Highly Specialist Psychologist/Psychological Therapist

Maudsley Learning; London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

An established mental health trust seeks a Highly Specialist Psychologist to join a dynamic team dedicated to supporting neurodiverse children. This role involves providing high-quality clinical services, conducting assessments, and offering therapeutic interventions tailored to complex mental health needs. The successful candidate will collaborate within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to innovative service development and improving outcomes for vulnerable children. Join a forward-thinking organization committed to diversity and excellence in mental health care, where your expertise will make a significant impact on young lives.

Qualifications

• Doctorate in Clinical/Counselling Psychology required.
• Experience in CAMHS and providing complex interventions essential.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist clinical skills focusing on neurodiverse young people.
• Conduct assessments, care coordination, and therapeutic interventions.

Skills

Effective communication with children and families

Working in a multi-disciplinary team (MDT)

Working with distressed service users

Education

Doctorate in Clinical/Counselling Psychology

Registration with professional body (HCPC)

Qualification in supervision

Tools

ADOS

Cognitive testing tools

Job description

Highly Specialist Psychologist/Psychological Therapist

NHS AfC: Band 8a

Main area: Applied Psychology
Grade: NHS AfC: Band 8a
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref: 334-CLI-6912156

Site: Lewisham Park
Town: Lewisham
Salary per annum: Incl. of HCAs
Closing: 14/02/2025 23:59

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 providing high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for the care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission 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 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

The Adolescent Treatment Team (ATT) is a well-established arm of Lewisham CAMHS offering stabilisation, formulation, treatment and discharge to the most complex, high risk and vulnerable children in the area. The team is multi-disciplinary, dynamic, resourceful, caring and supportive, holding a small number of children with a variety of mental health presentations including psychosis and emotional instability. The team works together to meet the needs of these children and to promote their best opportunity for recovery.

ATT is seeking to recruit an experienced clinician to a new role within the team reflecting the changing needs of our population. ATT wishes to employ a qualified clinician with experience of working within a CAMHS service with children with possible or diagnosed neurodiversity. We have seen an increase in these vulnerable children over the past few years, approximately 60% of our caseload either have a diagnosis or suspected diagnosis of autism or learning need. The new post holder will provide ongoing CAMHS support and also help the team think about the development of appropriate service provision.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will provide specialist clinical skills to the team focusing mainly on the needs of the neurodiverse young people in Lewisham. Many of these children have comorbidities such as psychosis, bipolar, trauma, severe emotional instability and complex learning issues. The team is part of the Early Interventions in Psychosis service (EIS) and many of our young people need support in this area. We require a clinician who can provide direct input to these children and offer consultation to the team regarding risk, formulation and treatment.

The clinician will be involved in referral discussions, initial assessments, care coordination of a small number of cases, therapeutic interventions using evidence-based practice, joint working and specialist assessments such as ADOS and cognitive assessments. There will be space for service development and potentially research, for example, we have seen a growing presentation in neurodiversity and At-Risk Mental State. Consultation and supervision will also be part of the role. As an 8a, the role would involve some senior management duties and liaison with the management team.

Working for our organisation

SLAM is the largest mental health trust in the UK and offers a wide range of National Specialists and local provisions in South London. Working for Lewisham CAMHS gives access to many of the dynamic and innovative opportunities linked to the Trust.

Lewisham is an inner-city borough in South London serving a population of almost 300,000 people, 23% falling in the 0-19 age group. Lewisham is highly diverse and proudly represents many different cultures, needs and backgrounds.

Lewisham CAMHS has several teams providing services to specific needs; the ATT team has been established over 20 years serving the most complex and high-risk children in Lewisham. There is close liaison with other CAMHS teams and the wider specialist services. Working within ATT can be challenging and demanding but there are resources in place such as supervision, case discussion, the MDT, joint work, training, clear referral criteria, systems management and workable caseloads to support functioning. There is a strong team identity and ethos; we strive to do our best for our young people.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The successful candidate would offer high quality clinical psychological services to the team including care coordination, assessments, formulation, evidence-based therapeutic interventions and case monitoring/management with an emphasis on children with a neurodiverse profile. The candidate will be a resource for the team when considering the needs of children with a variety of mental health presentations; there could be some crossover with the EIS team. There will be the opportunity to supervise and train others and develop skills based on the appraisal. Full details are available in the Job Description and Personal Specification.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Doctorate Clinical/Counselling Psychology
• Registration with professional body (HCPC)
• Qualification in supervision

Experience

• Experience of working in a CAMHS setting providing complex interventions
• Experience of administering clinical assessments such as ADOS/ADI/Cognitive testing
• Experience of managing risk associated with mental health conditions
• Experience of providing clinical supervision

Knowledge

• Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment
• Knowledge of racial and other diversity issues and factors affecting access to mental health care
• Knowledge of safeguarding issues in relation to mental health
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological assessments and interventions for children and families living with neurodiversity
• Research methods in mental health

Skills

• Ability to communicate effectively with children and families facing complex mental health issues

Abilities

• Ability to work in a MDT
• Ability to work with distressed service users

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:

• All applications for this post will need to be made online
• 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
• 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
• 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
• Should you not have heard from us within three weeks from the closing date, your application has not been successful
• Priority consideration for applications may be given to at-risk NHS employees
• 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
• 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

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.