Psychodynamic Psychotherapist London

To contribute to assessment of clients referred to the service, and offer both group and 1:1 therapy. This will include online and/or face-to-face delivery of screening assessments, interventions and specialist assessment and formulation, in line with professional competencies. To work closely with the locality neighbourhood teams to further develop pathways and facilitate the provision of psychological therapy and psychologically informed care to the local population we serve. To develop and support the psychosocial work of other staff through teaching, training, supervision and consultation. To provide specialist advice to NHS and voluntary sector agencies concerning the assessment, treatment and management of service users. To follow defined practices and procedures under the management and co-ordination of the Operational and Clinical Leads. To work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice. To take part in Quality Improvement projects within the team. To utilise research skills for audit, policy, service development and research. To participate in CPD and other developmental activities, keeping up to date with relevant psychological research and national guidance (DoH, NICE etc).

Main duties of the job:

• Provide specialist psychological assessments, formulation and treatment.
• Provide expertise and psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other multidisciplinary professionals.
• Undertake risk assessment and management as needed.
• Utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in the activities of the team.
• Be responsible for providing and receiving highly complex, sensitive, distressing and emotional information in relation to health issues where there are often barriers to acceptance.
• Work with service users who can at times be aggressive and hostile, who may have poor communication skills and self-care and special physical and/or mental needs.
• Be mindful of the needs of individuals and families from a wide range of racial, cultural, sexual, religious and social backgrounds and, with service users and colleagues, co-produce innovative ways of communicating and working across language and cultural barriers.
• Develop working relationships with relevant statutory, voluntary and community groups and organisations.
• Provide expert consultation about the psychological care of the service user group to external staff and organisations.
• Be responsible for recording, monitoring and reporting on clinical work and communicating complex clinical information to a variety of recipients.

About us:

Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

Job responsibilities:

• Provide clinical supervision to trainee psychologists/psychotherapists and assistant psychologists within the team.
• Co-ordinate the workloads of supervisees within the framework of the team's policies and procedures.
• Participate in the appraisal and job planning of supervisees as appropriate.
• Agree work/caseload levels with team manager and professional lead, and manage own workload to meet expected activity levels.
• Participate in appraisal and development planning, identifying and agreeing training needs.
• Maintain up to date knowledge of relevant legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to the provision of services.
• Support service development and quality improvement initiatives within the directorate, in line with directorate priorities and in response to identified local need.
• Attend regular psychological therapy meetings to develop and maintain high standards of professional knowledge and practice in services.
• Attend team meetings related to service governance and development as required.

Person Specification:

Education/Qualification/Training Essential:

• Core Health professional qualification (Nursing, Social Work, Occupational Therapy, and Psychology) or a demonstrable working knowledge of NHS values, clinical structures in secondary mental health care, referral pathways and the roles of NHS professionals.
• Professional registration appropriate to own discipline (e.g. NMC, HCPC).
• Accredited training as a group psychotherapist or individual psychodynamic psychotherapist.

Experience Essential:

• Experience of providing specialist psychological assessments and interventions to patients with complex problems and a range of clinical presentations, including complex trauma.
• Experience of ensuring equality of access and acceptable intervention to diverse populations.
• Experience of working with a wide variety of patient groups across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity.
• Experience of planning and exercising clinical responsibility for patients' psychological care and treatment within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan.
• Experience of work in a multicultural setting, including working with interpreters.
• Experience of developing and delivering culturally acceptable interventions.

Knowledge and Skills Essential:

• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment including the use of theoretical models to analyze information and to develop formulations upon which to base choice of treatment.
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of group interventions.
• Understanding of the basic principles underlying psychological therapy and knowledge of clinical applications of the model(s).

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.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications.

For questions about the job, contact: Principal Group Psychotherapist Harrinder Singh Dhillon harrinder.dhillon1@nhs.net 02085102900