Practitioner Psychologist, Psychotherapist & Psychological TherapistNHS

Job summary

The SLaM Psychology in Hostels (PIH) Service is an innovative, multi award-winning specialist homeless psychology service. For 13 years, PIH has led the development and delivery of Psychologically Informed Environments (PIEs), trauma-informed approaches and best practice for working with excluded and multiply disadvantaged populations in partnership with the third sector.

Our client population has high levels of complex trauma, substance misuse, neurological issues, risk-taking behaviour and contact with the criminal justice system, creating multiple exclusions, and significant barriers to accessing mainstream services.

We are recruiting to 2.8 WTE Band 7 posts: one fixed-term post, one fixed-term maternity cover post and one fixed-term secondment/backfill post. Each contract ends on 31 March 2027, with possible extension for the fixed-term post subject to further funding.

These posts will support PIE delivery across Westminster as the embedded clinicians within one or more third-sector service.

PIEs integrate psychological and trauma-informed approaches into service delivery, including staff support, assessment and treatment. PIH uses an equity-centred trauma-informed model, drawing on DBT, CBT, psychodynamic, systemic and community psychology. Working creatively with third-sector partners, we support staff and client recovery by improving mental health and wellbeing, reducing substance use, increasing engagement, and reducing evictions and other negative outcomes.

Main duties of the job

This role will be based in one or more of Westminster's Rough Sleeping services. The role will support PIH PIE hub hostel sites in developing integrated trauma-informed PIE services.

The post holders will -

• Work closely with housing partners and other therapists to develop PIE approaches.
• Support and train third sector partners and the wider network.
• Offer individual and group clinical work to clients.
• Support assessment and onwards referral to mainstream services.

This Westminster role will sit within a wider Psychology in Hostels team based across Westminster and Lambeth, which includes: Consultant Clinical Lead, a Principal grade psychologist, an administrator, five Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologists and Psychotherapists, eight Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologists and Psychotherapists, a Nurse Psychotherapist, an Art Psychotherapist, neuro-homeless GP specialist and several Trainee Clinical Psychologists. This post will be supervised by one of the senior clinicians in the team and the service is also supported by SLaM operational and management structures.

Job description

To provide a specialist psychological service to adult clients resident in homeless hostels including specialist assessment, psychological therapy, trauma specific interventions, rehabilitation, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes.

Key Responsibilities:

Clinical

• To provide psychological support to people experiencing multiple exclusion homelessness (incl. people within homeless accommodation pathway and rough sleepers).
• To provide specialist assessment and clinical formulation to clients with a wide range of mental health needs, including complex trauma, personality disorder, anxiety and depression, addictions, learning difficulties and psychosis.
• To select and deliver evidence-based specialist psychological treatments, monitoring outcome and modifying and adapting interventions, drawing on a range of theoretical options.
• To advise other team members and partner services on specialist psychological care of clients.

Teaching, training, and supervision

• To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior clinician according to Professional and Trust guidelines.
• To provide specialist training in psychological and trauma-informed approaches to care for other professionals as appropriate, particularly to third sector staff, peer support workers, project MDT working with ex-rough sleeper hostels.
• To provide clinical supervision for psychological work undertaken by assistant psychologists, placement students, trainee psychologists and the MDT team as appropriate.

Management, recruitment, policy and service development

• To identify any aspects of the service which could be improved and contribute to the service development through undertaking and participating in appropriate projects.
• To manage own workload and the agreed workload of junior staff, as required, under supervision from a more senior psychologist.
• To participate in clinical governance initiatives as agreed by the Directorate clinical governance committee and team.

Research and service evaluation

• To lead, support and/or participate in service evaluation, including gathering and analysing output and outcome data, as required.
• To carry out appropriate research to improve the quality of care and provide research advice to other staff undertaking research within the service.

General Responsibilities

• To ensure own Continuing Professional Development in line with Professional and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements.

A full Job Description and Person Specification is attached to the advert.

About us

This post will be based across third sector run accommodation sites within the borough of Westminster and has a team admin base in Brixton close to Brixton Underground Station.

Our Trust headquarters are located at Denmark Hill less than 5 minutes from the train station (zone 2). We also provide services and operate across other locations, such as London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark; and substance misuse services for residents of Bexley, Lambeth, Greenwich and Wandsworth.

Benefits:

We are committed to ensuring our staff get the most out of their benefits package, feel valued and understand the importance of a healthy work life balance.

Some of our benefits include:

• Generous pay, pensions and leavepackages dependent on the role and length of service.
• Work life balance,flexible working and supporting a range of flexible options, such as: part-time working and job sharing.
• Career developmentwith plenty CPD opportunities such as mentoring, coaching, collective leadership and other talent programmes.
• Accommodation,our staff benefit fromkeyworker housing at selected sites.
• NHS discountsvia theHealth Service Discounts website.

Other benefits include:

• Counselling services
• Wellbeing events
• Long service awards
• Cycle to work scheme
• Season ticket loan
• Childcare vouchers
• Staff restaurants