Job overview
This is an exciting opportunity to join and help shape a recently established service. West London NHS Trust is recruiting to the Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Service for Hounslow, Ealing and Hammersmith & Fulham CAMHS. Prior to commencing with the main duties of the post, a 5-day foundational DBT training course will be offered to the successful candidate if they do not have such previous DBT training. Please note that this training will be for 5 days and starts on 23rd March 2026.
The service provides assessment, treatment; training and consultation in relation to young people aged 12 to 18 who present with persistent self-harm and suicidal behaviour, which may be in the context of emotional dysregulation. Many of the young people seen, present with complex needs including high risk behaviours. All young people seen will have a comprehensive assessment to inform decision making and planning for the future. Each team member has a small caseload and the team supports each other via consultation meetings and supervision.
Within the DBT service each clinician plays an active role in all aspects of the
service, including assessment, treatment (individual therapy, skills group, phone
coaching) teaching, training, research, and service development.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be required:
•To provide specialist DBT to the service users of the WL CAMHS DBT Service, including specialist assessment and intervention for young people referred to the service. Contribute to service evaluation, policy development, audit, evaluation, and research in the area of self-harm and emotional dysregulation. Provide clinical supervision, teaching and consultation as appropriate.
• To use and maintain skilled standards of professional clinical practice in the treatment modalities required by the children and young people attending the DBT service and be a resource to the whole service in maintaining the skills of others.
•To manage their own caseload and provide specialist DBT interventions for young people. They will be responsible for the provision of skills training groups for young people and parents/carers.
•To work in partnership with schools, social services departments, as well as local and national services to support integrated practice and service delivery.
Working for our organisation
West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse healthcare providers in the UK, delivering a range of mental health and physical healthcare and community services. The Trust runs Broadmoor Hospital, one of three high secure hospitals in the country, with an international reputation.
Our high secure services care for patients from South of England and we provide low and medium secure services across eight London boroughs. The Trust also provides mental and physical healthcare in three London boroughs (Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham). We employ 4,500 staff, of whom 56% are BME. Our turnover for 2023-24 is £426m.
The Trust is rated as ‘Good’ overall by the Care Quality Commission. Forensic services are rated as ‘Outstanding’.
The Trust is an established partner and contributor in the development of the evolving North West London Integrated Care System and the Integrated Care Board. The Trust leads the NW London Children and Adolescent Mental Health provider collaborative
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached.
The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. Doctoral level training in clinical psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the British Psychological Society, or equivalent if trained overseas.
2. Eligible to work as a Practitioner Psychologist (Clinical / Counselling) as approved by the Health Care Professions Council.
Desirable criteria
3. British Isles DBT 5 day foundational training
4. Pre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
5. Post-doctoral/graduate training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice with children and young people.
6. Clinical training as part of a CYP IAPT collaborative in a recognised evidenced based approach i.e. DBT, CBT, Parenting Skills or other.
Experience
Essential criteria
7. Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of children, adolescents and their families across a range of care settings, (e.g. outpatient, community, primary care, in patient settings).
8. Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
9. Experience of working with children, adolescents and their families
10. Experience of the application of clinical / counselling psychology in different cultural contexts.
11. Experience of the application of clinical / counselling psychology in different cultural contexts.
Desirable criteria
12. Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
13. Experience of working with other agencies including education and social care.
14. Experience of assessment and intervention with clients presenting with Neurodiversity
15. Experience of working with children/young people and their families with special educational needs, neurodevelopmental difficulties, learning disabilities and challenging behaviour, and co-morbid mental health difficulties.
16. Experience of leadership, team and service development.
Knowledge & Skills
Essential criteria
17. Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
18. Skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
19. Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
20. Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
21. Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
22. Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
Desirable criteria
23. Knowledge and skills in specialist psychological assessment and treatment of specific groups including children with learning disabilities and neurodevelopmental disorders and co-morbid mental health difficulties, adolescent mental health, trauma, anxiety and mood disorders
24. Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. children with challenging behaviour, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc.)
25. High-level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
26. Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.