Consultant Family and Systemic Psychotherapist and MST Team leadNHS

Job summary

The role combines strategic leadership, specialist clinical practice and service development within one of London's most innovative CAMHS services.

• To professionally lead a highly specialist family and systemic psychotherapy service across CAMHS.
• To monitor and implement professional standards and directorate targets in the practice of family and systemic psychotherapy within CAMHS.
• To propose and implement service development and to lead on service evaluation and research.
• To work as an autonomous professional within ASFP and UKCP guidelines and guided by principles and policies or procedures and establishing the way in which these should be interpreted and implemented within the service area of responsibility.
• Contribution to the Lewisham FT clinics
• Within the clinical MST role, to manage and supervise a team of clinicians to provide a Multisystemic Therapy (MST) service within Lewisham CAMHS.
• To line manage and provide MST supervision to clinicians within the clinical team. The MST Therapists will each have a small caseload and will be available to provide consultation and support to those families on a 24/7 basis.
• To hold budgetary responsibility for managing the direct costs budget of the team within limits agreed with the leadership team

Main duties of the job

As the Consultant Family and Systemic Psychotherapist for CAMHS and MST Team Lead in Lewisham, you will provide strategic and professional leadership for family and systemic psychotherapy across CAMHS, ensuring high standards of clinical practice, supervision and governance. You will lead and supervise the Lewisham MST team, supporting clinicians to deliver intensive home and community-based interventions for young people and families with highly complex needs. The role includes service development, workforce leadership, budget management, multi-agency partnership working, quality improvement, research and training. You will work closely with senior leaders, local authority partners, schools, youth justice services and community organisations to improve outcomes for children, young people and families across Lewisham.

Job description

Clinical Leadership

• Provide professional leadership for Family and Systemic Psychotherapy services across CAMHS.
• Maintain and develop high standards of systemic practice, supervision and clinical governance.
• Deliver highly specialist systemic assessment, formulation and therapeutic interventions for children, young people and families with complex mental health needs.
• Provide expert consultation and specialist advice to multidisciplinary colleagues and partner agencies.
• Lead and oversee clinical risk assessment and risk management processes.

MST Service Leadership

• Lead the development and delivery of the Lewisham Multisystemic Therapy (MST) service in Lewisham.
• Line manage, supervise and support MST therapists and business support staff.
• Provide weekly clinical supervision and support therapists in delivering intensive family and community-based interventions.
• Participate in the MST consultation model and maintain fidelity to the MST framework.
• Provide out-of-hours clinical support and contribute to on-call arrangements as required.

Service Development and Strategic Leadership

• Lead service developments that improve quality, access and outcomes for children and families.
• Implement Trust, directorate and national policy requirements, including NICE guidance and clinical governance standards.
• Contribute to strategic planning, service redesign and transformation initiatives.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with key stakeholders including children's services, schools, youth justice and community organisations.
• Promote service user and carer involvement in service planning and development.

Management and Governance

• Hold responsibility for relevant service budgets and resources.
• Ensure effective use of staffing and financial resources.
• Lead monitoring of quality standards, audit activity and service performance.
• Support recruitment, appraisal, professional development and workforce planning.
• Deputise for senior psychology and psychotherapy leadership colleagues when required.

Training, Research and Innovation

• Lead and contribute to specialist teaching, supervision and professional training.
• Support trainee and qualified family and systemic psychotherapists through placement opportunities and supervision.
• Initiate and lead service evaluation, audit and research projects.
• Disseminate learning through presentations, publications and professional forums.
• Promote evidence-based practice and continuous improvement across services.

Partnership Working

• Work collaboratively with health, education, social care and voluntary sector partners.
• Represent CAMHS and specialist psychological therapies within strategic and operational forums.
• Build strong relationships across the local system to improve pathways and outcomes for children, young people and families.

About MST The MST element of the role focuses on delivering an internationally recognised, evidence-based intervention for young people aged 11-17 who are at risk of entering care, becoming involved in the criminal justice system, experiencing permanent exclusion from school or requiring residential placements. The successful candidate will receive specialist MST leadership training, ongoing consultation and access to a national and international network of MST expertise.

About us

CAMHS is a dynamic, ambitious and compassionate service within South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, one of the leading mental health organisations in the UK. We are committed to delivering outstanding care, driving innovation and promoting positive outcomes for children, young people and families. Our teams work collaboratively across health, education, social care and voluntary sector partners to provide integrated, evidence-based support. Staff benefit from strong professional leadership, high-quality supervision, access to specialist training and opportunities to contribute to service transformation, research and quality improvement. We value diversity, inclusion and co-production and are passionate about creating an environment where staff can thrive, develop and make a meaningful impact every day.