At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and improve suicide prevention services while providing expert clinical support.
- Company: A leading organisation dedicated to mental health and suicide prevention.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, professional development, and a chance to make a real difference.
- Why this job: Join a mission-driven team and help save lives through innovative therapeutic practices.
- Qualifications: Professional qualification in psychology or related field with substantial experience.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for leadership and research in a supportive environment.
The predicted salary is between 65000 - 65000 £ per year.
Salary: £65,000 per annum, plus 15% ILW if applicable
Hours: Full-time, 37.5 hours per week
Contract Type: Permanent
Location: Birmingham, Liverpool, London, or Newcastle, with travel to other centres when required
Reports to: Director of Clinical Services
The Consultant Suicide Prevention Therapist is a senior clinical leader responsible for the delivery, governance, quality and continuous improvement of the organisation's therapeutic suicide prevention model.
Main duties of the job
The Consultant Suicide Prevention Therapist reports to the Director of Clinical Services who retains overall strategic, executive and corporate accountability for all aspects of clinical services across the organisation. Within this structure, the Consultant Suicide Prevention Therapist plays a pivotal leadership role in translating strategic direction into operational delivery of therapeutic services. The postholder ensures consistency, quality, safety and fidelity of clinical practice across centres, working closely with Heads of Centres and clinical staff to embed standards, manage risk and drive service improvement. The role combines coordination and delivery of specialist clinical expertise, leadership, research and evaluation, clinical training and opportunity to deputise for the Director of Clinical Services in defined areas of delegated responsibility.
Job responsibilities
- Advanced Specialist Clinical Practice
- Provide expert consultation on cases involving increased risk
- Operate with high autonomy in complex, high-stakes clinical decision-making
- Model advanced formulation, safety planning and therapeutic engagement
- Support multidisciplinary decision-making in situations with significant clinical and organisational implications
- Hold a small, specialised caseload offering welcome assessment and interventions
- Research and Evaluation
- Review existing research and literature to inform your own work
- Lead clinical audit and service evaluation programmes
- Initiate and oversee research activity in suicide prevention
- Develop academic partnerships where appropriate
- Disseminate learning internally and externally
- Analyse and interpret data and other information
- Comply with ethical, legal, and health and safety requirements when undertaking research
- Clinical Training
- Lead on advanced clinical training frameworks
- Design and (co)deliver suicide prevention and risk management training
- Develop and maintain clinical competency frameworks
- Provide supervision to senior clinicians and specialist practitioners as required
- Embed reflective practice and continuous professional development structures
- Service Performance, Quality Data Leadership
- Establish and monitor KPIs and clinical outcome measures
- Interpret complex clinical and operational data to inform service improvement
- Lead quality improvement initiatives across centres
- Ensure robust data governance and confidentiality standards
- Oversee digital safety and governance in remote or technology-enabled delivery
- Use evaluation findings to influence strategic and commissioning discussions
- Strategic and Service Leadership
- Support implementation of the Director of Clinical Services strategic vision for therapeutic services
- Lead operational delivery of the organisation's suicide prevention therapeutic model across centres
- Translate organisational strategy into clear clinical standards, competencies and delivery expectations
- Work collaboratively with Heads of Centres to ensure consistent standards of care, governance and risk management
- Provide professional leadership and clinical direction to Principal-, Senior- and Suicide Prevention Therapists
- Ensure fidelity to evidence-based suicide prevention frameworks
- Represent the organisation in multi-agency suicide prevention partnerships and regional forums
- Escalate systemic risks, quality concerns and strategic issues appropriately
- Clinical Governance and Organisational Risk
- Lead and maintain the clinical governance framework for suicide prevention services
- Oversee serious incident review processes and ensure implementation of organisational learning
- Lead on governance, audit and risk reporting relating to therapeutic services
- Ensure safeguarding standards are consistently embedded across centres
- Develop and review organisational policies relating to suicide risk management and crisis response
- Ensure readiness for internal and external inspection and compliance within our agreed quality standards
- Manage high level clinical risks with potential organisational or reputational impact
- Financial and Resource Responsibility
- Hold delegated responsibility for defined elements of the service budget (e.g., training, research or service development)
- Contribute to workforce planning and establishment modelling
- Ensure effective and efficient use of clinical resources
- Provide input into business cases and funding proposals
- Leadership and Line Management
- Hold responsibility for appraisal, performance management and capability processes
- Provide professional leadership across all therapist grades
- Support Heads of Centres in managing complex clinical performance or risk issues
- Ensure safe caseload allocation and supervision structures
- Contribute to recruitment and workforce development strategy
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
- Lead culturally competent and trauma-informed suicide prevention practice
- Address inequalities in access, experience and outcomes
- Promote inclusive, anti-discriminatory clinical standards and practice across services
Person Specification
Qualifications
- Professional qualification in Psychology, Psychotherapy, Counselling, Psychiatry, Nursing, Social Work, or equivalent
- Current registration with relevant statutory body or accredited membership of recognised professional body (e.g., Health and Care Professions Council, NMC, UKCP, BACP, BABCP)
- Post Qualifying masters and/or Doctoral level qualification
Experience
- Substantial post-qualification experience working with individuals at high risk of suicide
- Experience leading clinical governance frameworks
- Experience managing serious incident reviews and embedding learning
- Experience contributing to organisational strategy implementation
- Experience delivering advanced supervision and training
- Experience influencing service delivery across multiple teams or sites
- Experience interpreting complex service data to drive improvement
- Experience operating with significant professional autonomy
- Advanced knowledge of suicide theory, risk formulation and evidence-based interventions
- Knowledge of safeguarding legislation and practice relevant clinical governance frameworks
- Understanding of best practice models, and quality standards
- Knowledge of outcome measurement systems and quality improvement methodology
- Awareness of national suicide prevention strategies and policy landscape
- Advanced clinical risk assessment and formulation skills
- Strategic thinking and systems leadership
- Ability to translate strategy into operational delivery
- Strong analytical and data interpretation capability, to design, conduct and evaluate research
- Skilled in influencing senior stakeholders
- High emotional resilience and professional integrity
- Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills
- Experience with delegated budget management.
- Experience representing services in regional or multi-agency forums
- Research publication or formal evaluation leadership
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Consultant Suicide Prevention Therapist employer: James' Place Charity
Contact Detail:
James' Place Charity Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Consultant Suicide Prevention Therapist
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to professionals in the mental health field, especially those who work in suicide prevention. Attend relevant events or webinars, and don’t be shy about introducing yourself. You never know who might have a lead on your dream job!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your knowledge of current suicide prevention strategies and best practices. Be ready to discuss how you can contribute to the organisation's goals. Practise answering common interview questions with a friend or mentor to boost your confidence.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your expertise! Create a portfolio that highlights your experience in clinical governance, training, and research. Include any relevant projects or case studies that demonstrate your skills and impact in the field. This will set you apart from other candidates.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in being part of our team. Keep an eye on our job postings and jump on opportunities as they arise!
We think you need these skills to ace Consultant Suicide Prevention Therapist
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Consultant Suicide Prevention Therapist role. Highlight your relevant experience and skills that align with the job description, especially in clinical governance and suicide prevention.
Showcase Your Expertise: Don’t hold back on showcasing your advanced clinical practice and leadership experience. We want to see how you've made an impact in previous roles, particularly in high-stakes decision-making and service improvement.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it clear and to the point. Use straightforward language to convey your qualifications and experiences, making it easy for us to see why you’re a great fit for the team.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets to the right people and shows your enthusiasm for joining our mission in suicide prevention.
How to prepare for a job interview at James' Place Charity
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you’re well-versed in the latest research and best practices in suicide prevention. Brush up on your knowledge of risk assessment, evidence-based interventions, and clinical governance frameworks. This will not only show your expertise but also demonstrate your commitment to continuous improvement.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Consultant Suicide Prevention Therapist, you'll be expected to lead and influence others. Prepare examples of how you've successfully led teams or projects in the past. Highlight your experience in managing serious incidents and embedding learning within clinical settings.
✨Prepare for Scenario Questions
Expect to face scenario-based questions that assess your decision-making skills in high-stakes situations. Think about past experiences where you had to make tough calls and be ready to discuss your thought process and the outcomes of those decisions.
✨Engage with the Interviewers
Interviews are a two-way street! Prepare thoughtful questions about the organisation’s approach to suicide prevention and how they measure success. This shows your genuine interest in the role and helps you gauge if the organisation aligns with your values.