Job overview
We are seeking a passionate and committed Clinical/Counselling Psychologist with special interest in DBT to join our Mental Health Integrated Network Team (MINT) in Hammersmith & Fulham. MINT is a multidisciplinary service providing holistic support and treatment to adults presenting with a range of mental health difficulties within a stepped-care framework.
This post is an excellent opportunity for an enthusiastic early-career psychologist looking to develop and consolidate specialist clinical skills in working with complex needs, trauma and personality disorder diagnoses.
The post holder will be responsible for supporting the running of the DBT Programme in collaboration with the DBT Lead. The service delivers a comprehensive DBT programme, consisting of individual therapy, skills training groups, weekly consultation team meetings, and phone coaching. The post holder will be delivering therapy to a client group who struggle with self-harm and suicidal behaviours, so the work can be challenging but also deeply rewarding.
In addition to working 1-1 with clients, a significant part of this post involves embedding and developing psychological principles and thinking within the work of the whole MDT. Therefore, we require a candidate who thrives in a team environment and is passionate about dissemination of psychological thinking, consultation and leadership.
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Main duties of the job
You will provide highly specialist assessments and treatment for individuals with complex mental health conditions, both 1-1 and in groups, and support the running of the DBT Programme in collaboration with the DBT Lead. The post holder will be delivering therapy to a client group who struggle with self-harm and suicidal behaviours, so the work can be challenging but also deeply rewarding. The successful applicant will be joining our supportive psychology team and DBT consult team.
The role will include working with people from varied cultural backgrounds, including those seeking asylum, using interpreters when necessary. A passion for creating and enabling equality of access to services for all and an understanding of the psychological needs associated with migration is essential.
You will provide psychological consultation and guidance to the whole MDT and offer supervision and training for trainee and assistant psychologists. A genuine desire to work within an MDT and promote psychological ways of working is essential.
You will play a key role in service developments in the service and, as part of this, you will support audit and research to drive and sustain the quality of the services we deliver. There will be opportunities to collaborate with trainee psychologists, local doctorate courses and a large network of psychological colleagues across the Trust.
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 over 5,000 staff, of whom 59% are BME. Our turnover for 2024-25 is over £500m.
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. Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical or counselling psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS.
2. Registered with HCPC
Desirable criteria
3. DBT Training and/or post-graduate diploma in DBT.
4. Other related graduate or academic qualifications.
Experience
Essential criteria
5. Experience undertaking therapy with people with severe and enduring mental health difficulties.
6. Experience of working with clients with Borderline/Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (BPD/EUPD) and complex trauma presenting with high risk.
7. Experience of the application of psychology/therapy in different cultural contexts.
8. Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team and providing case consultation to colleagues from other disciplines and using psychological formulation as a framework for bringing a psychological understanding of need.
9. Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
Desirable criteria
10. Experience of delivering comprehensive Dialectical Behaviour Therapy.
11. Experience of administration, scoring and written interpretation of formal personality tools and/or neuropsychological assessments.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
12. Highly developed specialist knowledge, both theoretical and practical, of psychology applied to clinical practice, particularly in respect of adults with severe and enduring mental health needs (including complex emotional needs and trauma history).
13. Knowledge of relevant legislation and Codes of Conduct and their implications for work in relevant setting.
14. Knowledge of models of leadership and supervision, in the context of mental health teams.
15. Knowledge of the specific mental health challenges and needs associated with migration.
Desirable criteria
16. Specialist knowledge relevant to working with clients with Borderline / Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder, including theoretical of DBT.
Skills
Essential criteria
17. Able to provide and receive highly complex, highly sensitive or highly contentious information, where there are significant barriers to acceptance which need to be overcome using the highest level of interpersonal and communication skills such as would be required when communicating in a hostile, antagonistic or highly emotive atmosphere.
18. Able to make judgements involving complex facts or situations, which require the evaluation of a range of options (e.g. the assessment of specialist clinical conditions and the determination of treatment options).
19. Able to plan, prioritise and organise own caseload, treatment programmes involving other staff, and other aspects of the work such as clinical administrative tasks and CPD
20. Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
Desirable criteria
21. Specialist psychological skills relevant to working with clients with Borderline / Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder
Other Requirements
Essential criteria
22. Able to function in potentially traumatic circumstances and in highly emotionally distressing circumstances on a frequent basis (e.g. in dealing with service users with complex mental health difficulties, self-harm, histories of trauma and abuse).
23. Able to provide services in an environment with service users who may be challenging and where the awareness of risk must always be maintained.
24. Able to reflect on own professional practice through the clinical supervision process.
25. Evidence of continuing professional development (CPD) and willingness to participate actively in CPD in line with BPS’ or their professional body’s guidelines.