Specialist Psychological Therapist

We are seeking to recruit a psychological therapist to join our Clinical Health Psychology Team to provide a specialist psychological therapy service for people with long-term neurological conditions.

In addition to providing tailored psychological interventions to people with multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease you will offer support to the wider Neurology MDT to promote psychological practice in physical health more widely.

You will be joining the Clinical Health Psychology team at an exciting time of innovation and growth in the wider NHS as physical health services look to further integrate psychological principles and practices into their care pathways. The Long-Term Neurological Conditions Psychology Service is an excellent example of integration of mental and physical healthcare via the provision of tailored psychological care delivered both directly to individuals and indirectly via support of other health professionals in the MDT and wider systems.

As a psychological therapist, you will deliver evidence based psychological interventions and provide psychological consultant. The service is based at Battle Health Centre with referrals from the Neurology Team at the Conquest Hospital.

Psychological approaches include CBT, ACT, CFT and systemic therapies and reflect the wide-ranging issues typically targeted including anxiety, low mood, adjustment and symptom management amongst others.

You will attend MDT meetings within Clinical Health Psychology and Neurology and offer consultation and support to other health professionals.

The role provides excellent opportunities for someone who enjoys or would like experience of autonomous working, small-service management, delivering psychological therapy in the context of physical health issues, supervision of psychologists, and MDT working.

SPFT provide mental health and learning disability care for children, young people and adults across Sussex and for children and young people in Hampshire. Working in Sussex:
Travel easily between coast and countryside, with a blend of picturesque villages and seaside towns there’s always new experiences to be enjoyed

Embrace the city life with great access to visit Brighton and London

With easy access to Gatwick and Heathrow and excellent railway links across the UK there is plenty of opportunity for adventure

We’d love you to join our organisation that is rated ‘good’ overall and ‘outstanding’ for caring by the Care Quality Commission. Our staff agree, with 82% of people in our recent staff survey telling us that they recognise that care for patients is our top priority.

See the attached ‘Partnership Perks’ document for details about our benefits package.

**REQUIREMENTS**:
In order to be a successful Psychological Therapist in our team you will:
Be registered with the HCPC via a core professional qualification

Have post-qualification experience working as a Psychological Therapist

Be comfortable managing and being responsible for your own clinical caseload

**It would also be advantageous if you are**:
Experienced in working with people with complex needs or physical health problems.

Experienced in providing clinical supervision.

SPFT staff have the capacity to work from home remotely where applicable and in agreement with your line manager. It is expected however that this role will primarily be based at Battle Health Centre.

MAIN DUTIES

To provide a high-quality specialist clinical psychology service to people with multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease in Hastings and Rother in line with best and evidence-based practice

To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a client’s psychological problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the client’s problems and contextual issues, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy or to refer clients on for specialist neuropsychological assessment where this is indicated.

To be responsible for holding and managing a clinical caseload and to exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the planning and prioritising of own workload and the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients, within the bounds of the service operational policy.

To provide information, advice, support, training, consultation and where appropriate supervision to mental health staff and non-mental health colleagues around the management of patients seen in the service.

To clinically and professionally supervise or manage assistant psychologists, trainee psychologists and junior psychologists, psychological therapists or counsellors and other staff as appropriate.

To work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice within the service/team.

To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the team’s operational policies and services, through the deployment of professional skill