Job summary
Would you like to join a progressive, award winning, multi-disciplinary team spearheading innovative practices in the treatment of people with eating disorders?
We would like to invite applications for the post of Psychology Practitioner. These posts will be based at the Eating Disorders Outpatients Department (EDOPD), Maudsley Hospital.
The EDOPD is internationally renowned for providing best practice, evidence-based care for adults with the full range of eating disorder difficulties. Outpatient treatments include guided self-help, group and individual interventions.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will provide individual and group psychological therapy interventions, under the direct guidance, close clinical and professional supervision of a qualified psychologist, psychotherapist or CBT therapist.
We are looking for enthusiastic people to be part of our well-established and growing service. The successful applicants will be engaging, approachable, motivated, committed to personal and professional development, and able to engage with people with complex mental health difficulties. They will be organised, with existing experience working with mental health care and good research skills.
The role will include delivering low-intensity individual psychological interventions (such as guided self-help and 10-session cognitive behavioural therapy for eating disorders; CBT-T) and assisting with group interventions, under supervision.
There is scope to be involved with the FREED pathway (First episode Rapid Early intervention for Eating Disorders) and gain experience will assessment processes and working within a multidisciplinary team. There is also scope to support the NHS England funded transformation work which will improve the way eating disorder care is provided for adults.
About us
The team is renowned for its high quality clinical and research contributions to the evidence base, and in 2017, won the prestigious BMJ Award for Mental Health Team of the Year. The team focuses on learning and development, and you would have the opportunity to work alongside qualified psychologists and to attend weekly multidisciplinary team meetings, supervision, and training forums.
As a department, we have close links to the clinical psychology doctoral training programmes at the IOPPN and Salomon's training centres, and frequently have clinical and counselling psychology trainees on placement.
Our Trust headquarters is located at Denmark Hill less than 5 minutes from the train station (zone 2). We also provide services and operate across other locations, such as London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark; and substance misuse services for residents of Bexley, Lambeth, Greenwich and Wandsworth.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical and client care
- To provide support for service users in the EDU service under supervision.
- To provide patients with protocol-based low-intensity psychological interventions, such as supported guided self-help and 10-session cognitive behavioural therapy for eating disorders (CBT-T).
- To support protocol-based group psychological interventions for service users and carers.
- To assist psychologists in the development of individual or group clinical materials or training materials.
- To assist with undertaking physical health monitoring of patients, after receiving the appropriate training and under supervision.
- To provide relevant support to carers and families.
Contributing to team or service clinical functioning
- To contribute to the effective working of the service by contributing to multidisciplinary team meetings, research and audit, and other projects where required.
- To act in a manner that supports a psychologically informed framework for the service.
- To participate in the teams delivery of accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.
Research and development
- To assist in the design and implementation of audit and research projects to inform the service and others in the development of Trust psychology and other services, training provision, and research activities.
- To undertake data collection, analysis, the production of reports and summaries, using IT and statistical programmes, to be responsible for audits and reports, under the guidance of senior staff.
- Under guidance, to conduct surveys with service users and carers to gather views on service provision.
Teaching and training
- To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations or published articles.
- To participate in demonstrating work methods to newly recruited staff and to support their development of necessary skills.
Maintaining professional standards and continuing professional development
- To receive regular clinical and professional supervision, in accordance with professional practice guidelines.
- To develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties.
- To undertake personal training relevant to the post in agreement with the supervising psychologist and the manager.
Care or management of resources
- To take care of, and use carefully, the Trusts equipment and physical resources.
- To be responsible for safe-keeping of databases and have copies of questionnaires ready.
Record-keeping and information governance
- To ensure that all information generated by own work is recorded as required by Trust policies and local procedures.
- Under the supervision of the team leader, to maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry.
- To maintain databases and enter data, and perform analyses and produce reports.
General
- To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations especially around meal times, weighing times, and holding professional and service boundaries. To support others involved in such situations.
- To work flexibly which may include offering some regular commitment to late shifts and early, within the overall Job Plan.
- To travel to other clinics and settings off the unit as appropriate and across the Trust when required.
- To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the client group and follow trust policies relating to its management
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Psychology Graduate with a minimum 2:1 degree in Psychology and eligibility for British Psychological Society membership
- or an undergraduate qualification granting equivalent experience
Experience
Essential
- Graduate level knowledge of psychological research methodology and statistical analysis
- Experience in mental health settings, preferably in eating disorders
- Experience of delivering evidence based care to address service users' mental health needs
Desirable
- Experience of facilitating groups
- Experience of delivering guided self-help interventions
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of psychological disorders including eating disorders
- Research methods and report writing
Desirable
- Proven experience using SPSS and/or other statistical software
Skills
Essential
- Ability to work with a degree of independence
- Ability to manage occasional emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour
Desirable
- Skills in providing supporting teaching and training provided by psychologists or others to other professional groups
- Ability to work with carers and relatives
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website .
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants .
Employer details
Employer name
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Maudsley Hospital
Denmark Hill
London
SE5 8AZ