Job summary
This is an exciting and unique opportunity to join the newly developed Forensic Intellectual and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (FIND) Community Team in South London and Maudsley (SLaM).
The FIND Team will provide safe transition for inpatients discharged from the inpatient Forensic Services to the community providing specialist assessment, treatment and consultation to the Forensic Service in order to ensure a smooth, safe and clinically justified pathway to individuals with mental illness, offending history and learning disability with or without neurodevelopmental disorder.
The three forensic services of SLaM, South West London and St Georges( SWLSTG), and Oxleas together comprise the South London Mental Health and Community Partnership (SLP). The SLP's overarching goals centre on bringing care closer to home, improving patient pathways and outcomes by delivering excellent care in better environments. The SLP has a track record of delivering highly effective, clinically informed service developments in order to better meet the needs of service-users. The FIND provision is one such development and the SLaM FIND Team will therefore work closely with the FIND Teams in each of the other Trusts in order to expedite service-user's transition through inpatient settings to community provision.
Main duties of the job
To develop, co-ordinate and ensure the systematic provision of a psychological therapy service to the FIND team and personally provide highly specialist clinical input through carrying a small caseload managed in partnership with the Multi-Disciplinary team (MDT).
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 the FIND team
To ensure that systems are in place and working effectively for the clinical and professional supervision and support of other psychological practitioners in the FIND team.
To promote service evaluation, audit, 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 support the coordination of staff support within their area, working closely with Corporate Psychology and Psychotherapy to support colleagues and ensure all staff in SLaM have access to evidence based support. To participate, as a recipient, in staff support work when appropriate.
About us
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.
We are committed to provide a high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our 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.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To develop, co-ordinate and ensure the systematic provision of a highly specialist psychological service to the FIND team.
To provide highly specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions for clients in the FIND service according to discipline including assessing/working with psychosis, learning disabilities, neurodevelopmental conditions, personality disorders, offending behaviour, etc., at levels expected of a psychological practitioner who has achieved the equivalent of a PG Diploma-worth of post-qualification specialist development.
To provide culturally appropriate psychological interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.
To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans.
To provide culturally appropriate psychological or psychotherapeutic interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.
To provide reports, including relevant formulation, opinion and interventions, in order to inform referrers and, where appropriate, service users and their families.
To select and deliver evidence-based specialist therapeutic interventions, drawing from a spectrum of ideas and models, monitoring outcome and modifying and adapting interventions as necessary, based on the highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, couple, family or group.
To promote psychological support for carers (or families as appropriate) of referred clients.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
1. oTo have undertaken a recognised qualification in one of the core mental health professions, psychiatric nursing, clinical psychology, medicine, social work and occupational therapy OR to have equivalent relevant experience and demonstrable competence to work in the mental health field in the NHS.
2. oEntry-level qualification in applied psychological therapy/mental health/social welfare profession or equivalent 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. (A/I) (for a job requiring specific professional qualification(s), change this point to specify the required qualification(s)). For Psychologists:. Entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level additional training) that has been accepted by the HCPC for purposes of professional registration. (A/I) (for a job requiring specific professional qualification(s), change this point to specify the required qualification(s): Clinical psychologist: Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent; Counselling psychologist: MSc and PG Diploma in Counselling Psychology; Forensic psychologist: MSc in Forensic Psychology plus completion of the British Psychological Society's Qualification in Forensic Psychology Stage 2) For Family / Systemic Psychotherapists: Post-graduate qualification in relevant mental health/social welfare profession and demonstrable practice in this field (A/I) PLUS Masters level qualification in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy or equivalent qualification, accredited by UKCP
3. oFor Psychotherapists: Entry-level qualification in Psychotherapy that has been accepted by the UKCP/BABCP (specify which, according to nature of post) for purposes of professional registration. (A/I) (for a job requiring specific professional qualification(s), change this point to specifythe required qualification(s). For Arts Therapists: Masters Degree (or equivalent) in Arts Therapy or Dance Movement Therapy. (or specify Art Therapy, Music Therapy, Dramatherapy or Dance Movement Therapy) ? 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.
4. oRegistered with professional body as appropriate to discipline HCPC/UKCP/BABCP/
Desirable
5. oTraining in specialist assessment tools and measures (such as ADOS-2, ADI-R, Vinelands 3) appropriate to the client group.
6. oTraining in specialist interventions such as PBS Planning, NVR, and other interventions appropriate to the client group.
Experience
Essential
7. oEvidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in neurodevelopmental and / or forensic services.
8. oExperience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in neurodevelopmental and / or forensic services.
9. oExperience of supervising assistants and trainees having completed the relevant training
10. oPost-qualification experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities
11. oExperience of proposing and implementing service development projects within own service area. (
Knowledge
Essential
12. oTheoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment clients with neurodiverse and offending behaviour needs.
13. oAdvanced knowledge of the theory of psychological therapy and it's therapeutic application.
14. oAssociated awareness of assessment and clinical psychometrics.
15. oKnowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities.
16. oKnowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care
Skills
Essential
17. oTo 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.
18. oTo plan and schedule assessment and interventions for individual clients and groups and carers (and for meetings such as CPA and case reviews where appropriate).
19. oTo plan allocation of tasks to assistants/trainees as appropriates.
20. oSkills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups
21. oConsultation skills to work with the multi-professional team or other professional groups and sensitively managing, a number of people's needs simultaneously within the context of therapeutic work/consultation.
abilities
Essential
22. oAbility to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.
23. oAbility to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate.
24. oAbility to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings
25. oAbility 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.
26. oAbility to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour