Head of Psychology

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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Leadership, governance and management of the CNWL psychology provision and the psychological professions staff within the Borough of Kensington & Chelsea. Specifically Adult Mental Health Community, Adult Acute and Crisis Services, Early Intervention Service, Grenfell Services, Woodfield Road Trauma Service
• To ensure the provision of psychology across the borough takes a whole system approach with co-ordination of care for service users, especially for those service users with the most complex needs accessing multiple services.
• To ensure the provision of psychology across the borough actively addresses health inequalities and is anti-discriminatory to meet the needs of all the communities within the borough having a staff team that is competent to do so and is itself diverse.
• To participate fully as a member of the multidisciplinary borough Senior Management Team. Working closely with the Brough Director, Clinical Director and other senior colleagues. Providing managerial and psychological expertise, advice and consultation to other members of the team.
• To be professionally responsible for the delivery of psychosocial interventions across Kensington and Chelsea Mental Health Services including clinical oversight of all adult psychological therapy pathways. To ensure the services are accessible and acceptable to
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service users from all local communities and addresses health inequalities in the access to and provision of services.
• To be responsible to the Chief Psychologist for the monitoring and implementation of professional standards in the practice of applied psychology in the Borough services and for the systematic and effective provision of professional supervision. To ensure that relevant National and Trust policy, standards and directorate targets for services the post has responsibility for are being met.
• To propose and implement policy and service development and to lead on service evaluation and research.
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• To be responsible for provision of effective teaching, training and clinical supervision in psychological and trauma informed approaches and the provision of expert psychological advice for all mental health service staff in K&C.
• To work effectively with multi-disciplinary teams, understanding the process of change in services and implementation of innovation within systems. Working with a range of professionals, service users and carers to facilitate involvement in service planning and delivery.
• To ensure effective partnership and liaison with other professional disciplines and with relevant partner agencies at both a strategic and operational level within the Borough, Division, Trust and wider system.
• To contribute to current developments in the field of psychology and related psychological professions, both locally and nationally. Actively participate in the Trust Psychology Leadership Group and collaborate with counterpart Heads of Psychology in other CNWL boroughs.
• To ensure that allocated human and financial resources are used effectively where appropriate.

Person specification

Training & Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Entry-level qualification in Clinical or Counselling Psychology as detailed below (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level additional training) that has been accepted by the HCPC for purposes of professional registration.
• Additional training beyond entry-level qualification in a specialised area of psychological practice relevant to local services through formal post-qualification training such as CBT DBT, MBT, SFT or similar therapeutic approach for patients with complex emotional needs (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses and/or an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice-based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by a BPS National Assessor and an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma or higher
• Completed training course in clinical supervision.
• Registered with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist, and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC.

Desirable criteria

• Post qualification and / or accreditation / registration in a specialist area of psychological practice
• Leadership qualification
• Qualification in supervision
• Qualification in research
• Other relevant professional qualification

Experience

Essential criteria

• Established experience of leading / managing a psychology service at Consultant level or equivalent
• Experience of undertaking leadership roles
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for the psychological care and treatment with clients with complex needs and acting as a senior clinician across a service
• Experience in leading clinical services that are anti-discriminatory, accessible and acceptable to diverse socio-economic groups
• Experience of professional and clinical management of qualified and pre-qualified clinical psychologists
• Experience of providing teaching and training to psychologists or other professional groups
• Evidence of contribution to the promotion of equality and diversity across the service
• Post-qualification experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities
• Experience of carrying out post-doctoral research, audit or service evaluation projects
• Experience of proposing and implementing QI and service development projects that impact beyond own service area
• Experience of representing the profession in local directorate/divisional fora

Desirable criteria

• Experience of being a lead for psychology in a directorate or division.
• Record of publications in either peer reviewed, academic or professional journals/books

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of management and leadership
• Advanced knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies
• Advanced theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment
• Advanced knowledge of psychological assessment and clinical psychometrics
• Advanced level knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to the client group, mental health issues and child protection
• Doctoral level knowledge of psychological research methodology and complex statistical analysis
• Knowledge of factors affecting health inequalities, acceptability and accessibility of mental health care
• Advanced level awareness of racial and diversity issues and knowledge of strategies to promote equality and diversity
• Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the HCPC.
• Evidence of continuing training in a specialised area of psychological practice through formal post-doctoral training (diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses, OR an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice-based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a postgraduate diploma

Skills & Abilities

Essential criteria

• To deliver psychological therapy across cultural and other differences
• Skills in negotiating with management on strategic policies
• Ability to hold a leadership role within a multi-disciplinary service/services
• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment and intervention in a specialist area.
• Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups
• Advanced practitioner skills in at least one model of psychological therapy
• Highly developed verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex, highly technical and sensitive information to clients, families and colleagues
• Highly developed consultation skills to work with the multi-professional team or other professional groups
• Demonstrated ability in leadership and management skills
• Ability to work as an autonomous practitioner with appropriate level of clinical and managerial supervision
• Ability to take the lead in developing, identifying and employing mechanisms of clinical governance for the support and maintenance of clinical practice
• Well-developed IT skills

Desirable criteria

• Ability to provide care and treatment in a language in addition to English relevant to local communities.

Other

Essential criteria

• Commitment to continuing professional development, to partnership working and to reflective clinical practice

Desirable criteria

• Lived experience of mental health or other long term conditions

CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has almost 8,000 staff providing integrated healthcare to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and areas beyond. We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way that we are run.

Our catchment area spans diverse communities, with over 100 first languages spoken. It contains areas of great affluence as well as areas of much deprivation. We are committed to providing services that meet the needs of the people who use them, and we actively encourage involvement from local people who can help make a difference. We're proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME and people with disabilities to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.

We are recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ only the best people, and our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries.

We offer a generous relocation package (subject to eligibility assessment) and flexible working options, including bank assignments for most roles. See attached Staff Reward and Wellbeing Handbook detailing our benefits, discounts and wellbeing initiatives for staff.

Become part of our team. We care for you as much as you care for others.

CNWL NHS Foundation Trust are committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children and vulnerable adults.

Due to the high response levels we receive for some vacancies, we may expire any of them prior to the advertised closing date and advise you to submit your application as soon as possible.

Our Agenda for Change employment contracts are subject to a contractual 13 week probationary period.

If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

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.

Documents to download

• Job Description & Person Specification (PDF, 576.3KB)
• Jameson Candidate Info Pack (PDF, 927.2KB)
• CNWL Staff Networks (PDF, 320.0KB)
• CNWL Values (PDF, 182.9KB)
• CNWL Reward and Wellbeing Handbook 2020 (PDF, 1.1MB)