Clinical Psychologist / Psychological Therapist

Creating a more psychologically informed environment is a key focus of this role. This can be through multiple models and understanding of the impact of trauma, attachment difficulties and the social inequalities that so often lead to the development of mental health difficulties.

The successful applicant will bring psychological assessment formulation and interventions to individuals and groups who use the services and the teams providing care. Additional qualifications in specific therapy models would be an advantage. Indirect psychological interventions are an important part of the role and you will provide reflective practice, training and clinical supervision to the multidisciplinary teams. You will be experienced and committed to MDT working with an interest in developing and supporting the teams to provide excellent care. An understanding of how to use therapeutic skills in different and often, short time frames is essential.

We are extremely keen to provide all our staff with opportunities for CPD and encourage applicants to cultivate areas of special interests. Supervision and professional support will be provided by senior members of the team. We also regularly have peer led case discussions and share our interests and ways of working through the South West Inpatient Forum which seeks to connect practitioners in the local area., The principal purpose of the job is to improve the psychological health & wellbeing of people within the post holders specialist field of practice. To support the overall ward team and their leadership to deliver high quality services in line with national professional guidance, NICE recommendations and other national policy documents, as part of an overall acute care pathway.

This will be achieved in this post through undertaking the following areas of responsibility:

1. Contributing a psychological perspective to the leadership, organisation and operation of Adult Acute Inpatient Services.

2. To ensure the systematic provision of a high quality psychological service in specialist field of practice in in-patient wards, as a key component of integrated mental health and wellbeing services across Devon Partnership NHS Trust.

3. Providing clinical leadership and supervision for less experienced staff, trainees and volunteers employed by or attached to the psychology service.

4. Carrying a specialist caseload of clients, and providing advice and consultancy to patients and professionals.

5. To work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice within professional and Trust guidelines as lead specialist.

6. The post holder with receive regular professional and clinical supervision in accordance to Trust policy and to Professional Practice Guidelines set out by the British Psychological Society or appropriate designated Professional Body.

7. Observe, and abide by all relevant Professional Codes of Conduct and Practice including the British Psychological Society. The post holder will be fully registered with the Health Professions Council as a condition of employment

Duties and Responsibilities

Communication and Working Relationship Skills

Clients, family and carers: To communicate in a highly skilled and sensitive manner with clients who may have specific difficulties in understand and/or communicating and who may be hostile, antagonistic or highly emotionally disturbed.

Multidisciplinary team colleagues: To work closely with colleagues in the multi-professional integrated mental health and wellbeing services on a day to day basis

Health & social care staff: To communicate with a wide range of health & social care staff in hospital and in community settings in a highly skilled and sensitive manner, complex and sensitive information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under the services care. To provide support & guidance in the application of psychological principles and techniques, and to foster reflective practice.

Senior managers & professional staff: To maintain and build good working relationships with senior professional staff and managers across the Trust. To foster a positive approach to the integrated mental health and wellbeing service and to enable effective negotiation.

Analytical and Judgemental Skills

To provide specialist clinical/counselling psychology expertise and advice.

To provide psychological therapies, developing specialist psychological formulations and assessments of clients, formulating plans for their psychological treatment and implementing specialist psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups. Proficiency in in both individual and group therapy approaches is desirable.

To support the Professional Head, General Manager, Practice and Strategic Development Leads and Professional Leads by undertaking service development and redesign projects and coordinating the resulting work within the team/s.

To provide complex assessment, including neuropsychological assessments, of specialist conditions

Planning and Organisational Skills

The psychology service: To plan and organise own work within the service setting and to contribute to the development and improvement of provision of psychological services within the commissioned integrated mental health and wellbeing service to best meet the organisations strategy and priorities.

The multidisciplinary service: To provide psychology/therapy supervision to the multi-professional planning, development and marketing of mental health and wellbeing services

Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment and Therapy

Assessment & intervention: To provide expert psychological therapies, developing specialist psychological formulations and assessments of clients, formulating plans for their psychological treatment and implementing specialist psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, and to demonstrate awareness of diversity issues.

Consultation & guidance: To provide advice, guidance and consultation on psychological aspects of patient care to colleagues, other service providers, patients, supporters and families

To ensure that psychological interventions delivered within the acute setting are connected and integrated with provision beyond the acute service

Responsibility for Policy and Service Development Implementation

The post holder is accountable for their own professional actions, acting within Trust policies and procedures and Professional Practice Guidelines.

Policy & service: To implement policies and procedures for the provision of psychology and therapy services within own service and other services within the Trust.

R & D: To support the R&D activities of the psychology and psychological therapy service.

Responsibility for Finance, Equipment and Other Resources

To be responsible for the safe keeping of equipment under own use.

Responsibility for Human Resources, e.g. Supervision, Training, HR Advice and Management

Leadership & supervision: To lead and professionally supervise less experienced psychology/therapy staff, trainees and volunteers.

To provide placement responsibilities for trainee staff.

To contribute to the provision of therapy supervision for non psychology/therapy staff providing psychological therapies within other Trust teams.

To support placements for trainee staff in line with professional guidelines

Responsibility for Information Resources and Administrative Duties

To maintain accurate records, compliant with Trust Practice Standards.

To be responsible for using an email account to generate, monitor, and respond to the e-mail traffic by which the Trust conducts much of its internal communication.

Responsibility for Research and Development

To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice in individual work within the PPT and local mental health services.

To conduct project work including specific areas of audit, research or service evaluation

As a clinician to be responsible for collecting clinical practice and outcome data that contributes to building practice based evidence and service evaluation. To participate in service audits and relevant research projects.

Freedom to Act

The post holder is accountable for their own professional actions, acting within Trust policies and procedures and Professional Practice Guidelines

To work autonomously within clinical professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the governance of psychological practice within the locality/specialty. Interpretation of professional and Trust guidelines, and implementing policies in conjunction with peers, Head of Profession and General Manager.

To provide expert and specialist clinical psychology expertise and advice guidance and consultation on psychological aspects of patient care to colleagues, other service providers, patients, supporters and families.

Any Other Specific Tasks Required

To ensure all clinical care and treatment provided by psychologists/psychotherapists/therapists is carried out under appropriate supervision and leadership.

To ensure that all relevant staff groups continuously update the skills and techniques relevant to their clinical work

Review of this Job Description

This job description is intended as an outline indicator of general areas of activity and will be amended in the light of changing service needs. This job description is to be reviewed in conjunction with the post holder on an annual basis.

We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.,

• Experience of working in Adult Mental Health services and work with people with severe and complex mental health difficulties.


• Experience of working in Community and In-patient settings for adults with complex mental health needs


• Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.


• Experience in undertaking leadership roles within psychology services in the NHS and in contributing to the development, implementation and evaluation of strategies and clinical policies in multi disciplinary, multi agency contexts.


• Experience of working with people who have experienced complex trauma


• Experience, and/or training in diversity awareness and social inequality., Proficiency in in both individual and group therapy approaches is desirable.


• Experience of neuropsychological assessment, Qualified Clinical or Counselling Psychologist (D.Clin.Psychol. or equivalent) and eligible for Chartered Clinical or Counselling Psychologist Status in the British Psychological Society. Registered with HCPC.


• Psychological Therapists need to be trained to masters level or equivalent in a specific psychological therapy and registered with an appropriate recognised professional body e.g. UKCP, BABCP


• Broad knowledge of specialist services for adults with severe and complex mental health needs and of the services in the NHS and wider service systems where psychology is commonly applied.


• Extensive knowledge of the skills, practice and knowledge base of Clinical/Counselling Psychology in the client group.


• Knowledge of the policy context of specialist psychological services within the organisation and of clinical leadership arrangements in this setting., Further training or experience in clinical specialism working with adults with complex mental health needs


• Further training in related area e.g neuropsychological assessment


• Further training in supervision


• Further training in at least one (other) psychological therapy


• IT Skills, Strong leadership qualities, resilience and ability to handle ambiguity and uncertainty.


• Skills in managing conflict, negotiation and achieving consensus in complex situations in the pursuit of agreed strategic aims


• Ability to integrate complex data; make highly skilled evaluations and decisions; and take a long term perspective.


• Highly skilled in specialist interventions with the client group.


• Advanced psychological assessment and formulation skills and risk assessment
  
  Our professional responsibility is to reduce the risk of infection to others as far as possible. Getting vaccinated against diseases that can be passed person-to-person in healthcare settings is part of this responsibility. The Trust will provide advice, guidance and support on vaccinations and access to vaccinations where requested., Are you someone looking for a career in one of the UK's most respected mental health and learning disability trusts?


Would you like to be part of a dedicated team committed to making a difference to peoples lives to enjoy a better future?

We are looking for a highly skilled Clinical/Counselling Psychologist, Psychological Therapist or Psychotherapist to join the Urgent and Inpatient Care Psychology Team. This is an opportunity to work in a 16 bed adult acute ward Salus Ward at Torbay Hospital.

We are a small and friendly team committed to bringing a psychological perspective into the acute care environment. In this fast paced and sometimes pressured setting the ability to provide a different perspective can be greatly valued by people who use the service and staff members alike. If you are looking for a varied role with opportunities to gain skills in developing psychologically & trauma informed environments then this could be the role for you!

£50,952- £57,349 per annum pro rata (Band 8a)

Newly/early qualified psychologists could be appointed at band 7 under a preceptorship to work towards requirements for band 8a, subject to satisfactory completion of preceptorship process., About Devon Partnership Trust

We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do