Clinical Associate Psychologist

**The closing date is 1st Sep 2024**

**Job summary**:
We are looking for a qualified Clinical Associate Psychologist with the passion, skills and determination to help support our Inpatient and Urgent Care Service, in the west of the county.

The Adult Acute Ward Teams as well as the Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit are multidisciplinary teams of Nurses, Doctors, Occupational Therapists and Activities Coordinators, Social Workers, Support Workers or Health Care Assistants, Peer Support Workers, and Psychology. The teams work together to consider the best intervention for a particular person at a particular time, and psychology is a valuable part of this care. The focus of your clinical role will be working directly with people with severe and enduring mental health needs who are experiencing a crisis with their mental health, and the people around them.

You will be a key member of our team offering psychological assessment and formulation, providing brief and short-term interventions. You will contribute to teaching and staff wellbeing. You will work under the supervision of a Practitioner Psychologist.

We are looking to build our research capacity and you would be welcome to be part of this.

**Main duties, tasks & skills required**:
Contributing a psychological perspective to the multi-disciplinary teams.

Assessment, formulation and planning of interventions. Delivery of brief and short interventions, both group and individual.

Contributing to the development and delivery of training for multi-disciplinary colleagues. Supporting staff wellbeing.

Being an active member of the inpatient and urgent care psychology team.

Contributing to projects and service development initiatives.

**About us**:
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust is a friendly and innovative place to work which was recognised by us being awarded the HSJ Mental Health Trust of the Year in November 2021.

We are working with our Experts by Experience to coproduce and develop our clinical model and deliver Trauma Informed Care.

As part of Trauma Informed Care we are committed to your wellbeing and professional development.

As an organisation, Somerset NHS Foundation Trust offers employees a wide range of benefits including flexible working, NHS pension scheme, generous annual leave allowance and a commitment to career development.

You will be eligible for our Blue Light Card and a wide range of NHS exclusive shopping & leisure discounts.

Working in Somerset enables you to enjoy the idyllic countryside, areas of outstanding beauty and stunning coastlines whilst still only being a stone's throw away from bustling city centres like Bristol, Bath and Exeter and only two hours away from London.

There are excellent educational facilities in the area and, when compared to other regions, house prices are reasonable.

Somerset offers the countryside and the cosmopolitan - there is truly something for everyone

**Job description**:
The psychology post will provide psychological assessment, formulation and both brief and short-term psychological interventions for service users. The Clinical Associate Psychologist will assist with identifying which referrals are suitable for work with an Assistant Psychologist, Clinical Associate Psychologist, or Practitioner Psychologist. You will be a key member of the multidisciplinary teams and support these teams with holding a psychological perspective, and supporting the assistant psychologists who provide evidence based psychology groups across the wards.

**Person specification**:
**Qualifications**:
**Essential**:
Successful completion of the Masters in Clinical Associate Psychology.

Membership of the British Psychological Society, for professional regulation and individual accreditation as a CAP once national accreditation schemes are available.

Understanding of issues surrounding clinical risk and safeguarding.

**Desirable**:
Further training in a specific model of Psychological Intervention.

**Experience**:
**Essential**:
Experience of working clinically in adult mental health.

Demonstrates and understanding of a range of mental health problems, and the impact of trauma, and how these difficulties might present in inpatient and urgent care.

Demonstrates an understanding of the evidence based psychological therapies and how this applies to this post.

**Desirable**:
Experience of working clinically in other NHS settings.

**Additional Criteria**:
**Essential**:

- Skills in assessment and formulation of psychological distress
- Skills in developing and implementing focussed and time-limited therapeutic interventions
- Skills in undertaking risk assessment

**Disclosure and Barring Service Check**:
**UK Professional Registration**:
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Helen Schur

07825866867

**Pay scheme**:
Agenda for Change

**Band**:
Band 6

**Salary**:

£35392.00 to £42618.00 Yearly

**Contract**:
Permanent

**Work