Clinical Psychologist Consultant

We are seeking a highly experienced and skilled Clinical Psychologist to join our team as a Consultant Psychologist. The successful candidate will play a key role in the development of our psychological services for Children and Young People (CYP) referred for assessment and/or intervention in relation to suspected neurodevelopmental conditions.

• Provide expert psychological input to own specialist caseload responding to the most severe and complex cases.
• Provision of highly specialist professional consultation, advice and guidance on all aspects of psychological practice within CYP-Autism and associated neurodevelopmental services & across services.
• Working in collaboration with other Consultant level psychological staff & the Professional Lead for Psychological Services, to actively contribute to professional, strategic & clinical leadership to assure the continual development & provision of effective psychological services & psychologically informed provision across our CYP Mental Health services.
• Whilst currently based in the CYP Autism service, it is expected that this post will develop to provide expert clinical advice & guidance on wider neuro-developmental conditions including autism and ADHD, across the Children & Families Care Group, providing consultation, training and support to other professionals as required.

By joining Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, you will be part of a diverse and inclusive organisation that values its employees and provides a range of benefits and opportunities for career development and progression.

• Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical / counselling psychology (or its equivalent prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, including models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
• Eligible for BPS Chartered Status. Eligible for full membership of the Division of Clinical Psychology (DCP).
• Post registration training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice (, neuropsychology, psychotherapy, trauma, attachment) as required for specific clinical post.
• Trained in clinical supervision and the supervision of psychological professionals in training including doctorate level trainee psychologists.
• Trained in care co-ordination.
• Evidence of continuing relevant professional development and growth, relevant to the clinical area, sufficient to ensure continued professional registration.

• Registration with other professional bodies as relevant, registration with BPS as a chartered psychologist, membership of ACP-UK
• Leadership development or management qualification / training.
• Additional post-graduate qualification in accredited therapeutic intervention relating to autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, positive behaviour support
• Training in Quality Improvement methodologies

• Doctoral, or equivalent, level knowledge of: Evidence-based practice relevant to the role
• Knowledge and skills in the assessment and treatment of the client group and the usual range of co-presenting problems.
• Risk assessment and risk management
• Clinical governance
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health and its implications for clinical practice.
• Audit and research methodology
• Social Inclusion agenda
• Application of psychological understanding, formulation and intervention across therapeutic modalities and within clinical, multi-disciplinary and service level working.
• Highly developed knowledge of: The care of difficult to treat groups dual diagnoses, additional disabilities or severely challenging behaviour.
• Must be able to: Demonstrate skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management and their application in a CYP mental health setting.
• Provide effective clinical leadership.
• Communicate highly complex, highly sensitive and highly contentious information effectively, to a wide range of people.
• Ability to exercise highly advanced and complex negotiating skills in planning, developing and establishing services, in particular where services interface with different areas within and outside of the organisation.
• Ability to identify, provide and promote appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and severely challenging behaviours.
• Ability to identify, and employ, as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
• Adapt evidence- based interventions creatively for clients with communication difficulties / learning disabilities and have the ability to tailor interventions where CYP have not responded to normally recommended interventions
• Demonstrate skills in providing liaison, consultation and clinical supervision to other professionals and non-professional groups in health and non-health settings.
• Articulate sensitively and collaboratively the value added by the range of psychological services within the context of multidisciplinary mental health and learning disability healthcare provision, whilst also valuing the range of roles and skills represented in the MDT.
• Undertake complex multiagency working and liaise with multiple systems.
• Utilise psychometric tests competently.
• Provide effective teaching, training and clinical supervision for the multidisciplinary team.
• Identify, provide and promote appropriate interventions / means of support for carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and challenging behaviours.
• Utilise appropriate clinical governance mechanisms within own work.
• Project management.
• Use approved breakaway techniques following approved training.
• Demonstrate proficiency in the use of Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook and similar applications. as well as Clinical Consulting platforms.
• Use multimedia materials for presentations in professional, academic and public settings.

• A passion and enthusiasm for developing psychologically informed services for Children and Young People presenting with ASC and other neurodevelopmental conditions and their families and carers
• Ability to demonstrate leadership and management skills with the ability to create a culture where staff are valued and supported.
• Ability to develop productive therapeutic relationships with a range of clients.
• Able to work in accordance with the Trust Values and Behaviours.
• Able to engage with vulnerable service users and partners/carers and work effectively in highly distressing and challenging circumstances.
• Able to maintain a high degree of professionalism within highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical assault.
• Able to provide containment, insight and direct input to complex and challenging cases where there is a high degree of carer distress and/or hostility in addition to the difficulties presented by the service user.
• Able to work flexibly and co-operatively as part of a team.
• Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and hold the stress of others.
• Able to use own initiative and make decisions independently.
• Committed to continual quality and service improvement.
• Self aware and committed to professional and personal development. Able to accept and respond positively to feedback from supervision.
• Willingness to undertake further clinical and leadership development both formal and informal.
• Enthusiasm for a broad range of psychological phenomena, theories and application.