary health care.

Knowledge

• Theoretical knowledge of mental health presentations and the evidence base for relevant interventions with individuals, families and networks.
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of family and systemic psychotherapy, psychological assessments, formulations and interventions for a range of diagnostic groups and mental health presentations.
• Knowledge of legislation relating to older adult mental health issues, child and adult protection and equalities.
• Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care.
• Ability to deliver psychological/psychotherapeutic therapy across cultural and other differences.

Skills

• Communicate skilfully and sensitively complex information with clients, carers and colleagues, overcoming barriers including sensory, emotional, cultural differences and hostility.
• Plan and schedule assessment and interventions for individual clients, groups and carers.
• Provide teaching and training to other professional groups.
• Consultation skills to work with the multi‑professional team and sensitively manage multiple people's needs within therapeutic work/consultation.
• Specialist practitioner skills in Family Therapy.

Abilities

• Work effectively within a multi‑disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.
• Identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate.
• Develop and use complex multi‑media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings.
• Maintain concentration and remain in restricted positions for long periods during assessments and interventions, dealing with unexpected interruptions or changes.
• Manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma or individuals who engage in self‑harm or aggressive behaviour.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a submission for Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Salary

£64,156 to £71,148 per annum (inclusive of HCAs).