South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Practitioner Psychologist, Psychotherapist & Psychological Therapist
The closing date is 24 November 2026

Job summary
We have an exciting opportunity for a full-time permanent Principal Psychologist based in the Lewisham Intensive Support Team (0.6 wte) and MHLD Team (0.4wte). We are looking for an experienced psychologist to develop and lead a small multi-professional pathway as part of the Lewisham Intensive Support Team, with some time to work across MHLD as well. This newly developed pathway will work quickly, flexibly and intensively at times of crisis, working closely with service users and their networks. The IST works in conjunction with the wider borough MHLD team sharing decision making about stepping up and stepping down care so that people get the right support at the right time. As the Lead Psychologist you will have the opportunity to develop this service, manage and clinically supervise a small MDT (comprising Behaviour Support Practitioner, Speech and Language Therapist, Occupational Therapy and Trainee Clinical Psychologist). You will also have an important role working with the Borough Lead Psychologist, commissioners and stakeholders to help shape service design and delivery for local adults with learning disabilities and complex behaviour at high risk of placement breakdown. The work is varied and fulfilling, with scope to inform what services look like for local people, and opportunities to work creatively and proactively. You will be be supervised and managed by the MHLD Borough Lead Consultant Psychologist.

Main duties of the job
Job Purpose:

• To develop, co-ordinate and oversee the provision of a MDT service at the Intensive Support Team (IST) and provide highly specialist clinical input in terms of psychological and behavioural support.
• To contribute to enabling staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.
• To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate, functioning as a lead specialist in working with adults with learning disabilities who require an intensive support provision.
• To ensure that systems are in place and working effectively for the clinical and professional supervision and support of other psychological practitioners within the IST.
• To promote service evaluation, audit, research and policy development.
• To work as an autonomous professional within registration body guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by principles and policies or procedures of the service, taking responsibility for interpreting policies within defined parameters.
• To agree outcomes/results with clinical/professional lead and to decide how they are best achieved.

About us
The multi-disciplinary IST pathway provides intensive support to adults with Learning Disabilities, whose behaviour places them at risk of hospital admission, or placement breakdown. The team sits within community Mental Health Learning Disability (MHLD) service in South London and Maudsley NHS Trust and works closely with the community learning disabilities team and other agencies in the borough. The MHLD service is part of the wider Neurodevelopmental Services which is part of the Psychological Medicine and Older Adults (PMOA) Directorate, alongside a range of specialist and local services. You will work closely with Allied Health Professional Leads in Guys and St Thomas' NHS Trust, who are involved in the management and professional supervision of the AHPs within the IST.

Details
Date posted: 10 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 8b
Salary: £75,328 to £86,114 a year per annum incl. of HCAs (inner)
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Job share, Flexible working
Reference number: 334-CLI-8277279
Job locations: Old Town Hall, 1 Catford Road, London, SE6 4RU, United Kingdom

Key Responsibilities

• Clinical and Client Care: To develop, co-ordinate and ensure the systematic provision of a highly specialist MDT service.
• To provide and lead a highly specialist psychological and behavioural support service to the Intensive Support Team in the Mental Health in Learning Disability Service.
• To provide highly specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions for adults with learning disabilities at levels expected of a psychological practitioner who has achieved the equivalent of a PG Diploma-worth of post-qualification specialist development.
• To select and deliver evidence-based specialist therapeutic interventions, drawing from a spectrum of ideas and 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.
• Responsibilities for team or service clinical functioning: To co-ordinate (and chair) meetings for IST to ensure effective functioning and review, when appropriate.
• To take a lead in ensuring a psychologically and psychotherapeutically informed framework for the IST.
• To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals concerned with clients in order to develop and review care plans.
• Policy and service development: To implement policies and procedures in own area of work.
• To identify any aspects of IST which could be improved and propose changes to practices or procedures that affect IST and may also affect other services.
• To initiate and implement service development projects, as agreed with clinical/professional lead.
• Care or management of resources: To take care of, and use carefully, the Trusts equipment and physical resources.
• To ensure that the post-holder has sufficient resources by estimating future needs and requesting or ordering supplies as needed.
• To ensure the cleanliness and safe functioning and use of equipment that will be used by clients or other persons.
• To monitor and advise clients on the safe use of materials and processes.
• Management and supervision: To provide clinical leadership to more junior psychological practitioners and other professionals, as appropriate.
• To be responsible for the allocation and/or clinical supervision of the work of more junior psychological practitioners.
• To contribute to the recruitment of more junior psychological practitioners as appropriate.
• Teaching and Training: To undertake occasional teaching and training of pre and post-qualification psychological practitioners and specialised training to other professions as appropriate.
• To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within the service by maintaining an active awareness of current developments in psychology and by implementing knowledge gained in practice.
• 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 ensure the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry, in those parts of the service for which the post-holder has leadership responsibility.

Person Specification
Qualifications (Essential): To have undertaken a recognised qualification in one of the core mental health professions, e.g. psychiatric nursing, clinical psychology, medicine, social work and occupational therapy OR to have equivalent relevant experience and demonstrable competence to work in the mental health field in the NHS. Entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level additional training) that has been accepted by the HCPC for purposes of professional registration. For Psychotherapists: Entry-level qualification in Psychotherapy that has been accepted by the UKCP/BABCP for purposes of professional registration.

Experience (Essential):

• Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in learning disabilities
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in learning disabilities
• Experience of supervising assistants and trainees having completed the relevant training.
• Post-qualification experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities.

Knowledge (Essential):

• Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment of mental health difficulties and behaviour that challenges for adults with learning disabilities
• Advanced knowledge of the theory of psychological therapy and its therapeutic application
• Associated awareness of assessment and clinical psychometrics.
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities.

Skills (Essential):

• 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 individual clients and groups and carers (and for meetings such as CPA and case reviews where appropriate).
• Administration of psychometric and neuropsychological tests, including those that require complex manipulation of test materials.
• To plan allocation of tasks to assistants/trainees as appropriates.

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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer details
Employer name: South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Old Town Hall, 1 Catford Road, London, SE6 4RU, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.slam.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Consultant Clinical Psychologist Dr Julie Steel, julie.steel@slam.nhs.uk, 02032289600

Supporting documents
Privacy notice: South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications.