Merton Uplift is the South West London & St. George's Mental Health NHS (SWLSTG) Trust's innovative primary care mental health service for the residents of Sutton. We incorporate an Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service, a Wellbeing Service with Employment Specialists and Wellbeing Practitioners, and a Primary Care Recovery Team (PCRT). Merton 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.

High quality supervision and CPD are a priority for the team. You will receive weekly individual clinical supervision from one of our senior Clinical/Counselling Psychologists or CBT Therapists within the service. You will also have the opportunity to attend a monthly clinical training session facilitated by lead clinicians from the Trust and 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.

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.

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. Additional specialist supervision will be available for these approaches both during training and once it has been completed.

We have also recently started developing secondment opportunities for clinicians who would be interested in working in other teams in the Trust which we have received positive feedback about.

About us

Benefits:

We offer a number of excellent staff benefits and understand the importance of a healthy work life balance. Some of our benefits are highlighted here:

• Generous pay, pensions and leave,we offer a comprehensive pay, pensions and leave package which is dependent on the role and length of service.
• Work life balance,we support a range of flexible options, such as: part-time working, job sharing, term-time working, compressed hours and working from home.
• Career development -There are plenty of opportunities to progress your career and we support your development through a number of programmes such as mentoring, coaching, positive people management, collective leadership and other talent programmes
• Subsidised car parking- You can park at any of our sites at a reduced rate of £20/month.
• NHS discounts,with discounts up to 10% from a variety of well-known retail brands though Health Service Discounts website

Other benefits include:

• Eye examinations
• Looking after your health
• Cycle to work scheme
• Car lease scheme
• Season ticket loan
• Childcare vouchers
• Staff restaurants
• Free gym membership

We look forward to receiving your application.

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.

For further information or an informal discussion of this post please contact Karina Teeha on 07870 833 443.

(You may also wish to look at our websitewww.mertonuplift.co.uk.)

Person Specification TRAINING & QUALIFICATIONS Essential

• Doctoral level training in clinical or counselling psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS including models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and (for Clinical Psychologists) neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology ; or alternative training outside of the UK that is recognised by the Health & Care Professions Council leading to registration in the UK as a Clinical or Counselling psychologist or oCompleted a level 2 British Association for Behavioural Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP) accredited training course in CBT leading to eligibility for registration with the BABCP as a CBT Therapist, or ohave completed a level 1 BABCP accredited training course in CBT and have met further training, continuing professional development and supervised clinical practice requirements to meet eligibility for registration with the BABCP, or obe currently registered with BABCP as a CBT therapist through an alternative BABCP recognised route

Desirable

• BABCP Accreditation as CBT practitioner
• Training in the supervision of PWPs, clinical/counselling psychologists and/or CBT therapists or other IAPT compliant psychological therapy models

Experience Essential

• Experience in establishing DSM-V diagnoses and in clinical formulation
• Experience of assessment and treatment of people with common mental health problems, of varying severity and complexity, using evidence based psychological therapies, particularly CBT
• Experience with routine outcome data collection and monitoring

Desirable

• Post-qualification experience of working in primary care settings
• Experience of meeting agreed/specified service targets
• Experience in running Step 3 therapy groups
• Experience of working within a multicultural framework
• Experience of using IAPTus

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS Essential

• Psychological assessment skills and skills in DSM-V-based diagnostic assessment
• Advanced practitioner skills in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment and intervention which require sustained and intense concentration
• Skills in the assessment and evaluation of clinical risk
• Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
• Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HPC or BABCP.

Desirable

• Knowledge of the academic literature concerning common mental disorders and their treatment within an IAPT service
• Skills in providing teaching and consultation to other professional and non-professional groups working in primary care

BEHAVIOURS AND VALUES Essential

• Ability to work effectively and efficiently, and to manage a high clinical caseload in a safe and effective manner
• Ability to employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, and to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and to challenging behaviour
• Ability to work creatively, cooperatively, reliably and consistently both independently and within the IAPT team setting
• High level of enthusiasm and motivation
• Ability to work within a team and foster good working relationships
• Ability to work well under pressure

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

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