Job summary
- Main area
- Complex Needs Service
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time - 30 hours per week
- Job ref
- 294-COMM-7891054-JB
- Employer
- South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Springfield University Hospital
- Town
- London
- Salary
- £56,276 - £63,176 pro rata per annum inclusive of Inner London HCAS
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 06/04/2026 23:59
Employer heading
DBT Practitioner
NHS AfC: Band 7
South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We provide a full range of local mental health services to the Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton and Wandsworth London boroughs, as well as specialist forensic mental health services, including specialised services such as national deaf adults and CAMHS inpatients and OCD.
We are committed to providing high quality integrated health and social care for local people with mental health problems in South West London and more specialist mental health services for people throughout the UK. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’ however we aim to be ‘outstanding’.
Our Values
We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values; being consistent, compassionate, collaborative, respectful and open is at the heart of everything we do. Our mission is "making life better together".
When you join us, you’ll be part of something special – an innovative and rapidly growing organisation that is helping to redefine the Mental Health, education and social care landscape in the UK.
As a Trust, we are happy to talk flexible working.
Job overview
We are seeking a registered Mental Health Professional to join our team as a DBT Practitioner, working over both of our sites, Tooting Bec and Wallington. Sutton and Merton Complex Needs Team delivers psychological treatment and a care programme approach (CPA) for people who meet criteria for Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD) within Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) or Mentalization Based Therapy (MBT). We are a friendly, warm multi-disciplinary team who are passionate about working with people to reduce distress.
Main duties of the job
The post holder is expected:
· To be committed to effective teamwork and to the coherent and adherent delivery of the treatment model, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
· To promote a high standard of patient care.
· To work within the Trust’s CPA policy and the standards set out in the Community Operational Policy and PD Pathway.
· To provide out-of-hours work as and when required.
Working for our organisation
We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust.
We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’ - we aspire to be ‘outstanding’.
This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services as we invest a further £120m to upgrade and modernise our estate by 2027.
We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.
We offer flexible working, career development and a variety of benefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.
Come and join our inclusive teams and help our patients on their recovery journey.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
• To provide specialist comprehensive psychological assessments of clients who are referred to the Sutton and Merton Complex Needs Service based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources as required, including, as appropriate, psychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the client’s care where necessary.
• To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a client’s mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the client’s problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy.
• To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options in line with the theoretical and therapeutic models and the highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual.
• To manage an individual case load that includes individual and group-based therapy.
• To provide specialist clinical advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients’ formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan, drawing on expertise in DBT.
• To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care for the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings and agencies serving the client group.
• To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide advice to other services across service lines on specialist risk assessment and risk management for this client group.
• To act as care coordinator, where appropriate, taking responsibility for initiating planning and review of care plans under enhanced CPAs, including clients, their carers, referring agents and others involved the network of care in the process. To prepare reports for, attend and contribute to CPA meetings. To be responsible for the flexible management of a defined caseload designed to meet the individual needs of the client and the carers within the trusts CPA policy and Mental Health Act frameworks.
• To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care and to monitor progress.
• To ensure effective communication and share relevant information as required.
• To implement and/or participate in crisis intervention measures with the client/family or in conjunction with other agencies.
Person specification
Training & Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Educated to degree level or equivalent
- Core Mental Health Profession registered with an appropriate professional body (e.g., NMC, UKCP, HCPC) OR Clinical Associate in Psychology who has completed a BPS accredited CAP training and who is eligible for registration on the BPS Wider Psychological Workforce register
- Post graduate qualification that includes supervised and assessed psychotherapeutic training OR Formal training and experience* in DBT (to intensive/upgrade level). * At least 2 years supervised experience, attended weekly consult, minimum 20 supervision sessions, worked with 4 clients, having completed with 2 clients, and have taught all 4 skills modules.
Desirable criteria
- Post registration qualification in group work
- Accreditation or working towards accreditation DBT
Experience
Essential criteria
- Demonstrable experience of working with adults with mental health problems in a variety of community settings
- Experience of multi-disciplinary team working
- Experience of inter-agency working
- Experience of working with clients with a diagnosis of personality disorder
Desirable criteria
- Experience of the use of a variety of therapeutic tools
- Experience and skills in risk assessment and management
- Experience of working with diverse communities
Skills & Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Good knowledge of Risk Assessment procedures and skills to make significant clinical decisions based on this knowledge.
- Ability to undertake complex assessments and develop comprehensive clinical formulations
- Knowledge of evidence-based practice, clinical governance and related knowledge for research and audit.
- Good knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to relevant fields.
Desirable criteria
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups
- Ability to consider differences and equalities both in therapy and professional relationships.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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
- Carina Simmons
- Job title
- Consultant Clinical Psychologist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 02035135000
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