Job summary The Perinatal Mental Health Service has a growing team of perinatal psychological therapists who are committed to providing evidence-based interventions to women and their families that are accessible and acceptable to the diverse South London population. As part of meeting the ambitions set out in the NHS Long-Term Plan for Mental Health we are developing provision for fathers, partners and significant others. We offer perinatal psychological therapies for parental mental health problems, including CBT, EMDR, IPT, DBT, Systemic Family Therapy and Parent Infant Psychotherapy. There is a focus on coproduction, quality, supervision and ongoing audit and evaluation, keeping the experience of service users at the heart. The successful applicant will join a friendly and supportive psychological therapies service that offers excellent opportunities for continuing professional development. We are committed to get the very best out of our staff and support staff in their career aspirations. Specialist perinatal psychology clinical and professional supervision will be provided from within the service. Main duties of the job We are looking for a Senior Assistant Psychologist to support the development of provision for fathers, partners and significant others as part of the NHS Long Term Plan transformation. In addition, the postholder may contribute to a combination of individual and group psychological therapies in the perinatal period and to assist in clinically related administration, conduct of audits, collection of statistics, development of audit and/or research projects, teaching and project work. The postholder will work closely with perinatal psychologists and psychotherapists across the service and may support the development of more junior assistant psychologists/ honorary assistant psychologists. We would like to hear from those with a range of clinical, audit, service evaluation and research skills. You will ideally have experience of working with women and their families within the perinatal period and / or a keen interest to develop knowledge and skills in this area. Specialist perinatal supervision will be provided and you will join a friendly and supportive team of specialist perinatal psychologists and psychological therapists. We are proud to offer flexible working as part of our new ways of working, and we are happy to talk flexible working at the interview stage. In this role you will be able to work Monday to Friday in the time frames from 09:00 to 17:00, giving you the very best of good work life balance. About us Perinatal Mental Health Teams (PMHTs) are secondary care mental health teams that specialise in supporting people in the perinatal period (pregnancy through until 12 months postnatal) who have severe and complex mental health difficulties. We assess and treat a range of difficulties including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychosis, personality disorders and eating disorders. The service is designed to provide timely input to parents and their families to mitigate the impact of mental health disorder on the child. We are a multi-disciplinary team including psychiatry, psychology, nursing, occupational therapy, and nursery nursing. The service works closely with maternity/obstetric services as well as other agencies (e.g., health visiting and social services). We have close links with the Mother-Baby Unit (MBU) in-patient unit at the Bethlem Royal Hospital. Maudsley Hospital Our Trust headquarters is located at Denmark Hill less than 5 minutes from the train station (zone 2) and is within walking distance from the beautiful green spaces of Ruskin park and the vibrant high-street that offers great shopping opportunities and with a wide range restaurants. Bethlem Royal Hospital Bethlem Royal Hospital is based in a beautiful setting in over 200 acres of green space in the London Borough of Bromley, South East London. The hospital has easy access to nearby main roads, offers free parking and is within walking distance from of Eden Park and West Wickham overland stations. Date posted 24 March 2025 Pay scheme Agenda for change Band Band 5 Salary £29,970 to £36,483 a year per annum plus Inner or Outer HCAs Contract Fixed term Duration 12 months Working pattern Full-time Reference number 334-CLI-7016514 Job locations Wooden Spoon House TBC and across Trust sites 5 Dugard Way London SE11 4TH Job description Job responsibilities Please see the full job description for further information. This post is open to applicants with a first-class or upper-second-class Bachelors degree with Honours in Psychology that is accredited by the British Psychological Society and confers the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society. Experience of or interest in perinatal mental health is desirable, particularly the needs of fathers, partners and significant others. Job description Job responsibilities Please see the full job description for further information. This post is open to applicants with a first-class or upper-second-class Bachelors degree with Honours in Psychology that is accredited by the British Psychological Society and confers the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society. Experience of or interest in perinatal mental health is desirable, particularly the needs of fathers, partners and significant others. Person Specification Qualifications Essential oA First-class or Upper-second-class Bachelors degree with Honours in Psychology that is accredited by the British Psychological Society and confers the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society. Knowledge Essential Graduate level knowledge of psychological research methodology and statistical analysis. Good theoretical knowledge of the problems experienced by and needs of women and birthing people in the perinatal period and of methods of assessment and treatment. Awareness of racial and diversity issues through attendance of relevant training Desirable Interest in and/or knowledge of the perinatal period, perinatal mental health and parent infant relationships. Interest in and/or knowledge of support needs of Dads, Partners and Significant others within the Perinatal period. Experience Essential Sufficient post-graduate experience of psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs in perinatal mental health to be able to work clinically without direct supervision. Post-graduate experience of conducting research projects or audits. Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and / or lived experience. Desirable Lived experience of mental health challenges. Experience of working in perinatal mental health or a related service setting such as maternity. Skills Essential Skills in relevant psychological assessment and interventions Well-developed verbal and written communication skills Consultation skills to work with the multi-professional team or other professional groups Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups. Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data. Abilities Essential Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team Ability to identify and follow relevant clinical governance procedures Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods Ability 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 Person Specification Qualifications Essential oA First-class or Upper-second-class Bachelors degree with Honours in Psychology that is accredited by the British Psychological Society and confers the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society. Knowledge Essential Graduate level knowledge of psychological research methodology and statistical analysis. Good theoretical knowledge of the problems experienced by and needs of women and birthing people in the perinatal period and of methods of assessment and treatment. Awareness of racial and diversity issues through attendance of relevant training Desirable Interest in and/or knowledge of the perinatal period, perinatal mental health and parent infant relationships. Interest in and/or knowledge of support needs of Dads, Partners and Significant others within the Perinatal period. Experience Essential Sufficient post-graduate experience of psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs in perinatal mental health to be able to work clinically without direct supervision. Post-graduate experience of conducting research projects or audits. Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and / or lived experience. Desirable Lived experience of mental health challenges. Experience of working in perinatal mental health or a related service setting such as maternity. Skills Essential Skills in relevant psychological assessment and interventions Well-developed verbal and written communication skills Consultation skills to work with the multi-professional team or other professional groups Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups. Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data. Abilities Essential Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team Ability to identify and follow relevant clinical governance procedures Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods Ability 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 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 (Opens in a new tab). 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 Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab). Additional information 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 (Opens in a new tab). 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 Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab). Employer details Employer name South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust Address Wooden Spoon House TBC and across Trust sites 5 Dugard Way London SE11 4TH Employer's website https://www.slam.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)