Specialist Clinical Psychologist (Tier 3/ ND Screening)
Band 7
Main area Merton CAMHS Assessment Service Grade Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 294-CAMHS-6844382-PB-A
Site Birches House Town Mitcham Salary £51,883 - £58,544 per annum inclusive of Outer London HCAs Salary period Yearly Closing 12/01/2025 23:59
South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We provide a full range of local mental health services to the Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton and Wandsworth London boroughs, as well as specialist forensic mental health services, including specialised services such as national deaf adults and CAMHS inpatients and OCD.
We are committed to providing high quality integrated health and social care for local people with mental health problems in South West London and more specialist mental health services for people throughout the UK. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’ however we aim to be ‘outstanding’.
Our Values
We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values; being consistent, compassionate, collaborative, respectful and open is at the heart of everything we do. Our mission is "making life better together".
When you join us, you’ll be part of something special – an innovative and rapidly growing organisation that is helping to redefine the Mental Health, education and social care landscape in the UK.
As a Trust, we are happy to talk flexible working.
Job overview
The Merton Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS) service provides out-patient assessment, intervention and consultation services to children experiencing a range of mental health and neurodevelopmental difficulties.
Merton CAMHS Tier 3 ‘Getting More Help’ Team specialise in the provision of evidence-based treatments for children and young people presenting to the service with moderate to severe mental health and neurodevelopmental difficulties and assessment of risk. The team benefits from having a range of different clinicians from different disciplines and quality supervision is provided. The team is especially warm and friendly and works within an inviting Listed building.
Merton CAMHS Single Point of Access (SPA) provides triage and assessments for children, adolescents and their families experiencing a range of mental health, neurodevelopmental and emotional health difficulties. The SPA manages the screening for all neurodevelopmental referrals, with close links to the Trust’s CAMHS Neurodevelopmental Team (NDT) who provide specialist ADHD and ASD diagnostic assessments, across five London Boroughs.
Merton CAMHS SPA is a friendly team, with the screening and assessment processes led by experienced and qualified clinicians with support from assistant psychologists and administrators. The whole team values having supportive relationships with each other.
Main duties of the job
This is an exciting role for a clinical/counselling psychologist, with previous CAMHS experience, excellent communication and assessment skills and a particular interest in Neurodevelopmental disorders. The role involves working 3 days in the Tier 3 treatment team, providing direct and indirect evidence-based interventions to young people and families, including working closely with other agencies. The other 2 days are based in our Merton Single Point of Access (SPA), triaging and assessing new referrals and working closely with colleagues in the Neurodevelopmental team.
The successful candidate will be able to contribute to the overall mental health assessment service but will develop leadership specifically on the neurodevelopmental screening pathway. Successful candidates will also be supported in developing specialist neurodevelopmental competencies as part of the role and ADOS training is included.
This role is open to qualified psychologists with the following:
* HPCP registration.
* Experience of working with children and young people.
* Experience of work within a multi-disciplinary team.
* The ability to relate and provide accessible services to a diverse community.
* The ability to efficiently manage a caseload.
* Knowledge and skills in risk management and safeguarding.
* Ideally a special interest in child neurodevelopment and neurodiversity.
* The ability to adapt to the fast-paced nature of CAMHS SPA work, with good IT and computer recording skills.
Working for our organisation
We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust.
We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’ - we aspire to be ‘outstanding’.
This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services.
We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti-racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.
We offer flexible working, career development and a variety of benefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.
Based at Birches House overlooking the cricket green in Mitcham. The Merton CAMHS team base is convenient for local amenities and transport links.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Clinical
* To provide specialist assessments of children/ young people and their parents/carers referred to the service based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and where appropriate, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews in line with CYP IAPT methodology.
* To formulate and implement plans for evidence-based interventions, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, to improve the parent/child relationship.
* To be responsible for implementing a range of psychotherapeutic interventions employed individually and in synthesis, maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses, adjusting and refining formulations or understandings, drawing upon different explanatory models and employing methods of intervention that are based upon evidence of efficacy.
* To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual and the family.
* To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans.
* To provide specialist mental health advice guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to the care of the young child and their parents/carers.
* To contribute to and/or use evidence-based, integrated working tools and processes, to ensure young children and their parents/carers receive holistic and co-ordinated services in response to their mental health needs.
* To undertake risk assessment and risk management for young children and their parents/carers.
* To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of young children and their parents/carers who are under their care.
* To monitor progress during the course of interventions, ensuring that all interventions are fully assessed, planned, implemented and evaluated in conjunction with CYP IAPT minimum dataset standards.
* To maintain accurate and accessible health care records according to Trust policy and Information Governance requirements.
* To demonstrate high level communication skills, both written and verbal, within all agencies.
Teaching, Training, and Supervision
* To receive regular clinical professional supervision from a senior psychologist and, where appropriate, other senior colleagues.
* To gain additional experience and skills relevant to the profession and/or the service (as agreed with the responsible professional and team manager) in accordance with the CAMHS Directorate’s common expectations for P&P staff.
* To develop skills in the area of professional post-graduate teaching, training and supervision and to provide supervision to other MDT staff’s psychological work as appropriate.
* If required, to provide advice, consultation and training to staff working with the client group across a range of agencies and settings.
Management, Recruitment, Policy and Service Development
* To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the service’s operational policies and services (as directed), through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit.
* To contribute to a culture that is therapeutic, productive, accessible, inclusive and flexible to meet the needs of the local population.
Research and Service Evaluation
* To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other team members.
* To undertake appropriate research and provide research advice to other staff undertaking research.
Other
* To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the post holder’s professional and service manager(s).
* To contribute to and commit to undertaking an annual professional development review (PADR).
* To undertake personal and professional development as identified in the Personal development Plan (PDP) as required by the service and set out in the job plan.
* To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry and recording, report writing and the responsible exercise of professional self-governance in accordance with professional codes of practice and Trust policies and procedures.
* To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific client group and mental health. For this post these specifically include:
* The Children’s Act (1989)
* Trust, London Borough and pan–London child protection procedures.
* Local and national developments in SWLStG CAMHS.
* Risk Assessment and Management.
* Clinical Governance.
* Local and national developments in line with “Every Child Matters.”
* Joint working practices between voluntary and statutory sector.
Training and Development
* To undertake mandatory and statutory training, supervision and annual appraisal as required by Trust policy.
* To contribute and commit to undertaking an annual Development Review/appraisal.
* To undertake personal development as identified in the Personal Development Plan (PDP).
Person specification
Training & Qualifications
* Qualified Clinical or Counselling Psychologist registered with the HCPC as an applied psychologist.
* Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical or counselling psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS and HCPC, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
* Training as part of a CYP IAPT collaborative in a recognised evidenced based approach.
* Other relevant training related to neurodevelopment or child development.
Experience
* Demonstrable experience of working with children and young people in a variety of mental health settings.
* Experience of multi-disciplinary team working.
* Experience of inter-agency working.
* Experience of safeguarding and Child Protection.
* Experience of leading case reviews.
* Experience of working in the NHS.
* Experience of teaching and liaising with other professional groups.
* Experience of working with neurodevelopmental disorders.
At South West London St Georges Mental Health Trust we are committed to providing services which embrace diversity and that promote equality of opportunity. We are a Disability Committed Employer, and welcome applications from all sections of the community and people of all protected characteristics. We are Members of Stonewall Diversity Champions and Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion.
As part of the Trust's commitment to Equalities and Diversity, the Trust supports the establishment of Staff Networks groups to promote diversity in the workplace:
* BME (Evolve) Staff Network.
* DiverseAbility.
* Mental Health Staff Forum.
* Women's Staff Network.
* LGBTQIA+.
We are committed to supporting the Armed Forces Community and have signed the Armed Forces Covenant.
We provide reasonable adjustments to the interview process for any candidates with a disability.
Please note:
* That the closing date listed is a guide only and that the vacancy may close earlier should sufficient number of applicants have been received.
* That once you have submitted your application you agree to your application being transferred to a 3rd party e-recruitment system.
* 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 West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust to confirm your previous NHS service via an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process.
* That your employment is offered subject to successful completion of a Probationary Period depending on your Band (except medical roles).
* That we are a smoke-free Trust.
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.
Name Henrietta Dewsnap Job title Service Manager Merton CAMHS Email address Henrietta.Dewsnap@swlstg.nhs.uk Telephone number 0203 513 6062 Additional information
Pat Thornton, Clinical Psychologist / Clinical lead for Merton CAMHS Tier 3: or 020 3513 8061
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