Senior Psychologist / Psychotherapist / Systemic Therapist

Job Overview

We are looking for an experienced and motivated Senior Psychologist / Psychotherapist / Systemic Therapist to join the healthcare team at Oasis Restore Secure School (ORSS).

This is an exciting opportunity to work within the UK’s first secure school, providing a highly specialist, trauma-informed therapeutic service to children and young people within a unique residential, education and healthcare environment.

The postholder will provide specialist psychological assessment, formulation and intervention, alongside consultation and advice to the wider multidisciplinary team. You will work closely with healthcare, residential and education colleagues to promote a therapeutic culture and support the emotional and psychological wellbeing of children at ORSS.

The role requires a clinician who can work confidently with complexity, develop strong therapeutic relationships and apply specialist clinical knowledge within a secure and highly structured environment. You will contribute to the development of trauma-informed practice across the school, including reflective practice, training, consultation and staff development.

You will also provide professional and clinical supervision to relevant colleagues and contribute to service development, audit, research and quality improvement.

The post is Band 8a, 1.0 WTE, based at Oasis Restore Secure School.

Main duties of the job

The postholder will:

• Provide highly specialist psychological assessment, formulation and intervention to children and young people at Oasis Restore Secure School.
• Develop and deliver psychologically informed, evidence-based care plans and interventions tailored to the individual needs of children.
• Work within a trauma-informed, culturally sensitive and developmentally informed framework, recognising the impact of children’s experiences on their strengths, needs and difficulties.
• Develop effective therapeutic relationships with children and their families and support children to express their views and participate meaningfully in decisions about their care.
• Provide specialist psychological advice and consultation to healthcare, residential and education colleagues.
• Contribute to multidisciplinary formulation, risk assessment, risk management and treatment planning.
• Support the development of a therapeutic culture across ORSS through training, consultation, reflective practice and staff support.
• Provide professional and clinical supervision to Band 7 Highly Specialist Clinical Practitioners, Assistant Practitioners and other colleagues as appropriate.
• Contribute to whole-school training and education programmes relating to psychological understanding and therapeutic interventions.
• Contribute to service development, audit, research and evaluation to support evidence-based practice and continuous improvement.
  
  

Working for our organisation

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) is committed to providing high-quality, compassionate and inclusive services to the communities we serve.

At Oasis Restore Secure School, CNWL works as part of a multidisciplinary partnership alongside residential and education colleagues to provide integrated healthcare for children and young people. The healthcare model is centred on the individual needs of each child and supports a trauma-informed, relational and psychologically informed approach to care.

Working at ORSS provides an opportunity to be part of a developing service and to contribute directly to the ongoing development of a new model of secure care. Staff are encouraged to contribute their expertise, challenge existing practice appropriately and identify opportunities for learning, innovation and service improvement.

We are committed to supporting our staff through professional supervision, continuing professional development, reflective practice and opportunities to contribute to service development. The successful candidate will join a multidisciplinary team where collaborative working, professional curiosity and a commitment to improving outcomes for children are highly valued.

CNWL is committed to safeguarding children and adults, promoting equality, diversity and inclusion, and ensuring that all staff work in accordance with relevant professional, organisational and partner-agency policies and procedures.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

Clinical and Therapeutic Practice

The postholder will provide a comprehensive, highly specialist therapeutic service to children at Oasis Restore Secure School, including psychological assessment, formulation and intervention, alongside advice and consultation to colleagues within the child’s multidisciplinary team.

The postholder will:

• Undertake specialist assessments using a range of appropriate information sources, including psychological and neuropsychological assessments, self-report measures, rating scales, structured and semi-structured interviews and direct or indirect observation.
• Develop psychological formulations that integrate complex clinical, developmental, historical, social and environmental factors.
• Formulate and implement evidence-based psychological treatment and management plans.
• Deliver a range of individual, family and group psychological interventions, adapting approaches according to the child’s needs and presentation.
• Evaluate treatment options and review interventions in response to progress, changing needs and clinical risk.
• Exercise autonomous professional responsibility for assessment, treatment and discharge where care is managed through psychologically based care plans.
• Contribute specialist knowledge of complex mental health presentations to multidisciplinary assessment and care planning.
• Provide advice regarding psychological aspects of physical and mental healthcare and treatment.
• Undertake risk assessment and risk management and provide specialist advice to colleagues regarding psychological aspects of risk.
• Undertake family therapy or systemic work with children and their carers where appropriate.
• Respond to urgent referrals and participate in relevant duty arrangements.
  
  

Trauma-Informed and Relational Practice

The postholder will contribute to the development of a trauma-informed and psychologically informed culture across ORSS.

This will include:

• Developing therapeutic relationships that recognise the individual experiences, strengths, needs and developmental stage of each child.
• Supporting children to express their views and ensuring their voice is incorporated into their care and service development.
• Considering diversity, culture, identity, gender and sexuality sensitively within assessment, formulation and intervention.
• Supporting residential and education colleagues to develop psychologically informed approaches to working with children.
• Participating in and contributing to Reflective Practice and staff support activities.
• Supporting the development and delivery of therapeutic activities and opportunities for expression, exploration and empowerment.
  
  

Multidisciplinary and Partnership Working

The postholder will work closely with healthcare colleagues and the wider ORSS team, including residential and education staff, families, carers and professionals within each child’s community network.

Responsibilities will include:

• Providing authoritative specialist psychological advice within multidisciplinary care.
• Contributing to formulation, diagnosis, treatment planning and risk management.
• Communicating complex and sensitive clinical information clearly and appropriately.
• Working collaboratively with colleagues where there are differing views or complex clinical and safeguarding considerations.
• Supporting a shared understanding of children’s psychological needs across the residential, education and healthcare environments.
• Contributing to the development of effective professional networks and collaborative working arrangements.
  
  

Supervision, Training and Staff Development

The postholder will contribute to the development of the wider workforce through:

• Providing professional and clinical supervision to Band 7 Highly Specialist Clinical Practitioners, Assistant Practitioners and other colleagues as appropriate.
• Providing teaching, training and consultation to healthcare, residential and education staff.
• Contributing to whole-school training and liaison programmes.
• Supporting pre- and post-qualification teaching within the relevant professional discipline.
• Participating in Reflective Practice and other activities supporting staff development and wellbeing.
• Sharing specialist knowledge and good practice within CNWL and, where appropriate, nationally.
  
  

Service Development, Governance and Quality Improvement

The postholder will contribute to the development and evaluation of psychological and therapeutic services at ORSS and across the Health and Justice Children and Young People Service Line.

This will include:

• Participating in audit, research and service evaluation.
• Supporting the development and implementation of evidence-based practice.
• Identifying opportunities for service development and innovation.
• Contributing to policy and practice development within the relevant professional discipline.
• Supporting clinical governance and maintaining high professional standards.
• Using research evidence and current professional guidance to inform clinical practice.
• Maintaining accurate and timely clinical records, reports and statistical information.
• Contributing to quality improvement and the ongoing development of the ORSS therapeutic model.
  
  

Professional Responsibilities

The postholder will:

• Work autonomously within professional standards, relevant legislation and CNWL policies and procedures.
• Maintain professional registration and undertake continuing professional development relevant to the role.
• Participate in regular professional supervision and appraisal.
• Maintain awareness of current developments in psychological and therapeutic practice, particularly in relation to children and young people in secure settings.
• Maintain high standards of clinical record keeping and professional self-governance.
• Work in accordance with Health and Justice security, health and safety and safeguarding procedures.
• Promote equality, diversity and human rights throughout all aspects of clinical and professional practice.
• Work flexibly in response to the developing needs of the service.
  
  

This job description provides an outline of the duties and responsibilities of the post and is not intended to be exhaustive. The role may develop over time in response to the changing needs of Oasis Restore Secure School, CNWL and the children and young people receiving care.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• A good honours degree in Psychology as accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). A recognised professional post-graduate qualification in Systemic Therapy, Family Therapy, Arts Therapies, Psychotherapy or relevant core mental health professional therapeutic training.
• Doctoral level training in clinical psychology, including specific models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology, equivalent to that accredited by the BPS
• Evidence of post-qualification specialist training, experience and developing expertise in a specialist area of clinical practice.
• HCPC Registration.
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Pre- or Post-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
• Reflective practice training and experience
• Post-qualification experience and training in neurodevelopmental assessment and intervention in a forensic mental health setting.
• Completion of supervisor training course.
• Post-qualification training in a recognised psychological therapy for trauma
• Post-graduate training or experience in a forensic mental health setting.
  
  

Skills , Knowledge And Abilities

Essential criteria

• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
• Broad knowledge of models of assessment, management and treatment of children and young people in secure settings.
• Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
• Ability to work intensively with people who present challenges in the complexity of their problems and needs, including sexual and violent offending and self-harming and suicidal behaviours.
• An understanding of the social determinates of health inequalities and relevant psychological theory and practice
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
• Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology or equivalent for non-psychology professionals
• Possesses range of clinical knowledge, skills & information technology expertise relevant to post
• Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour
• Ability to work intensively with people who present challenges in the complexity of their problems and needs, including sexual and violent offending and self-harming and suicidal behaviours
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult-to-treat groups (e.g. people with additional disabilities).
• Ability to write reports for varied audiences, including courts and purchasers of services.
• Can apply psychological knowledge creatively in developing new initiatives
  
  

Previous Experience

Essential criteria

• Demonstrate further specialist training / experience through having received a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision of working as a specialist clinical psychologist or equivalent professional mental health disciplines, or an alternative agreed by the Consultant Clinical Psychologist
• Experience of using a trauma informed approach
• Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in patient settings
• Experience of working effectively in multidisciplinary settings and preferably within a secure or education setting.
• Advanced knowledge, experience and expertise in at least one specialist area of clinical practice gained through specialist training and supervised practice (e.g. psychotherapy, neuropsychology, risk assessment, clinical supervision
• Experience of working with adolescents/children
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Experience of teaching and training
• Experience of representing psychology/psychotherapy within the context of multi-disciplinary care
• Experience of working with neurodevelopmental difficulties among children
• Experience of working with sexual behaviour difficulties and/or sexual offending.