Specialist Clinical/Counselling/Health Psychologist

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our developing Paediatric Psychology team in Lincolnshire.You will be part of an experienced multi-disciplinary team working together to support the delivery of evidence-based assessment and interventions to children and young people (CYP) experiencing psychological impacts of living with diabetes.


This is a newly expanding service with opportunities to contribute to service development, with the aim of improving the mental health, physical health and quality of life of CYP with diabetes.


You will have a breadth of experience in the psychological care of CYP and a passion for shaping service delivery to meet the needs of the local population and improve outcomes for patients.


If you have the background, experience and innovation in developing and delivering a high standard of therapeutic care for CYP and families, then this is the role for you.


There is an enticing package of support with travel and training for the successful applicant.


Your role will provide specialist psychology assessments and interventions for children, young people and their families referred to the countywide ULHT Diabetes Team.


You will be expected to be able to engage with and work effectively with children and young people living with chronic health conditions and their carers. You will be able to support and advise multi-disciplinary team colleagues regarding psychological interventions and provide a psychological perspective on physical health provision for these young people.


You will have specialist training and experience and will be expected to work autonomously within the Health Trust, HCPC and BPS professional guidelines, as well as liaise closely with other professionals and volunteers who work with children and young people and their carers and families.


You will provide supervision and consultation to other professionals as required, provide regular placements to trainee psychologists and will use your research skills to undertake research and development and audit activities. Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust provides mental health services and a number of learning disability, autism and social care services in the county of Lincolnshire. You could be part of a Trust rated by staff as one of the best mental health and learning disability trusts in England. We firmly believe the key to high quality care is a contented workforce. This is reflected in our Care Quality Commission rating of 'outstanding' for well-led and 'good' overall. In the most recent National NHS Staff Survey, our staff rated us as the number one trust nationally for staff morale and one of the top scoring NHS Trusts in the Midlands for being compassionate and inclusive. We offer options for flexible working and provide a wide range of training and promotion opportunities in all professions. We support and celebrate diversity, have active staff networks groups and are always looking at what more we can do to support our staff.


Whether you're taking the first exciting steps in your career, itching for a new challenge or searching for a better place to raise a family, Lincolnshire has arange of rewarding health and social care careers in a county that's friendly, fascinating, affordable and brimming with everything you need to live a happy life . The post holder exercises full responsibility and autonomy for the psychological assessment, psychological treatment and discharge of children and young people referred to the Paediatric Diabetes Psychology Service, and their carers and families, where the presenting difficulties and concerns can be managed as a psychologically based intervention. They are required to act as case coordinator/lead professional for children and young people under the care of the service.


The post holder provides psychological input to countywide multi-disciplinary ULHT Paediatric diabetes clinics. They also provide the individualised psychological input required where there are specific concerns identified about psychological and/or emotional issues for the child, young person and/or carers regarding the diagnosis and management of the child / young persons diabetes.


The post holder develops and provides a range of specialist psychology assessments and interventions/intervention packages for children and young people and their carers and families referred to the Paediatric Diabetes Psychology Service. Specific areas of expertise include: working with children and young people and their families with complex medical and psychological needs including learning difficulties working with children and young people and their families experiencing difficulties managing type 1, type 2 or MODY diabetes, working with children and young people and their families with multiple medical diagnoses or comorbid physical and mental health or developmental diagnoses, psychological assessment and planning for a change in medical treatment e.g. insulin pump therapy, and supporting young people with health conditions and families with life transitions e.g. to secondary school or moving away from home.


The post holder carries out specialist developmental assessments, psychometric and cognitive assessments with children and young people when required as part of paediatric psychology assessments and interventions.


The post holder has the experience and ability to deliver at least three of the following specialist therapies:


narrative therapy
compassion focused therapy
acceptance and commitment therapy
behaviour therapy
cognitive-behavioural therapy
creative and play based methods
group therapy

The post holder devises and facilitates therapeutic and educational groups as required as part of the treatment approach, and inputs to the planning and delivery of ULHT delivered activity days and residential group activities for children with type 1 diabetes.


The post holder inputs to development of psychological aspects of the education curriculum for paediatric diabetes that is delivered by the diabetes team.


The post holder exercises full responsibility for communicating on a regular basis with staff from the diabetes team and other services and individuals involved with patients, taking into account guidance on client confidentiality.


The post holder provides specialist psychology expertise, knowledge, advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals working both within and outside LPFT and ULHT, contributing directly to the formulation of an understanding of a childs / young persons presenting difficulties and the development of an evidence based intervention plan.


The post holder contributes psychological expertise to the medical decision making process as regards treatment options for individuals and their families where appropriate.


The post holder undertakes complex risk assessments and risk management for individual patients and provides advice to the diabetes team and other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management.
BPS accredited Honours degree in Psychology or equivalent.
A Doctorate in Clinical OR Counselling Psychology OR Health Psychology (doctorate or equivalent stage 2 qualification), accredited by the BPS and HCPC
Additional specialist training related to working with children, young people and their families and carers.
Eligible for chartered status as a clinical / counselling / health psychologist

Other related academic qualifications to Masters or Doctorate level.
Additional specialist training in assessment and intervention with children and young people with chronic health conditions such as diabetes
Additional training in psychological therapies relevant to paediatric psychology such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systemic therapies or Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
Clinical supervision training for doctorate trainees

Demonstrate post qualification experience of working as a clinical / counselling / health psychologist with children and families where there are psychological concerns.
Demonstrate post qualification experience of working with children and young people with chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, and their carers
Demonstrate post qualification experience of working with children and young people with a range of disabilities and special needs from mild to extensive difficulties such as learning difficulties developmental difficulties chronic and acute physical health problems
Demonstrate post qualification experience of working with looked after children and their carers and with children who have experienced abuse
Demonstrate post qualification experience of providing specialist psychology assessments of children and young people, taking into account the context of their living situations which may include - living with biological parents with separated parents with other relatives with foster carers living in residential settings.
Demonstrate post qualification experience of using a range of specialist psychology assessment skills which include:- Use of psychometric assessments of intelligence, memory, reading, social functioning executive functioning. Assessment by analysis of archive material
Demonstrate post qualification experience of developing and providing specialist psychology interventions and intervention packages for children, young people and their carers and families
systemic family approaches, solution focused approaches, narrative therapy, compassion focused therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, behaviour therapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy, motivational interviewing
Demonstrate post qualification experience of running therapeutic groups and psycho educational groups for children, young people and carers
Demonstrate post qualification experience of providing specialist psychology advice to parents and carers and staff concerning the care and/or therapeutic provision for children and young people.
Demonstrate post qualification experience of conducting complex risk assessments, producing risk management plans for children and young people and their families, and discussing risk assessment and planning with professionals involved in the care of the child or young person.
Demonstrate post-qualification experience with child protection and safeguarding issues and procedures.
Demonstrate post qualification experience of providing supervision to trainee clinical / counselling / health psychologists or graduate psychologists.
Demonstrate post qualification experience of providing consultation to healthcare staff and professional and non-professional groups.
Demonstrate post qualification experience of providing teaching and training to other psychologists and other unqualified and qualified groups

Experience of working with children, young people and their carers and families to make changes to diet and lifestyle
Experience of working with children, young people and their carers and families who have been through traumatic experiences.
Experience of working with paediatric / child services and adult services to facilitate good transition of care for patients and families
Experience of giving psychological opinion regarding medical treatment options.
Experience of providing supervision to other psychologists and to other professionals who work with children and young people and their carers and families.

Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including multivariate data analysis as practiced within the field of clinical / counselling / health psychology.
Knowledge of relevant child protection, safeguarding and mental capacity and mental health legislation and its implications for clinical practice when working with children, young people and their families/carers
Knowledge of professional guidelines set out by: - HCPC, the BPS the Health Trust
Knowledge of guidance, standards and policies relating clinical care in Paediatric Diabetes.
Capable of interpreting guidelines standards and policies and using them to guide practice in the role as the clinical / counselling / health psychologist for paediatric diabetes.
Evidence of continuing professional development as stated by HCPC and as recommended by the BPS.

Knowledge of quality improvement methods and experience of implementing and maintaining service developments
Experience of line managing psychology staff and/or other professionals