Head Of Psychology & Psychotherapy

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South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond.

We are committed to provide a high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good'.

We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone's potential as change makers.

The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.

Our Values

We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I'm going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you'll be part of something special.

As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.

Job overview

This is an opportunity for a key senior leadership role within the Psychological Medicine & Older Adults (PMOA) Directorate. We are seeking to appoint a psychologist or psychological therapist with strong leadership skills to the post of Head of Psychology and Psychotherapy for Older People's Mental Health.

As a highly valued member of the Directorate executive team the post holder will join other senior colleagues in leading the development of services within the directorate and through representing the directorate and / or professions across the Trust and into local strategic partnerships.

The post holder will act as an ambassador for the psychologists and psychological therapists in the directorate, supporting them and others to maintain excellent standards of care and evidence based service delivery at a time of transformation of mental health services. Along with other Directorate Heads of Psychology and Psychotherapy within the Trust, the post holder will work with the Trust Director of Psychology and Psychotherapy contributing to the strategic leadership and development of the professions and psychological provision across the Trust.

Main duties of the job

This person appointed to this post will provide professional leadership in relation to workforce development, professional development, implementation and development of local and national guidance and protocols, and professional regulation (including HCPC).

They will be a member of the Trust Psychology and Psychotherapy leadership team and the directorate's senior leadership team, taking up responsibilities as required and they will provide support into the Trust Quality Centre.

The post involves 0.5 wte management role and up to 0.5 wte clinical sessions. Clinical sessions will be arranged prior to appointment according to the successful applicant's area of expertise and existing service vacancies. Applicants will be able to demonstrate appropriate consultant level clinical expertise.

Working for our organisation

Benefits:

We are committed to ensuring our staff get the most out of their benefits package and understand the importance of a healthy work life balance. There is an extensive range of excellent benefits for you and your family. We want you to feel like you are part of a close knit team at SLaM. It's important to us that your valued and appreciated and that is why we have a comprehensive benefits package on offer

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, flexible working and support a range of flexible options, such as: part-time working and job sharing.
• 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
• Car lease, our staff benefits from competitive deals to lease cars
• Accommodation, our staff benefits fromkeyworker housing available which is available on selected sites
• NHS discounts, with discounts up to 10% from a variety of well-known retail brands though Health Service Discounts website.

Other benefits include:

• Counselling services
• Wellbeing events
• Long service awards
• Cycle to work scheme
• Season ticket loan
• Childcare vouchers
• Staff restaurants

We look forward to receiving your application.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

We are looking for exemplary leadership and communication skills. You will have significant experience inspiring and supporting psychologists and psychotherapists to work effectively, compassionately and collegially. You will be used to dealing with multiple competing demands and you will be able to maintain your governance role whilst simultaneously having the drive and enthusiasm to support a range of colleagues undertaking Directorate and Trust-wide projects, service delivery and performance responsibilities.

This post also offers excellent opportunities for research and continuing professional development.

This role will have responsibilities across the Trust's PMOA Directorate, the Kings Health Partners Older Adult Clinical Academic Group (CAG) and the Trust's Corporate Professional Leadership. The Head of Psychology & Psychotherapy will support Operational Managers within the Older Adults services, the PMOA Clinical Director, and the Trust Director of Psychology and Psychotherapy to:
• develop and implement strategy and ensure that the organisations' business plans, operational targets and activities appropriately reflect clinical priorities and are in line with best practice within the resources available.
• provide visible clinical leadership to psychology and psychological therapy staff working within the services for older people, and as a Trust Psychology and Psychotherapy Advisory Committee (TPPAC) leader to staff across the Trust, ensuring that there are appropriate managerial structures in place to address professional and developmental needs and an appropriate emphasis on the development and implementation of the profession's training and education strategy.
• develop clinical governance structures, roles and responsibilities based on multi-disciplinary care pathways with an emphasis on collaborative leadership and team working.
• integrate research, teaching and clinical activity so that there is a continual cycle of innovation, review, evaluation and improvement based on best practice standards and creating an environment that fosters innovation and service development.

This post also participates in the senior on call manager rota for the directorate.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Doctoral level qualification in clinical psychology
• Post doctoral training in an additional specialised area of psychological practice directly relevant to Directorate services in field of secondary care mood, anxiety and personality disorders
• Registered with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist
• Evidence of continuing training in a specialised area of psychological practice through formal post-doctoral training (diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses, 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

Experience

Essential criteria

• Extensive experience in professional leadership of psychologists and/or psychotherapists such as in a directorate type structure
• Experience of leading and managing a psychology and/or psychotherapy service in equivalent services
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for the psychological care and treatment with clients with complex needs
• Experience of providing teaching and training to psychologists and/or other professional groups.

Knowledge & Skills

Essential criteria

• Skills in negotiating with management on strategic policies
• Highly developed verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex, highly technical and sensitive information to colleagues, clients and families
• Ability to establish and communicate courses of action and targets to ensure achievement of objectives
• Advanced knowledge of psychological assessment and, where relevant, clinical psychometrics
• Advanced level knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to the client group, mental health issues and child protection

The Trust is committed to providing services which embrace diversity and that promote equality of opportunity. We are a Disability Confident Employer, we welcome applicants from all sections of the community and people of all protected characteristics. We provide reasonable adjustments for candidates with a disability and are committed to treating people fairly with compassion, respect and dignity and in promoting equality and human rights. We aim to put this commitment into practice by:

• Embedding our commitment to tackling inequality, eliminating discrimination and harassment; promoting equality of opportunity and fostering good relations in our everyday practice
• Ensuring that all our services and all staff understand and support our commitment
• We believe that people who use our services, their carers and our staff, should be treated with compassion, respect and dignity

Please note:

• That all applications for this post will need to be made online
• That you read and understand the Job Description and Personal Specification attached to the role. Your Statement in Support should reflect the requirements specified as your application will be judged against these criteria
• That the closing date listed is a guide only and that the vacancy may close earlier should sufficient number of applicants have been received. We advise that you submit your application as early as possible
• That once you have submitted your application you agree to your application being transferred to a 3rd party e-recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs
• That should you not have heard from us within three weeks from the closing date your application has not successful
• That priority consideration for applications may be given to at-risk NHS employees
• That should you be successful and appointed, you authorise South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust to confirm your previous NHS service via an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process
• That we are a smoke-free Trust

SLaM is a Stonewall Diversity Champion , Stonewall is the largest Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Trans (LGBT) rights charity in Europe'

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

• JD & PS (PDF, 312.6KB)
• SLaM Staff Benefits (PDF, 1.1MB)