Highly Specialist Systemic Family Therapist

We have an exciting opportunity for a family therapist within our leading-edge adult eating disorder services. The service supports both the direct work with adults and their families on the adult specialist eating disorder unit and supports with the integrated eating disorder care pathways. We are looking for experienced family therapists interested in working in this fascinating area. Please note you do not need to have experience in eating disorders as we will provide support and training to develop this specialist knowledge.
The successful candidate will work closely with the multi-disciplinary teams in the ward services in the delivery of evidence based psychological systemic therapies.
Avalon ward is 18 bedded unit for adults suffering with severe eating disorders, often at a very low weight and there is a high level of co-morbidity with other conditions. The team is a recovery focused service and aims to discharge patients safely back to their local community services. The team is made up of nurses, healthcare assistants, psychiatrist, dieticians, occupational therapists, social worker, psychologists and peer support workers.
Avalon Ward has moved to a bright, new environment at Springfield hospital in the new Trinity Building. The adult service receives client patients from both the national service within the UK and Northern Ireland and from the local surrounding areas., + Support the development of the delivery of evidence based systemic family therapies adapted to an in-patient setting for adults with eating disorders.
+ Participate in assessment and care planning for people admitted to the ward.
+ Facilitate psycho-educational workshops and parent/carer support groups.
+ Support nursing staff to implement care plans through the dissemination of systemic frameworks and interventions.
+ Support management of ROMs and audit.
+ Offer systemic family therapy to carers and clients using a range of systemic interventions and family therapy for anorexia nervosa (FT-AN) and the Maudsley models.
+ Attend all multi-disciplinary meetings and care planning reviews.
+ Run systemic consultations across the MDT and contribute to thinking about the patients and their families from a systemic psychotherapy perspective.
+ Set up and run reflecting team groups to develop systemic thinking across the staff groups.
Agile and flexible working:
As one of the few Trusts in London we are proud to offer flexible working as part of our new ways of working, and we are happy to talk flexible working at the interview stage., 1. To provide highly specialist systemic assessment of referrals in order to formulate and implement plans for the treatment and/or management of a patient's mental health problems based upon an appropriate conceptual framework and employing evidence-based methods.
2. To work in ways which are sensitive to the needs of families from a wide range of racial, cultural and religious backgrounds. This includes an ability to understand and offer therapeutic interventions to a variety of family forms including single parents, same sex couples and their families, extended families and patients with mental health difficulties.
3. To provide systemic psychotherapy with clinical autonomy drawing on a range of models and wherever possible brief interventions. To practice in a way which is inclusive and considerate of the needs of each individual in the system including family members and their varying developmental stages and current emotional stage.
4. To be responsible for implementing a range of systemic interventions for patients and their families, including families with eating disorders, adjusting and refining systemic formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
5. To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.
6. To exercise appropriate autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by care plans.
7. To organise and provide systemic psychotherapy clinics in line with service and training needs. To provide live supervision of other professionals and non-systemic clinicians in the service who are members of the clinic.
8. To communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
9. To maintain current knowledge of the operation of recording equipment and promote ethical and effective use in line with Trust policy. To introduce this practice to families in a sensitive way and to advise and instruct clinicians in other disciplines and systemic psychotherapy trainees on the fitting and appropriate use of this intervention.
10. To convene case conferences and professional network meetings in order to clarify what might be the best possible care for the client and family system.
11. To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner information including assessment, formulation and treatment plans of patients and to monitor progress during the course of uni and multi-disciplinary treatment.
12. To work in accordance with the team objectives by adhering to Trust policies, including risk assessment in all work, ensuring care plans are in place, recording of notes up to date, attending and contributing a systemic view in case discussion and team meetings.
Teaching, Training and Supervision:
1. The post holder will be expected to undertake teaching, training and supervision in accordance with common expectations for P&P staff and in line with the strategy agreed within the CAMHS and All Age Eating Disorders Directorate.
2. To receive regular clinical professional supervision from a senior psychologist / systemic family psychotherapist and, where appropriate, other senior colleagues in accordance with Trust clinical governance standards and the codes of practice and ethical guidelines of Association for Family Therapy (AFT) and United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).
3. 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 and All Age Eating Disorders Directorate's common expectations for P&P staff.
4. To gain additional highly specialist experience and skills relevant to the profession and/or service (as agreed with the responsible professional and team manager) in accordance with the CAMHS and All Age Eating Disorders Directorate's common expectations for P&P staff.
5. To maintain and develop skills within the areas of professional post-graduate teaching, training and supervision and to provide supervision to the multi-disciplinary team work.
6. To provide professional and clinical supervision and training placements, across professional groups, where appropriate.
7. To act as a specialist systemic psychotherapy resource by provision of systemic supervision and consultation to the teams within theCAMHS & All Age Eating Disorders directorate.
Management, Recruitment, Policy and Service Development
1. To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the service's operational policies and services (as directed), through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit.
2. To contribute to a culture that is therapeutic, productive, accessible, inclusive and flexible to meet the needs of the local population.
3. To manage the workloads of doctoral trainee clinical/counselling psychologists and trainee systemic psychotherapists where appropriate, within the framework of the team/service's policies and procedures.
4. To be involved, as appropriate, in the short listing and interviewing of assistant/graduate psychologists and qualified staff at Band 7 and below.
5. To work as a member of organisational groups, working parties etc within the team, as requested.
6. To contribute to the development of user and carer involvement within the team.
7. To manage own workload effectively and efficiently, taking into account the needs of the team and the flexibility required to sustain client engagement.
Research and Service Evaluation:
1. To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research, eg NICE guidelines, to inform evidence based practice in work with individuals, families and their networks.
2. To undertake appropriate research and provide research advice to other staff undertaking research.
Other:
1. 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 consultation with the post holder's professional and service manager(s).
2. To contribute to the development of best practice in systemic psychotherapy by taking part in regular supervision and appraisal and maintaining awareness of current developments in the field.
3. 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 practise and Trust policies and procedures.
4. To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific client group and mental health.
5. To maintain UKCP registration.
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.
About our locations:
Springfield University Hospital, Tooting
Our largest, 19-ward site is in Springfield Village, created following our £150m investment into two new world class mental health facilities. A 32-acre public park, shops and cafes are coming soon. Close to shops, cafes and Tooting Bec on the Northern Line plus Earlsfield and Tooting rail stations and bus routes.