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Clinical or Counselling Psychologist
East London NHS Foundation Trust View all jobs
Posted 11 hour(s) ago
Reference: 2380683
Job summary
We are excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for a HCPC registered Clinical or Counselling Psychologist to join the Newham Mentalisation Based Therapy Service in a permanent, full-time (1.0) Band 8a role.
In this position, you will spend three days engaged in the MBT provision of our service and two days focusing on outreach work for individuals with Complex Emotional Needs (CEN) across the borough, with a particular emphasis on supporting our community teams. Our service delivers a comprehensive MBT program tailored for individuals facing complex mental health challenges. We encourage candidates who have experience providing therapeutic support in this area to apply, and previous involvement with MBT treatment will be considered an advantage given the context of our work.
This role not only offers the chance to step into a Band 8a position but also serves as a valuable platform for those looking to enhance their clinical and leadership skills. Alongside delivering clinical interventions, you will play a key role in supervision, training, and various service development initiatives, including offering consultation to other services and conducting outreach within community teams.
Our approach to MBT in Newham emphasizes teamwork. We're keen to hear from candidates who appreciate the value of collaborating within a reflective, in-person team environment. Regular discussions about service users take place, fostering a close-knit collaborative spirit around care planning.
Main duties of the job
The role involves delivering clinical services to patients engaged with the Newham Mentalisation Based Therapy Service, while also providing expert support and guidance to fellow team members. The post holder will be responsible for the following key tasks:
- Conduct specialized psychological assessments for patients referred to the Mentalisation Based Therapy Service and prepare detailed reports for both referrers and patients.- Develop and implement tailored treatment plans, offering specialized Mentalisation-Based therapy to those under the service's care.- Provide clinical supervision to colleagues and offer consultation to various professionals and agencies.- Collaborate with other professionals to ensure continuity of care across different services.- Work independently, adhering to professional guidelines and the overarching policies and procedures of the team.- Take a leading role in providing a treatment approach for patients with complex needs, offering comprehensive assessments, interventions, and treatment solutions.
About us
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
Details
Date posted
02 October 2026
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 8a
Salary
£63,665 to £70,887 a year per annum Inc HCA
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time
Reference number
363-NEW8279906
Job locations
Secondary Care Psychological Therapies Service
409 High Street
Stratford
E15 4QZ
United Kingdom
Job description
Job responsibilities
For a full overview and description of this role, please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For a full overview and description of this role, please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification.
Person Specification
Education/ Qualification/ Training
Essential
- Doctorate in Clinical / Counselling Psychology or equivalence (statement of equivalence and able to demonstrate eligibility for BPS CPsychol (Chartered Psychologist) or allied professional with experience in MBT
- HCPC registration or allied registration
Desirable
- Accredited Practitioner Training in MBT
- Further training in a therapeutic modality relevant to personality disorder i.e. DBT skills
Experience
Essential
- Experience in working with patients with complex emotional needs presentations (i.e. 'Personality Disorder') and/or risk of self-harm.
- Experience of delivering therapeutic interventions to individuals with Complex Emotional Needs.
- Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team offering support to adults with severe and enduring mental health problems.
- Experience of group work.
- Experience of delivering training/consultation and providing clinical supervision.
Desirable
- Work within at least two therapeutic modalities (i.e. MBT, DBT).
- Experience of the application of psychology/therapy in different cultural contexts
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Skills in psychological assessment, intervention and management, including the use of theoretical models to develop formulations upon which to base choice of treatment.
- Skills in the effective communication of technical and/or clinically sensitive information to a wide variety of recipients in a range of settings within and outside the NHS, including the ability to produce comprehensive and coherent letters, reports and associated documentation.
- Skills in the assessment of risk for patients with mental health problems and specifically for patients with complex Emotional Needs
- Capacity to work calmly and thoughtfully when working with traumatic psychological issues, demonstrating an awareness of the sensitivity and unpredictability of patients with complex needs, and a capacity to tolerate the strong emotions evoked by such work
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Knowledge and understanding of diagnosis of Personality Disorder.
- Skills in working in multidisciplinary settings.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation mental health.
- Evidence of CPD
- Ability to provide a culturally-competent and non-stigmatising service including an awareness of the potential impact of discrimination and disadvantage on mental health.
- Knowledge of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult - to - treat groups (e.g. complex needs, self harm, personality disorder/psychosis, dual diagnosis, persons with additional disabilities etc).
Desirable
- Some knowledge and understanding of psychoanalytic models and developmental processes associated with Personality Disorder (eg: Transference Focused Psychotherapy (TFP), Mentalization-based Treatment (MBT).
Other
Essential
- Ability to manage effectively verbal aggression and abuse from service users, carers etc, and the risk of physical aggression.
- Demonstrably respectful approach to service users, carers, colleagues, other professionals and professional contacts. Willingness to negotiate and ability to handle confrontation effectively and professional
Person Specification
Education/ Qualification/ Training
Essential
- Doctorate in Clinical / Counselling Psychology or equivalence (statement of equivalence and able to demonstrate eligibility for BPS CPsychol (Chartered Psychologist) or allied professional with experience in MBT
- HCPC registration or allied registration
Desirable
- Accredited Practitioner Training in MBT
- Further training in a therapeutic modality relevant to personality disorder i.e. DBT skills
Experience
Essential
- Experience in working with patients with complex emotional needs presentations (i.e. 'Personality Disorder') and/or risk of self-harm.
- Experience of delivering therapeutic interventions to individuals with Complex Emotional Needs.
- Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team offering support to adults with severe and enduring mental health problems.
- Experience of group work.
- Experience of delivering training/consultation and providing clinical supervision.
Desirable
- Work within at least two therapeutic modalities (i.e. MBT, DBT).
- Experience of the application of psychology/therapy in different cultural contexts
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Skills in psychological assessment, intervention and management, including the use of theoretical models to develop formulations upon which to base choice of treatment.
- Skills in the effective communication of technical and/or clinically sensitive information to a wide variety of recipients in a range of settings within and outside the NHS, including the ability to produce comprehensive and coherent letters, reports and associated documentation.
- Skills in the assessment of risk for patients with mental health problems and specifically for patients with complex Emotional Needs
- Capacity to work calmly and thoughtfully when working with traumatic psychological issues, demonstrating an awareness of the sensitivity and unpredictability of patients with complex needs, and a capacity to tolerate the strong emotions evoked by such work
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Knowledge and understanding of diagnosis of Personality Disorder.
- Skills in working in multidisciplinary settings.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation mental health.
- Evidence of CPD
- Ability to provide a culturally-competent and non-stigmatising service including an awareness of the potential impact of discrimination and disadvantage on mental health.
- Knowledge of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult - to - treat groups (e.g. complex needs, self harm, personality disorder/psychosis, dual diagnosis, persons with additional disabilities etc).
Desirable
- Some knowledge and understanding of psychoanalytic models and developmental processes associated with Personality Disorder (eg: Transference Focused Psychotherapy (TFP), Mentalization-based Treatment (MBT).
Other
Essential
- Ability to manage effectively verbal aggression and abuse from service users, carers etc, and the risk of physical aggression.
- Demonstrably respectful approach to service users, carers, colleagues, other professionals and professional contacts. Willingness to negotiate and ability to handle confrontation effectively and professional
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).
Additional information
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).
Employer details
Employer name
East London NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Secondary Care Psychological Therapies Service
409 High Street
Stratford
E15 4QZ
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.elft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
Employer details
Employer name
East London NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Secondary Care Psychological Therapies Service
409 High Street
Stratford
E15 4QZ
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.elft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)