Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist

Site Lewisham MHLD Town London Salary £61,927 - £68,676 per annum Incl. of HCAs Salary period Yearly Closing 20/02/2025 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 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

We are looking for a highly specialist clinical psychologist to work within the Mental Health & Learning Disabilities Service (MHLD). We are a specialist community service for adults with learning disabilities, covering the London boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham, delivering a service to adults who have additional mental health difficulties and/or behaviour that challenges.

We have a full-time post based in central Catford, co-located with the CTLD health team. Those seeking full-time or part-time work are encouraged to apply.

As a Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist in MHLD, you will be a member of a borough team that is managed by a team leader, working jointly with Psychiatry and CPN colleagues. The team works in close partnership with local CTLD health teams as well as social care colleagues, with psychological and behavioural interventions delivered as part of a multidisciplinary care plan. You will be part of a well-established group of 18 Psychologists and Behavioural Support Practitioners, working across the three boroughs, with each borough led by a Consultant Clinical Psychologist.

Main duties of the job

You will be expected to work directly and indirectly with people with learning disabilities, families, carers and networks to provide a range of high-quality, evidence-based, collaborative and person-centred psychological assessments and interventions. We are looking for someone that can bring a dynamic and creative approach to service delivery, aimed at improving the lives of people with learning disabilities who have additional mental health needs and/or behaviours that challenge.

Working for our organisation

Across the three boroughs, we provide a range of psychological assessments and interventions for people with learning disabilities and their networks, with specialist expertise and interests across the service in systemic, narrative, neuropsychology, CAT and positive behavioural approaches. You will be expected to make use of regular CPD sessions within the Trust as well as special interest/supervision groups offered by psychologists within the service aimed at further developing therapeutic skills and knowledge.

We have close links with the Estia Centre and as we are part of a Clinical Academic Group within Kings Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre, research interests and joint initiatives aimed at improving the physical and mental health care for people with learning disabilities are encouraged. There are opportunities to help develop and deliver training and consultation to provider services and our mainstream mental health colleagues as part of your work.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To provide highly specialist psychological interventions to adults with learning disabilities with additional mental health needs and/or behaviour which challenges, including specialist assessment, treatment, training to other staff, planning, implementation and 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 as appropriate, functioning as a lead specialist in MHLD.

To undertake service evaluation, audit and research and policy development.

To work as an autonomous professional within registration body guidelines and codes of conduct and 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 contribute psychological expertise within the wider multi-agency context.

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. To participate, as a recipient, in staff support work when appropriate.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Entry-level qualification in applied psychological therapy/mental health/social welfare profession and demonstrable practice in this field (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level/supervised practice/additional training) that has been accepted for the purposes of professional registration.
• Additional training beyond entry-level qualification in a specialised area of psychological practice (specify options required by the post) through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses and an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice–based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by a registered body and/or an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma or higher.
• Completed training course in clinical supervision and/or accredited to supervised qualified psychological practitioners in relevant discipline.
• Registered with professional body as appropriate to discipline HCPC/APC/BPC/UKCP/BACP/BABCP/ADMP-UK.

Experience

• Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in services for people with learning disabilities.
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with learning disabilities with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature.
• Experience of supervising assistants and trainees having completed the relevant training.
• Experience of providing teaching and training to psychologists or other professional groups.
• 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.

Knowledge

• Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment for people with learning disabilities.
• Advanced knowledge of psychological assessment, therapy and 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.

Skills

• 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 appropriate.

Abilities

• 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.

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 a 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 been 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

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.