Job overview
Lewisham Talking Therapies is looking to recruit a new Triage Team Lead to join our team.
You will work closely with the rest of the management team to promote and support the delivery of the service.
We are a friendly, supportive and innovative team of individuals. We are committed to supporting the development of our staff who come and work for us by providing high quality supervision and opportunities for development.
Main duties of the job
The post:
1. key role in the Triage Hub supporting a team of band 7 triage supervisors in making decisions about patient suitability for the service, and managing risk and safeguarding issues, in a fast-paced environment
2. help set the future direction of the service, and lead on making it happen
3. clinically supervise HIs and PWPs
4. clinical caseload as senior therapist
Band 8A + Inner London Weighting
The people:
- qualified and experienced HI therapist
- NHS Talking Therapies supervisor
- a track record of managing projects and improving services
- energy, drive and a passion for providing the best care
Lewisham Talking Therapies is a friendly, creative, social team. We support each other to work hard, and there are lots of opportunities to take on responsibilities and develop.
High-Intensity Therapists receive specialist CBT supervision and training delivered by senior staff as well as the Centre for Anxiety Disorders and Trauma – a national centre of clinical excellence and research innovation within SLaM.
This role needs 3-4 days per week in the office and the rest of the time remotely.
It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date due to an exceptional response, so please apply as soon as possible. Interviews will be held on 2nd December 2025.
Working for our organisation
We are committed to ensuring our staff get the most out of their benefits package and understand the importance of a healthy work life balance. There is an extensive range of excellent benefits for you and your family. We want you to feel like you are part of a close knit team at SLaM. It’s important to us that you valued and appreciated and that are why we have a comprehensive benefits package on offer
Some of our benefits are highlighted here:
5. Generous pay, pensions and leave, we offer a comprehensive pay, pensions and leave package which is dependent on the role and length of service.
6. Career development, There are plenty of opportunities to progress your career and we support your development through a number of programmes such as mentoring, coaching, positive people management, collective leadership and other talent programmes
7. Car lease, our staff benefits from competitive deals to lease cars
8. Accommodation, our staff benefits from keyworker housing available which is available on selected sites
9. NHS discounts, with discounts up to 10% from a variety of well-known retail brands though Health Service Discounts website.
Other benefits include:
10. Access to SLaM counselling services
11. Wellbeing events
12. Long service awards
13. Cycle to work scheme
14. Season ticket loan
15. Staff restaurants
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Key Responsibilities:
16. PLANNING, MANAGING AND EVALUATING THE DELIVERY OF TRIAGE SERVICES WITHIN LEWISHAM TALKING THERAPIES
17. Managing the day-to-day running of the Triage Hub
18. Assessing the service need at triage, and current and future capacity requirements
19. Planning and managing the recruitment process to meet this need
20. Monitoring and evaluating service activity and outcomes
21. Managing the induction, training and development of triage staff
22. Liaising with secondary care and specialists services
23. Developing and updating policies and procedures for the delivery of high quality clinical services
24. Commissioning and monitoring external provision of triage services as agreed
25. TEAM MANAGEMENT
26. To agree job plans, performance targets and development goals with your team through the appraisal process, and monitor and support staff in their achievement
27. To foster a supportive and performance focussed team ethos through your interaction and communication with the team, your own behaviour, team meetings and supervision
28. To provide day to day line management for your team (annual leave, sickness etc)
29. To induct new team members, agreeing job plans, and ensuring that they are trained and supported to do their jobs, and meeting them regularly to support their development and performance
30. Ensuring good two-way communication between your staff and the service management, through monthly team meetings and informal links
31. SERVICE LEADERSHIP
32. To share responsibility for the direction and development of the service, taking an active role in the monthly service management meeting, leading team and whole team meetings
33. To provide regular reports on the activity and performance of the Access team, and any issues that need attention
34. To identify aspects of the service, which could be improved and initiate and implement service development projects.
35. To take the lead in agreed areas of development and service delivery
36. To participate in the recruitment process of CSWs as needed
37. To contribute to the consultation and engagement of service users in planning and developing services.
38. To listen and respond to, and appropriately manage patient complaints
39. To participate in clinical governance initiatives as agreed by the directorate clinical governance committee.
40. Contribute to the development of a culture within the team that values the use of outcome measures and service user involvement as ways of improving clinical practice
41. CLINICAL
42. To provide expertise in a highly specialist clinical area which will contribute to the treatment of clients presenting with anxiety disorders or depression within an TT framework.
43. To deliver NICE recommended, formulation driven psychological interventions for depression and anxiety disorders, adapting interventions for the specific needs and clinical setting. Assess and integrate issues surrounding social support, voluntary work and employment into therapy.
44. To provide highly specialist assessment and clinical formulation to clients with complex mental health needs, including personality disorders, addiction and trauma.
45. To provide psychological reports, including relevant formulation, opinion and interventions, in order to inform referrers and, where appropriate, service users.
46. To select and deliver highly specialist evidence based psychological treatments, monitoring outcomes and modifying and adapting interventions, drawing on a range of theoretical models.
47. To collect and enter clinical outcome data on a sessional basis; select and interpret outcome measures to inform treatment planning
48. To work as an autonomous professional within BPS/BABCP/HCPC guidelines and the policies and procedures of the service, taking full responsibility for own work including treatment and discharge decisions.
49. To travel to community settings as appropriate and across the Trust when required.
50. To contribute to the effective working of the team and to a psychologically informed framework for the service area, taking on specific roles or duties as agreed.
51. To communicate skilfully and sensitively highly complex and sensitive information with clients, carers, colleagues and other professionals taking account of sensory and cultural barriers to communication.
52. To keep clear, accurate and up to date records of all clinical activity in line with service protocols.
53. To confidently assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans
54. To confidently advise other members of the service on specialist psychological care of clients.
55. To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations such as distressed clients or abusive behaviour and to support others involved in such situations.
56. To provide services at various locations in the borough of Lambeth
57. To provide information and signposting for patients who do not meet the service’s eligibility criteria.
58. To refer people with more severe common mental health problems to the secondary care psychological therapies service
59. Work closely with other members of the TT team to ensure that patients referred on to the TT service have a clear referral pathway.
60. Maintain a clinical caseload in line with activity targets agreed with line manager.
5) TEACHING, TRAINING AND SUPERVISION:
61. To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior psychologist/psychotherpist according to BABCP/BPS/HCPC and Trust guidelines.
62. To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within Lewisham TT by maintaining an active awareness of current developments in psychology, CBT, IAPT and by implementing knowledge gained in practice.
63. To provide professional managerial, and clinical supervision to HI CBT therapists, Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners, trainees, assistant psychologist and other junior staff members for all aspects of their work. This must include live supervision of therapist’s work.
64. To deliver and promote outcome-focussed supervision, directly to supervised staff, and through participation in the S2 and S3 supervisors groups
65. To provide service level risk management, taking part in the on-call risk rota, and developing and recording risk management plans
66. To provide specialist training to other professions as appropriate.
67. To plan and undertake teaching and training of pre and post- qualification psychologists and specialised training to other professions as appropriate.
68. To provide supervision for the psychological work of other multi-disciplinary staff as appropriate.
6) RESEARCH and SERVICE DEVELOPMENT:
69. Assist in the development and maintenance of a strong research culture that values the use of outcome measures as a way of improving clinical practice.
70. Encourage the critical evaluation of practice, and undertake research
71. Use theory and literature to support evidence-based practice in clinical work, supervision, teaching and consultations
72. Communicate and disseminate research and service evaluation information so that clinical practice is appropriately informed
73. To contribute to the development of services through initiating, undertaking and supervising service evaluation and audit.
74. To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles.
7) PROFESSIONAL:
75. Work as an autonomous professional and maintain standards of practice adhering to HPC or BABCP guidelines and the policies and procedures of the service, taking responsibility for own work including treatment and discharge decisions.
76. To ensure Continuing Professional Development in line with BPS/BABCP/UKCP and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements.
77. Be aware of advances in CBT, other psychological therapies and the TT programme.
78. Work in accordance with the principles of CBT and within the parameters of good practice, in accordance with the policies and procedures of the Clinical Governance Framework.
8) GENERAL:
79. To participate in business and professional meetings within the TT service and Lewisham Directorate.
80. To travel to the GP practices, service meetings and other meetings as appropriate.
81. To regularly work one evening and do Saturday work (on occasion) as required
Person specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential criteria
82. Doctoral level qualification in clinical or counselling psychology (and HCPC registration) and having completed an IAPT HI CBT course, OR, High intensity (HI) therapist, having completed an IAPT CBT course
83. BABCP practitioner full accreditation or provisional accreditation
Desirable criteria
84. Attended CBT supervisor course
Clinical Experience
Essential criteria
85. Experience of working within an IAPT service, as a qualified HI
86. Experience of supervising high intensity therapists/CBT therapists/PWPs
87. An understanding of the relationship between primary and secondary care services.
Desirable criteria
88. Training and experience in another IAPT therapy modality (1 point for each modality up to 2)
89. Worked as a triage facilitator or supervisor
Management experience
Essential criteria
90. Significant experience of contributing to service development and improvements (2=managed service function, 1=project)
Desirable criteria
91. Line management of staff
Skills and Abilities
Essential criteria
92. Ability to meet agreed service targets around activity and therapy outcomes
93. Ability to provide leadership in a high-paced environment with continuous clinical decision-making