Job overview
We are looking for a 12 month maternity cover for the Staff Support Lead Role.
The role is ideal for someone committed to improving the wellbeing of the NHS workforce, with strong clinical expertise and a passion for trauma‑informed, compassionate staff support. We are recruiting an experienced and inspiring practitioner to lead our Trust‑wide Staff Support Service—an established and innovative programme supporting colleagues across all disciplines.
As Staff Support Lead, you will play a pivotal role in shaping a culture of psychological safety at SLaM. You will lead a dedicated team, deliver highly specialist interventions, drive new initiatives, and work closely with senior leaders to ensure staff have access to high‑quality, evidence‑based support.
About the Role
You will provide strategic and clinical leadership across a diverse portfolio of staff-support projects, including Schwartz Rounds, Critical Incident Staff Support Services, Reflective Practice, and emerging trauma-informed initiatives. Working within Corporate Psychology & Psychotherapy, you will help ensure that every member of staff can thrive at work and access timely, culturally responsive support.
You will also personally offer specialist clinical interventions (including Trauma-Focused CBT or EMDR), support service development and evaluation, supervise members of the Staff Support Community of Practice, and collaborate with academic partners to drive innovation.
Main duties of the job
Lead and deliver the Trust’s Staff Support Service—providing specialist trauma‑informed psychological support, supervising the team, coordinating key programmes (Schwartz Rounds, Critical Incident Support, Reflective Practice), and ensuring safe, accessible, culturally competent provision. Drive service development and innovation, oversee training and consultation for staff across the organisation, maintain high professional standards, and lead research, evaluation and outcome measurement to strengthen and grow the staff wellbeing offer.
Working for our organisation
Corporate Psychology & Psychotherapy (Corp P&P) sets and upholds the standards for psychology and psychotherapy across SLaM. We oversee the governance, quality, and delivery of psychological interventions for both staff and patients. Our team brings together experienced psychologists, psychotherapists and nurses with a diverse range of specialist skills.
We lead a programme of projects focused on workforce development, quality improvement and service innovation. Our work spans three core areas: Staff Support, Psychological Workforce, and Enabling Service Improvement. Recent work includes developing psychologically informed approaches in acute and crisis services, expanding Trust‑wide staff support initiatives (such as CISS and reflective practice), and creating development opportunities and training for aspiring and qualified psychologists and psychotherapists—supporting a more skilled, inclusive and sustainable workforce.
We also collaborate with partners across SLaM and the wider system to shape and strengthen psychological practice and workforce wellbeing at scale.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
· Develop, coordinate and lead the Trust‑wide Staff Support Service, ensuring systematic, high‑quality provision for all staff.
· Provide highly specialist clinical input, including Trauma‑Focused CBT and/or EMDR within the Staff Counselling & Wellbeing Service.
· Lead delivery of key Staff Support programmes (Schwartz Rounds, CISS, Reflective Practice) across all services and professions.
· Drive the ongoing development of the multidisciplinary Staff Support strategy and design new initiatives aligned with organisational needs.
· Produce reports for commissioners and contribute to securing and maintaining funding for staff‑support activities.
· Promote the Staff Support offer, increasing visibility and growing the Staff Support Community of Practice.
· Ensure equitable access to support, particularly for marginalised and at‑risk groups, and contribute to fostering psychologically safe, inclusive work environments.
· Provide and receive clinical supervision, consultation and training as the lead specialist; deliver and coordinate CPD, training and supervision events.
· Maintain a sustainable Staff Support workforce by ensuring sufficient numbers of trained facilitators across the Trust.
· Ensure effective systems for clinical and professional supervision and governance for multidisciplinary staff involved in Staff Support delivery.
· Agree outcomes with the clinical/professional lead and deliver them autonomously within professional and Trust guidelines.
· Lead service evaluation, audit, research and policy development to strengthen evidence‑based practice.
Work autonomously within BPS, HCPC, RMHN, BACP or UKCP professional
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. Entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology (Professional Doctorate or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level additional training) that has been accepted by the HCPC for purposes of professional registration. Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). OR Entry-level qualification in Psychotherapy Masters degree (plus supervised practice) that has been accepted by the (BACP/UKCP) for purposes of professional registration. Registered with the (BACP/UKCP) as Psychotherapist. Entry-level qualification in Creative Arts Therapy (Masters degree in the modality of Art Therapy, Music Therapy or Drama Therapy). Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).. Degree/Diploma in Occupational Therapy. MSc or equivalent. Registered practitioner with the Health Care Professions Council. Project/management qualification Significant experience at a senior management level, including managing change Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Registration with or willingness to register as a member of professional body OR Registered Mental Health Nurse (RMHN) Mentorship qualification or ENB 998 MSc or equivalent experience Extensive post-registration professional development Three years’ experience at a senior management level, including managing change.
2. Able to deliver either Trauma Focused CBT or EMDR as a Post-Incident Intervention
3. Additional training in at least one area of Staff Support, Systemic/Narrative practice through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses, or an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice–based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma.
4. Completed training course in clinical supervision.
5. Registered with the HCPC as appropriate (or equivalent body for non-HCPC professions), and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
6. Specialist knowledge of theoretical models of wellbeing, burnout and secondary traumatisation in healthcare staff and teams.
7. Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised therapies/interventions, specifically within the context of supporting staff
8. Advanced theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment.
9. Advanced knowledge of psychological assessment and clinical psychometrics.
Experience
Essential criteria
10. Experience of managing multiple projects
11. Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in the area of Staff Support.
12. Experience of specialist assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature.
13. Experience of supervising assistant and trainee psychologists (or junior within relevant profession) having completed the relevant training.
Skills
Essential criteria
14. Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups.
15. Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.
16. Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate.
17. Ability to develop and use complex multimedia materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings