An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Band 7 Psychologist to join the Lambeth Early Onset team (LEO). LEO is a multidisciplinary community mental health team working with people aged 18-65, who are experiencing a first episode of psychosis. It implements evidence-based, NICE recommended early intervention strategies, working intensively with service users and carers for up to two years in promoting engagement, social inclusion and recovery. LEO was amongst the first EIP services in the UK, and has undergone significant expansion since the launch of the National Access and Waiting Time Standard.

The role will involve carrying out psychological assessments and delivering interventions for people experiencing psychosis, as individuals, in groups and as family members. The successful candidate will ideally have had experience in delivering Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Psychosis (CBTp) and family interventions, although this is not essential as successful candidates will be supported to become competent in these areas. The role will be well supported by senior psychologists within LEO. You will be offered excellent opportunities to further develop existing skills in working with psychosis, facilitated by specialist supervision and opportunities for training.

For more information please contact Sarah Buckley (Senior Clinical Psychologist in LEO) or Jade Tomlin (LEO Team Manager), both on 02032287200.

Main duties of the job

Job Purpose:

• To provide a specialist psychology service to the Lambeth Early Onset (LEO) community team including specialist assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes. This includes delivering Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Family Interventions (FI) for people experiencing a first episode of psychosis.
• To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.
• To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate.
• To undertake service evaluation, audit and research.
• To work as an autonomous professional within BPS and HCPC guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by the policies and procedures of the service, taking responsibility for own work including treatment and discharge decisions with support of clinical supervisor.

About us

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provide the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK. We work closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London and are part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre.

SLaM employ around 5000 staff and serve a local population of 1.1 million people. We have more than 230 services including inpatient wards, outpatient and community services. Currently, provide inpatient care for approximately 5,300 people each year and treat more than 45,000 patients in the community in Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark; as well as substance misuse services for residents of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich.

By coming to work at SLaM, you will gain experience of being part of an organisation with a rich history and international reputation in mental health care. You will have access to professional development and learning opportunities, and have the chance to work alongside people who are world leaders in their field. SLaM delivered more than 14,000 training experiences in 2014; providing an extensive range of learning opportunities for staff at all levels. In addition, our working relationship with King's Health Partners allows those working at the Trust to get involved in academic research.

Job description Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

KR 1 Clinical and Client Care

• To provide specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions for clients in the LEO service including family work and cognitive behavioural therapies for psychosis. To formulate psychological treatment plans that are specific to each client and family, based upon an analysis of complex factors contributing to the presentation and selectively drawing on appropriate conceptual and theoretical models.
• To provide culturally appropriate psychological interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.
• To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans.

KR 2 Contributing to team or service clinical functioning

• To contribute to the effective working of the LEO service and to a psychologically informed framework for the service.
• To contribute to the team or services delivery of accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.
• To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.
• To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals concerned with clients in order to develop and review care plans.

KR 3 Policy and service development

• To implement policies and procedures in own area of work, and to propose improvements or beneficial changes.
• To contribute to the consultation and engagement of service users in planning and delivering services which meet the needs of local communities.
• To contribute to service development through undertaking and participating in appropriate projects.

KR 4 Care or management of resources

• To take care of, and use carefully, the Trusts equipment and physical resources.
• 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 be responsible for the allocation and/or clinical supervision of the work of assistant psychologist(s) if required, under supervision from a more senior psychologist.
• To supervise trainee applied psychologists within own area of specialism after completion of the relevant Training Courses Supervision Training.

KR 6 Teaching and Training

• To provide occasional specialist training in psychological approaches to care to other professions as appropriate.
• 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 maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry.

KR 8 Research and development

• To undertake regular service evaluation, audits or research relevant to service needs.

KR 9 Maintaining professional standards and continuing professional development

• To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior psychologist according to HCPC and Trust guidelines.
• To ensure own Continuing Professional Development in line with BPS and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements and the HCPC 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 HCPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics and Standards of Proficiency, and ensure professional development in line with these.
• To adhere to the BPSs Professional Practice Guidelines and Trust policies and procedures.

KR 10 General

• To travel to home visits, community placements, in-patient facilities and psychology meetings as 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 and to support others involved in such situations.

Person Specification Qualifications Essential

• Entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology (professional Doctorate, or combination of post-qualification training courses and experience) that has been accepted by the HCPC for purposes of professional registration (or expected to attain within six months).
• Registered with professional body as appropriate to discipline HCPC/APC/ BPC/UKCP/BACP/BABCP/ADMP-UK

Experience Essential

• Experience of psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in adult mental health
• Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and / or lived experience.

Desirable

• Prior experience of working within Early Intervention Services

Knowledge Essential

• Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for Early Intervention in Psychosis
• Knowledge of psychological assessment and clinical psychometrics.
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities
• Doctoral level knowledge of psychological research methodology and complex statistical analysis, or equivalent knowledge and experience of relevant research processes
• To select and administer specialist psychological assessments, interpreting and integrating complex data that require analysis, interpretation and comparison, drawn from several sources

Skills and Abilities Essential

• Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.
• Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour.
• Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions, and to deal with unexpected interruptions or changes during these.
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

334-LAM-4300246-JB