South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, with the support of the NHS in England, are excited to offer training opportunities for candidates wishing to train in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for people experiencing severe mental health problems. The roles offer 2 years of training in CBT with University College London (UCL). In the second year, candidates will specialise in working with people presenting with Eating Disorders (for this post) or Personality Disorder or Psychosis & Bipolar Disorder. After the 2 years of training, provided the candidate successfully passes the course and then gains accreditation as a CBT Therapist with the British Association of Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP), they will progress to a qualified post as a band 7 Cognitive Behavioural Therapist.
The posts are suitable for candidates who already have a core professional training in a relevant profession.People without a core profession but will extensive mental health experience will be eligible to apply provided they can meet the requirements of the BABCP Knowledge, Skills & Attitudes portfolio. These candidates would need to demonstrate that they would be in a position to meet the KSA by the end of the first year of UCL training.
Successful completion of the 2-year training period will lead to qualification as a band 7 CBT therapist with eligibility for employment in SLaM. Employment may be in any SLaM team, not necessarily the Eating Disorders Service.
This role is a 2-year fixed term appointment leading to a permanent Psychological Therapist post at the end of this period if the postgraduate diploma programme is completed successfully and full accreditation awarded. This intensive training post will equip the post–holder to provide a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) service to clients with a range of complex problems for which CBT is demonstrated to be clinically effective, including eating disorders. The post- holder will work in the service for 4 days of the week using the newly developed skills whilst attending the training programme for the other day.
The post-holder must have experience of working with service users experiencing mental health problems and the skills and abilities needed to form effective and safe therapeutic relationships. They should have excellent written and verbal communication skills. The post-holder will work with people with different cultural backgrounds and ages, using interpreters when necessary and should be committed to equal opportunities. The post-holder must be able to attend 70-80 days training at University College London over a 2-year course. This will include a day per week and 5-day intensive teaching blocks. They must be able to complete all the academic components of the course and have the ability to integrate training into practice under supervision.
The post is expected to commence in January 2026 (specific date to be confirmed).
The Eating Disorder Outpatient Department is internationally renowned as a centre for excellence in the development and provision of leading, evidence-based psychological therapies for adults with eating disorders. For example, the service is home to the FREED model of early intervention (First episode Rapid Early intervention for Eating Disorders) and MANTRA (Maudsley Anorexia Nervosa Treatment for Adults). The service is continually developing, providing evidence-based models, and is highly active in research. We offer low intensity and longer duration CBT for eating disorders, individually and in group formats.
The service is based at the Maudsley Hospital in Denmark Hill but offers a mix of office based and remote working options for staff. Service users come from the boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham, Croydon, Greenwich, Bexley and Bromley. There is also an Eating Disorders Day Services programme based at the Maudsley Hospital and an 18-bed inpatient unit at Tyson West 2, located in Tyson House Bethlem Royal Hospital. All these services have rapidly expanded and continue to be in high demand.
As part of the South London Partnership, South London & Maudsley NHS and St George’s NHS are working together to provide quality eating disorder services across the whole of South London.
The post holder will provide low-intensity CBT interventions under close clinical and professional supervision, and in keeping with the requirements of the 2 year UCL training course. The second year of the training course will specifically focus on CBT for eating disorders. The role includes:
· Accept referrals via agreed protocols within the service.
· Assess clients for suitability for CBT. Where the problems appear to be too complex or severe to be appropriate for a trainee, therapist to refer to manager/supervisor for advice on how to manage the case.
· Make decisions on suitability of new referrals, adhering to the department’s referral protocols, and refer unsuitable clients on to the relevant service or back to the referral agent as necessary.
· Formulate, implement and evaluate therapy programmes for clients.
· Educate and involve family members and others in treatment as necessary, conveying CBT formulations with sensitivity in easily understood language.
· Adhere to an agreed activity contract relating to the number of client contacts offered, and clinical sessions carried out per week in order to minimise waiting times and ensure treatment delivery remains accessible and convenient.
· Attend multi-disciplinary meetings relating to referrals or clients in treatment, where appropriate.
· Complete all requirements relating to data collection within the service.
· Keep coherent records of all clinical activity in line with service protocols.
· Work closely with other members of the team ensuring appropriate step-up and step-down arrangements are in place to maintain a stepped care approach.
· Assess and integrate issues surrounding work and employment into the overall therapy process.
· Attend and fulfil all the requirements of the training element of the post.
· Apply learning form the training programme in practice.
· Receive supervision from educational providers in relation to course work to meet the required standards.
· Ensure the maintenance of standards of practice according to the employer and any regulating, professional and accrediting bodies (e.g. BPS, UKCP, BABCP), and keep up to date on new recommendations/guidelines set by the department of health (e.g. NHS plan, National Service Framework, National Institute for Clinical Excellence).
· Ensure that client confidentiality is protected at all times.
· Be aware of and keep up to date with advances in the spheres of CBT.
· Ensure clear professional objectives are identified, discussed and reviewed with senior therapists on a regular basis as part of continuing professional development.
· Attend clinical/managerial supervision on a regular basis as agreed with manager.
· Participate in individual performance review and respond to agreed objectives.
· Keep up to date all records in relation to C.P.D. and ensure personal development plan maintains up to date specialist knowledge of latest theoretical and service delivery models/developments.
· Attend relevant conferences / workshops in line with identified professional objectives.
· Contribute to the development of best practice within the service.
· Maintain up-to-date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and procedures in relation to Mental Health and Primary Care Services.
· All employees have a duty and responsibility for their own health and safety and the health of safety of colleagues, patients and the general public.
· All employees have a responsibility and a legal obligation to ensure that information processed for both patients and staff is kept accurate, confidential, secure and in line with the Data Protection Act (2018) and Security and Confidentiality Policies.
· It is the responsibility of all staff that they do not abuse their official position for personal gain, to seek advantage of further private business or other interests in the course of their official duties.
For more detail please see the full attached Job Description & Person Specification.
This advert closes on Tuesday 4 Nov 2025