A Vacancy at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
As local Lead for Psychology & Psychotherapy you will provide professional leadership to the psychology and psychotherapy staff working across Lewisham CAMHS. This will also involve leading, managing and planning the delivery of a highly specialist psychology and psychotherapy service to Lewisham CAMHS and personally providing expert clinical input. You will also ensure the carrying out of research, service evaluation and audits relevant to Lewisham CAMHS and the Directorate research agenda
The successful candidate will have an entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level additional training) that has been accepted for purposes of professional registration. They will be asked to apply for an Enhanced Disclosure. Further information about the Disclosure scheme can be found at
Job Purpose:
· To develop strategy for and lead, manage and plan the delivery of a highly specialist psychological therapy service within Lewisham CAMHS and personally provide expert clinical input.
· To be responsible to theProfessional Head of Psychology and Psychotherapyfor the monitoring and implementation of professional standards in the practice of psychological therapy and for the systematic and effective provision of professional supervision.
· To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.
· To ensure the conduct of research, service evaluation and audits relevant to the service and the research agenda
· To be develop standards for and take a lead in ensuring the good clinical governance, quality and appropriateness of the work of psychological practitioners in the service.
· To work as an autonomous professional within registration body guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by principles and policies or procedures, and interpret these and be responsible for their implementation within the service areas of responsibility.
· To take a lead on 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 the team:
We are looking to recruit a Consultant Psychological Therapist & Lead for Psychology and Psychotherapy for Lewisham CAMHS.
Lewisham CAMHS provides a multidisciplinary diagnostic assessment, treatment, advisory and consultative service for children and adolescents. The service is committed to evidence-based practice and hold regular clinical governance meetings. Team members use a variety of assessment and intervention models including CBT, Systemic family therapy and psychodynamic approaches.
About the role:
As local Lead for Psychology & Psychotherapy you will provide professional leadership to the psychology and psychotherapy staff working across Lewisham CAMHS. This will also involve leading, managing and planning the delivery of a highly specialist psychology and psychotherapy service to Lewisham CAMHS and personally providing expert clinical input. You will also ensure the carrying out of research, service evaluation and audits relevant to Lewisham CAMHS and the CAG research agenda.
The successful candidate will have an entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level additional training) that has been accepted for purposes of professional registration. They will be asked to apply for an Enhanced Disclosure. Further information about the Disclosure scheme can be found at
Key Responsibilities:
KR 1 Clinical and Client Care
· To plan, organise and ensure the deliveryof psychological services within Lewisham CAMHS
· To plan and organise the integrated delivery of psychological services with other agencies and service providers and ensure co-ordination of psychological therapy with other services.
· To provide highly specialist psychological therapy assessments, formulations and interventions for children, young people, families and carers within Lewisham CAMHS
· To provide culturally appropriate psychological therapy interventions with children, young people, families and carers within Lewisham CAMHS
· To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans
· To ensure that all services provided are acceptable and accessible to the diverse communities served by Lewisham CAMHS
· To act as care/CPA co-ordinator, keyworker, taking responsibility for initiating planning and reviewing care plans, CPA co-ordination and meetings.
KR 2 Responsibilities forteam or service clinical functioning
· To work with the leads/managers of other SLaM services and of other agencies’ services to plan and deliver joint services that are integrated around the needs of service users
· To co-ordinate (and chair) team and service meetings for the service to ensure effective functioning and review when appropriate.
· To ensure the effective working of the team or service and a psychologically informed framework for the service.
· To take a lead in ensuring the team or service’s ability to deliver accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.
· To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.
· To advise other members of the service on specialist psychological care of children, young people, families and carers.
· To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals concerned with children, young people, families and carers. in order to develop and review care plans.
· To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other team members.
· To liaise with the service/s MDT and other professionals.
KR 3 Policy and service development
· To lead on strategy development and the development of policy and guidance for application in the service. To be responsible for the interpretation and implementation of policy.
· To plan, initiate, implement and ensure appropriate service developments to improve the quality and delivery of services in the service and in partner services.
· To ensure the consultation and engagement of service users in planning and delivering services which meet the needs of local communities.
· To participate in, or lead when appropriate, Trust and Directorate strategic development and implementation of new initiatives (e.g. national guidelines), through membership of committees and/or working parties.
· To lead in the development and application of clinical governance standards within the service and ensure that these are maintained and improved.
· To take a lead role in ensuring that services to children, young people, families and carers are of a high quality and are managed efficiently, according to the overall requirements of the Trust, NHS and government guidance and standards.
KR 4 Care or management of resources
· To be responsible for the management of psychological resources.
· To ensure that the service has sufficient materials and equipment.
· To be an authorised signatory for the service.
· To ensure the cleanliness and safe functioning and use of equipment that will be used by children, young people, families and carers using the service.
· To monitor and advise children, young people, families and carers on the safe use of materials and processes.
· To ensure adequate confidential and safe storage for artefacts produced during the therapy process in line with professional guidelines.
· To be responsible for obtaining, storing and maintaining all necessary materials and equipment for the provision of therapy in work setting within budgetary constraints.
· To ensure that the post-holder has sufficient resources by estimating future needs and requesting or ordering supplies as needed.
KR 5 Management and supervision
· To deputise when appropriate for theHead of Psychology and Psychotherapy for CAMHS
· To provide leadership to psychological practitioners and other professionals in the service.
· To ensure appropriate systems are in place for the clinical and professional supervision of psychological practitioners in the service.
· To lead recruitment of psychological practitioners.
· To lead appraisals of, and personal development plans for psychological practitioners in the service.
· To be responsible for the management of psychological therapists and practitioners in the service,including allocation and review of work and initial stages of grievance or disciplinary action etc.
· To provide professional, clinical and management supervision to less senior psychological practitioners, assistants and trainees and the psychological work of other professions as appropriate and having completed the relevant training.
KR 6 Teaching and Training
· To organise access to and provide specialist clinical placements for trainee applied psychological practitioners.
· To be responsible for planning, organising, and the delivery of teaching and training of pre and post- qualification psychological practitioners and specialist training to other professions.
· To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within the service by maintaining an active awareness of current developments in psychological therapy and by implementing knowledge gained in practice.
· To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles.
KR 7 Record-keeping and Information Governance
· To ensure that all information generated by own work is recorded as required by Trust policies and local procedures.
· To ensure the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry, in those parts of the service for which the post-holder has management or leadership responsibility.
KR 8 Research and development
· To ensure the planning, initiation and completion of research, service evaluation and audits relevant to the service and the directorate research agenda
· To initiate and implement the development of outcome measurement and assessment and assist other staff in the implementation of same.
KR 9 Maintaining professional standards and continuing professional development
· To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more seniorpsychological practitioneraccording to professional and Trust guidelines.
· To maintain own Continuing Professional Development in line with registered body and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements and the Standards for Continuing Professional Development.
· To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.
· To comply with the registered body Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics/Standards of Proficiency.
· To ensure that allpsychological practitionersfor whom the post-holder has leadership or management responsibility, maintain professional standards and continuing professional development.
KR10 General
· To travel to home visits, community placements, meetingas appropriate and across the Trust when required.
· To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the client group, and follow trust policies relating to its management.
· To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations such as challenging behaviour, abuseetcand to support others involved in such situations.
· To work flexibly which may include offering some regular commitment to late clinics or Saturday working, within the overall Job Plan.
· To work closely with Corporate Psychology and Psychotherapy to ensure consistent and timely delivery of staff support within their area across all disciplines. Contributing to the development of the staff support offer in line with relevant quality improvement projects.
This advert closes on Tuesday 3 Dec 2024