Research Systemic Family Practitioner (Band 7)
Band 7
Main area MH Research Grade Band 7 Contract Fixed term: 24 months (Subject to renewal of funding) Hours Part time – 15 hours per week (Happy to discuss flexible working) Job ref 437-8116699
Site CAMHS Service in Bolton/Wigan Town BOLTON Salary £49,387 – £56,515 Pro rata per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 10/08/2026 23:59
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an internal secondment for a Band 7 Systemic Family Practitioner to join a research study in our trust
The role of the Systemic Family Practitioner is to ensure delivery and development of an assessment and intervention offer underpinned by a systemic framework as part of the SAFE Systemic Autism Family Enabling Research Trial
This is a randomised controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of a therapist-led intervention (SAFE: Systemic Autism-related Family Enabling) plus treatment as usual versus treatment as usual on family functioning and mental health in three dimensions (strengths and adaptability, coping with difficulties and problem solving, communication and understanding) in families of autistic children: a multicentre assessor-blinded trial with parallel process evaluation and economic evaluation.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for a Trial therapist for the Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH) site of the trial. The therapist should be qualified to SFP/intermediate level in Systemic Practice
The trial therapist will receive further training and supervision in the trial therapy and work alongside other trial therapists to deliver high quality Systemic Practice in line with therapy protocols. The post holder will also be expected to contribute to study processes including maintaining research records and participating in qualitative research conducted alongside the RCT.
The post holder will need to travel to different study sites in the GMMH footprint in Wigan and Bolton and Trust Headquarters in Prestwhich to attend meetings, training, and supervision.
The post holder will be expected: –
- To liaise across all sectors of care involved with participants on their caseload
- To provide Systemic Family Practice in the context of the clinical trial
- To offer advice and consultation on patient’s psychological where appropriate
- To work autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the team’s policies and procedures.
- To utilise research skills for audit, policy and research within the area served by the teams / service.
- To contribute to the provision of research team services and fulfilment of research team priorities and objectives
Working for our organisation
Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) Foundation Trust employs over 7000 members of staff, who deliver services from more than 122 locations.
We provide inpatient and community-based mental health care for people living in Bolton, the city of Manchester, Salford,Trafford and the borough of Wigan, and a wide range of specialist mental health and substance misuse services across Greater Manchester, the north west of England and beyond.
Greater Manchester is one of the world’s most innovative, original and exciting places to live and work. From the beauty of the surrounding countryside to the heart of the vibrant inner city with great shopping, entertainment and dining options.
Wherever you go you will experience a great northern welcome with people famed for their warmth, humour and generosity.
Our people enjoy their work, have opportunities to learn and develop their skills and are encouraged to generate new ideas that improve care for our service users.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see attached job description and person specification
- 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising to 29 after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years
Person specification
Education/Qualifications
- Intermediate level qualification in Systemic Practice or CYP-IAPT qualification in Systemic Family Practice
- Intermediate level qualification in Systemic Practice or CYP-IAPT qualification in Systemic Family Practice Qualification in a core mental health profession eg Social Work, Nursing, Psychology
- Additional training and qualifications in relevant fields in health, social care or education settings 2 years post qualifying experience
Experience
- Have experience of specialist mental health assessment and treatment of families as a full member of a multidisciplinary team located in community, primary care, outpatient or inpatient setting
- Experience of the application of systemic practice in different cultural contexts.
- Experience of research projects
Knowledge
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to children and adolescents including child protection procedures and policies
- Knowledge of NHS, Social Care and Education Structures, National policies and frameworks.
- Knowledge of research methodology and outcome research design and ability to critically interpret research findings
Skills & Abilities
- Skills in the use of methods of systemic assessment, intervention and management.
- 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.
Other requirements
- There is a requirement to travel across the wider footprint of the Trust to attend meetings and events relevant to the role.
Important Information about working for GMMH: All positions within the Trust are subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks, for further information on the checks required please visit the NHS Employers website www.nhsemployers.org
The Trust mandates all post holders who require a DBS for their role to subscribe to the DBS Update Service. You will be required to enrol for this service for a fee of £16 per year and maintain registration throughout your employment with GMMH.
Applicants are encouraged to apply for posts at Greater Manchester Mental Health who have direct experience of mental health, learning disability or drug and alcohol services either as a service user or a carer.
The Trust is also committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
We are aspiring to ensure our workforce is representative of the diverse communities that we serve, and we are strongly committed to removing barriers to employment for candidates from under-represented groups, for example BAME, Disabled and LGBT+ communities. If you would like to have an informal chat about the recruitment process for this role or would value some additional support, we’d love to hear from you.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications
A candidate may utilise the help of AI when writing job application.The assessment of an application is made on its entirety and most times AI-generated content does not fully grasp the context and requirements of the job one applies for thus producing inaccurate and misleading information, especially in the supporting statement section of an application that can lack real life examples of one’s achievements, success and challenges.
We have added a disclaimer to our application process advising that the use of AI is monitored. GMMH reserves the right to follow up with a candidate at the interview on specific responses and those examples used in the supporting statement to explore it further.
Sponsorship
We are proud to be an approved sponsor for the Skilled Worker visa. Applications from individuals who require sponsorship will be considered alongside all other applications. Please be aware that not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible roles and salary requirements on the UK Government’s website – clickhere .
If you are offered a role with us and you require sponsorship, we will check your eligibility in line with the information on the above website. Your offer of employment could be withdrawn if the role is not eligible for sponsorship, and you are not otherwise able to evidence your right to work in the UK.
The Home Office introduces new changes from 22/07/2025 that impact the health and care sector, you may wish to familiarise with it here .
Do you have experience outside the NHS?
We want to attract and retain people with diverse skills and experience, to deliver inclusive healthcare services to our communities.
We will consider relevant experience outside the NHS to calculate your salary on appointment. Please contact our Recruitment Team for more information.
Please note, this vacancy may be closed at any time if sufficient applications have been received
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
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