CBT Practitioner (Hoarding Specialist)

Job Description

Discover yourself in Lewisham where what you do makes a difference to our vibrant and culturally diverse communities!

We have a rich history of welcoming people from all over the world and are proud to be recognised as the UK’s first Borough of Sanctuary, for our work in championing the rights of refugees and migrants.

Introduction

Are you an accredited cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) practitioner with a passion to make a real difference in the lives of people with hoarding disorder? Do want to play a key role in the development of an progressive new initiative within Adult Social Care?

Hoarding disorder is characterised by the persistent accumulation of clutter to levels which can become dangerous, and can have a devastating impact on the lives of people directly and indirectly affected. People with hoarding disorder are often marginalised and stigmatised within their communities and the trauma underlying the behaviour may be further compounded by enforcement actions which statutory services may be required to take to deal with the harmful effects of the behaviour.

Lewisham Council recognises the complexity of the issues and we want to do things differently. In partnership with Lewisham Safeguarding Adults Board we have developed a trauma-informed multi-agency approach to hoarding. We know that the most effective intervention for hoarding is disorder-specific Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and we are therefore investing in a specialist CBT Practitioner post to work therapeutically with people with hoarding disorder.

What’s the role?

The postholder will work with a caseload of people with hoarding disorder, conducting specialist hoarding assessments and delivering individualised CBT. They will support clients to recognise what causes and maintains their hoarding behaviour, to manage the urge to acquire and to enable them to de-clutter. They will work with affected families to help them to understand and support the family member with hoarding behaviours.

They will collaborate closely with colleagues from a range of agencies to develop coordinated multi-agency plans. They will develop expert knowledge in the field of hoarding and will contribute to the development of the Lewisham hoarding strategy by engaging with colleagues across services to share evidence-based learning and good practice.

What’s in it for you?

This innovative post will be based in Adult Social Care but the postholder will receive clinical supervision from experienced therapists developing the treatments for hoarding disorder within South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. We offer excellent training and development opportunities, plus a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday allowance
• Local Government Pension scheme
• Flexible working and family friendly policies
• Season ticket and bicycle loans
• A range of staff discounts including local subsidised gym memberships
• Supportive staff networks

What we’re looking for

We are looking for an energetic and enthusiastic team player who wants to make a real difference. The CBT Practitioner will hold a recognised professional qualification and will be accredited with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP). Previous experience in providing CBT for hoarding disorder is not essential, as the post holder will be supervised by therapists with relevant expertise.

The right applicant will:

• be passionate about enabling change
• be professionally curious and authentically interested in our community
• promote a trauma-informed approach to empower service-users to achieve the best outcomes
• model integrity and professional accountability
• promote a culture of excellence

Location

The CBT Practitioner will be based primarily at Laurence House in Catford, London, SE6 4RU.

Special conditions

• The CBT Practitioner must hold a recognised professional qualification and will be accredited with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP).

The recruitment process is anonymous and we don’t accept CV’s.

Applicant handbook - please read the guidance in this handbook when applying. It is essential that you complete the application fully and that your supporting statement covers how you meet each of the person specification criteria listed.

For an informal discussion about this job, please contact Evelyn Semple evelyn.semple@slam.nhs.uk 07525 237096

Please click here to view the Job Description and Person Specification

Salary

£55,353 - £57,495 per annum (PO5)

N.B: All appointments will be offered at the minimum spinal column point (SCP) for the grade of the role. The only exception to this will be when matching current salary (up to the maximum of the scale), which is subject to evidential proof.

Diversity

Lewisham Council is a Disability Confident employer. We welcome and encourage job applications of all abilities. If you require any reasonable adjustments in the application or interview, please contact the lead contact on this advert. We will make reasonable adjustments to make sure our disabled applicants and those with health conditions are supported throughout our recruitment process. We support the access to work scheme, further details are available at www.gov.uk/access-to-work/apply

The Council has a dedicated employment support service, Lewisham Works, which offers Lewisham residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you want to join Lewisham Works, please email JobsAndSkills@lewisham.gov.uk and an advisor will be in touch with you.

The Council reserves the right to close adverts early if there is a large response.

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