Job summary
- Main area
- Applied Psychology
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8b
- Contract
- Fixed term: 30 months (Role is based within the Wellcome-funded AVATAR project and is for a period of 30 months with the end date no later than the project end date (31st August 2029))
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 334-CLI-8313291
- Employer
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- PICuP (Psychological Interventions Clinic for outpatients with Psychosis)/ Psychology (KCL)
- Town
- London
- Salary
- £75,328 - £86,114 per annum inclusive of HCAS (Inner)
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 27/10/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Principal Clinical/Counselling Psychologist or Psychotherapist
NHS AfC: Band 8b
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We deliver specialist services in the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Wandsworth and Richmond.
We are committed to provide a high quality and specialist care to our service users and we are recognised for our care and treatment we provide. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’.
We launched our five-year strategy, Aiming High; Changing Lives in 2021 together with Our Care Improvement System as our quality management system methodology to make a positive impact on patient care, outcomes and staff experience. By joining SLaM, all staff will get the opportunity to be part of this exciting improvement journey supported with learning and development to harness everyone’s potential as change makers.
The trust recognises the unique and valuable contribution that people with lived experience of mental illness can bring to a role. We therefore welcome applications from people with lived experience and consider them as an asset to the Trust.
Our Values
We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values and our promise to be caring, kind, polite, prompt, honest, listen and do what I say I’m going to do is at the heart of everything we do. When you join us, you’ll be part of something special.
As a Trust we are happy to talk flexible working.
Job overview
This post is for an 8b SLaM AVATAR therapy Training Lead for a new Wellcome funded study, AVATAR-RWE (Real World Evidence). The successful candidate will work as part of an NHS implementation study of AVATAR therapy, a blended digital intervention for distressing voices in psychosis. Having tested efficacy in rigorous randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and with replication emerging from independent research groups, our focus is on national and international implementation of AVATAR therapy. In March 2024 AVATAR therapy received a NICE-Early Value Assessment recommendation for deployment in the NHS for the purpose of real-world evidence generation.
Main duties of the job
Key Responsibilities:
The post holder will:
· Lead on training and supervision of therapists in SLaM.
· Supervise the Assistant Psychologist, to support data collection to a high standard, in line with study protocols.
· Oversee reporting and transfer of research data to project leads, in line with research governance approvals.
· Support the optimisation of AVATAR therapy software and training resources
· Support the KCL-based Researchers in development of study materials.
· The post holder may be asked to contribute to training and supervision beyond SLaM (i.e. other trusts/ clinical settings) to support the wider roll-out of AVATAR therapy
The post holder will support Dr Tom Ward and Dr Clem Edwards in the delivery of these aims. The job purpose will focus on leadership in the training and supervision of AVATAR therapy delivered within SLaM alongside the real-world data collection.
The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.
Working for our organisation
About South London and Maudsley:
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) provide the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK as well as substance misuse services for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. We work closely with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London and are part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre. There are very few organisations in the world that have such wide-ranging capabilities working with mental illness. Our scope is unique because it is built on three major foundations: care and treatment, science and research, and training.
SLaM employ around 5000 staff and serve a local population of 1.1 million people. We have more than 230 services including inpatient wards, outpatient and community services. Currently, provide inpatient care for approximately 5,300 people each year and treat more than 45,000 patients in the community in Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark; as well as substance misuse services for residents of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
This post is for an 8b SLaM AVATAR therapy Training Lead for a new Wellcome funded study, AVATAR-RWE (Real World Evidence). The successful candidate will work as part of an NHS implementation study of AVATAR therapy, a blended digital intervention for distressing voices in psychosis. Please see attached Job description for further information
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- • Doctorate in Clinical or Counselling Psychology, or equivalent, and HCPC registered. (A)
Desirable criteria
- • Post-qualification Postgraduate Diploma in CBT for psychosis/Severe Mental Illness (SMI) or equivalent specialist experience. (A)
Experience
Essential criteria
- Post qualification experience of working in adult mental health services with people with psychosis.
Desirable criteria
- Training, supervision, or delivery of digitally supported therapies for severe mental health problems.
- Training and experience in AVATAR therapy delivery and supervision
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Knowledge, experience and interest in AVATAR or relevant relational therapies for psychosis (A/I)
- Knowledge and skills in CBT for psychosis. (A/I)
- Knowledge and skills in supervision and training of other mental health professionals. (A/I)
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge and skills in digitally supported therapies for severe mental health problems. (A/I)
- Training and supervision of psychological practitioners to deliver psychological interventions for psychosis (A/I)
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Dr Thomas Ward
- Job title
- Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
SLaM email: [email protected]
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