Clinical / Counselling Psychologist, Systemic Psychotherapist

An opportunity has arisen to for an enthusiastic and innovative Band 8a clinician to work with children and families in the borough of Wandsworth historically underrepresented in mainstream services. The role forms part of a CAMHS provision based within Wandsworth Borough Pupil Referral
Units (PRU).
This post will principally be based across Wandsworth's Primary age Pupil referral Unit, Victoria Drive Primary and the secondary provision-based Francis Barber PRU, encompassing three sites, the PRUs are part of Wandsworth Local Authority's Inclusion Service. Of the 0.8wte available 0.4 (2 days) will be allocated to the Primary age Pupil referral unit and 0.4 (2 days) to the secondary provision Francis barber.
The post holder will work as part of an existing Tier 2 CAMHS provision supporting children who present with a range of emotional and behavioural difficulties as well as neurodevelopmental needs.
The CAMHS provision currently consists of a Practitioner Psychologist and trainees/assistants and is responsible for providing specialist assessments and interventions to children attending the PRU, as well as consultation, training and reflective practice to school staff and co-ordinating multi-agency networks based on psychological formulations and need. This is a developing service, and there will be the opportunity to support service development projects to shape the PRU-CAMHS provision., The post is part of Tier 2 CAMHS services and the Wandsworth Youth Justice & Pupil Referral Unit CAMHS Team, which includes clinicians from the Youth Justice Service and Secondary Pupil Referral Unit. The post holder will be supervised by the trust Professional Lead for Youth Justice and Pupil Referral Unit CAMH Services.
The post holder will support and co-lead on the delivery and development of the Tier 2 mental health service within the PRU, including an offer of trauma-informed assessment, intervention, consultation, and training to children, families, and staff across the PRU and partner agencies.
The role requires advanced skills in psychological assessment and formulation, with an understanding of how to incorporate challenging behaviour, learning needs, neurodiversity, and a range of social and
contextual information within a trauma-informed framework, as well as the ability to share this and recommendations with multi-agency colleagues.
The appointee will work closely with children's families and their wider networks, which includes partnership agencies such as children's social care. This aspect of the role is vital in ensuring appropriate linked-up working to contextually safeguard young people and their families.
This role requires the appointee to work within a multiagency context and hold skills in autonomously performing their role in a school setting., 1. To provide specialist psychological assessments to children who are referred to the Team based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the child or young person's care.
2. To support the development of the PRU-CAMHS service, through specific service development projects, in collaboration with the wider PRU staff groups and CAMHS colleagues.
3. To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of the mental health problems of children and young people who are based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of their problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy across the full range of care settings.
4. To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological and psycho-educational interventions for individual children, carers, families and groups, within and across teams including community settings employed individually and in synthesis, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
5. To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options for children and their families in conjunction with other professional colleagues, taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family, group or system.
6. To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of children whose problems are managed by psychologically-based standard care plans.
7. To provide specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan for the children.
8. To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically-based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all children, across all settings and agencies serving this client group.
9. To undertake mental health risk assessment and risk management for individual children and young people and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management.
10. To act as mental health care coordinator, where appropriate, taking responsibility for initiating planning and review of care plans under enhanced CPA including the children, their carers, referring agents and others involved the network of care. This includes organising case conferences and professional network meetings where appropriate.
11. To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of children under their care and to monitor progress during the course of both uni- and multi-disciplinary care.
Teaching, Training, and Supervision
1. To receive regular clinical professional supervision from a senior clinical psychologist / psychotherapist / family therapist and, where appropriate, other senior professional colleagues.
2. To gain additional highly specialist experience and skills relevant to psychology / psychotherapy and/or the service (as agreed with the team's professional manager and team manager) in accordance with the CAMHS Directorate's common expectations for P&P staff.
3. To develop skills in the area of professional post-graduate teaching, training and supervision and to provide supervision to other MDT staff's psychological work as appropriate.
4. To provide, professional and clinical supervision of trainee and assistant psychologists / psychotherapists, as well as contributing to clinical supervision of Band 6 and Band 7 staff working across the local and dedicated services.
5. To contribute to the pre- and post-qualification teaching and training of staff, as appropriate.
6. To provide advice, consultation and training to staff working with the client group across a range of agencies and settings.
Management, Recruitment, Policy and Service Development
1. To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the Directorate's operational policies and high quality responsive and accessible services, through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit.
2. To advise both service and professional management on those aspects of the service where psychological and/or organisational matters need addressing.
3. To manage the workloads of assistant and trainee clinical psychologists, within the framework of the team/service's policies and procedures.
4. To be involved, as appropriate, in the shortlisting and interviewing of assistant / graduate psychologists.
Research and Service Evaluation
1. To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other team members in CAMHS.
2. To undertake appropriate research and provide research advice to other staff undertaking research.
3. To undertake project management, e.g., audit or service evaluation, in line the CAMHS Directorate's common expectations for P&P staff, and by agreement and under direction from the Team Manager with colleagues within CAMHS.
Other
1. In common with all psychologists / psychotherapists, to receive regular clinical supervision in accordance with good practice guidelines.
2. To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in line CAMHS Directorate common expectations for P&P staff and by agreement and under direction from the post holder's professional and service manager(s).
3. To contribute to the development and articulation of best practice in psychology / psychotherapy across the service, by continuing to develop the skills of a reflexive and reflective scientist-practitioner, taking part in regular professional supervision line CAMHS Directorate common expectations for P&P staff and appraisal and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the fields of psychology / psychotherapy and related disciplines.
4. To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry and recording, report writing and the responsible exercise of professional self-governance in accordance with professional codes of practice of the Health Professions Council and Trust services policies and procedures.
5. To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both children and young people and mental health.
Training and Development
1. To undertake mandatory and statutory training as required by Trust policy.
2. To contribute and commit to undertaking an annual Development Review/appraisal.
3. To undertake personal development as identified in the Personal Development Plan (PDP).
At South West London St Georges Mental Health Trust we are committed to providing services which embrace diversity and that promote equality of opportunity. We are a Disability Committed Employer, and welcome applications from all sections of the community and people of all protected characteristics. We are Members of Stonewall Diversity Champions and Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion.
As part of the Trust's commitment to Equalities and Diversity, the Trust supports the establishment of Staff Networks groups to promote diversity in the workplace:
+ BME (Evolve) Staff Network
+ Christian Staff Network
+ DiverseAbility
+ Deaf Staff Network
+ Mental Health Staff Forum
+ Women's Staff Network
+ LGBTQIA+
We are committed to supporting the Armed Forces Community and has signed the Armed Forces Covenant.
We provide reasonable adjustments to the interview process for any candidates with a disability.
Please note:
+ That the closing date listed is a guide only and that the vacancy may close earlier should sufficient number of applicants have been received
+ That once you have submitted your application you agree to your application being transferred to a 3^rd party e-recruitment system
+ 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 West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust to confirm your previous NHS service via an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process
+ That your employment is offered subject to successful completion of a Probationary Period depending on your Band (except medical roles)
+ That we are a smoke-free Trust

NHS AfC: Band 8a
South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We provide a full range of local mental health services to the Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton and Wandsworth London boroughs, as well as specialist forensic mental health services, including specialised services such as national deaf adults and CAMHS inpatients and OCD.
We are committed to providing high quality integrated health and social care for local people with mental health problems in South West London and more specialist mental health services for people throughout the UK. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' however we aim to be 'outstanding'.
Our Values
We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values; being consistent, compassionate, collaborative, respectful and open is at the heart of everything we do. Our mission is "making life better together".
When you join us, you'll be part of something special - an innovative and rapidly growing organisation that is helping to redefine the Mental Health, education and social care landscape in the UK.
As a Trust, we are happy to talk flexible working., We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.
We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' - we aspire to be 'outstanding'.
This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services.
We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.
We offer flexible working, career development and a variety of benefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.