Family Interventions in Psychosis Practitioner

Applicants should have experience of providing structured interventions to families and carers, and will have accessed training in at least one form of family work. Supervision will be provided by a senior Clinical Psychologist within the team. Additionally, we offer monthly FIp group supervision.
The post holder will join a well-established and supportive early intervention in psychosis service for people with a psychotic diagnosis and their families. The post holder will join a group of therapists in the EIP team, working with people aged between 14-65 who are experiencing a first episode of psychosis. The team has an assistant psychologist who offers a well-being and support package to carers and the post holder will work closely with this post.
This post will suit someone with an interest in developing their skills in applying evidence-based psychological therapies with this client group and working with multi-disciplinary teams. The post holders will be expected to participate in supervision and CPD focused on evidence-based interventions in psychosis. The service has practitioners interested in the provision of trauma informed care, with a particular focus on NET and EMDR approaches., NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop in sessions focusing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.
Probationary Period
This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).
High Cost Area Supplement - London
This post attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (minimum payment of £4,551 and a maximum payment of £5,735 per annum pro rata).
Certificates of Sponsorship
Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all job roles. Please check your eligibility under the UKVI points based system., Provide clinical supervision for MDT members undertaking FI training.
- Provide FI supervision and consultation to other clinicians undertaking FI training and delivering low intensity interventions.
- Contribute to formal and informal teaching for community multi-professional staff.
- Have a commitment to undertake research in Family Intervention and family inclusive practice
- Ensure high quality FI in the service in line with clinical governance, giving advice on the development of FI to senior clinicians and senior managers.
- Undertake NICE concordant FI training
- To plan, coordinate and evaluate carer focussed education and support programmes
- To contribute to service developments for FI for Psychosis.
- To work as an autonomous professional within established professional guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by the policies and procedures of the service
Leadership
- To act as a role model in encouraging and inspiring individuals and the team to deliver a family inclusive service.
- To engage and facilitate staff to work collaboratively in providing family inclusive practice and FI
- To create a condition that enables the individual team member to perform at their best by providing encouragement, support, advice and clinical supervision.
- To review and reflect on own practice and perform through effective use of management and professional supervision.
- To develop own and others knowledge and practice across professional and organisational boundaries.
Management and supervision
- To use resources and equipment appropriately, safely and economically ensuring duty of care at all time.
Service Development:
- To actively participate in Trust-wide services and policy reviews of FI and family inclusive practice.
- To participate in the strategic and operational planning, implementation, evaluation and audit of practice, clinical pathways and protocols within the clinical area.
- To contribute and influence the development of the clinical governance and quality agenda for Family Intervention services.
- To contribute to the monitoring and evaluation of psychological interventions across EIS.
- To plan, coordinate and evaluate carer focussed education and support programmes
- To contribute to the consultation and engagement of service users, carers and families in planning and delivering services which meet the needs of local communities.
- To attend relevant meetings and working groups to ensure practice in the Early Intervention teams reflects the Trust carers strategy Clinical Skills
- To work autonomously in processing referrals, undertaking FI assessments, selecting appropriate clients with complex needs who are suitable for psychological treatment and interventions.
- To deliver highly specialised Family Intervention treatment for clients presenting to the secondary mental health service with severe, complex and enduring psychological difficulties, individually or in groups.
- To refer clients on, as appropriate, to other statutory and non statutory services.
- To work with clients in a variety of settings, including the client's home and a range of community settings.
- To use specialist measurement tools and rating scales in undertaking highly specialised psychological assessments, formulation of specialist care plans and monitoring progress and measuring treatment outcomes.
- To assess clinical risk and formulate management plans, including crisis and contingency plans.
- To be directly accountable for own professional action, quality of clinical intervention provided and the maintenance of high standards of care within professional codes of practice, professional ethics and legal standards.
- To develop therapeutic relationships incorporating limit and boundary setting and therapeutic confrontation when inappropriate behaviour is exhibited.
- To provide culturally appropriate interventions with carers and families of referred clients
- To attend MDT meetings and be an active member of the team giving psychological input into case management and providing advice on Family Interventions to other professions.
- To provide specialist psychological advice guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients' formulation, diagnosis and treatments plan.
- To keep abreast of new legislation and local and national NHS development policy.
- To ensure that up-to-date electronic records and activity data are maintained in accordance with Professional and Trust standards.
Mental and emotional effort
- To be able to work under pressure and stressful situations, managing conflicts, managing competing demands, prioritising effectively, taking measured risks making decisions and judgement.
- To be aware of own strengths and limitations and be able to manage own anxiety and appear confident to staff and clients.
- To manage high anxiety and emotions generated by working with service users who maybe at a serious risk to themselves or others - managing own feelings and those of the client.
Physical effort
- To work with clients who have complex needs and challenging behaviour
- To adhere to Trust's requirements for management of violence training relevant to clinical area
- To continually observe service users during assessments and interventions, identify changes in mental state and respond accordingly
- To be able to move between bases and deliver care to clients and their families in community settings
Research
- To undertake evaluation on FI treatment and intervention outcomes of the service provided by self and the team using specialised measures.
- To broaden research and development skills through relevant personal development activities and education and training programmes.
- To participate in research and audit projects.
- To demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate current research, apply them to practice and disseminate finding at a local level., To engage, support and supervise EIP multi professional staff in providing FI and Family Inclusive practice.
- To facilitate group supervision sessions for staff to bring cases for discussion.
- To update and maintain specialist skills and knowledge in FI.
- To attend specialist supervision provided for the delivery of NICE concordant FI.
- To attend all mandatory training as directed by the Trust.
- To ensure own Continuing Professional Development in line with professional body, professional registering body and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements.
- To comply with the relevant professional standards of conduct, ethics and proficiency, and ensure professional development in line with these.
- To keep abreast of new legislation and local and national NHS development policy.
Manage own Workload:
- To manage a caseload of families and clients under the care of the Early Intervention teams using autonomy and expert knowledge and judgment in treatment.
- To plan, organize and prioritize own workload effectively, ensuring that appropriate time and attention is allocated to all different aspects of responsibility, i.e. clinical management, supervision and teaching.
- To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner as part of an integrated service culture where there is professional respect between disciplines.
Communication
- To maintain professional working relationships with:
- Multi-professional staff in the Early Intervention Team.
- Trust Carers Lead
- Referrers and wider teams
- Families, carers and Service user representatives
- Statutory and non-statutory mental health services
- To communicate information via highly specialised Family Intervention treatment for clients with severe, complex and enduring psychological difficulties, individually or in groups.
- To develop therapeutic relationships incorporating limit and boundary setting and therapeutic confrontation when inappropriate behaviour is exhibited.
- To be able to communicate and provide culturally appropriate interventions with carers and families of referred clients
- To ensure that up-to-date electronic records and activity data are maintained in accordance with Professional and Trust standards.
Computer/Administration
- To regularly enter and update information regarding clinical activity into the RiO clinical records system.
- To competently utilise Microsoft packages including Word, Excel and Power point in order to produce professional clinical and training materials for use as part of normal clinical responsibilities.
Clinical Recordkeeping
- To ensure that up to date written and electronic records and activity data are maintained in accordance with Professional and Trust standards.
- To comply with Trust reporting procedures for incidents and complaints
Use of AI
Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.
Benefits
We believe in bringing your authentic and best self to work, in order to deliver the best care to our patients. We are committed to supporting our employees holistically. Here is a snapshot of what is on offer at NELFT:
+ A long-standing and award-winning approach to equality and diversity with supportive networks for ethnic minority staff, staff with disabilities or long term/chronic conditions and LGBT staff.
+ A commitment to supporting colleagues to achieve a work life balance, through flexible working opportunities and our efforts to support our working parents and carers. This has resulted in us being recognised as a 'Top 10 Family Friendly Employer' from the Working Families Charity.
+ Proactive health and wellbeing support, including access to our employee assistance programme, staff psychological support, individual wellbeing conversations and a network of health and wellbeing ambassadors.
+ Detailed information about our wellbeing and benefits offer can be found in this link.
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that's a job share, part time hours or another flexible pattern.
Supporting our Armed Forces
We recognise the valuable contribution that the Armed Forces community make to our organisation. We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and achieved Gold Award under the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme. We have supportive policies, guaranteed interview schemes for veterans. reservists and military spouses and give additional leave to our Reservists so that they can attend their annual camp.

Joining #TeamNELFT means you'll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We're CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.
The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for three consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.
Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video