Job summary
We are seeking a Band 8a Senior Family Therapist to join our busy and dynamic outpatient Children and Young People's Mental Health Service in Maidstone, Kent on a permanent contract. We are a growing and supportive multi-disciplinary team, and we are looking for a Family therapist who is genuine and passionate about young people's mental health and well-being to join us in the delivery of high quality and effective CYPMHS interventions.
This role requires a post-graduate qualified Family Therapist registered with the appropriate professional and regulatory bodies (AFT and UKCP) and have at least two years' experience in delivering family therapy in a CAMHS (or similar child and adolescent mental health) setting.
This post involves assessing and treating children and young people who present with a moderate to severe mental health difficulties in a community CAMHS setting. The successful candidate will work across the Emotional/ Neurodevelopmental, and behaviour pathways, leading and supervising the family therapy team and other multi-disciplinary team (MDT) members in the management of these cases.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will:
1. coordinate family therapy interventions and formal systemic consultations, as well as supporting MDT and multi-agency colleagues with systemic formulations to support their clinical practice.
2. receive regular clinical supervision and will be expected to attend and participate in MDT team meetings as well as network meetings of cases on their caseload. They will have a commitment to collaborative working and actively supporting and liaising with other health and social care professionals and partnership agencies as we promote a trauma informed model of practice within the service. CPD opportunities will be available.
3. be part of the CYPMHS senior team; working with other senior clinicians in the team to develop the service and meet the changing needs of a diverse population.
About us
Starting with NELFT
NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop-in sessions focusing on engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.
Probationary Period
This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role and working at North East London NHS Foundation Trust. We encourage you to refer closely to this when completing your application.
We welcome your application even if you do not meet all the criteria listed in the person specification. Any development needs to help you succeed in the role, can be discussed at the interview stage.
Person Specification
Demostration of Trust values
Essential
4. Putting people First, prioritising quality, being progressive, innovative, and continually improving. Being professional and honest, promoting what is possible, independence, opportunity and choice.
Qualifications
Essential
5. NVQ level 2 or equivalent standard of literacy and numeracy
6. Successful completion of a post-graduate training in psychological practice ( psychologist, family therapist, child and adolescent psychotherapist
7. To be eligible for registration as a full member of the appropriate professional body ( HCPC, BACP, UKCP, AFT, ACP)
Experience
Essential
8. Extensive experience of working with difficult, disturbed or challenging children/young people requiring skilled and complex interventions
9. working therapeutically with parents/carers/families of children and young people with complex mental health problems
10. Experience of using observation (eg. In school contexts) to contribute to assessments of children
11. Experience of carrying out generic assessment with other colleagues in the multi- disciplinary team
12. Experience of specialist assessment carried out autonomously in order to determine the most appropriate treatment plan from a range of options for the child/young person
Knowledge
Essential
13. An awareness of NHS Plan, NSF and clinical governance priorities
14. Knowledge of legislation in relation to children and adolescents and safeguarding procedures and policies
15. Knowledge of NHS, Social Care and Education structures, national policies and frameworks, evidence based practice including NICE guidelines
16. Knowledge of risk management and ability to monitor and assess risk and act accordingly to ensure safety
Skills
Essential
17. Ability to communicate clearly and effectively highly complex and sensitive matters to patients, which give rise to psychological distress
18. Highly developed ability to integrate complex clinical information into a coherent formulation
19. Specialist skill in the ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside CAMHS/EWMHS
20. Capacity to work alone, involving colleagues and manger as relevant
21. Ability to use outcome monitoring across all clinical work