Clinical or Counselling Psychologist

The Children's Wellbeing Practitioner (CWP) team comprises of 4 qualified CWPs, an experienced Clinical Psychologist and two further posts working across a cluster of schools in Sutton.
The advertised post provides direct interventions for more moderate mental health presentations and contributes to a whole school approach (WSA) across the school cluster. This may include running parent workshops and staff training sessions, offering reflective practice groups and consultation to school staff.
These are exciting and varied roles with good scope for creative and innovative working within a new national initiative to increase mental health input directly into schools. There is a very strong peer support network across the CAMHS Education Wellbeing Service (comprising of all of the CWP and Mental Health Support Teams). There is a huge amount of opportunity for developing skills and being at the forefront of an innovative service. We are looking for an enthusiastic, proactive and creative therapist who is keen to expand their skills and learn on the job, with strong support offered at all levels.
We pride ourselves on running an inclusive schools service and would be willing to consider a term time only plus 4 weeks contract if preferred. This equates to 0.93wte and allows for around an additional 20 days annual leave during the school holidays (on top of usual annual leave allowances), ideal for working parents., The postholder will offer direct clinical interventions, both individual and group, as appropriate for their profession and skill set. The WSA work involves working collaboratively with schools at a preventative level and meeting need as it arises within the wider school setting. There are good training opportunities, either through internal CAMHS training or via the specific training events run by Kings College London.
The CWP team exists within an overall network of child mental health resources that coordinates early help, target help and specialist interventions for children and young people according to presentation and need. There are also good opportunities for linking in with local CAMHS and the Single Point of Access within the borough. As these services are all run by the Trust, this makes for smoother linking in and liaison across teams.
This post will require:
+ Qualification as a registered Clinical / Counselling / Educational Psychologist; OR Family Therapist; OR Child & Adolescent Psychotherapist, + To provide specialist assessments of children and young people referred to the service based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and where appropriate, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews in line with CYP IAPT methodology.
+ To formulate and implement plans for evidence-based interventions, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, to improve the parent/child relationship.
+ To be responsible for implementing a range of psychotherapeutic interventions employed individually and in synthesis, maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses, adjusting and refining formulations or understandings, drawing upon different explanatory models and employing methods of intervention that are based upon evidence of efficacy.
+ To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual and the family.
+ To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans
+ To provide specialist mental health advice guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to the care of the child
+ To contribute to and/or use evidence-based, integrated working tools and processes, to ensure children receive holistic and co-ordinated services in response to their mental health needs
+ To undertake risk assessment and risk management
+ To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of children and young people who are under their care.
+ To monitor progress during the course of interventions, ensuring that all interventions are fully assessed, planned, implemented and evaluated in conjunction with CYP IAPT minimum dataset standards.
+ To maintain accurate and accessible health care records according to Trust policy and Information Governance requirements.
+ To demonstrate high level communication skills, both written and verbal, within all agencies.
Teaching, Training, and Supervision
+ To receive regular clinical professional supervision from a senior psychologist / psychotherapist and, where appropriate, other senior colleagues.
+ To gain additional experience and skills relevant to the profession and/or the service (as agreed with the responsible professional and team manager) in accordance with the CAMHS Directorate's common expectations for P&P staff.
+ 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.
+ To provide advice, consultation and training to staff working with the client group across a range of agencies and settings, including the school cluster.
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

+ Good experience of working therapeutically with children, young people & parents
+ Some previous experience of training and teaching
+ Experience of working with self-harm and / or challenging behaviour
+ Strong communication skills
+ The ability to work cohesively and collaboratively both within a small team and within the wider school cluster
+ The ability to use feedback, reflect and adapt accordingly
+ Strong organisational skills

NHS AfC: Band 7
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 as we invest a further £120m to upgrade and modernise our estate by 2027.
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.
Come and join our inclusive teams and help our patients on their recovery journey.