Go back South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust
Behaviour Specialist
The closing date is 01 June 2026
We are seeking a highly motivated, organised and creative Behaviour Specialist (Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA)) to join our Wandsworth Community Learning Disability Healthcare Team. This is a dynamic multidisciplinary team with a range of professional groups including nursing, occupational therapy, psychiatry, speech and language, dietetics and physiotherapy. Psychology and behaviour support provision is delivered within an integrated MDT. The service works in close partnership with external health and social care professionals, local providers and third sector organisations.
You will need to be passionate about improving the quality of care and support we deliver to people with mental health problems & Learning Disabilities. You will need strong and effective communication skills, and a positive approach to service user and carer engagement. You must be interested in working with external partners to develop supportive networks and have energy, drive and enthusiasm for working with complex and challenging cases which require clear communication across agencies.
You will be expected to provide specialist behavioural assessments and interventions with people who have a learning disability and mental health problems and/or behavioural difficulties, across a variety of community settings, with individuals, groups, families and staff teams.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will work as part of the Complex Support Service alongside a team of psychologists providing specialist clinical psychology and behavioural services to adults with learning disabilities, including those with mental health needs, autism and challenging behaviour.
The post holder will be required to provide specialist behavioural assessment and interventions, and to work autonomously alongside clients, families, support workers and professionals to enable others to better understand and respond to behaviours that are challenging, in line with PBS principles, Positive & Proactive Care: reducing the need for restrictive interventions (2014) and NICE Guidance (including NG11 & NG93).
The post holder will work closely with MDT colleagues (including psychiatry, psychology, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, nursing and dietetics) through MDT meetings and multidisciplinary supervision. The post holder will work across a variety of settings, including family homes, colleges and day services and with professional colleges/outside agencies. The post holder will provide consultation and advice to other health colleagues (including inpatient services), sharing specialist ABA/learning disability knowledge.
The post holder will have opportunities to provide training to the team through our shared learning events and contribute to the Trust wide PBS training.
Job responsibilities
Providing specialist behavioural assessments, formulations and interventions across a range of community settings.
Contributing to ABA/psychologically based thinking to enhance understanding and care of all clients of the service, across all settings.
Actively contributing to client care through team meetings, multidisciplinary supervision, network meetings and other interagency and professional meetings.
Effectively manage an identified caseload.
Communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients.
Work closely with MDT colleagues to enhance care and manage risk.
Provide advice, consultation and training to staff working with the client group across a range of agencies and settings, in collaboration with other colleagues.
Lead on improving the skills and knowledge of the MDT in positive behavioural support.
Take an active role in the Complex Behaviour Support Service developments including attending meetings and providing training.
Use opportunities for reflective practice through supervision.
Contribute to the supervision of assistant psychologists.
Deliver PBS based interventions to enhance the quality of service users lives.
Person Specification
Experience
- At least two years of qualified experience in working with individuals whose behaviour challenges services
- Experience of a range of specialist behavioural assessment and interventions with clients with learning disabilities whose behaviour challenges services, across the full range of care settings
- Experience of supporting families
- Experience of working with individuals with autistic spectrum disorders
- Experience of working with assistant psychologists within PBS framework
- Previous experience of working in a Community team for people with learning disabilities
Qualifications
- Current registration with relevant professional body: o Nursing – NMC o Occupational Therapy – HCPC o Clinical Psychology – HCPC o Social Worker – Social Work England Or equivalent experience in this field
- Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) and Certification with Behaviour Analyst Certification Board (BACB) or willingness to work towards this or equivalent
- Postgraduate diploma, MSc, or MA in either Applied Behaviour Analysis, Autism or PBS
- Registration with UK-SBA
Knowledge & Skills
- Skills in the use of complex methods of functional assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Skills in training individuals and groups of carers in behavioural assessments and management.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups. maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
- Ability to cope emotionally with challenging behaviours displayed by individuals on a day to day basis, and to support carers in times of distress
- Ability to collect, analyse and present qualitative and qualitative data and to present this to others, taking into account the needs of the audience
- Good organisational skills and the ability to prioritise own workload, respond to changes and conflicting demands on time
- To be able to use a range of computer packages (Microsoft word, power point) to collect and present data.
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc).
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This 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.
South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust
£58,133 to £65,261 a yearper annum inclusive of inner London HCAS
Unless expressly stated in the job advert the role is not subject to sponsorship, please be advised that all offers of employment are subject to evidence of right to work in the UK.
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