Lancashire and South Cumbria Specialist Perinatal Service has a reputation for providing compassionate and expert care to women, their families and babies during the perinatal period (conception up to two years). We are a multidisciplinary service and work closely with Maternity Services, Health Visiting, Adult Mental Health Services, Primary Care Services, and the Reproductive Trauma Service.

In order to meet the ambitions set out in the NHS Long-Term Plan for Mental Health, we are expanding our psychological workforce to include greater access to parent-infant interventions. We therefore have a really exciting opportunity for a Parent-Infant Psychotherapist to join our perinatal service. You would work closely with the Consultant Clinical Psychologist, therapy colleagues, Service Manager and Senior Leadership Team to help shape and deliver our parent infant-pathways throughout the service.

You would be based in one of our Specialist Perinatal Community Mental Health Teams (in Lancaster, Blackburn or Leyland), but would be expected to travel across the service footprint. You would join a committed and supportive psychology/therapies team and be part of a compassionate Senior Leadership Team.

Main duties of the job

To provide a highly specialist parent-infant psychotherapy service to the Perinatal Community Mental Health Service including specialist assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes.

To be responsible for the integration of parent-infant interventions across modalities and across the service as part of the overall Care Plan.

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 in the Perinatal service.

To undertake service evaluation, audit and research.

To work as an autonomous professional within HCPC/ BPC/ UKCP/ ACP guidelines and codes of conduct and be 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.

About us

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including secondary mental health care across this area. Specialist provision comprises inpatient child and adolescent mental health services, perinatal mental health and forensic services including low and medium secure care.The Trust also provides a range of physical health and well-being services in the community alongside a range of partners in the Lancashire, Cumbria and Sefton area.

Lancashire & South Cumbria Foundation Trust encourages flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, flexi-time and career breaks. We encourage applicants to state clearly on their application forms this request and discuss these options at interview.For more information please visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT.

Job description Job responsibilities

Please see attached the job description and person specification for more information about this role.

Person Specification Education/Qualifications Essential

• Entry-level qualification in Adult or Child Psychotherapy/ Clinical or Counselling Psychology that has been accepted by the HCPC/ BPC/ UKCP/ ACP for purposes of professional registration. Additional training beyond entry-level qualification in a specialised area of practice (Parent-Infant Psychotherapy) through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses and/or an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma or higher Registered with the HCPC/ BPC/ UKCP/ ACP as a Psychological Therapist, and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the ACP.

Knowledge Essential

• Parent Infant Mental Health specialist knowledge is essential including: Knowledge of new-born, early infancy and child development, theories of infant and child mental health. Good knowledge of adult mental health difficulties and how these might impact on the parent infant relationship. Knowledge of policies and procedures relating to Child Protection. Knowledge of evidence-based approaches to working with parents and infants and an awareness of the relevant guidelines and care pathways for perinatal / parent Infant mental health services.

Experience Essential

• Highly specialist knowledge of infant development. Highly specialist knowledge of attachment Experience of working with families where children's services are involved. Completion of own personal psychotherapy Experience of offering psychodynamic psychotherapeutic clinical work. Experience of working with marginalised families, with complex needs. Experience of working in multi-professional teams and collaborating on treatment plans. Ability to create a therapeutic setting for parents and infants together. Capacity to communicate clearly and effectively about complex issues, including risk, both in written form and verbally. Ability to monitor and assess risk and act accordingly. Competency in specialist assessment and forming appropriate care plans based on the assessment. Ability to keep accurate notes and records. Awareness of basic research procedures and capacity to contribute to service audits. Ability to manage own workload and be appropriately autonomous. Good IT skills including capacity to use email and electronic patient records

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

351-SPS549-EJ