About this role
Job summary
This is a senior leadership opportunity for a Consultant Clinical Psychologist to help shape the future of psychological services in Ealing. Working alongside our Head of Psychological Professions, you will provide professional leadership to clinical psychologists across the borough, with real influence over service design, strategic development and decision-making. You will work closely with Clinical Directors, Service Managers and other professional leads to build high-quality, integrated psychological care pathways, alongside a meaningful clinical caseload working with adults presenting with severe, complex and persistent mental health difficulties.
West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse healthcare providers in the UK, rated 'Good' overall by the CQC, with our forensic services rated 'Outstanding'. We are an established partner in the North West London Integrated Care System. Our staff survey results continue to improve year on year: recommendation of the Trust as a place to work has risen from 63% to 68%, and staff feeling well supported has risen from 32% to 40%. We offer 24/7 access to our Development Hub, an inclusive talent pool, an Occupational Health service, and wellbeing initiatives including workplace wellbeing zones. Our values of Togetherness, Responsibility, Excellence and Caring sit at the heart of everything we do.
Main duties of the job
As a senior leader for psychology in Ealing, you will actively participate in strategic development, team planning and decision-making, and will provide professional leadership to clinical psychologists across the borough, working closely with Clinical Directors, Service Managers and other professional leads. You will be responsible for clinical supervision, workforce planning and recruitment for clinical psychologists, and will lead reflective practice and team facilitation to support staff wellbeing and development. You will contribute to service redesign, quality improvement and research, and will represent psychology within the wider Trust. You will hold a small specialist caseload, working with adults presenting with severe, highly complex and persistent mental health difficulties, which may include leadership within our Borough DBT programme. You will support the professional development of the psychology workforce, including PDRs, CPD and reflective practice.
About us
West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse healthcare providers in the UK, delivering a range of mental health and physical healthcare and community services. The Trust runs Broadmoor Hospital, one of three high secure hospitals in the country, with an international reputation.
Our high secure services care for patients from South of England and we provide low and medium secure services across eight London boroughs. The Trust also provides mental and physical healthcare in three London boroughs (Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham). We employ over 5,000 staff, of whom 59% are BME. Our turnover for 2024-25 is over £500m.
The Trust is rated as 'Good' overallby the Care Quality Commission. Forensic services are rated as 'Outstanding'.
The Trust is an established partner and contributor in the development of the evolving North West London Integrated Care System and the Integrated Care Board. The Trust leads the NW London Children and Adolescent Mental Health provider collaborative.
Job description Job responsibilities
The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached
The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.
Person Specification
Training/Qualifications Essential
Post-graduate doctoral-level training in clinical psychology (or its equivalent) as recognised by the HCPC Professional registration with the HCPC as a full member and evidence of CPD as required by the HCPC. Formal training in the clinical supervision of qualified staff.
Desirable
Additional post-qualification training and experience or further qualifications in one or more specialised areas of psychological practice Supervision Training Accredited DBT training (e.g. British Isles DBT Training, full-model DBT training) or equivalent training in evidence-based approaches for complex emotional needs Leadership/Management Training
Experience Essential
Experience of working within adults services or their equivalent Substantial experience working as a clinical specialist with a wide variety of client groups across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity. Substantial experience of specialist complex psychological assessment and treatment of patients in a range of settings Experience of maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse. Experience of working within a multi-cultural framework. Substantial post-qualification experience of working with adults with severe and enduring mental illness within community mental health settings (e.g. CMHT, assertive outreach, rehabilitation or crisis services). Experience of providing professional and clinical leadership, including line management and clinical supervision of qualified and unqualified psychology staff.
Desirable
Experience of significant service development, design and implementation. Experience of specialist assessment and treatment of adults with complex emotional needs and/or a diagnosis of personality disorder. Experience of delivering DBT (individual therapy, skills groups, and/or phone coaching) within a full-model DBT programme.
Knowledge/Skills Essential
Knowledge of adults' mental health needs in relation to current legislation (including the Mental Health Act 1983 (as amended 2007), the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and relevant safeguarding legislation), government policy and other national initiatives, as well as relevant psychological theory and research. Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS. Competent user of IT systems, including electronic patient record systems, for clinical documentation, outcome monitoring and data reporting. Skills and expertise in providing psychological consultation and advice to other professional and non-professional groups. Doctoral-level knowledge of the theory and practice of a range of highly specialised psychological therapy models applicable to adults with severe and complex mental health problems (e.g. CBT, DBT, systemic, psychodynamic and third-wave approaches), and the ability to select and adapt these appropriately
Desirable
Post-doctoral research, audit or service evaluation. Specialist knowledge of DBT theory and the biosocial model of emotion dysregulation, including skills training, individual therapy, phone coaching and the DBT consultation team model. Knowledge of the theory and practice of highly specialised psychological therapies and assessment methodologies.
Other Requirments Essential
Ability to identify, provide and promote appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and severely challenging behaviours Ability to identify and employ, as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour. Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic settings. Ability to travel independently and flexibly across Trust sites and into the community including for domiciliary visits, to meet the demands of the post
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 West London NHS Trust
Address Armstrong Way
Southall
UB2 4SD
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.westlondon.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)