Job summary
The Lewisham Early Intervention in Psychosis Service (LEIS) is looking for a highly enthusiastic and skilled Family Interventions Therapist with experience working with people with psychosis. The successful applicant will share responsibility for the provision of family interventions for psychosis to families and carers. The post holder will join a psychological therapies team within LEIS.

LEIS is a specialist multidisciplinary community mental health team supporting people aged 18-65 who are experiencing a first episode of psychosis. The team uses well-researched Early Intervention strategies and works intensively with service users and carers for up to three years, to promote engagement with the team and with a range of interventions to facilitate social inclusion and recovery.

Main duties of the job
You will be responsible for developing and supporting the provision of family interventions at LEIS, particularly facilitating the teams' work with families where a member is experiencing psychosis. Family interventions involve experience delivering FI, Cognitive-Behavioural Interventions, Open Dialogue, Cognitive-Behavioural Family Interventions or Systemic oriented family interventions and psycho-education. The role will also involve supporting carers 1-1, as well as facilitating a carers support group. The post-holder will also be involved in providing supervision and consultations to other team members and students. There are opportunities for research and supervision of trainees.

We are looking for an energetic and highly motivated Family Interventions Therapist who has a genuine interest n Psychosis and Early Intervention, and the ability to work effectively as part of the multidisciplinary team. Psychological input is valued in the team, and considered an integral part of the services on offer to our service users and their families.

LEIS has good links with other Lewisham adult mental health services and the other three SLAM Early Intervention teams, therefore there are regular opportunities to link with other therapists within and beyond other psychosis-related teams. You will be encouraged and supported to access CPD opportunities within the Trust.

About us
LEIS is based at a community site in Hither Green, Lewisham, and is well connected to the other community and acute services the borough provides. The site also has good transport links with London and surrounds, Hither Green Rail station is nearby, the building has dedicated parking.

Job responsibilities

• To develop and support the provision of family interventions at LEIS, particularly in facilitating the teams work with families where a member is experiencing psychosis.
• To deliver a variety of family interventions, including FI, Cognitive-Behavioural Interventions, or Open Dialogue, Cognitive- Behavioural and Systemic family interventions and psycho-education. To contribute to support for family members such as the carers support group.
• To provide supervision/consultation to the team in family interventions.
• To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.
• To be involved in the development of treatment protocols, audit tools and outcome measures to ensure the service meets national standards.
• To contribute to Borough and Trust service developments for FI for Psychosis as required.
• To work as an autonomous professional within established professional guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by the policies and procedures of the service, taking responsibility for ownwork including treatment and discharge decisions with support of clinical supervisor.

Qualifications
Essential

• Qualifications and Professional Registration in relevant professional area
• Willingness to undertake further training in family intervention.

Desirable

• Experience of working within an Early Intervention for Psychosis service

Experience
Essential

• Experience of receiving clinical supervision across a range of client needs.
• Experience of assessment and intervention for families affected by psychosis under supervision
• Experience of providing clinical supervision.
• Experience of working in a community setting.

Knowledge and skills
Essential

• To deliver family interventions across cultural and other differences.
• 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 families and carers, and for meetings such as CPA and case reviews.
• Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate.

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).