Apprenticeship training course

Family and systemic psychotherapist (level 7)

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Information about Family and systemic psychotherapist (level 7)

Family and systemic psychotherapists help individuals, families, couples and wider networks to find ways to help each other when one or more members are struggling with mental health, relational and or behavioural difficulties. They may provide therapy for whole families, parts of families, individuals, couples, or other significant relationships.

• Knowledge, skills and behaviours:
  View knowledge, skills and behaviours

  Knowledge

  • The Association of Family Therapists (AFT) and UK Council for Counselling and Psychotherapy (UKCP) codes of ethics and practice.
  • Statutory and legal frameworks that surround and inform practice contexts.
  • National and local clinical governance guidelines and policies.
  • The principles of confidentiality, consent its limits, and the specific conditions when it is appropriate to breach confidentiality.
  • Models of risk assessment and the practice of ongoing risk management.
  • Policies and practices needed in relation to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and the role of the systemic psychotherapist in relation to this.
  • Policies and processes for reporting and escalating risks, hazards or harms to self, the individuals, or others.
  • Theories and research that informs systemic assessment.
  • Current evidence based systemic models of assessment.
  • Systemic models for determining patterns of distress.
  • Societal factors that cause, maintain and exacerbate relational distress, physical and mental ill health.
  • Diverse family values, structures and close interpersonal relationships.
  • Information necessary to inform a systemic psychotherapeutic assessment.
  • Mental health problems, their presentations, interventions, and the ways in which they may affect relationships.
  • Models of human development and human relationships throughout the lifecycle of family and other relational systems.
  • Biopsychosocial approaches to distress and mental health problems.
  • Systemic model, theories and their limitations underpinning systemic psychotherapy and their applications to different situations and groups.
  • Systems and processes for making referrals to internal or external teams or agencies.
  • Systemic psychotherapeutic theories that enable change.
  • How different systemic psychotherapeutic models and techniques can be used to meet the needs of diverse communities, relationships and individuals’ life choices.
  • Techniques and interventions used in systemic psychotherapy.
  • An approach to systemic psychotherapy that is a manualised evidenced based protocol.
  • When to revise the therapeutic plan.
  • Outcomes measures and approaches that inform and evaluate practice.
  • The process of online systemic psychotherapy.
  • Factors that underpin a therapeutic alliance and engagement.
  • Models, approaches and actions to be followed for planned and unplanned therapeutic endings.
  • The therapeutic and emotional processes of ending systemic psychotherapeutic work for individuals, systems and therapists.
  • The use of self and consideration of power within the therapeutic relationship.
  • Anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice.
  • The importance of partnership working with community groups and experts by experience in tackling racial, social and health inequalities.
  • The influence of health and social inequalities on individual and family wellbeing.
  • Culturally sensitive practices.
  • Principles of systemic psychotherapy co-production.
  • Theoretically informed approaches to supervision both as a supervisee and as a supervisor.
  • Own role in developing an effective supervision relationship.
  • Principles of reflective and reflexive practice.
  • The process of personal development planning.
  • Differences between clinical and management supervision.
  • The limits of own personal expertise and skills.
  • Quantitative and qualitative research methodologies relevant to the situation and service context.
  • Critical evaluation techniques applied to evidence and practice based research findings.
  • How research is conducted and implemented to inform effectiveness in systemic practice.
  • Legal, ethical, professional, financial and organisational policies and procedures that apply to clinical research activities.
  • A range of research approaches that draw on specialist systemic tools to collect data to evaluate own practice as well as to enhance service delivery.
  • How knowledge of evidence-based practice is applied by supporting others in planning audit, evaluation and research of their work.
  • Adult learning theories.
  • The range of tools and techniques that can be used to support learning, set goals and evaluate learning.
  • The impact of engaging with others to enhance reflective and reflexive practice in a range of learning and service settings.
  • Principles of systemic leadership and how this can be applied to working in teams.
  • Principles, roles and responsibilities of multidisciplinary working and their effect on service delivery.
  • The use of self and consideration of power within the multidisciplinary or multi-agency team.
  • Principles of handling clinical information and knowing how and when to share this information.
  • The importance of providing and maintaining clear, concise, timely and factual clinical records.

  Skills

  • Act in accordance with the Association of Family Therapists (AFT) and UK Council for Counselling and Psychotherapy (UKCP) codes of ethics and practice.
  • Adopt a rights-based approach consistent with national and service standards.
  • Act in accordance with national and local clinical governance, standards and policies.
  • Communicate the range of options to enable choice, decision-making and informed consent.
  • Work collaboratively to manage the ongoing nature of risk.
  • Report and escalate concerns around risk, hazards, or harms to self, individuals and others.
  • Act within organisational and national safeguarding policies and procedures.
  • Work with individuals to understand safeguarding concerns and effectively communicate safeguarding processes in line with national safeguarding confidentiality and sharing information guidance.
  • Undertake a detailed and collaborative systemic psychotherapy assessment of the presenting concerns.
  • Use theories and research findings to inform assessment and formulation.
  • Collaboratively develop a systemic psychotherapy formulation.
  • Adapt assessments to fit the needs of individuals across the life span.
  • Communicate complex assessment material in both oral and written forms as appropriate.
  • Recognise the limits of a systemic psychotherapy approach and make referrals to internal or external professionals based on need when required.
  • Co-create a context in which change becomes possible.
  • Use outcome measures to inform the therapeutic plan.
  • Collaboratively agree the therapeutic plan.
  • Adapt the therapeutic plan to take account of emotional distress and mental health difficulties.
  • Adapt the therapeutic plan to take account of the needs of diverse communities, relationships and individuals life choices.
  • Deliver systemic psychotherapy.
  • Revise therapeutic plans as appropriate during the work.
  • Apply systemic psychotherapeutic interventions with flexibility and creativity, adapting them to meet the individuals needs.
  • Deliver systemic psychotherapy using a range of digital media.
  • Use outcomes measures and qualitative approaches and adjust the therapy accordingly.
  • Use outcome measures and qualitative approaches to assess the therapeutic alliance.
  • Develop and maintain effective therapeutic relationships even when there are different views and goals.
  • Communicate clinically sensitive information.
  • Act in a self and relationally reflexive manner in relation to others.
  • Attend to power and differences in respect to human identity, relationships, and experience.
  • Gauge and manage emotions within sessions, including own, so that vulnerable members are protected in situations of discomfort and tension and important issues which may be contentious, or distressing can be explored safely.
  • Manage planned and unplanned endings of the therapeutic relationship.
  • Promote anti-discriminatory practices.
  • Promote equality, diversity and inclusion in practice and organisations.
  • Promote social justice by acknowledging and responding to individuals experience of marginalisation.
  • Prepare and actively engage in systemic supervision and live supervised practice to sustain safe and effective practice.
  • Manage personal connections with the work and reflect on changes that could be made.
  • Actively participate in personal learning and identify areas of personal strength and learning needs, seeking and responding to support and feedback.
  • Identify and act on own well-being needs when faced with challenging, distressing, or abusive behaviour.
  • Recognise the limits of own personal expertise and skills and where required refer individuals to internal or external professionals based on the need.
  • Evaluate research evidence and outcomes to take an evidence-based approach to systemic practice.
  • Engage in research activity applying quantitative and qualitative methods within the context of own practice.
  • Evaluate and audit systemic practice through conducting service evaluations to inform change.
  • Disseminate clinically relevant research and service evaluation findings to individuals and or groups.
  • Form and maintain the leadership-follower relationship in ways that are mutually enhancing.
  • Provide a systemic psychotherapeutic perspective to colleagues.
  • Work collaboratively to identify and meet the learning and development needs of professional colleagues.
  • Provide constructive feedback to challenge and overcome barriers to implementation of best systemic psychotherapeutic practice to others.
  • Present systemic psychotherapeutic principles and techniques to individuals and or groups.
  • Develop and sustain collaborative relationships with colleagues from a range of disciplines and backgrounds surrounding the individual.
  • Act in a self and relationally reflexive manner in relation to professional self.
  • Produce and maintain clear, legible and contemporaneous records regarding direct and indirect contacts adhering to organisational, professional and ethical standards.
  • Use clinical record systems in accordance with national and local governance requirements.

  Behaviours

  • Inclusive and culturally sensitive.
  • Value lived experiences and partnership working.
  • Treat individuals with dignity, empathy and compassion.
  • Trustworthy, honest and act with integrity.
  • Open and transparent putting best interests of the individual first.
  • Committed to supporting individuals to become empowered.
• Apprenticeship category (sector): Health and science
• Qualification level: 7; Equal to master’s degree
• Course duration: 24 months
• Maximum funding: £16,000 ; Maximum government funding for ; apprenticeship training and assessment costs.
• Job titles include:
  • Family and systemic psychotherapist
  • Family therapist
  • Systemic psychotherapist

View more information about Family and systemic psychotherapist (level 7) from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.