Principal Family and Systemic Psychotherapist in London

This Principal Family and Systemic Psychotherapist post at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust leads family and carer work across five Community Neighbourhood Teams in Lewisham. The job centres on specialist therapies including Open Dialogue, carer support, Family Intervention for psychosis and systemic family therapy, alongside community development with families, carers and partner organisations. It is a senior clinical role with supervision of other practitioners, trainees and honorary staff, and teaching across professions. Fit depends on UKCP registration and AFT accreditation to supervise.

What the job involves

• Develop and lead the family and carer offer across five Community Neighbourhood Teams in Lewisham
• Deliver specialist family and systemic psychotherapy, including Family Intervention for psychosis, across adult community services, covering assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and outcome monitoring
• Provide clinical supervision and consultation
• Supervise and support family and systemic psychotherapists, trainees and honorary staff, including day-to-day supervision of an agreed workload of more junior staff
• Liaise with other agencies and service providers on systemic, family and family-oriented work
• Support community development work with families, carers and partner organisations
• Co-ordinate and chair service and directorate meetings on families and carers
• Implement policies and service changes, and initiate and deliver service development projects across professions
• Plan and deliver teaching and training to pre- and post-qualification family and systemic psychotherapists and other professions
• Contribute to service evaluation, audit, research and policy development
• Estimate resource needs, order supplies and look after Trust equipment
• Keep clinical records and reports to Trust and professional standards, including electronic data entry

Qualifications

• Postgraduate qualification in a relevant mental health or social welfare profession, with demonstrable practice, plus a Masters in family and systemic psychotherapy or equivalent accredited by UKCP
• Specialist post-qualification systemic training at PG Diploma level or equivalent, through specialist short courses, or an evidenced supervised portfolio assessed as equal to a PG Diploma

Registration & licences

• Registered with UKCP as Systemic Psychotherapist, with continuing professional development as UKCP requires
• Accredited by AFT to supervise qualified systemic and family psychotherapists

Experience

• Worked as a qualified systemic family psychotherapist under supervision in adult community multi-disciplinary services
• Specialist systemic assessment, formulation and intervention with complex needs, including psychosis and complex trauma
• Supervised trainee family and systemic psychotherapists after completing the relevant training
• Taught and trained family and systemic psychotherapists or other professional groups
• Worked with diversity, including within a multicultural framework

Skills & knowledge

• Highly developed knowledge of specialised systemic and psychological therapies for complex adult presentations, including psychosis, and advanced knowledge of psychopathology and its evidence base
• Advanced assessment techniques, with skill in complex assessment that integrates data from several sources where opinion may differ
• Advanced knowledge of a wide range of systemic and family models, applied to client need and work setting

Other

• Knowledge of legislation relating to the client group, mental health and child protection
• Skilled, sensitive communication with clients, families, carers and colleagues, overcoming sensory, emotional and cultural barriers
• Advanced consultation skills to work with multi-professional teams
• Autonomous practice within AFT, UKCP and HCPC guidelines

Nice to have

• Completed post-graduate certificate in Family Intervention in Psychosis training
• Experience of supervising and managing qualified professionals
• Experience of developing and leading community mental health teams or services
• Publications in peer-reviewed, academic or professional journals or books

What’s offered

• Access to professional development and learning opportunities
• Involvement in academic research through the working relationship with King's Health Partners
• Opportunity to work alongside people who are world leaders in their field

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