Highly Specialist Practitioner Psychologist | South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Overview

We are looking to recruit a part time, 8a Practitioner Psychologist, to lead a new, two-year project working with autistic individuals on inpatient wards in Croydon, with the ultimate aim of supporting a positive discharge. You will work with an autistic peer support worker, and be hosted within the wider Transforming Care in Autism team, a diverse and supportive multi-disciplinary team working across Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark.

The role is based at Monks Orchard House on the Bethlem Hospital site, with weekly travel required to the Maudsley Hospital to meet with the wider Transforming Care in Autism team. You will undertake community based visits, and attend other meetings across the Trust as required. You will be well supported by the lead for the Transforming Care in Autism team and the Consultant Clinical Psychologist for the Adult ADHD and Autism pathway.

This new team will sit alongside the well established Transforming Care in Autism Team, within the wider Adult ADHD and Autism pathway which includes diagnostic and post-diagnostic services, an inpatient unit and a national psychology service. We have good links with the IoPPN, and there is a strong commitment to learning and development across the pathway, including a weekly Education and Research session. Psychological staff are supported by a Consultant Clinical Psychologist who works across the pathway.

KR 1 Clinical and Client Care

• To provide highly specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions for clients in the TCA including autistic adults at risk of, or currently admitted to mental health wards.
• To provide culturally appropriate psychological interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.
• To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans.

KR 2 Contributing to team or service clinical functioning

• To contribute to the effective working of the team or service and to a psychologically informed framework for the service.
• To contribute to the team or service’s delivery of accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.
• To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.
• To advise other members of the service on specialist psychological care of clients.
• To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals concerned with clients in order to develop and review care plans.
• To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members.

KR 3 Policy and service development

• To implement policies and procedures in own area of work, and to propose improvements or beneficial changes.
• To contribute to service development through undertaking and participating in appropriate projects.
• To contribute to the consultation and engagement of service users in planning and delivering services which meet the needs of local communities.

KR 4 Care or management of resources

• To take care of, and use carefully, the Trust’s equipment and physical resources.
• To ensure that the post-holder has sufficient resources by estimating future needs and requesting or ordering supplies as needed.

KR 5 Management and supervision

• To be responsible for the allocation and/or clinical supervision of the work of more junior psychologists with support from a more senior psychologist.
• To supervise trainee applied psychologists within own area of specialism.
• To contribute to the appraisal of more junior psychologists, as appropriate.
• To contribute to the recruitment of more junior psychologists, as appropriate.
• To provide supervision for the psychological work of other multi-disciplinary staff as appropriate.

KR 6 Teaching and Training

• To undertake occasional teaching and training of pre and post- qualification psychologists and specialised training to other professions as appropriate.
• To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within the TCA team by maintaining an active awareness of current developments in psychology and by implementing knowledge gained in practice.
• To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles.

KR 7 Record-keeping and Information Governance

• To ensure that all information generated by own work is recorded as required by Trust policies and local procedures.
• To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry.

KR 8 Research and development

• To initiate, undertake, support and supervise regular complex service evaluation and audits.
• To initiate and carry out appropriate research
• To provide expertise in a specialist research area which will contribute to the TCA service.
• To initiate and implement the development of outcome measurement and assessment and assist other staff in the implementation of same.

KR 9 Maintaining professional standards and continuing professional development

• To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior psychologist according to HCPC and Trust guidelines.
• To ensure own Continuing Professional Development in line with BPS and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements and the HCPC ‘Standards for Continuing Professional Development’.
• To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.
• To comply with the HCPC ‘Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics’ and ‘Standards of Proficiency’, and ensure professional development in line with these.
• To adhere to the BPS’s Professional Practice Guidelines and Trust policies and procedures.

KR10 General

• To travel to home visits, community placements and meetings as appropriate and across the Trust when required.
• To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the client group, and follow trust policies relating to its management.
• To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing such as behaviours of concern and psychological distress and to support others involved in such situations.

This advert closes on Tuesday 30 Sep 2025