Overview
Job summary
This role will support the small Psychology and Psychotherapy (P&P) team who work in Lewisham's Acute Inpatient service. A key focus is to ensure there is equitable access to P&P interventions for all patient groups. Creativity and flexibility in finding ways to engage with patients who may not typically consider psychological interventions right for them will be key. The post-holder will jointly manage referrals into the team from across the wards and will supervise Trainee Clinical Psychologists and other more junior staff.
Main duties of the job
Be To provide a highly specialist psychological interventions for a wide range of acutely unwell inpatients, including specialist assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes.
* To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.
* To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate, functioning as a lead specialist in acute adult mental health
* To promote service evaluation, audit and research.
* To work as an autonomous professional within registration body guidelines and codes of conduct, guided by principles and policies or procedures of the service, taking responsibility for interpreting policies within defined parameters.
* To agree outcomes/results with clinical/professional lead and to decide how they are best achieved.
* To be active in the provision of staff support within their area, including but not limited to Critical Incident Staff Support and Reflect-Support-Resolve (reflective practise). To participate, as a recipient, in staff support work when appropriate.
About us
Our values and commitments:
* Be caring, kind and polite
* Do what I say I'm going to do
* Take the time and listen to you
* Be honest and direct with you
* Be prompt and value your time
Details
Date posted: 01 September 2025
Pay scheme: Agenda for Change
Band: Band 8a
Salary: £61,927 to £68,676 a year per annum inclusive of HCAS
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 334-CLI-7217774
Job locations: Ladywell Unit, University Hospital Lewisham, Lewisham High Street, London, SE13 6LW
Key Responsibilities (KR)
KR 1 Clinical and Client Care
* To provide specialist psychological assessments, formulations and brief interventions that support purposeful admissions for acutely unwell inpatients with varied presentations including but not limited to psychosis, mood disorders, personality difficulties, autism, mild intellectual disabilities and co-morbid substance misuse. Short-term Direct and Indirect work, one-to-one and group interventions. Neuropsychological assessment where appropriate.
* To provide culturally appropriate and trauma-informed psychological or psychotherapeutic interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.
* To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans; to support more junior members of staff and colleagues to formulate risk.
* To provide reports, including relevant formulation, opinion and interventions, in order to inform referrers and, where appropriate, onward services, service users and their families.
* To select and deliver evidence-based specialist therapeutic interventions, drawing from a spectrum of ideas and models, monitoring outcome and modifying and adapting interventions as necessary, based on the highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual.
* To promote psychological support for carers (or families as appropriate) of referred clients.
KR 2 Contributing to team or service clinical functioning
* To contribute to the effective working of the team and overall unit and to promote a psychologically/psychotherapeutically informed framework for the service.
* To contribute to the teams delivery of accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities. To model and promote trauma-informed and culturally sensitive ways of working with all service users.
* To proactively manage the referrals database jointly with the other Band 8a team member; ensure patients are seen quickly once referred and communicate with the referring ward team regarding the outcome of referrals.
* To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.
* To advise other members of the service on specialist psychological/psychotherapeutic care of clients.
* To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals involved in the patients pathway and care in order to support continuity of care.
* To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other team members.
* To facilitate monthly reflective practise sessions for ward teams within the unit after attending training in SLaMs model of reflective practise (RSR).
* To facilitate monthly case formulation sessions with ward teams to support the Trusts aim to reduce restrictive practises; to help embed trauma-informed and anti-racist practise across the unit.
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, including Quality Improvement Projects.
* To contribute to the consultation and engagement of service users in planning and delivering services which meet the needs of local communities.
Qualifications, Experience, Knowledge & Skills
Essential
* Entry-level qualification in applied psychological therapy/mental health/social welfare profession or equivalent AND demonstrable practice in this field that has been accepted for professional registration (A/I).
* Completed training course in clinical supervision and/or accredited to supervised qualified psychological practitioners in relevant discipline (A/I/R).
* Registered with professional body as appropriate to discipline (HCPC/APC/BPC/UKCP/BACP/BABCP/ADMPUK) (A/I).
* Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the professional body (A/I).
* Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in adult mental health (A/I).
* Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of complex needs in adult mental health (A/I).
* Experience of supervising assistants and trainees having completed the relevant training (A/I).
* Post-qualification experience that supports working with and addressing issues of diversity within local communities (A/I).
* Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for treatment of common problems in acute adult mental health (A/I/R).
* Advanced knowledge of the theory of psychological therapy and its therapeutic application; awareness of assessment and clinical psychometrics (A/I/R).
* Knowledge of legislation relating to the client group, mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities (A/I/R).
* Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care (A/I/R).
* To deliver psychological/psychotherapeutic therapy across cultural and other differences (A/I/R).
* To select and administer specialist psychological assessments, interpreting and integrating complex data from multiple sources (A/I/R).
* Knowledge of a range of therapeutic ideas/models in assessment and treatment relevant to the discipline (A/I/R).
* Knowledge of racial and other diversity issues and factors affecting access to mental health care (A/I/R).
Desirable
* Substantial post-qualification experience/training and/or accreditation in a relevant therapy model (e.g., CBT/DBT/EMDR/ACT).
* BABPC Accreditation
* Experience of working in acute mental health wards
* Experience of delivering short interventions
* Ability to plan, carry out and analyse neuropsychological testing and to incorporate this into formulation and treatment planning
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 to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship
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 further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see the NHS Careers website.
#J-18808-Ljbffr