Behaviour Support Practitioner

We are looking for Behaviour Support Practitioners, to work within the Mental Health & Learning Disabilities Service (MHLD) and their embedded intensive support teams (IST). You will be expected to work directly and indirectly with people with learning disabilities, families, and carers providing person-centred specialist behavioural assessments and interventions, using a Positive Behavioural Support approach. The intensive support teams have been established to reduce the number of people with a learning disability and/or autism being admitted to hospital or residing in out of area placements, minimising the length of stay when they are, and ensuring that care is person centered and delivered in the least restrictive environments. The goal of the clinical support is focused on the person and the whole network supporting that person, to develop and deliver support within the person's home and community., As a Specialist Practitioner Behaviour Support Practitioner in our Lewisham Mental Health & Learning Disability Service (MHLD), you will be a member of a multi-disciplinary, multiagency community team working together primarily to:

• To provide applied behavioural assessment and intervention for clients who present behaviour that challenges services and poses risks to their well-being, including specialist assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes.


• To employ the principles of Positive Behavioural Support in all aspects of clinical work.


• To participate in strengthening local services and developing capable environments though training, consultation and modelling.


The teams do this through the early management of identified complex situations. This will include detailed risk assessment and management underpinned by a positive behaviour support model.

As a Behaviour Support Practitioner in our team, you will be part of a well-established group of around 20 Psychologists and Behavioural Support Practitioners, working across the MHLD services, which are led by Consultant Clinical Psychologists. Across the service, we provide a range of psychological assessments and interventions for people with learning disabilities and their networks. You will receive supervision from a qualified psychologist, and have opportunities to work jointly with psychologists and colleagues. You will be expected to make use of regular CPD sessions within the Trust, and to contribute to teaching, training and/or supervision initiatives aimed at developing PBS approach across and outside the Trust.

We currently have a permanent full time post in Lewisham based in the Old Town Hall in Catford.

Those seeking full-time or part-time work are encouraged to apply and state at the beginning of your application your preferences for working pattern and location.

We have close links with the Estia Centre and as we are part of a Clinical Academic Group within Kings Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre, research interests and joint initiatives aimed at improving the physical and mental health care for people with learning disabilities are encouraged. There are opportunities to help develop and deliver training and consultation to provider services and our mainstream mental health colleagues as part of your work.