We are pleased to be seeking Senior Psychologists/Psychological Therapists to join our new Maternal Mental Health Service. The Healing Experiences of Loss and Trauma ('Helix') Service is a secondary care psychological therapies service, that will sit alongside the community perinatal mental health teams in the Trust.

We are looking to recruit an enthusiastic, compassionate, and motivated psychological workforce with experience of working with those in the perinatal period and/or in a mental health service within maternity. We encourage applications from those who are committed to delivering an equitable service and working in partnership with those who have lived experience.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidates will deliver highly specialist Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and other evidence based psychological therapies in the context of trauma and loss, as well as provide training, supervision and consultation to other professionals and the maternity workforce. Opportunities for supervision of assistant and trainee psychologists and peer support workers will also be available.

We have a total of 16 sessions (1.6 WTE) available for the boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham and up to 8 sessions (0.8 WTE, equivalent to 4 days) for the borough of Croydon. The position could be taken up full-time or part-time, with consideration that the boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham attract inner London weighting, and the borough of Croydon, outer London weighting.

Successful candidates may be offered a post related to Lambeth/Southwark/Lewisham or Croydon. If you are successful, we can not guarantee a match to your preferred location but will do our best to consider your preferences where we can. If you have a preference, please indicate this in your personal statement.

About us

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provide the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK as well as substance misuse services for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. 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. There are very few organisations in the world that have such wide-ranging capabilities working with mental illness. Our scope is unique because it is built on three major foundations: care and treatment, science and research, and training.

Job description Job responsibilities

• To provide a highly specialist psychology service to women and birthing people who experience a moderate-severe mental health problem in the context of pregnancy loss or baby loss, including specialist assessment, treatment planning, delivery of evidence-based psychological therapies and monitoring of outcomes.
• 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, functioning as a lead specialist for the psychological aspects of mental health in maternity.
• 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 principles and policies or procedures of the service, taking responsibility for interpreting policies within defined parameters.
• To agree outcomes/results with clinical/professional lead and to decide how they are best achieved.

Person Specification Qualifications Essential

• Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent; OR Counselling psychologist: MSc and PG Diploma in Counselling Psychology; OR Postgraduate diploma in CBT
• Completed training course in clinical supervision.
• Registered with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist or BABCP Accredited CBT Therapist, and evidence of continuing professional development as required

Desirable

• Training in psychological interventions that may be applied in the context of trauma or loss (e.g., EMDR, IPT).
• Training in or experience of providing family or couple interventions.
• Training in or experience of parent-infant interventions.

Experience Essential

• Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in secondary care mental health services.
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and the delivery of Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and other evidence based interventions with service users who have a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in the perinatal period.
• Experience of supervising assistant and trainee psychologists having completed the relevant training.
• Experience of carrying out post-doctoral research, audit or service evaluation projects.

Desirable

• Pre or post qualification experience of working in a specialist perinatal mental health service or mental health service in maternity.
• Experience of the co-production of services and/or working alongside peer support workers.

Knowledge Essential

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological assessments and interventions for women presenting with mental health difficulties in the perinatal period.
• Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment
• Knowledge of the psychological and physical context of pregnancy and childbirth and the impact of these on mental health.

Skils and Abilities Essential

• To deliver psychological therapy across cultural and other differences.
• Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups
• Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

334-PMOA-4424258-BT