This is an exciting opportunity to join our team as a Band 8a Senior Psychotherapist/CBT Therapist/Psychologist to cover maternity leave.

Main duties of the job

We will consider applications from high quality candidates with knowledge and skills in evidence-based psychological interventions relevant to eating disorders and early intervention, and who are keen to expand their therapeutic repertoire.

About us

As part of the National Directorate the Eating Disorders Service provides a catchment area service for residents covered by Lambeth, Southwark & Lewisham, Croydon, Greenwich, Bexley and Bromley (population approximately 2 million). In addition, the service functions as a National referral centre.

The service receives a large number of referrals per year, the majority of whom are offered outpatient treatment. Service protocols are continuously reviewed and adapted according to new developments and our research needs.

There is an 18-bedded inpatient unit and Step Up to Recovery service at Tyson West 2 located in Tyson House Bethlem Royal Hospital. Both these services have rapidly expanded and continue to be in high demand offering a national service.

Outpatients and Day Care services are delivered from the Maudsley Eating Disorders Outpatients unit. The service is evidence-generating and evidence based and continues to grow. Our team has developed the Maudsley Model of Anorexia Nervosa Treatment for Adults, a structured cognitive interpersonal outpatient therapy for anorexia nervosa.

Job description Job responsibilities

KR 1 Clinical and Patient Care

• For the FREED position, there will be a focus on FREED, to provide highly specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions for patients in the Eating Disorders Outpatients & Day care service with complex mental health needs, including eating disorders and any co-morbidity.
• To select and deliver highly specialist eating disorders evidence based psychological treatments, monitoring outcome and modifying and adapting interventions, drawing on a range of theoretical models.
• To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within the eating disorders service by maintaining an active awareness of current developments in psychology and eating disorders and by contributing to teaching and training programmes accordingly.
• To provide psychological reports, including relevant formulation, opinion and interventions, in order to inform referrers and, where appropriate, service users.
• To provide psychological interventions for carers or families of referred patients when required.
• To assess and monitor clinical risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans. Attend outpatient clinical meetings, care planning meetings and local case conferences for patients and to provide representation on behalf of the service in the absence of team members and in support of team members with patients with highly complex needs.

KR 2 Contributing to team or service clinical functioning

• For the FREED position: to be a senior champion for FREED treatment and development within the team and other national teams.
• To contribute to the effective working of the team or 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 advise other members of the service on specialist psychological care of clients.
• To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals concerned with clients in order to develop and review care plans.
• To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members.

KR 3 Policy and service development

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

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 more junior psychological therapists with support from a more senior psychologist/psychotherapists.
• To supervise trainee psychologists within own area of specialism.
• To contribute to the appraisal of more junior staff, as appropriate.
• To contribute to the recruitment of more junior staff, as appropriate.
• To provide supervision for the psychological work of other multi-disciplinary staff as appropriate.
• To work with the service lead on developing a (business) model for distance supervision of other services in FREED.

KR 6 Teaching and Training

• For the FREED position: To lead on training, dissemination and further development of the FREED service via designing and delivering courses and workshops as required.
• To update FREED training website and other (e.g. film, written) therapist training resources to supplement face-to-face training for this.
• To lead on and facilitate therapist training across different clinical trials/studies conducted by the team, including training to optimise patient recruitment, therapist competency assessments and treatment fidelity assurance for psychological therapies.
• To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within the Eating Disorders Outpatients & Day care service by maintaining an active awareness of current developments in psychology and the field of eating disorders and by implementing knowledge gained in practice.
• 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 initiate, undertake, support and supervise quality improvement, service evaluation and audit projects.
• To provide expertise in a specialist research areas which will contribute to the Eating Disorders service.
• To initiate and implement the development of outcome measurement and assessment and assist other staff in the implementation of same.

KR 9 Maintaining professional standards and continuing professional development

• To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior psychologist/psychotherapist 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.

KR10 General

• To travel to other services, meetings, and service related conferences as appropriate, across the Trust and nationally when required.
• To be aware of risks relating to physical health and challenging behaviour amongst the patient group, and follow trust policies relating to their management.
• To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations arising in relation to patients, carers or staff and to support others involved in such situations.
• To work flexibly which will include offering some regular late clinics or Saturday working, within the overall Job Plan

Person Specification Qualifications Essential

• Suitable degree level and postgraduate academic training (e.g. Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent)
• Completed training course in clinical supervision.

Experience Essential

• Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision for a significant number of years
• Experience of providing teaching / training
• Experience of carrying out research, audit or service evaluation projects

Desirable

• Experience of supervising psychologists or therapists, having completed relevant training
• Experience of having initiated service improvements

Knowledge Essential

• Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment for eating disorders.
• Doctoral level knowledge of psychological research methodology and complex statistical analysis with evidence of publications.

Desirable

• Advanced knowledge of psychological assessment.

Skills Essential

• To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with patients, carers and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences and hostility to or rejection of information.
• Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data.

Desirable

• Record of designing and implementing service development projects

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

334-PMOA-5063454-BT