Psychological Therapist

Job SummaryWe are excited to advertise a senior post in ELFT forensic directorate's Drug and Alcohol Service. We are looking for an enthusiastic psychological therapist who has experience of working with people with substance use problems and/or experience of working with complex mental health presentations in a community, inpatient, or forensic setting. We are especially keen to hear from applicants who are representative of the diverse population we serve.The post holder will work across two community forensic services, one specialising in supporting people with learning disabilities and autism, and the other supporting people leaving mainstream inpatient forensic services. These community teams cover seven East London localities. The post holder will offer specialist assessment and psychosocial intervention to forensic service users with historical or current problems with substance use who are either in the community or approaching discharge from our inpatient services. The post holder will also provide consultation and training to other professionals across the service, and be responsible for the management and clinical oversight of two Drug and Alcohol Service team members working across the community teams.The post holder will be embedded within the forensic directorate's Drug and Alcohol Service, a multidisciplinary, specialist team, with access to rich supervision and CPD opportunities.Main duties of the jobProvide specialist assessment and psychosocial interventions to forensic service users with historical or current problems with substance use who are either in the community or approaching discharge from our inpatient servicesProvide specialist consultation and advice to multidisciplinary colleaguesManagement and supervision of junior staffIn collaboration with the Head of Drug and Alcohol Service, provide leadership to the community parts of the teamContribute to the development and implementation of effective governance frameworks, and to the audit and evaluation of servicesContribute to the development and delivery of training to a wide range of staff across the forensic directorateAbout UsOur 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.DetailsDate posted17 October 2025Pay schemeAgenda for changeBandBand 7Salary£47,810 to £54,710 a year per annum Inc HCAsContractPermanentWorking patternFull-timeReference number363-FOR7511497Job locationsEast London Community Forensic Service2 Crozier TerraceLondonE9 6ATJob DescriptionJob responsibilitiesFor full details of the job please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification filesJob DescriptionJob responsibilitiesFor full details of the job please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification filesPerson SpecificationEducation/ qualification/ trainingEssentialPostgraduate Doctorate in Clinical/Counselling Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS OR appropriate Psychotherapy qualification OR CBT qualification Registration with the Health Professionals Council or other appropriate regulatory body.Relevant specialist training or qualifications. Additional relevant clinical and/or managerial knowledge and skills acquired through formal training, long or short courses, formal supervision (individual and/or group), structured self-study or experience (or a combination of these) to an appropriate level approved by the Lead of Psychological Services and demonstrated by certification, documented supervision logs, management appraisal documentation and/or assessment at interviewDesirableRelevant specialist training or qualifications in: Loss and Bereavement Community psychology Perinatal mental health CBT EMDR NET Psychodynamic Approaches Narrative Therapy Dialectical Behavioural TherapyExperienceEssentialExperience of working with people who have experienced difficulties including PTSD, complex PTSD and loss at a graduate or post-graduate level.Experience of providing a clinical service to a multicultural population.Experience of offering one to one psychological interventions and group work.Experience of working within a time limited framework.Demonstrable experience of working within a recovery orientated and socially inclusive frameworkUnderstanding of the supervisory process.Able to contribute a psychological perspective in work with other professionals.Able to deliver teaching and training eventsDesirableExperience of working with women and birthing people struggling with mental health difficulties relating to maternity/pregnancy/fertility/birth trauma or loss.Experience of providing Community Psychology or Population Health based interventions.Knowledge and SkillsEssentialCommunication & Relationship skills: Able to provide & receive highly complex, sensitive or contentious information in a highly emotive and sometimes hostile atmosphere, in a range of relationships and settings.Able to use highly specialist skills of empathy to overcome barriers to understanding and acceptanceSensitive and respectful approach to the needs of people with severe and enduring mental health difficulties, their families and carers.Able to build good working relationships with other professionals. Committed to reflective practice.Able to provide a cultural competent service. Ability to reflect critically on one's own identity. Commitment to examining and challenging one's own biases and developing inclusive services and work placesExperience of working with interpreters.Able to compare and select from a range of intervention options, (minimum of two therapeutic orientations) based on formulationAble to provide brief therapeutic interventions.Awareness of government frameworks and guidelines relating to mental health, e.g. NHS Long Term Plan.DesirablePhysical skills: Basic keyboard skills. Information resources: Able to record and report on as required clinical information.Competent in use of basic IT packages - word processing, e-mail and internetResearch: Active research interests. Record of published research.Technical skills in advanced computer packages and internet use.Person SpecificationEducation/ qualification/ trainingEssentialCommunication & Relationship skills: Able to provide & receive highly complex, sensitive or contentious information in a highly emotive and sometimes hostile atmosphere, in a range of relationships and settings.Able to use highly specialist skills of empathy to overcome barriers to understanding and acceptanceSensitive and respectful approach to the needs of people with severe and enduring mental health difficulties, their families and carers.Able to build good working relationships with other professionals. Committed to reflective practice.Able to provide a cultural competent service. Ability to reflect critically on one's own identity. Commitment to examining and challenging one's own biases and developing inclusive services and work placesExperience of working with interpreters.Able to compare and select from a range of intervention options, (minimum of two therapeutic orientations) based on formulationAble to provide brief therapeutic interventions.Awareness of government frameworks and guidelines relating to mental health, e.g. NHS Long Term Plan.DesirablePhysical skills: Basic keyboard skills. Information resources: Able to record and report on as required clinical information.Competent in use of basic IT packages - word processing, e-mail and internetResearch: Active research interests. Record of published research.Technical skills in advanced computer packages and internet use.Disclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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 SponsorshipApplications 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 RegistrationApplicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).Additional informationDisclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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 SponsorshipApplications 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 RegistrationApplicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).Employer detailsEmployer nameEast London NHS Foundation TrustAddressEast London Community Forensic Service2 Crozier TerraceLondonE9 6ATEmployer's websitehttps://www.elft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)Employer detailsEmployer nameEast London NHS Foundation TrustAddressEast London Community Forensic Service2 Crozier TerraceLondonE9 6ATEmployer's websitehttps://www.elft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)