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 provide 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 have 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
This is an exciting opportunity for a full-time Clinical/Counselling Psychologist role within the Richmond and Wandsworth Community Drug and Alcohol Service (RWCDAS) homeless pathway. This specialist NHS addictions service is run by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM), as lead provider in partnership with non-statutory organisations: We are With You, St Mungo's, and Community Drug & Alcohol Recovery Services (CDARS). RWCDAS provides trauma-informed community substance use disorders treatment for the residents of Richmond and Wandsworth.
The client group experiences multiple disadvantages and has high levels of complex trauma and interpersonal difficulties coupled with substance misuse issues and risk-taking behaviour. There is growing recognition that trauma-informed care should underpin the treatment of substance use disorders. The postholder will support clients and staff in delivering a Psychologically Informed Environment (PIE) approach tailored to the individual needs of our local and diverse communities. This model of trauma-informed care (TIC) considers how the psychological and emotional needs of the clients are affected by the environments they encounter and how services support them. This post involves specialist assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes, clinical consultation, supervision, and training as appropriate to third sector staff and contributes to service development, audit, and research.
Main Duties of the Job
This role sits within a growing and well-functioning psychology team within the service. There are close ties to the wider SLaM Addictions Clinical Academic Group (CAG) and links with experts in the field at the IOPPN. There is opportunity for CPD, teaching on MSC and DClinPsy courses as well as leadership within the role such as taking up trauma-informed service development initiatives and supervising third sector colleagues. We would be delighted to welcome applications from soon to be or newly qualified counselling/clinical psychologists.
We champion Freedom To Speak Up locally, as well as actively ensuring an inclusive and anti-racist stance within the workplace and the work we do.
Working for Our Organisation
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. There are very few organisations in the world that have such wide-ranging capabilities working with mental illness. Our scope is unique because it is built on three major foundations: care and treatment, science and research, and training.
SLaM employs around 5000 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.
Detailed Job Description and Main Responsibilities
Clinical
• To provide specialist assessment and clinical formulation to clients with mental health needs as well as substance misuse issues (including but not limited to complex trauma, personality disorder, anxiety and depression, OCD, psychosis).
• To select and administer specialist psychological and neuropsychological assessments and clinical psychometrics (including specialised psychometric assessment, cognitive assessments, neuropsychological assessment, self-report measures, as appropriate), structured observations, clinical interviews, and to interpret and integrate this highly complex data.
• To select and deliver evidence-based specialist psychological treatments (1:1 and group interventions), monitoring outcome and modifying and adapting interventions, drawing on a range of theoretical options.
• To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans.
• To contribute to the effective working of the team and to a psychologically informed framework for the service both within the teams and service environments.
• To take a role in supporting the development of patient health and social care pathways to ensure appropriate and timely interventions and access to mainstream services, where appropriate, for an excluded population.
• To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information taking account of sensory and cultural barriers to communication.
• To identify any aspects of the service which could be improved and contribute to the service development through undertaking and participating in appropriate projects.
• To contribute to the development of services through undertaking service evaluation and audit. Carrying out appropriate research to improve the assessment, treatment, and quality of care of patients. To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles.
• To create meaningful professional relationships with our partners that we can enhance joint working and trauma-informed/PIE approaches across systems.
• To work as an autonomous professional within BPS guidelines and the policies and procedures of the service, taking full responsibility for own work including treatment and discharge decisions.
Leadership: Teaching, Training, Consultation and Supervision
• To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior psychologist according to HCPC and Trust guidelines.
• To provide specialist training in psychological and trauma-informed approaches as well as psychosocial interventions to care for other professionals (including training other psychologists, third sector staff, peer support workers, addiction workers).
• To provide clinical supervision for psychological work undertaken by assistant psychologists, placement students and other multi-disciplinary staff as appropriate.
• To manage agreed workload of assistant psychologists, under supervision from a more senior psychologist.
• To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within RWCDAS and South London and Maudsley NHS Trust services.
• To contribute to developments in psychology, mental health and addictions by contributing to teaching and training programmes including doctoral training courses.
• Develop and promote new ways of working across pathway from the emerging evidence base.
Research and Service Evaluation
• To support and participate in the formal evaluation of projects, including gathering and analysing output and outcome data, as required.
• To carry out appropriate research to improve the quality of care and provide research advice to other staff undertaking research within the service.
• To contribute to the development of systematic outcome measurement, assessment, implementation and assisting other staff in the implementation of same.
• To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles.
General Responsibilities
• To ensure own Continuing Professional Development in line with HCPC, BPS and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements.
• To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of key legislation in relation to the client group, current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.
• To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry.
• To comply with the HCPC 'Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics' and ensure professional development in line with the HCPC 'Standards for Continuing Professional Development' and 'Standards of Proficiency'. To adhere to the BPS Psychology's Professional Practice Guidelines and Trust policies and procedures.
• To ensure that all services provided are acceptable and accessible to the diverse communities served by the service.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential Criteria
* 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.
* Registered with professional body as appropriate to discipline HCPC/APC/BPC/UKCP/BACP/BABCP.
Desirable Criteria
* Additional training in relevant specialist psychological models (CBT, MBT, DBT, CAT, Systemic).
Experience
Essential Criteria
* Experience of psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in adult mental health (e.g., addictions, homelessness, complex trauma, mood disorders, personality disorders).
* Experience of engagement of hard-to-reach clients and/or those experiencing homelessness.
* Experience of consulting and joint working with other staff.
* Experience of working with, and addressing, issues of diversity.
Desirable Criteria
* Experience of specialist work with trauma and complex trauma.
* Experience of providing teaching and training to other professional groups.
Knowledge
Essential Criteria
* Doctoral level knowledge of psychological research methodology and complex statistical analysis.
* Awareness of racial diversity issues and factors affecting access to mental health care.
* Specialist and transferable psychological skills and knowledge relevant to work with clients with substance use disorders.
* Ability to work as an autonomous practitioner with appropriate level of clinical and managerial supervision.
* Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning.
Desirable Criteria
* Consultation skills to work with the multi-professional team or other professional groups within own service.
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.
Employer Certification / Accreditation Badges
Applicant Requirements
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. #J-18808-Ljbffr