Job summary

Sutton Uplift is the Southwest London & St. George's Mental Health NHS (SWLSTG) Trust's innovative primary care mental health service for the residents of Sutton.

Sutton Uplift incorporates an Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service, a Wellbeing Service with Employment Specialists and Wellbeing Practitioners, and a Primary Care Recovery Team (PCRT). Sutton Uplift is professionally managed by a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and operationally managed by a Service Manager.

The high performing IAPT team provide evidence-based psychological treatments (CBT, IPT, DIT, BCT, EMDR) to people with common mental health problems including depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD and eating disorders within a stepped-care model.

The clinical team includes qualified IAPT High Intensity CBT Therapists, Clinical and Counselling Psychologists, and Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners, who provide evidence-based psychological interventions in line with NICE guidance.

Previous unsuccessful applicants need not apply.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for an enthusiastic and skilled Clinical / Counselling Psychologist or CBT Therapist to join our committed and friendly team of clinicians. You will be providing Step 3 diagnostic assessments and evidence-based CBT treatment on an individual and group basis to clients aged 18 and over presenting with depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD and eating disorders.

You will also be involved in the clinical supervision of Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners, Low Intensity Trainees and High Intensity Trainees, for which training will be provided.

There will be opportunities to develop areas of interest such as working with long term health conditions, working with clients with learning disabilities, working with perinatal clients, by contributing to project groups or taking a Champion role. The four IAPT services in SWLSTG Trust work closely together to develop care pathways and share expertise.

High quality supervision and CPD are a priority for the team. You will receive regular weekly individual clinical supervision from one of our bands 8a or 8b Clinical/Counselling Psychologists or CBT Therapists working within the service.

You will also have the opportunity to attend a monthly clinical training session facilitated by lead clinicians from across the SWLSTG Trust and to attend quarterly CBT training workshops led by highly respected clinicians in their field, for example, we have previously welcomed Andrew Beck, Anke Ehlers and Martina Mueller.

About us

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 ofbenefits 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.

Job description

Job responsibilities

You will work clinically within primary care settings and be required to work flexible hours in line with the improving access agenda. The service operates from 9am to 8pm Monday to Thursday, 9am to 5pm on Friday, and 9 to 1pm on Saturdays. You will be required to work at least one evening per week.

Your working pattern can be negotiated and many of our clinicians prefer to work condensed hours to allow for a better work/life balance. In light of the Covid pandemic, the service is currently offering the opportunity to work remotely, with an expectation that everyone is in the office for two days per week to meet the demand for face to face appointments. It is likely that agile working will continue to be part of the job role moving forward.

Supporting clinicians We are also mindful that working in a fast-paced service with people experiencing psychological distress can be challenging as well as immensely rewarding and we take a compassionate leadership approach to ensure that these challenges are acknowledged, and staff are supported through wellbeing focused line management supervision.

Supporting clinicians We are also mindful that working in a fast-paced service with people experiencing psychological distress can be challenging as well as immensely rewarding and we take a compassionate leadership approach to ensure that these challenges are acknowledged, and staff are supported through wellbeing focused line management supervision.

You will be supported to undertake and obtain accreditation in further modalities, e.g., EMDR, IPT, BCT, and the majority of IAPT clinicians in the Trust have received funding to train in a number of further modalities of interest to them.

Person Specification

TRAINING & QUALIFICATIONS

Essential

• Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical or counselling psychology, leading to eligibility for chartered status with the BPS
• Is HCPC registered under the appropriate domain specific title
• Eligibility for Graduate Membership of BPS
• Evidence of continuing professional and personal development

Desirable

• Health psychology qualification
• Advanced training in behavioural cognitive psychotherapy
• Accredited with the British Association of Behavioural Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP)

Experience

Essential

• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of people with a wide range of mental health problems, of varying severity and complexity
• Experience of working with a wide variety of patient groups, of varying severity, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems and verbal and physical abuse
• Experience of working in both primary and secondary mental health care, including multi-agency working
• Experience of CBT group and individual work and in supervising/facilitating running therapeutic/psycho-educational groups
• Experience of routine outcome monitoring

Desirable

• Further specialist training/experience through having received a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision of working as a specialist cognitive behaviour therapist over a minimum of 18 months, or an alternative agreed by the Director of Psychology and Psychotherapies
• Experience of mental health problems and the capacity to use that experience to the benefit of patient care
• Experience of meeting agreed/specified service targets

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS

Essential

• Skills in the use of complex methods of assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration
• Ability to demonstrate knowledge and therapeutic skills necessary to deliver psychological treatments in line with NICE guidelines as relevant to Primary Care
• Skills in the assessment and diagnostic formulation of common mental disorders in primary care settings
• Skills in the assessment and evaluation of risk associated with mental ill health and related psychopathology
• Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and or clinically sensitive information to patients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
• Knowledge of legislation and its implication for clinical practice and the appropriate management of people presenting with mental health problems

Desirable

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological approaches to working with patients from a range of cultural backgrounds
• Knowledge of community psychology approaches
• Advanced practitioner skills in at least one other model of psychological therapy, preferably IPT, DIT, or EMDR

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

294-COMM-5310328-JB