Band 7 Psychologist / MBT Therapist or Band 6 Trainee MBT Therapist

Main area: Mental Health

Contract: Permanent

For the Band 6 Trainee MBT Therapist post, the successful applicant must be willing to undertake a funded programme of accredited training in an evidence-based therapy for people with complex emotional needs associated with a diagnosis of ‘personality disorder’ (MBT), and must maintain satisfactory progress in this training in order to be able to continue working in this role. On successful completion of accredited training within a two-year period, the banding of this post will change to Band 7 MBT Therapist.

Hours: Full time/Part time, 37.5 hours per week

Salary: £38,682 - £54,710 Per annum

Closing date: 01/03/2026 23:59

ELFT has long been recognised as a centre of excellence for mental health care, innovation and improvement. Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – 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.

The Bedfordshire and Luton Complex Needs Service is excited to advertise for a Band 7 Psychologist / MBT Therapist to join our developing MBT team that enables us to offer a choice of evidence-based treatment for people with complex emotional needs (associated with a diagnosis of ‘personality disorder’).

Ideal candidates would already have accredited training in Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT), an evidence-based therapy for ‘personality disorder’. However, the service would consider appointing senior mental health professionals (e.g. Community Social Workers, Community Psychiatric Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Art Therapists) with highly developed clinical skills, and interest and enthusiasm for working with people with complex emotional needs, to a Band 6 Trainee MBT Therapist role. To be considered for this trainee role, applicants would have to be willing to undertake concurrent training in MBT and would need to maintain satisfactory progress in this training in order to continue working in this role. On successful completion of accredited training and supervised practice within a two-year period, the banding of this post would change to Band 7 MBT Therapist.

This post requires a UK driving license and access to a vehicle insured for business use for the purpose of travel between bases in the county (due to limited public transport in some areas).

Main duties of the job:

• The successful candidates will be committed to working collaboratively with service users, carers, and colleagues to create a psychologically safe environment that enables the delivery of effective treatment.
• The post holders will be required to actively participate in weekly team consultation/peer supervision meetings, and will offer specialist advice, supervision, training, and consultation to other professionals and teams to support effective and efficient psychologically-informed care and treatment across Bedfordshire and Luton.
• We would particularly welcome interest from candidates who are committed to co-producing the development of the care pathway through participation in clinical research, audit and/or quality improvement projects.

Person specification:

• Core Mental Health Profession (e.g. Social Worker; Occupational Therapist; Community Psychiatric Nurse; Psychologist; Art Therapist)
• Current HCPC/NMC registration
• Training in an evidence-based psychological therapy
• Accredited training in evidence-based therapies for people with a diagnosis of ‘personality disorder’ (Mentalization Based Treatment accredited by the Anna Freud Centre)

Experience:

• Substantial clinical experience working with people with a diagnosis of ‘personality disorder’ as a member of a multi-disciplinary community mental health team.
• Experience of conducting psychologically informed/generic assessments, group interventions, risk assessments, mental state assessments, safety planning and crisis interventions.
• Knowledge and experience of working with people with mood disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, substance misuse and psychosis.
• Experience of offering psychological interventions to people with complex emotional needs associated with a diagnosis of ‘personality disorder’ (DBT/CBT/MBT).
• Experience of supervising staff and/or students.
• Experience of teaching/training others.
• Active participation in co-produced service planning and delivery.
• Post-qualification experience of autonomously managing a caseload in a community mental health setting.
• Experience of using outcome measures in clinical practice.
• Experience, skills and ability to liaise effectively with other agencies and professionals.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Knowledge of NICE guidelines for management and treatment of ‘personality disorder’; awareness of relevant research and its implications for clinical practice.
• Knowledge and skills in an evidence-based therapy for people with ‘personality disorder’ (MBT, DBT, CBT).
• Knowledge and understanding of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to the welfare of adults with mental health difficulties and a diagnosis of ‘personality disorder’ and their friends/families (including children).
• Ability to apply an understanding of diversity, difference and rights to interactions with people with complex emotional needs associated with a diagnosis of ‘personality disorder’.
• Ability to analyse and manage complex multifactorial clinical information from a range of sources integrating it into a formulation utilising a biopsychosocial model.
• Advanced knowledge and understanding of risk management practice with service users who have a diagnosis of ‘personality disorder’.

You must have appropriate UK professional registration. This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.