Lead PCN, Highly Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologist
Band 8a
Main area: Primary Care
Grade: Band 8a
Contract: Fixed term: 12 months (Maternity Cover)
Hours: Part time - 26.25 hours per week (0.7 wte)
Job ref: 294-COMM-7083583-JB
Site: Springfield University Hospital
Town: London
Salary: £61,927 - £68,676 pro rata per annum inclusive of inner London HCAS
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 02/04/2025 23:59
Interview date: 10/04/2025
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
We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced and enthusiastic Counselling/Clinical Psychologist to lead our Wandsworth Primary Care Network’s Mental Health Practitioner/Assistant Psychology (PCN MHP/AP) team. This innovative project aims to support GPs work with people presenting with mental health-related difficulties. The successful candidate will provide leadership and clinical supervision to a small team of band 5 MPH/APs who deliver direct clinical work offering brief psychologically informed interventions to support motivation and improve functioning, access the right service and, where possible, work with them to overcome barriers to engagement. The role requires working closely with GPs and other professionals in a dynamic and changing environment. One session of the successful candidate’s time will be spent offering psychological assessment and intervention within either the Wandsworth Talking Therapies service or Wandsworth CMHT, depending on the postholder's preference. The PCN Lead Psychologist will also have strong links with the senior clinical teams within both the Wandsworth Talking Therapies and CMHT services.
Main duties of the job
The role requires a range of leadership, clinical, and liaison skills. The post holder will oversee the running of a small team of band 5 Mental Health Practitioners/Assistant Psychologists, liaise with senior professionals and/or services integrated within the mental health pathway in Wandsworth (including GPs and other clinicians situated within the PCN, Talking Therapies, and secondary mental health services etc.), and at different points, review and develop service guidelines and protocols.
The day-to-day responsibilities will include protected time to provide daily risk supervision, individual clinical and case management supervision across the week, facilitating a weekly team meeting, and the coordination and delivery of training and reflective practice.
The clinical elements of the role (i.e., offering psychological assessment and intervention) are negotiable, depending on the candidate’s preference and professional development goals. A flexible, proactive, and responsive approach, as well as a candidate who feels comfortable working independently, managing their workload, prioritising tasks, and effectively using supervision (and peer support from colleagues in other parts of the Trust) will be valuable to the role.
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.
Come and join our inclusive teams and help our patients on their recovery journey.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The postholder will oversee a team of Band 5 PCN mental health practitioners/ Assistant Psychologists (PCN MHP/AP) who deliver psychologically informed assessment and support within primary care to patients with a range of mental health needs who frequently attend primary care/ GP surgeries and who require support around functioning, symptom management, motivation, and navigating mental health care pathways to enable them to access the right support at the right time. The PCN MHP/APs form part of the ARRS (Additional Role Reimbursement Scheme in Primary Care), employed by South West London and St George’s Mental Health Trust with each team member being based within different PCNs in Wandsworth. The PCN MHP/AP roles were introduced as part of the NHS Long Term Plan to help GPs work with and support people with long-term mental health difficulties who are held in primary care.
The postholder will act as a team lead for the PCN MHP/AP team, providing clinical and case management supervision and training, and work in collaboration with Trust-based operational line managers and PCN leads/ GP surgeries to oversee and coordinate the smooth running of the service. This includes supporting with recruiting and inducting of new MHP/APs, supporting the clinical and professional development of the team, liaising with PCN leads, and contributing to service evaluation and development. They will provide psychological consultation and formulation to the MHP/APs, GP’s, and professionals in the wider system to support collaborative care planning within existing treatment pathways, including both Trust-based mental health services and local drug and alcohol services. There are also opportunities to contribute to the Trust and London-wide strategy development for the integration of primary and secondary care mental health services and community transformation. Up to two days of the postholder’s time will be spent offering psychological assessment and intervention within either Wandsworth Talking Therapies or Wandsworth CMHT, depending on postholder preference. The PCN Lead Psychologist will also have strong links with the senior clinical teams within both the Wandsworth Talking Therapies and CMHT teams.
Person specification
Training & Qualifications
* Doctoral level training in clinical or counselling psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS including models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and (for Clinical Psychologists) neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology; or alternative training outside of the UK that is recognised by the Health & Care Professions Council leading to registration in the UK as a Clinical or Counselling psychologist.
* HPC registration as a practitioner psychologist under the relevant domain.
* Eligible for accreditation as a CBT therapist with BABCP and prepared to seek accreditation. This would include evidence of formal training in CBT such as a Postgraduate Diploma/Masters in CBT.
* BABCP Accreditation as CBT practitioner.
* Training in the supervision of clinical/counselling psychologists and/or other psychological therapists.
Experience
* Experience of assessment and treatment of people with severe and enduring mental health problems, of varying severity and complexity, using evidence-based psychological therapies, particularly CBT.
* Demonstrate further specialist training/experience through having received a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision of working as a specialist clinical or counselling psychologist or CBT therapist over a minimum of 18 months, or an alternative agreed by the Director of Psychology and Psychotherapies.
* Experience in establishing diagnosis/psychological formulation.
* Experience of teaching, training, and/or supervision.
* Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
* Post-qualification experience of working in primary care settings.
* Experience of mental health problems and the capacity to use that experience to the benefit of patient care.
* Experience of working within a multicultural framework.
Knowledge & Skills
* Skilled in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management, frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
* Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to adults with mental health problems.
* Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups working in primary care.
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 a 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: Clara Masuku
Job title: Clinical Manager
Email address: Clara.Masuku@swlstg.nhs.uk
Telephone number: 0203 35131554
Additional information: Dr Lucy Wilson-Shaw, Head of Psychology & Psychotherapies on Lucy-WilsonShaw@swlstg.nhs.uk
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