Senior Psychological Therapist

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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The South East London Integrated Community Pathways Service (SE ICPS) is a team of Psychological therapists, Clinical Practitioners, and Probation Officers that provides direct and indirect support to people on the OPD pathway by supporting probation practitioners with consultation and working alongside them and the people they manage, as well as offering assessment and psychologically informed care and treatment directly to people on the OPD pathway.

As part of the broader Community OPD Pathway in London, we have the joint aims of reducing offending and improving psychological wellbeing.

In the indirect component of the ICPS work, the post holder will be responsible for providing support to probation practitioners in identifying and managing people on probation who present a high risk of serious offending that is linked to personality difficulties. This will include offering individual and group consultations, joint working, training, staff support, and reflective practice.

In the direct component of the work, the post holder will carry out intake assessments for the SE ICPS, including structured risk assessments, and make recommendations for risk management and treatment.

The post holder will oversee the work of clinical practitioners working with the individuals presenting with the highest level of risk and need. The post holder will also provide enhanced therapeutic interventions (e.g., Mentalisation Based Therapy, EMDR, Schema Therapy) and other evidenced based interventions for people with complex trauma and personality difficulties.

Within the Workforce Development team, the post holder will be responsible for developing, reviewing and quality controlling training materials that support the ongoing confidence and competence of a wide range of staff delivering the OPD Community Pathway. There is an expectation that the post holder will be able to develop training packages to meet the learning needs of a wide range of staff working from a variety of disciplines and levels of expertise. They will take a lead on supporting staff to utilise and implementing training within their day-to-day work. Training will be delivered in person and online.

The post holder will utilise research skills in audit and other research and development activities. They will supervise and direct the work of junior psychological therapists and assistant and trainee psychologists as required. The post holder will work autonomously within professional guidelines, policies and procedures of LPP's services, and overarching objectives of LPP and the OPD Pathway.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Entry-level qualification in applied psychological therapy/mental health/social welfare profession or equivalent and demonstrable practice in this field (ie professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level/supervised practice/additional training) that has been accepted for the purposes of professional registration
• Additional training beyond entry-level qualification in a specialised area of psychological practice (through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses and/an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice-based learning in a specialist area of clinical psychological therapy practice, assessed by a registered body and/or an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma or higher
• Registered with professional body or regulatory body as appropriate to psychological therapy discipline ie HCPC/UKCP/BACP/BABCP
• Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the professional body

Desirable criteria

• Training in an evidence-based treatment for the client
• Completed training course in clinical supervision
• Training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology
• Accredited training in structured professional judgement approaches to risk assessment (including but not limited to the HCR20)

Experience

Essential criteria

• Completion of a minimum of two years full-time (or equivalent part-time) post-doctoral / post qualification supervised experience
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with the full range of clinical severity under supervision
• Post-qualification of working with and addressing issues of diversity, including experience of working within a multicultural framework.
• Experience of maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
• Experience of providing teaching and training to psychological practitioners or other professional groups.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of work or research undertaken in forensic / secure / locked settings
• Experience of providing supervision to pre-qualified psychological therapies staff or students, or other professionals
• Experience of carrying out post-qualification research, audit or service evaluation projects.
• Experience of inter-agency working

Knowledge and skills

Essential criteria

• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
• Ability to administer, score and interpret psychometric and neuropsychological tests with appropriate training and supervision
• Understanding psychological formulation for complex high risk service users.
• 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.
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group, mental health and child protection.
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of psychological therapies relevant to the client group.
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies and two assessment methodologies
• Knowledge of current mental health legislation and initiatives and of safeguarding legislation
• Knowledge of the principles and practice of clinical governance, clinical audit and risk management
• Knowledge of equal opportunities, confidentiality and consent issues
• Knowledge of key NHS policies and procedures
• Knowledge of relevant Health & Safety legislation
• Ability to manage severely challenging behaviour/crisis intervention
• Ability to manage unpredictable workloads and frequent demands on concentration and attention
• Report writing and presentation skills
• Competent in Microsoft Office packages
• Ability to manage within available, and sometimes limited, resources

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex data analysis.
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
• Awareness of Criminal Justice and mental health services.

Other

Essential criteria

• Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
• Experience of working with diversity, including but not limited to a multicultural framework.
• 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.
• Ability to form good working relationships with others in a multi-disciplinary setting.
• Interest and ability to contribute to service development.
• Commitment to Equal Opportunities
• Ability to travel across London and work flexibly from different sites

Desirable criteria

• Personal experience of mental health problems.

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that welcomes and supports individuals of all abilities. Remember, if you meet the minimum criteria for this role and you have a disability, you can be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme - Please ensure you select this on your application form. We would encourage you to be open about your needs so we can work with you to design a comfortable and accessible interview experience. Any information you provide regarding a disability or a need for adjustments will be treated in confidence and will only be shared with colleagues who are supporting this request.

If you require any adjustments to participate fully in the interview process, please let us know by adding the relevant details when scheduling your preferred interview date and time. Please feel free to contact the appointing manager to discuss your needs.

We encourage applicants to contact the hiring manager before their interview, if they have any questions about the role or the process. This is a great way to get clarity and prepare effectively for the interview.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

If you choose to use AI or other tools to assist in writing your application, it's essential to personalise this information, particularly your supporting information section. While AI can help streamline the writing process, these tools cannot fully grasp the context or requirements of the job you're applying for. There is also a risk that it can generate false or misleading information. AI-generated job applications can often be generic, impersonal and may not accurately reflect your qualifications, knowledge, skills, and experiences. It is crucial that you personalise your supporting statement by articulating these in your unique voice. Relying solely on AI to write your application or supporting information section is not advocated by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust and could negatively impact your chances of success in the application process.

We monitor applications for any behaviour that could create an unfair advantage, and we check all references carefully. You are likely to be tested on your experience at interview, so be honest and make sure all the information in your application is correct. Please note that the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is prohibited during the interview process.

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

• Job description (PDF, 728.5KB)
• Person Specification (PDF, 584.3KB)
• Important Additional Information For Candidates (please read carefully) (PDF, 160.6KB)
• Privacy Notice for Staff (PDF, 268.6KB)
• Staff Benefits (PDF, 2.5MB)