Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a qualified Psychological Therapist, Clinical Psychologist or Counselling Psychologist to join the Step 4 Psychological Therapies for Severe Mental Health Problems Service (PT-SMHP) based at Tekhnicon House, Braintree, Essex.

The service aims to increase access to evidence-based psychological interventions for people whose needs exceed those typically met within NHS Talking Therapies.

The post holder will be trained to deliver psychological assessment, formulation, and treatment to individuals presenting with severe mental health problems, which may include, complex emotional difficulties, severe depressive disorders, complex anxiety disorders, C-PTSD, personality disorders, in addition to other presentations.

The successful candidate will be expected to work autonomously whilst also contributing to a supportive team environment. The role will involve conducting detailed risk assessment and management, and liaising with MDTs, secondary care services and primary care colleagues. The role will require regular clinical supervision and line management, ensuring practice remains safe, effective, and in accordance with professional standards, whilst working within established service targets, policies, and procedures.

This post offers an opportunity to work within a small but growing specialist service and would suit an enthusiastic clinician with experience of working with complex cases, risk, and severe mental health difficulties

Main duties of the job
Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Undertake specialist psychological assessments of clients presenting with severe and complex mental health difficulties.
• Carry out detailed risk assessment and management, including current and historical risk of self-harm and suicide, always working to prioritise client safety.
• Develop psychological formulations that integrate biological, psychological, and social factors.
• Deliver evidence-based psychological interventions in line with NICE guidance and professional standards.
• Provide individual and group-based therapeutic interventions where required.
• Provide appropriate remote and face to face interventions.
• Work collaboratively and communicate clearly with service users, carers, and multidisciplinary colleagues to develop effective care plans.
• Maintain accurate and timely clinical records and documentation in line with service standards.
• Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings, clinical discussions, and service development initiatives.
• Contribute to outcome monitoring, clinical audit, and service evaluation activities, working flexibly to help the service achieve its primary key performance indicators.
• Receive and provide clinical supervision in accordance with professional requirements.
• Maintain necessary professional registration.
• To work in an efficient manner and to and manage a caseload in line with service targets.
• To closely monitor and effectively manage client engagement and attendance

About us
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust is one of just five mental healthTtrusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission.

Our family of over 4,500 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill- health, physical ill- health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything we do is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:

Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.

There is an opportunity for further training and development of skills within the service.

Please note that HPFT is contracted to provide the Mid Essex PT-SMHP service until 31 March 2027, after which a different provider will assume responsibility for delivering the service. This advertised job role is a permanent position and the role itself is expected to continue beyond this date. Any transfer of staff to the incoming provider would be subject to the applicable TUPE regulations and formal consultation processes.

Job responsibilities
This role currently offers a hybrid working arrangement, with a combination of home working and face-to-face clinical work.

Car driver essential as a majority of the posts are community based, the post holder will need a full valid driving licence and access to a car to use regularly for business purposes including business insurance (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).

For full details of the main duties and responsibilities of the role please refer to the job description and person specification documents attached.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Postgraduate qualification training in evidence based psychological therapies, such as CBT, EMDR, DBT, MBT, CAT, OR Doctoral/Masters level training in clinical/counselling psychology, including specific models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology, as accredited by the BPS and current registration with HCPC, AND significant experience working as a psychological therapy practitioner
• To be a member of a relevant professional or regulatory body and continue to fulfil any accreditation or membership criteria, including meeting requirements for: i) continuing professional and personal development, ii) regular supervision and iii) codes of practice
• Professional qualification degree level, which should include knowledge and application of research methodology

Desirable

• Additional specialist knowledge or training in psychological therapies including CBT for severe mental health problems, or CBT-PD, or CBT-P, EMDR, DBT, MBT, CAT for example

Experience
Essential

• Experience of providing specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients experiencing complex and severe mental health problems
• Experience of carrying out detailed risk assessment and management of highly distressed clients
• 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, including at least six months clinical experience working in adult mental health
• Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life span's 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 multi-disciplinary team working and inter-agency collaboration
• Knowledge of whole life span development and the impact on emotional, psychological and mental wellbeing
• 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 take the appropriate action to address any issues or risks
• Awareness of Child and Adult Safeguarding Procedures
• Awareness of current NHS initiatives and Developments
• Knowledge of legislation and the national agenda in relation to Adult Mental Health
• Knowledge and awareness of specific clinical practices and issues relating to clients with mental health problems
• Ability to work autonomously as well as part of a team
• Experience of working in a mental health setting
• Ability to work with agreed service targets and caseload management

Desirable

• Experience of delivering at least one evidence based psychological therapy for trauma (i.e. TF-CBT or EMDR) relevant to the treatment of adults with complex-PTSD.
• Experience of service quality monitoring e.g. clinical audit, evaluative research, etc.
• Experience of teaching, training and/or offering supervision
• Experience of service development/project management

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 (Opens in a new tab).

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 (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

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 (Opens in a new tab).

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 (Opens in a new tab).

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).