Applied Psychologist Walsall LD-CAMHS

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides specialist mental health, learning disability, and community healthcare services for the population of the Black Country.

Across the Black Country we provide:

• Adult and older adult mental health services
• Specialist learning disability services
• Mental health services for children and young people
• Community healthcare services for children, young people and families in Dudley

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was formed on 1 April 2020, with the merger of Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust. Combining resources, strategies and talented workforce enables us to deliver a wider variety of outstanding services that are based on best practice and are continually improving.

We currently employ over 4,000 people and just like the population we serve, we are made up of diverse cultures and backgrounds. Whatever your role, working in a NHS Foundation Trust, like ours, is a demanding and extremely rewarding experience. Knowing that every day you can help to make a positive difference to someone's life is a very powerful feeling. We know that our Trust runs on this desire to help and support people, and our Trust vision expresses this. Our vision is to improve health and wellbeing for everyone, especially our colleagues to achieve the best possible work/life balance.

We proudly offer supportive, inclusive and family friendly employment and flexible working policies. We have a wide range of professional services and employee networks to help our colleagues be at their best - and find support if they need it. To find more about our staff benefits, please visit our website:  

Don't meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and ethnic minority candidates are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Black Country Healthcare we recognise and value all forms of knowledge and expertise, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification or criteria in the job description/person specification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

For further supporting information to help you apply for this role please see documents attached under 'Additional documents'.

Applied Psychologist Walsall LD-CAMHS

(Development Post)

Backcountry Healthcare Foundation Trust (BCHFT)

Band 8a. Newly qualified applicants at Band 7 seeking development opportunities would be welcome.  Full time.

This is an exciting opportunity for an innovative and dynamic Applied Psychologist who enjoys working collaboratively with other multi agency partners, children, young people and their families.  We are pleased to offer the opportunity for newly qualified Psychologists to develop their career within our friendly, multi-disciplinary LD CAMHS team.

About us

We are a team that provides services to children and young people with moderate to severe learning disability who are experiencing a range of mental health needs and/ or displaying significant behavioural distress. 

The team is led by a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and supported by an Assistant Psychologist with links to the wider network of Clinical Psychologists in other LD-CAMHS teams across the Trust.

The LD-CAMHS team is part of the wider CAMHS service and has active links with the Intensive Support Team, Key Worker Team and the Disabled Children and Young People's Team.

 Job summary

You will offer leadership and clinical expertise within a small team in which psychology is highly valued. The psychologists in LD-CAMHS have a varied caseload and offer a range of specialist assessments and therapeutic interventions. We work closely with other multi-agency teams and in a range of community settings where psychological expertise is also highly valued. 

Main Duties of the job

You will provide a full range of assessments, interventions, support, training and advice to individuals, their families, carers and the network of multi-agency stakeholders who are involved in supporting young people with learning disability who are experiencing complex behavioural and/or emotional distress. Where appropriate, assessment of ASC and ADHD forms part of our wider mental health and behavioural assessment process.

Development opportunities

BCHFT has an established development procedure in place that would support you to develop your skills and progress from band 7 to band 8a Senior Psychologist.  Support will be given through regular supervision to guide the post holder through an agreed action plan which is regularly reviewed. Progression from band 7 to 8a is subject to being able to evidence that all criteria required for the role have been met. Should competencies not be achieved, you will remain in the post at band 7.

We are committed to investing in our psychologists and you will have access to a psychology specific dedicated CPD budget to support professional growth. We have a peer support group for newly qualified psychologists and an annual 'Enhanced Connections' network meeting for all psychological therapists across the Trust.

Psychological therapists throughout all our learning disability services have good links with the local Doctoral Psychology courses at the Universities of Birmingham.

Please use this link to watch our video about working as a Psychologist at BCHFT Welcome to Psychology in the Black Country

Please see job description and person specification for full details.

Main duties/responsibilities

Clinical responsibilities - you will provide highly specialist psychological assessment and plan and implement highly specialist psychological therapy/management of clients with highly complex conditions 

Supervisory/professional responsibility - you will provide supervision to Trainee and Applied Assistant Psychologists

Multi-disciplinary training and development - you will provide highly specialist advice, consultation and training to other direct care staff in the MDT. 

** Please Note that Internal at Risk Employees will be given preference for this position**

We reserve the right to bring the closing date forward for this vacancy at any time should we receive an overwhelming response of applications. We therefore encourage applicants to apply early if you wish to be considered for this post.

If you do not hear from the Recruitment team within the advertised closing date please assume that you have been unsuccessful at the shortlisting stage. Please ensure that you check your emails on a regular basis for any recruitment updates regarding this vacancy. If you are not successful at the shortlisting stage and would like feedback, please contact the Recruitment Team directly for feedback. 

The salary range quoted is as per NHS Agenda for Change pay structures where applicable. This is based on the number of years' working directly within the NHS at the advertised pay band. Experience gained with other NHS Trusts will apply, but candidates without prior experience working direct for the NHS would normally be appointed at the lowest point unless they can demonstrate the equivalent experience and then be eligible for incremental increases in future years. Medical and Very Senior Manager roles are exempt from agenda for change and subject to alternative remuneration structures.

Successful applicants for clinical posts up to and including Band 4 are expected to hold the national Care Certificate qualification and will be supported to attain this once in post.

The Trust is committed to equal opportunities, providing opportunities for flexible working and is a non-smoking organisation.

As a Trust we are passionate about Anti-Racism, Disability Inclusion, and LGBTQ+ Equality, and are committed to diversifying our staff team in all areas and at all levels of seniority to better reflect the diverse communities we serve. Therefore, we particularly welcome and encourage applications from people who belong to a minority or marginalised community, including from Black and Asian, Disabled (including hidden disabilities such as Neurodiversity, Mental Health, etc), or Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans or Queer (LGBTQ+) people.    

Furthermore, Disabled applicants have the option of requesting that their application is considered under our Guaranteed Interview Scheme (GIS). Please indicate your intention to apply under the GIS in the relevant section of your application. Regardless of whether you participate in the scheme or have shared a disability, you will be provided the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments to the interview process at each stage of the recruitment process.

Due to the nature of the work some posts may be subject to a Standard Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, through the Disclosure and Barring Service as stipulated under part V of the Police Act 1997. Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar you from working with us; this will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances of your offences.