Principal Family and Systemic Psychotherapist
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
London, SE8 3BXView on map(opens Google Maps in a new tab)
Salary
Negotiable
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Not specified
Closing date
27 October 2026
8 days leftJob description
This Principal Family and Systemic Psychotherapist role will develop and lead our family and carer offer across our five Community Neighbourhood Teams...
To provide, develop and ensure the systematic provision of a highly specialist family and systemic psychotherapy service (including Family Intervention for psychosis) across adult community services in Lewisham, including specialist assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes.
To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate. To contribute to service evaluation, audit, research and policy development.
To ensure that systems are in place and working effectively for the clinical and professional supervision and support of all other family and systemic psychotherapists, trainees and honorary staff within the service area as appropriate (or responsibility for a specific area of clinical expertise).
To work as an autonomous professional within AFT, UKCP, and HCPC guidelines and guided by principles and policies or procedures, taking full responsibility for interpreting policies within defined parameters.
To liaise with other agencies and service providers in relation to the provision of systemic psychotherapy, family intervention, family work and systems/family-oriented services as appropriate to the role.
KR 2 Contributing to team or service clinical functioning
To co-ordinate and chair, service and directorate meetings related to families and carers, to ensure effective functioning and review outcomes and progress, as appropriate.
KR 3 Policy and service development
To implement policies and service changes related to families and carers.
To identify aspects of the service which could be improved and initiate and implement service development projects, that affect a range of professions or services.
KR 4 Care or management of resources
To take care of, and use carefully, the Trusts equipment and physical resources.
To ensure that the post-holder has sufficient resources by estimating future needs and requesting or ordering supplies as needed.
KR 5 Management and supervision
To provide professional leadership to more junior family and systemic psychotherapists and other professionals, as appropriate.
To be responsible for the day-to-day supervision or co-ordination of an agreed workload of more junior family and systemic psychotherapists.
KR 6 Teaching and Training
To plan and undertake teaching and training of pre and post-qualification family and systemic psychotherapists and specialised training to other professions as appropriate.
To ensure that all information generated by own work is recorded as required by Trust policies and local procedures.
To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry.
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. 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.
By coming to work at SLaM, you will gain experience of being part of an organisation with a rich history and international reputation in mental health care. You will have access to professional development and learning opportunities, and have the chance to work alongside people who are world leaders in their field. SLaM delivered more than 14,000 training experiences in 2014; providing an extensive range of learning opportunities for staff at all levels. In addition, our working relationship with King's Health Partners allows those working at the Trust to get involved in academic research.
Qualifications
Essential
- Post-graduate qualification in relevant mental health/social welfare profession and demonstrable practice in this field (A/I)
- Masters level qualification in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy or equivalent qualification, accredited by UKCP (A/I)
- Additional training in a specialised area of systemic practice through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses, OR an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice-based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma. (A/I/R)
- Registered with the UKCP as Systemic Psychotherapist and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the UKCP. (A/I)
- Accredited by AFT to supervise qualified Systemic and Family Psychotherapists (A/I)
Desirable: - oCompletion of post-graduate certificate Family Intervention in Psychosis training. (A/I)
Experience
Essential
- Evidence of having worked as a qualified systemic family psychotherapist under supervision in adult community multi-disciplinary services. (A/I/R)
- Experience of specialist systemic assessment, formulation and intervention with individuals and families with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature, including psychosis and complex trauma. (A/I)
- Experience of supervising trainee family and systemic psychotherapists, having completed the relevant training. (A/I)
- Experience of providing teaching and training to family and systemic psychotherapists or other professional groups. (A/I)
- Experience of working with, and addressing issues of, diversity, including experience of working within a multicultural framework. (A/I)
Desirable
- Experience of supervising and managing qualified professionals. (A/I)
- Experience of developing and leading community mental health teams/services. (A/I)
- Record of publications in either peer reviewed, academic or professional journals/books (A/I/R)
Knowledge
Essential
- Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised systemic and psychological therapies for complex adult mental health presentations, including psychosis. (A/I/R)
- Advanced theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment complex adult mental health presentations, including psychosis. (A/I/R)
- Advanced knowledge of assessment techniques for working with adults with complex mental health presentations. (A/I/R)
- Advanced knowledge of a wide range of systemic and family models and interventions. (A/I/R)
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues and child protection. (A/I/R)
Skills
Essential
- Highly specialist skills in the selection and use of complex assessments, interpreting and integrating complex data that require analysis, interpretation and comparison, drawn from several sources, on which opinion may differ. (A/I/R)
- To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, families, carers, and colleagues, overcoming sensory, emotional and cultural barriers to communication. (A/I/R)
- Advanced consultation skills to work with the multi-professional team or other professional groups. (A/I/R)
- Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups. (A/I/R)
- Advanced knowledge of and skill in using a wide variety of systemic theories and interventions and the ability to use these appropriately in relation to client need and work setting. (A/I/R)
How to apply
Applications are handled entirely by the employer on the original advert. We do not collect CVs, supporting statements or application data.
Provenance
Source
NHS Jobs
First seen
13 October 2026
Last checked
14 October 2026
Salary, closing date and description are taken from the employer's advert. The original advert always takes precedence.
About the employer
NHS organisation
This listing was structured from NHS Jobs. Vacancy details and the application process remain the responsibility of the original source.
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