Family Therapist / Systemic Psychotherapist

at  Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

We are looking for an innovative, motivated and enthusiastic family/systemic psychotherapist with an interest in working in adult services to join us in the Brent Integrated Psychology & Psychotherapy Service (BIPPS). This would be an excellent opportunity for a newly-qualified Systemic Family Therapist with a background in another mental health training such as Social Work, Occupational Therapy or Mental Health Nursing. The post-holder will be located across the three BIPPS specialist psychological therapies pathways: Complex Mental Health (CMH), Complex Emotional Needs (CEN), and Psychosis. They will also have some input into the Early Intervention in Psychosis service.
This is an exciting opportunity to join a team committed to improving the lives of the population we serve and we are looking to recruit someone who is equally committed to supporting people with their recovery.
As a colleague in BIPPS, the post-holder will be attached to a particular MDT whilst under the management and support of an integrated psychological therapies service. As such they will have contact with colleagues who deliver individual, group and family therapies from a wide range of interesting theoretical models working across the three pathways.
The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.
This is an exciting new post that will provide the opportunity to provide a high quality, evidence-based systemic psychotherapy service including clinical assessment, therapeutic intervention and consultation. The post-holder will have experience of working as a family/systemic psychotherapist, with an ability to work autonomously with individuals, couples and families affected by severe and enduring mental health difficulties.
The post- holder will have an interest in supporting colleagues in community adult mental health secondary care services to ‘think family’ and apply systemic thinking in their work.
The post-holder will have experience of working with complex families. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who can work autonomously and who wishes to promote the systemic model within an adult mental health setting.
The ideal candidate will demonstrate a real commitment and compassion for working with this client group and across a diverse population. The post-holder will have a strong commitment to recovery principles, multi-disciplinary working, service user involvement, and working with people who are cautious about engaging with mental health services.
We provide excellent accredited supervision by senior therapists to help colleagues consolidate their therapy skills and self-reflexive practice in a focused and supported way. The post-holder will have an opportunity to contribute towards a weekly family therapy clinic run by an experienced family therapist, supervisor and trainer. You would also be invited to join a systemic case discussion and reflective practice group for family therapists working in Adult Mental Health in CNWL. These are invaluable opportunities for you to develop your systemic thinking, practice and skills, as well as offering a professional network and a space to connect with colleagues from across the borough/Trust.
Our service is committed to investing in the development of excellent clinicians and there are opportunities for career development including post-qualification training in an evidence-based model. Alongside relevant CPD opportunities, clinical and management supervision is available to support flexible and skilled practice.
The psychology pathways are newly-developed areas of service provision and the post- holder will have an opportunity to be involved in shaping and developing their ongoing evolution to ensure the service remains flexible and responsive to people’s needs.
Clinical responsibilities
To provide specialist assessment and clinical systemic formulation to individuals, couples, families and social networks where the identified client has severe and highly complex mental health needs, including (but not limited to) emotional and behavioural disturbance, parenting difficulties, acute and chronic mental and physical illness, deliberate self-harm, suicide risk, experiences of violence and trauma, and adult and child safeguarding.
To select and administer specialist assessments as appropriate through the use of a range of systemic assessment tools. This would include analysis and assessment of multiple levels of contextual meaning, deconstruction of current interactional patterns of behaviour and meaning around mental health issues and complex relationships.
To provide reports, including relevant formulation, opinion and interventions to inform referrers, service users and their families.
To select and deliver specialist therapeutic interventions, drawing from a broad spectrum of systemic models, monitoring outcome and modifying and adapting interventions as necessary, based on the highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, couple, family or group.
To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management.
To act as lead professional where necessary, taking responsibility for the planning and reviewing of care plans for service users.
To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with service users . carers and colleagues taking account of communication needs.
To ensure that all services provided are acceptable and accessible to the diverse communities which make up the Borough of Brent . At all times to work in ways that are sensitive to and appropriate for the needs of families from a wide range of racial, cultural and religious backgrounds, and to be aware and sensitive to the different contexts that shape different families experiences, beliefs and perceptions. This will include working with interpreters.
Contributing to the wider service
To contribute to the effective working of the team and to a psychologically and systemically informed framework for the service.
To provide consultations to other clinical staff on the use of family therapy and systemic psychotherapy techniques and, where appropriate, to jointly work with other team members in the provision of therapeutic interventions
To take a proactive stance in challenging discrimination and support the development of a culturally competent service.
To provide systemically informed advice and consultancy to local teams and services for clients.
To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals to develop and review care plans and to arrange and lead network meetings as appropriate.
To use theory, evidence-based literature and research to support clinical practice and work with other team members.
Policy and service development
To implement policies and procedures in own area of work.
To identify aspects of the service that could be improved and initiate and implement service development projects.
To participate in clinical governance initiatives as agreed by the team.
To contribute to the consultation and engagement of service users and their families in planning and delivering
Management of resources
To take care of, and use carefully, the Trust’s equipment and physical resources.
Management and supervision/consultation
To be responsible for providing consultation to mental health practitioners developing systemic skills.
To contribute to the appraisal of trainee family therapists, and other mental health practitioners developing systemic skills.
To participate in the recruitment of trainee family therapists, and other mental health practitioners developing systemic skills..
To provide consultation for the systemic and family work of other multi-disciplinary staff as appropriate.
Teaching and training
To contribute to the teaching and training of family and systemic psychotherapists and specialised training to other professions as appropriate.
To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within the Brent Integrated Psychology and Psychotherapy Service by maintaining an active awareness of current developments in the field of systemic practice and Adult Mental Health and by implementing knowledge gained in practice.
To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles.
To provide training in family/social network inclusive practice to multi-disciplinary teams as appropriate
Record-keeping and information governance
To ensure that all information generated by own work is recorded as required by Trust policies and local procedures.
To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry.
Research and development
To contribute to service evaluation and audits
To contribute to appropriate research within the service.
To initiate and implement the development of outcome measurement and assessment and assist other staff in the implementation of same
Initiate and participate in evaluating systemic approaches within particular areas of the service.
Maintaining professional standards and continuing professional development
Regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior family and systemic psychotherapist will be available according to AFT, UKCP and Trust guidelines.
To ensure own Continuing Professional Development in line with AFT and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements and the UKCP ‘Continual Professional Development’ guidelines
To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.
To adhere to the UKCP ‘Ethical Principles and Code of Professional Conduct’ and Trust policies and procedures
General
To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour and follow trust policies relating to its management.
To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations and to support others involved in such situations.
This is not intended as an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities of the role. The postholder may be required to undertake other duties which fall within the grade of the job, in discussion with their manager.
This job description will be reviewed regularly and may change from time to time to meet the changing needs of the Trust and Department

Please refer the Job description for details