Overview
The Adolescent Treatment Team (ATT) is a multidisciplinary team within Lewisham CAMHS offering stabilisation, formulation, and treatment for young people with severe, complex mental health problems and high risk. ATT maintains a small, protected caseload in a supportive and respectful environment.
ATT is seeking to recruit an experienced practitioner psychologist to take on the role of neurodevelopmental lead in the team. This role provides specialist expertise in the assessment, formulation, and treatment of young people with neurodevelopmental disorders presenting with severe mental health issues and/or high risk. We have seen an increase in these vulnerable young people, with approximately 60% of our caseload having a diagnosis or suspected diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. As a new role, the post-holder will lead the development of a clinical pathway for this population and improve overall service provision.
Main duties
* To develop and lead the neurodevelopmental pathway within a highly specialist, multi-disciplinary team for adolescents with severe and complex mental health problems.
* Provide highly specialist psychology service for neurodiverse young people with severe mental health problems, including specialist assessment, formulation, treatment, consultation, planning, and monitoring of outcomes.
* Conduct specialist assessments such as ADOS/ADI and neuropsychological assessments.
* Provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate, functioning as a lead specialist in neurodevelopmental conditions.
* Undertake service evaluation, audit, and research.
* Provide senior duty support to the MDT as a senior clinician and undertake some other senior management duties, as appropriate.
* Work autonomously within professional guidelines and within the overall framework of the team's policies and procedures.
About us
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) is the largest mental health trust in the UK, offering a wide range of national specialists and local provisions in South London. Lewisham CAMHS is part of this Trust, with ATT established over 20 years serving the most complex and high-risk children in Lewisham. There is close liaison with other CAMHS teams and wider specialist services. The ATT team provides supervision, case discussion, MDT collaboration, joint work, training, clear referral criteria, systems management, and workable caseloads to support functioning. There is a strong team identity and ethos to do the best for our young people.
Details
* Date posted: 26 August 2025
* Pay scheme: Agenda for change
* Band: Band 8a
* Salary: £64,156 to £71,148 a year per annum Incl. of inner HCAs
* Contract: Permanent
* Working pattern: Full-time
* Reference number: 334-CLI-7410714
Job locations
Lewisham Park, 78 Lewisham Park, Lewisham, SE13 6QJ
Job responsibilities
The successful candidate would develop and lead the neurodevelopmental pathway within a highly specialist, multi-disciplinary team for adolescents with severe and complex mental health problems. This role will focus on providing specialist expertise in neurodiversity to support the MDT and provide a specialist psychology service for neurodiverse young people presenting with mental health problems that are severe, complex, and associated with high levels of risk. This will include high-quality assessment, formulation, and evidence-based therapy to young people and families. Consultation will be a large part of this role, supporting the team and the wider Lewisham CAMHS service. The candidate will also hold a small number of care coordination cases to support stabilisation, risk management, and multi-agency care planning. The job also involves contributing to the effective working of the team and providing senior duty cover to support team members in managing risk. There will be opportunity to supervise assistant psychologists and/or trainee clinical psychologists. The candidate would also be supported to undertake training and develop skills to support professional development, in line with their appraisal.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Essential: Entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology (professional Doctorate, or MSc plus PG Diploma level additional training) accepted by the HCPC for professional registration.
* Essential: Additional post-qualification training in a specialised area of psychological practice (PG Diploma or equivalent) or an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice, assessed as equivalent to a Postgraduate Diploma or higher.
* Essential: Registered with a professional body (e.g. HCPC/UKCP/ACP/BABCP).
* Essential: Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the professional body.
Desirable: Supervision qualification; post-doctoral training/accreditation in additional specialist evidence-based practice relevant to complex CAMHS; training in specialist neurodevelopmental assessment or treatment (e.g. ADOS/ADI, positive behaviour support).
Experience
* Essential: Qualified experience with neurodevelopmental disorders, providing specialist assessment and evidence-based interventions.
* Essential: Experience in CAMHS with children, young people, and families providing specialist assessment and interventions.
* Essential: Experience administering neuropsychological and structured neurodevelopmental assessments (e.g., ADOS, ADI).
* Essential: Experience managing risk related to mental health conditions.
* Essential: Knowledge of theory and practice of specialist psychological assessment and interventions for neurodevelopmental conditions.
Desirable: Experience providing clinical supervision; experience in acute settings/with severe mental health problems (psychosis, bipolar, complex PTSD, emotional instability); post-doctoral research, audit, or service evaluation.
Skills
* Essential: Ability to communicate complex and sensitive information with clients, carers, and colleagues, overcoming barriers due to sensory, emotional, cultural differences and hostility to information.
* Essential: Ability to plan and schedule assessments and interventions for individuals and groups, including meetings such as CPA and case reviews.
* Essential: Administration of psychometric and neuropsychological tests.
* Essential: Ability to plan allocation of tasks to assistants/trainees.
* Essential: Well-developed IT skills for data entry and analysis.
Desirable: Skills in chairing complex multi-disciplinary meetings and recording/enacting outcomes.
Knowledge
* Essential: Knowledge of neurodevelopmental assessment and interventions; psychopathology in young people and evidence base for treatment; advanced psychometrics.
* Essential: Knowledge of child protection and safeguarding in relation to mental health; factors affecting accessibility of care.
* Desirable: Knowledge of legislation/policy relating to autism and learning disabilities; therapies for complex mental health problems (e.g. complex PTSD or psychosis); research methodology in mental health.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a Disclosure submission to the DBS to check for prior convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled Worker sponsorship will be considered. For information, visit the UK Visas and Immigration website. Guidance on overseas criminal records checks is provided in official UK guidance.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. Further information available on the NHS Careers website.
Employer details
Employer: South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Lewisham Park, 78 Lewisham Park, Lewisham, SE13 6QJ
Employer's website: https://www.slam.nhs.uk/
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