Principal Clinical/Counselling Psychologist, West London Community Eating Disorders Service

This post is offered as a fixed term 1-year post or a 1-year internal

Due to the part-time secondment of the service lead and the clinical and strategic expansion of the service, we are seeking a committed and enthusiastic Clinical/ Counselling Psychologist with expertise in service development, eating disorders and other mental health difficulties. You will be working in our close-knit and innovative Community Eating Disorders service.

At West London NHS Trust we want to employ talented, passionate and skilled professionals, so that we can provide the best service possible to those who use our services.

Main duties of the job

You will provide clinical and, where necessary, operational leadership of the specialist outpatient Eating Disorders service to support the Lead Psychologist/ Clinical Lead.

You will hold a caseload of clients who require a highly experienced practitioner, and will deliver assessments and specialist evidence-based individual and group interventions, managing and advising others on the associated physical and psychiatric risks autonomously and effectively. You will initiate and lead on appropriate Quality Improvement (QI) projects, and provide clinical and professional supervision to staff members in the service. You will support and/or lead on recruitment, and capability reviews, complaints and incident reviews.

This role requires extensive experience and advanced skills working as a qualified Clinical/Counselling psychologist in Eating Disorders, and advanced skills working with variations in severity, diagnoses, complexities and risk. As the post is a co-lead role, candidates with less extensive specialist experience will be considered if they bring skills in related areas including service leadership and management and working with trauma, anxiety, low mood, Complex Emotional Needs, complexity and high risk. Training and experience in DBT is desirable.

About us

West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse healthcare providers in the UK, delivering a range of mental health and physical healthcare and community services. The Trust runs Broadmoor Hospital, one of three high secure hospitals in the country, with an international reputation.

Our high secure services care for patients from South of England and we provide low and medium secure services across eight London boroughs. The Trust also provides mental and physical healthcare in three London boroughs (Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham). We employ over 5,000 staff, of whom 59% are BME. Our turnover for 2024-25 is over £500m.

The Trust is rated as 'Good' overallby the Care Quality Commission. Forensic services are rated as 'Outstanding'.

The Trust is an established partner and contributor in the development of the evolving North West London Integrated Care System and the Integrated Care Board. The Trust leads the NW London Children and Adolescent Mental Health provider collaborative.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached

The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• A recorded/registered Doctorate in Clinical/ Counselling Psychology
• Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council
• Training in clinical supervision for Doctoral, and equivalent, trainees

Desirable

• Other qualifications relevant to the client group (e.g. CBTE, MANTRA DBT)

Experience

Essential

• Demonstrable substantial clinical experience with the Eating Disorder client group.
• Relevant post-qualification experience.
• Substantial experience with clients with Complex Emotional Needs, complex trauma, anxiety, and depression
• Experience of delivering CBT and DBT therapy groups.
• Experience in managing risk to self and others and creating safety plans, in collaboration with the service user and professional agencies

Knowledge

Essential

• Specialist theoretical and practical knowledge of assessment and intervention in Eating Disorders and other mental health difficulties,
• Knowledge of relevant legislation and its implications for work in the current setting

Skills & Abilities

Essential

• Excellent engagement and verbal communication skills, including with persons who may be highly distressed, hostile and/or experience barriers in relationships and communication.
• Advanced skills in delivering therapies for Eating Disorders.
• Able to make complex clinical judgements both alone and with MDT or supervisory consultation, at an appropriate level.
• Able to plan, prioritise and organise own workload, including clinical, administrative and other aspects.
• Able to independently manage the competing demands of the leadership role.
• Able to function in highly emotionally distressing circumstances on a frequent basis (e.g. in dealing with service users with serious mental illness, histories of homicide and serious violence, self-harm, sexual abuse).
• Strong written communication skills
• Ability to provide on-going treatment in complex and frequently changing circumstances.
• Ability to liaise with and manage complex professional networks.
• Ability to use audit and evaluation to identify and plan service improvements, especially with regards to waiting time and service equity.
• Ability to represent the service in a range of professional and consultation forums.

Other Requirements

Essential

• Demonstrable enthusiasm for and commitment to working with service users with Eating Disorders and where relevant highly complex levels of need.
• Demonstrable enthusiasm for supporting the clinical work and skill development of team members and junior colleagues.
• Demonstrable enthusiasm for the role of psychological therapies in supporting people with Eating Disorders.
• Must be capable of being guided by precedent, clearly defined policies, procedures and codes of conduct
• Able to reflect on own professional practice
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
• Experience of working within a multicultural framework
• Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings

Employer details

Employer name

West London NHS Trust

Address

Eating Disorder Central

Ealing Hospital

SOUTHALL

UB1 3EU

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

222-LS-CARMHS-365-A