Job summary
Are you a qualified (or about to be) Family and Systemic Psychotherapist seeking a varied role in a supportive, collaborative team? We are looking for a psychotherapist to join our SCT team covering Reading, Wokingham, and Newbury. Depending on experience we are open to applicants at both band 7 & 8a level. Your main base will be Erlegh House, in the beautiful grounds of the University of Reading.

The Specialist Community Teams provide assessments, therapeutic interventions, and care coordination for children and young people with moderate to severe complex mental health difficulties. You will work with a complex, diverse and varied caseload across social, cultural, and individual differences, and your role will include:

• Delivering assessments, interventions and care
• Offering individual and family sessions and running reflective clinics
• Collaborating with schools, social care, and other agencies
• Being involved in service development
• Receiving regular supervision ongoing learning opportunities

You might be a newly qualified therapist seeking excellent learning opportunities from senior therapists and psychologists, or an experienced practitioner looking for a flexible role in a compassionate service. This role offers full flexibility in terms or working pattern and we are open to those looking for full or part time hours. Our Trust is rated "Outstanding" by the CQC, recognised for its supportive culture where staff feel valued.

Main duties of the job

• Provide comprehensive assessments and therapeutic interventions to young people and their families, as appropriate.
• Provide care co-ordination for young people open to the Service.
• Independently manage an appropriately sized caseload.
• Use supervision effectively.
• Offer supervision and training to junior colleagues and other agencies as appropriate.
• Work with colleagues to support the clinical leadership of the team.
• Work effectively in a multi-disciplinary team and within a multi agency system.
• Work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice.
• Contribute to audit, service development and research, as appropriate.
• Maintain own continuing professional development and contribute to team professional development initiatives.

About us
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish. Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:

• Caring for and about you is our top priority
• Committed to providing good quality, safe services
• Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:

• Flexible working options to support work-life balance
• 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
• Generous NHS pension scheme
• Excellent learning and career development opportunities
• 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
• Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
• Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
• Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
• Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
• Free parking across Trust sites

Job responsibilities
The must haves for this role:

• Be a qualified or about to qualify Family and Systemic psychotherapist accredited by UKCP
• Experience in children, young people and families Mental Health services (this could include placements)
• A UK driving licence and access to a vehicle, or the equivalent ability to reach rural locations effectively.

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification. We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted. We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don't hesitate to call Christina Subrai, Team Manager on 07815485190 or email christina.subrai@berkshire.nhs.uk who'll be delighted to help. Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

Person Specification
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential:

• Graduate qualification in relevant mental health or social care related discipline or equivalent, e.g. Practitioner Psychologist registered with HCPC, Registered Mental Health Nurse (NMC), Occupational Therapist registered with HCPC, or Social Worker registered with HCPC
• Postgraduate Masters in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy from a course that is accredited by the Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice (AFT)
• Accreditation with UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) as a Family and Systemic Psychotherapist

Desirable:

• Additional training and accreditations (or working towards these) in relevant therapeutic approaches or psychological models to reflect post qualification interests/ specialism (e.g., specific therapy models and accreditations, Health Psychology, Neuropsychology etc.)

Continuous Professional Development
Essential:

• Evidence of training and/or interest and knowledge in psychological models or therapeutic approaches relevant to the post
• Commitment to continuing professional development as recommended by the relevant accrediting body

Previous Experience
Essential:

• Experience of working in evidence-based ways with service users (and their carers/families) presenting with a full range of clinical severity across the range of settings, 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 dealing with highly distressing or emotional circumstances, such as serious mental illness, child and sexual abuse, exploitation, and complex family dynamics
• Experience of working effectively in a multi-disciplinary team and multi-agency environment
• Experience of service development and carrying out clinical audits, evaluative research and applying the findings
• Experience of working with, and addressing, issues of diversity, including experience of working with diversity, multiculturalism, and equality of access to the service

Desirable:

• Experience of delivering teaching and training to staff
• Experience of providing clinical supervision, mentoring and structured guidance to other staff

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential:

• Demonstrable knowledge, skills and abilities in the practice of assessment, formulation and intervention, relevant to the specialist modality and service area
• Knowledge and understanding of service evaluation, audit and research and how to undertake these activities in an NHS context, including how to implement learning
• Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, complex, technical and/or sensitive information to service users, their carers/families and other professional colleagues, both within and outside of an NHS setting
• Well-developed interpersonal skills, with the ability to support, influence and engage with clinicians, stakeholders and service users to create change and improvement
• The ability and skills to act as an advocate for the service, to engage and foster positive relationships with all health professionals in promoting the good integration of the service within the wider health care system
• Advanced IT skills and the ability to navigate various systems and software packages (such as RiO, Outlook, databases, MS Office/Teams, One Consultation and the Internet)

Additional Requirements
Essential:

• Able to work flexibly around working patterns as required
• Ability to travel independently between locations in Berkshire to fulfil the requirements and duties of the position

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship: 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.

UK Registration: Applicants must have current UK professional registration.
We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.