Job Description

We are delighted to be advertising this Band 7 CBT Psychotherapist role within our Southwark Team for Early Psychosis (STEP).



This post is open internally to current SLaM Trainee CBT Therapist (Recruit to Train) Practitioners looking to qualify in January 2026. The successful applicant will complete the remainder of their CBT training within the STEP Team. They will remain on a Band 6 salary until completion of training and accreditation. The long-term offer of employment in this Band 7 role is dependent on the applicant completing their course, achieving registration as a CBT Psychotherapist, and registration with the British Psychological Society (BPS) and/or the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP). The successful candidate will have a good understanding of early intervention for psychosis.



We strongly advise contacting us if you are interested in applying for this role.



The main duty of this post is to provide specialist psychological assessment, formulation and treatment within the STEP team as well as consultation to the wider MDT as appropriate.



The postholder will work closely with the STEP Psychology Team and STEP MDT and will be supported by Senior Psychologists and the STEP Psychology Lead. They may also provide clinical supervision to Assistant Psychologists or MHWPs, depending of experience.



Southwark is a diverse borough and the postholder will work to engage with the local community and take their needs into consideration to provide an accessible service. We are looking for people with a experience of delivering interventions that improve accessibility for groups under-represented in psychological therapy services.



South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond.



We are committed to provide a high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good'.



We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone's potential as change makers.



The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.



To provide a specialist psychology service to the Early Intervention for Psychosis service in Southwark (STEP Team) including specialist assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes.



To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.



To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate.



To undertake service evaluation, audit and research.



To work as an autonomous professional within BPS and HCPC guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by the policies and procedures of the service, taking responsibility for own work including treatment and discharge decisions with support of clinical supervisor.

Personal Specification:

Qualifications



(Psychologist) Doctoral level qualification in clinical or counselling psychology or equivalent and Registered with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist or



(Nurse Advanced) Professional knowledge acquired through degree supplemented by post graduate diploma specialist training, experience, short courses plus further specialist training to master's equivalent level or



(Social Worker Specialist) Professional knowledge acquired through degree/diploma in social care, supplemented by further specialist knowledge, for example in needs of a specific client group, experience to Masters equivalent level or



(Occupational Therapist Advanced) Professional knowledge acquired through degree supplemented by further training, short specialist courses, to master's equivalent level.

In addition to the relevant qualification above:

Registration by the relevant practitioner registering body, e.g. NMC, HCPC, BACP.



Experience



Experience of receiving clinical supervision across a range of client needs.



Experience of psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature including psychosis.



Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and / or lived experience.



Experience of developing and carrying out research projects.



Prior experience of working within Early Intervention Services.



Knowledge



Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for Early Intervention in psychosis.



Knowledge of psychological assessment and clinical psychometrics.



Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities.



Doctoral level knowledge of psychological research methodology and complex statistical analysis.



Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care.



To deliver psychological therapy across cultural and other differences.



To select and administer specialist psychological assessments, interpreting and integrating complex data that require analysis, interpretation and comparison, drawn from several sources.



Skills



To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences and hostility to or rejection of information.



To plan and schedule assessment and interventions for individual clients and groups and carers, and for meetings such ascase reviews.



To plan allocation of tasks to assistant psychologists.



Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data.