Clinical Psychologist
About Us:
THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM
Innovation and Change in Westminster City Council is a world of extraordinary stories. Where people use their vision and commitment to open doors for the next generations.
Nothing beats the feeling of helping someone find their passion. At Westminster City Council, our City Lions team helps young local people engage with culture, creativity and dreams. When they came across a lonely, isolated 16-year-old who called himself a failure, they knew what to do. They worked 1-2-1 to find the thing this boy really loved. YouTube, it turned out. But it’s impossible to turn that into a career, right? Wrong. A week later, he was enrolled on the British Film Institute film-making programme. It was the ultimate light-bulb moment. And it turned him into what he is today – a budding Spielberg with a world of opportunity at his feet.
Please view the extraordinary story of the Impossible Dream here.
The Role:
This is an exciting opportunity for a Clinical or Counselling Psychologist with an interest in Compassion Focused Therapy to work in a dual Clinical / Deputy Service Manager role within our ‘Changing Futures’ Specialist Team. Your primary focus will be on the provision of individual and group therapy, consultations and leading reflective practice groups but also taking responsibility for all aspects of the management of the service, in the occasional absence of the Service Manager.
The Changing Futures Programme is a central government funded initiative to improve outcomes for young people experiencing three or more of the following: homelessness, offending, substance misuse, mental health needs and domestic abuse. Our team is working to achieve social justice and promote inclusion through providing a non-judgemental and holistic support service to 18 - 25 year old residents who have experienced multiple forms of disadvantage.
Your work will involve utilising a range of approaches with a focus on Compassion Focused Therapy, to make sense of and respond to the psychological, relational, emotional or behavioural difficulties that our service users present with.
You will respond to relationship or accommodation breakdown by providing therapeutic input through the provision of evidenced-based interventions and contributing to the assessment of risk and protective factors. In cases where there are issues of risk of harm, you’ll also respond to safeguarding concerns.
It’s vital that you have regard for the particular needs of young people from black and minority ethnic groups and ensure that the work processes and the overall ethos of the therapeutic service is reflective of their requirements and needs.
Other key responsibilities will include providing highly specialist clinical consultation on complex cases, contributing to direct training for staff of community partners working with young people and facilitating reflective practice and training groups for practitioners and service users.
Please refer to the Job Description for more information.
About You:
With a professional qualification in clinical psychology, you’ll be UKCP or HCPC registered, and be able to provide evidence of continuing post-qualification professional development. A clear enhanced DBS check is essential, and you should have experience of working with vulnerable groups and individuals from diverse ethnic communities, and the ability to work in high-pressure situations with residents who are suffering high levels of risk and anxiety.
It's essential that you have the skills to work in multi-disciplinary and statutory settings as you provide a range of therapeutic interventions to children, young people and families, and you’ll have the expertise to undertake assessments of therapeutic need and contribute these to childcare planning in a multi-disciplinary context. You should have knowledge of the factors affecting the emotional wellbeing of young people, and a readiness to identify and promote the strengths, resources and abilities of your clients.
Other important skills will include a willingness to work independently with clients in a variety of settings, first-class written and verbal communications skills, and the ability to safely manage conflict and highly emotionally charged meetings.
The Council and its partners are committed to achieving diverse shortlists for all vacancies at Band 4 or above to support our desire to increase the number of staff from underrepresented groups in our workforce. As part of this ambition, if you are from a Black, Asian and Multiple Ethnic backgrounds (B.A.ME) you can self-declare this to the hiring manager as part of our positive action commitments.
What We Offer:
Westminster is an amazing place. There are 250,000 diverse residents, over 50,000 vibrant and vital businesses and three-quarters-of-a-million people working here every day. Our mission is to create a fairer city. We’re an organisation that wants the very best for our residents: a supportive and safe environment, the chance to grow and learn throughout their lives, to build fantastic careers in world-leading industries, to have access to high-quality, affordable housing and to retire into the community with dignity and pride.
We want Westminster to be a place where you can make the most of your talents and thrive as an individual. That’s why we’re proud to have won Best Health & Wellbeing Initiative in the 2020/21 Business Culture Awards. By being the best you can be, you’ll help us adapt to the changing needs of our organisation and communities.
At Westminster City Council, we are passionate about our aim to be an inclusive workplace for all that reflects the communities we serve, and we believe everyone is valued. We particularly welcome applicants from underrepresented backgrounds, including B.A.ME, Black, Asian and Multiple Ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ and those with hidden or visible disabilities. We’re committed to ensuring all our staff – regardless of gender, age, religion, sexuality, ethnicity or disability – can succeed. We value diversity and appreciate that people work in different ways. So, as a Timewise employer we work to provide flexible working arrangements and an empowering environment that enables you to be your best, that is the Westminster Way.
Additional Information
Salary range: Salary is negotiable depending on experience.
Work location: 215 Lisson Grove, Westminster, NW8 8LW
Contract type: Temporary until 31 March 2024 (available as secondment opportunity)
Contact details for an informal discussion: Gavin Barker, Service Manager, 07971092539 or via email on GBARKER@WESTMINSTER.GOV.UK