Job summary The post-holder will work collaboratively with senior colleagues to support the quadrant DBT therapy services in their area, as well as working closely with the wider network of therapists both locally and across the trust. The post holder would be provided with supervision and supervise junior colleagues. They will also contribute to strong clinical governance, including outcome measurement. They will also liaise with other relevant services including acute and inpatient teams to optimise the continuity of care for our service users across the different parts of the service.Experience of providing training, supervision or consultation would be an advantage. It would suit someone who loves working as part of a multi-disciplinary therapy team. HPFT recognises the importance of continuing professional development in the provision of high quality services, and will provide appropriate training opportunities. The post will be based in North Hertfordshire, although the ability to work flexibly as the needs of the service demands will be essential. The post holder would expect some travel within their working week. Main duties of the job The PD pathway has been developed to provide dedicated care to clients presenting with personality disorder. The Clinical or Counselling Psychologist / Psychological Therapist will take a central role in providing DBT assessments, formulations and interventions for this group of clients. Of equal importance will be the leadership role provided across one of the SBUs to the rest of the PD Pathway team members. Evaluation and outcome of both the specific psychological interventions and the work of the PD team itself will also be central to the role. The role will provide governance of all psychological and psychologically-informed interventions on the PD pathway with support from the supervising 8C Clinical / Counselling Psychologist. On-going service-development and policy work will also be a part of the role. About us Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission. Our family of over 4,000 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout: Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional. Date posted 12 March 2025 Pay scheme Agenda for change Band Band 8a Salary £53,755 to £60,504 a year pro rata Contract Permanent Working pattern Part-time Reference number 367-ACMS-9230 Job locations Centenary House Grammar School Walk Hitchin SG5 1JN Job description Job responsibilities The post-holder will provide DBT assessments, formulations and interventions to clients presenting on the PD pathway. The post-holder will provide clinical supervision to other PD pathway team members. The post-holder will provide specialist support, guidance and consultation on clients psychological care to other multi-disciplinary professionals. To work strategically across the PD pathway team to upskill the MDTs best practice, provide psychological advice, guidance, support and consultation to other professionals, contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan. To support the practice of positive risk taking within the PD pathway and within the wider Community MDTs. The post holder will develop and maintain an outcome framework in order to monitor and report on clinical and other outcomes to relevant PD stakeholders. The post-holder will take responsibility for Psychological practice within the service. The post-holder will provide psychological input to service-users, their carers and families which integrate both mental and physical health needs in line with an integrative framework. The post-holder will provide specialist Psychological assessment, formulation and intervention for groups and individuals. The post-holder will work closely with psychology, other psychological therapy colleagues and staff from the wider MDT. Liaise with other services such as inpatient and crisis teams, to ensure continuity of care across different parts of the pathway. The post-holder will work autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the teams policies and procedures. The post-holder will utilise research skills for audit, teaching, policy and service development and research within the area served by the team/service. Provide specialist advice to all referrers and associated staff. Work within a wide range of agencies including health, social work, voluntary and independent sector providers. Work using highly developed empathy and sensitivity with clients on the PD pathway. Develop and provide training on varied topics and psychological aspects of the support needs of clients on the PD pathway. Work with Carers in support of clients on the PD pathway. To provide specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to the team based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychometric tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients family members and others involved in the clients care. To formulate and implement plans for the proposed interventions and/or management of a clients psychological and physical and wellbeing, based on an appropriate conceptual framework, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings. Assessment and treatment can be made more complex by having to work through interpreters. To be responsible for embedding self-management best practice into the PD pathway team, implementing DBT interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups. These interventions can be employed individually and in synthesis, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses. To evaluate and make decisions on psychological treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group. To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for assessment, delivery of interventions, evaluation and discharge of clients. To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically-based framework for the understanding and care of clients, across all settings and agencies which provide a service to the client group. Input into existing risk assessment and risk management procedures embedding evidence based psychological best practice for individual clients and to provide general advice to other professionals. Job description Job responsibilities The post-holder will provide DBT assessments, formulations and interventions to clients presenting on the PD pathway. The post-holder will provide clinical supervision to other PD pathway team members. The post-holder will provide specialist support, guidance and consultation on clients psychological care to other multi-disciplinary professionals. To work strategically across the PD pathway team to upskill the MDTs best practice, provide psychological advice, guidance, support and consultation to other professionals, contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan. To support the practice of positive risk taking within the PD pathway and within the wider Community MDTs. The post holder will develop and maintain an outcome framework in order to monitor and report on clinical and other outcomes to relevant PD stakeholders. The post-holder will take responsibility for Psychological practice within the service. The post-holder will provide psychological input to service-users, their carers and families which integrate both mental and physical health needs in line with an integrative framework. The post-holder will provide specialist Psychological assessment, formulation and intervention for groups and individuals. The post-holder will work closely with psychology, other psychological therapy colleagues and staff from the wider MDT. Liaise with other services such as inpatient and crisis teams, to ensure continuity of care across different parts of the pathway. The post-holder will work autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the teams policies and procedures. The post-holder will utilise research skills for audit, teaching, policy and service development and research within the area served by the team/service. Provide specialist advice to all referrers and associated staff. Work within a wide range of agencies including health, social work, voluntary and independent sector providers. Work using highly developed empathy and sensitivity with clients on the PD pathway. Develop and provide training on varied topics and psychological aspects of the support needs of clients on the PD pathway. Work with Carers in support of clients on the PD pathway. To provide specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to the team based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychometric tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients family members and others involved in the clients care. To formulate and implement plans for the proposed interventions and/or management of a clients psychological and physical and wellbeing, based on an appropriate conceptual framework, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings. Assessment and treatment can be made more complex by having to work through interpreters. To be responsible for embedding self-management best practice into the PD pathway team, implementing DBT interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups. These interventions can be employed individually and in synthesis, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses. To evaluate and make decisions on psychological treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group. To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for assessment, delivery of interventions, evaluation and discharge of clients. To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically-based framework for the understanding and care of clients, across all settings and agencies which provide a service to the client group. Input into existing risk assessment and risk management procedures embedding evidence based psychological best practice for individual clients and to provide general advice to other professionals. Person Specification KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE Essential Post-graduate doctorate in clinical psychology or counselling psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, or fully completed training as a Counselling Psychologist. OR Qualification in one of the core mental health professions e.g. psychiatric nursing, social social work or occupational therapy. Completion of DBT Intensive Training and commitment to achieve DBT Accreditation when this becomes available. Experience working as a qualified practitioner with clients with personality disorder presentations in a relevant service. Current full registration with HCPC or NMC Experience of supervising qualified clinical staff from a range of professional backgrounds. Training in positive risk assessment and management. AREAS OF EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE Essential Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in patient settings. Experience of working with a wide variety of clients with personality disorders, including those with physical health conditions and or long term conditions across the whole life span's presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity whilst maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse. Knowledge of whole life span development and the impact on emotional, psychological and mental well-being. Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment, both as a professionally qualified care co-ordinator and also within the context of multi-disciplinary care. Experience of multi-disciplinary team working and inter-agency collaboration. Ability to provide consultation to other professional and non-professional groups. Desirable High level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the fields of Clinical / Counselling Psychology. Person Specification KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE Essential Post-graduate doctorate in clinical psychology or counselling psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, or fully completed training as a Counselling Psychologist. OR Qualification in one of the core mental health professions e.g. psychiatric nursing, social social work or occupational therapy. Completion of DBT Intensive Training and commitment to achieve DBT Accreditation when this becomes available. Experience working as a qualified practitioner with clients with personality disorder presentations in a relevant service. Current full registration with HCPC or NMC Experience of supervising qualified clinical staff from a range of professional backgrounds. Training in positive risk assessment and management. AREAS OF EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE Essential Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in patient settings. Experience of working with a wide variety of clients with personality disorders, including those with physical health conditions and or long term conditions across the whole life span's presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity whilst maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse. Knowledge of whole life span development and the impact on emotional, psychological and mental well-being. Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment, both as a professionally qualified care co-ordinator and also within the context of multi-disciplinary care. Experience of multi-disciplinary team working and inter-agency collaboration. Ability to provide consultation to other professional and non-professional groups. Desirable High level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the fields of Clinical / Counselling Psychology. 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). UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window). 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). UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window). Employer details Employer name Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust Address Centenary House Grammar School Walk Hitchin SG5 1JN Employer's website https://www.hpft.nhs.uk/careers/ (Opens in a new tab)