Highly Specialist Clinical/ Counselling Psychologist / Psychotherapist

NHS; London; On-site; GBP 61,000 - 69,000; Full time

Job description

Job summary

The SLaM Psychology in Hostels (PIH) Service is an innovative, multi award-winning specialist homeless psychology service. PIH has led in the development of 'Psychologically Informed Environments' (PIEs) delivering 'Trauma Informed Approaches' and developing best practice for working with socially excluded populations across Lambeth and Westminster in partnership with the third sector.

The client group experience multiple disadvantage and have high levels of complex trauma and interpersonal difficulties coupled with substance use and neuropsychological issues, physical health needs, anti-social behaviour and risk-taking behaviours. This complex combination of needs leads to multiple social exclusion and barriers accessing mainstream services. This exciting role will have the opportunity to work in partnership with accommodation and substance use teams to address unmet needs through innovative 'PIE' services. A PIE is any service that integrates psychologically and trauma-informed approaches into its model (including staff training and support, and direct psychological assessment and treatment). PIH PIE model adopts Community Psychology and Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) approaches as well as other evidence-based approaches for working with this client group (including DBT, Psychodynamic, Systemic). Here we aim to facilitate recovery by improving mental health wellbeing, reducing substance use, increasing engagement, reducing repeated evictions and other negative outcomes for clients.

Main duties of the job

This role is grant funded and will be based across hostel services in the Westminster Vulnerable Adults Accommodation Pathway run by our third sector homelessness partners.

The postholders will:

• Work closely with hostel, outreach staff, tenancy sustainment and supported living teams, other psychologists and the wider MDT project team to develop a psychological and trauma-informed approach to understanding and managing clients' difficulties.
• Supervise and line manage other qualified and unqualified junior psychologists.
• Support, train and consult to the third sector partners, project MDT including peer advocates and wider network of services.
• Offer individual and group clinical work to clients.
• Offer peripatetic and transition services determined by capacity and demand.
• Support the assessment and onwards referral of clients into mainstream services.
• Develop and promote new ways of working across pathways from the emerging evidence-base.

This Westminster role will sit within a wider Psychology in Hostels team based across Westminster and Lambeth, which includes: Consultant Clinical Lead, a Principal grade psychologist, five Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologists, eight Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologists, a Nurse Psychotherapist, an Art Therapist and several Trainee Clinical Psychologists. The Service is also supported by SLaM operational and management structures.

About us

About the location:

This post will be based across third sector run accommodation sites (hostels and shared housing) within the London Borough of Westminster and has a team admin base at 308 Brixton Road.

Our Trust headquarters is located at Denmark Hill less than 5 minutes from the train station (zone 2). We also provide services and operate across other locations, such as London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark; and substance misuse services for residents of Bexley, Lambeth, Greenwich and Wandsworth.

Benefits:

We are committed to ensuring our staff get the most out of their benefits package, feel valued and understand the importance of a healthy work life balance.

Some of our benefits include:

• Generous pay, pensions and leave packages dependent on the role and length of service.
• Work life balance, flexible working and supporting a range of flexible options, such as: part-time working and job sharing.
• Career development with plenty of CPD opportunities such as mentoring, coaching, collective leadership and other talent programmes.
• Accommodation, our staff benefit from keyworker housing at selected sites.
• NHS discounts via the Health Service Discounts website.

Other benefits include:

• Counselling services.
• Wellbeing events.
• Long service awards.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Season ticket loan.
• Childcare vouchers.
• Staff restaurants.

Date posted: 10 April 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 8a

Salary: £61,927 to £68,676 a year per annum inclusive of Inner HCAS

Contract: Fixed term

Duration: 11 months

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: 334-CLI-7077242

Job locations: 308 Brixton Rd, London, SW9 6AA

Job description Job responsibilities

To provide a specialist psychology service to adult clients resident in homeless hostels including specialist assessment, neuropsychological assessment, psychological therapy, trauma specific interventions, neurorehabilitation, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes.

Key Responsibilities:

Clinical

• To provide a high level of clinical expertise in supporting the psychological needs of clients.
• To ensure services are fair and equitable and meet the needs of the diverse populations we support.
• To support the development of care pathways for an excluded population.

Teaching, training, and supervision

• To provide specialist training in psychological and trauma-informed approaches to care for other professionals.
• To provide clinical supervision for psychological work undertaken by qualified psychologists and others.

Management, recruitment, policy and service development

• To hold an operational leadership role within PIH.

Research and service evaluation

• To contribute to the development of services through undertaking service evaluation and audit.

General Responsibilities

• To ensure own Continuing Professional Development.
• To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of key legislation.

A full Job Description and Person Specification is attached to the advert.

Person Specification

Qualifications Essential

• Entry-level qualification in applied psychological therapy/mental health/social welfare profession and extensive demonstrable practice in this field (e.g. professional Doctorate in Clinical or Counselling Psychology or other relevant professional doctorate or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level/ supervised practice/ additional training) that has been accepted for the purposes of professional registration.
• Registered with professional body as appropriate to discipline HCPC/APC/BPC/UKCP/BACP/BABCP/ADMP-UK.
• Additional training beyond entry-level qualification in a specialised area of psychological practice through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent) OR a combination of specialist short courses and/or 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.

Desirable

• Additional training in relevant specialist psychological models (Psychodynamic, MBT, DBT, CAT, Systemic, Narrative).

Experience Essential

• Experience of post qualification highly specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in relevant speciality and/or client group e.g. Addictions/homelessness/complex trauma/psychosis/personality disorder/mood disorder.
• Experience of consulting to, and supervising with other staff (incl. psychologists, MDT professionals and third/housing sector workers).
• Experience of specialist work with trauma and complex trauma.

Desirable

• Experience of working with homeless people.
• Experience of working with Psychosis or people experiencing unusual experiences.
• Experience of work with substance misuse.

Skills & Abilities Essential

• Specialist practitioner skills at level 3 in at least one or more models of relevant psychological therapy (MBT, CBT/DBT, psychodynamic).
• Highly developed verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex, highly technical and sensitive information.
• Skills in operational and project development and leadership.

Knowledge Essential

• Doctoral level knowledge of psychological research methodology and complex statistical analysis.
• Evidence of post-qualification continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS and/or HPCP.

Desirable

• Specialist knowledge relevant to work in outreach, supported housing and homelessness.
• Knowledge of 'Psychologically Informed Environments' and 'Trauma informed Care'.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer details

Employer name: South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Address: 308 Brixton Rd, London, SW9 6AA

Employer's website: https://www.slam.nhs.uk/