Clinical/Counselling/Forensic Psychologist–Band 8B

Job summary

This post is available to external and internal candidates.

This role is a post sitting in the Mental Health division of BCHFT. As the largest clinical Division in the Trust, the MH Division houses community, urgent care, specialist and Physical Health Psychology services alongside Talking Therapies (previously IAPT).

Our community services have been transforming, in line with the NHS long Term Plan, and you would be joining us at the point where our new CMHTs are formed but not yet established. This allows lots of opportunity to influence the development and delivery of the psychology offer within the North team as the team enters its 'storming' and 'norming' stages of development.

The successful applicants will join the local based team consisting of clinical and counselling psychologists, psychotherapists and intervention practitioners .

The post holders will be supported and accountable to the team/service manager team manager, and be professionally supported by a consultant psychologist.

The successful applicant should be keen to apply their knowledge and skills in a new setting and is flexible and adaptable in their approaches to psychological work. Good team working skills and an ability to accommodate differing professional models is essential. The post holder will develop complex formulations, offer supervision, consultancy, and training. They will lead on developing the understanding of psychological approaches to mental health recovery.

Main duties of the job

As a Principal psychologist in the Sandwell North CMHT you will be working alongside your colleagues and consultant psychologist to develop and deliver clinical pathways in the newly formed community service. This will include Trauma informed pathways alongside a psychological offer for those who experience psychosis as well possibilities of supporting our DBT services in-house. You will work as part of an integrated team and play a role in the governance and oversight of the psychologists and psychological practitioners in the team. You will work alongside another Principal psychologist in the team to achieve these aims, taking a lead on strategic and service development initiatives as agreed with your professional leads.

There will be opportunities to be directly involved in shaping the service model and developing the other Teams going forward. You will take a lead in developing and designing service evaluations, and will engage and empower service users and carers to continually work on improving the service.

We are linked closely to local universities and provide placements for trainees . The applicant will be expected to supervise and provide placements to such courses.

Members of our wider psychology team have wide-ranging therapeutic interests ranging from psychodynamic to systemic/narrative and cognitive-behavioural models as well as expertise in consultancy, supervision and training and form a supportive network for team and service members.

About us

In BCHFT we are keen to promote cohesiveness and wellbeing in our psychology staff group. There are a number of Trust initiatives that support this, ranging from an annual event that brings all psychological professionals together to 'enhance our connectedness', to regular opportunities to engage, learn and share good practice through 'special interest groups'.

We value our staff groups and, as a leadership team, work hard to ensure that people feel valued for both their effort and delivered outcomes, and that this is reflected in regular feedback. We are pleased to be able to offer CPD to our staff through establishment of a dedicated budget, and we also utilise all Regional or National opportunities for training when they arise. Current training initiatives within community services include the National PT-SMHP framework, which has allowed several of our staff to undertake post graduate diploma training in NICE based therapies.

fits too.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

Accountable for own professional practice in the delivery of highly specialist psychological care to clients with highly complex and contentious mental health conditions or learning disabilities which include challenging behaviours and possible risk of physical aggression.

To be compassionate in meeting the needs of clients, their carers and families.

To promote at all times a positive image of people with mental ill health or learning disabilities.

To promote at all times a positive image of the service and the wider Trust.

In line with the banding of the post and its service context to:

Exercise supervisory/professional responsibility for other psychological therapists

Provide leadership in multi-disciplinary training and development

Provide leadership in service audit and development

Provide leadership in service evaluation and research

Ensure that a psychological perspective is brought to service redesign and cultural change

Main Duties/Responsibilities

Clinical Responsibilities, Patient Contact

Provides highly specialist psychological assessment of clients with highly complex and contentious conditions based on the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of data from a variety of sources, which may include neuropsychological testing.

Responsible for recognising the potential for or signs of client harm, abuse or neglect, including poor clinical practice, reporting all such concerns and taking all reasonable steps to protect the client. Responsible for identifying and reporting concerns regarding the safeguarding of children who may be at risk.

Undertakes risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and provides highly specialist advice to other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management and the high physical risks inherent in the client group.

Formulates plans for highly specialist psychological therapy and/or management of clients mental health conditions based upon an appropriate conceptual framework and evidence-based practice. Negotiates the implementation of such plans with clients and/or their carers.

Implements a range of highly specialist psychological therapies for individual clients, carers, families and groups, adjusting and refining psychological formulations as required.

Undertakes highly skilled evaluations and makes decisions about treatment options.

Provides highly specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other staff contributing directly to clients diagnosis, formulation and intervention plan.

Facilitates decision-making by planning and mapping processes/interventions with members of the team to determine the most appropriate treatment modality or service for clients.

Leads the multi-disciplinary care team in the development and implementation of multi-disciplinary care plans where appropriate. Monitors progress during the course of multidisciplinary interventions.

To liaise with other professionals working within the NHS, Social Inclusion and Health and the voluntary sector on matters relating to client care that have implications for the service.

Supervisory/Professional Responsibility

Clinical supervision of Trainee Applied Psychologists and Assistant Psychologists

Supervises Band 7 and 8a Applied Psychologists

Specialist psychological supervision and scaffolding in a care pathway/cluster

Line manage Assistant Psychologists

Will hold responsibility and accountability for their own actions, ensuring appropriate support and supervision is sought when required.

To keep abreast of current developments in this field through reading, attendance at appropriate training courses, and a range of other CPD activities, and to ensure that a log is kept of this in line with HCPC requirements.

To contribute, as appropriate, to the teaching offered on the local Applied Psychology training courses.

Multi-Disciplinary Training and Development

To work with members of the multi-disciplinary team to develop and maintain psychologically minded ways of understanding and working with clients using the services, both to promote and maintain the mental health and coping strategies of the clients and to maintain the safety of clients and staff.

Provides highly specialist advice, guidance and consultation to other direct care staff in MDT

Provide clinical supervision to other direct care staff in MDT

Ensures appropriate clinical supervision and scaffolding is in place to enable embedding of psychological skills in relation to a specific care pathway/cluster

Assesses the need for and develops a plan for training in psychological interventions for the team in relation to a specific care pathway/cluster

Devises and delivers training to staff which may include those outside immediate MDT in consultation with Consultant Applied Psychologist

Service and Organisational Development

Clinically leads MDT in development, implementation and monitoring of MD care plans/ pathways/clusters

Takes a lead role in MDT delivery of CQUIN and QIP projects, NICE benchmarking and compliance requirements as required within MDT

Able to identify service priorities and to work with Consultant Applied Psychologist and/or Team/Service Managers on developing these into action plans

Service Redesign and Cultural Change

Bring an understanding of psychological change processes to own role within MDT and to help MDT to cope with changes, in consultation with Consultant Applied Psychologist

Bring an understanding of psychological change processes to help Team/Service Managers to devise suitable plans for change

Represent a psychological perspective in regular specific Division-wide forums around governance, quality and redesign under guidance from Consultant Applied Psychologist

Service Evaluation and Research

Take a lead role in clinical audits as required within MDT

Evaluates training and competencies of staff who have been trained in psychological therapies in relation to the care pathway/cluster

Undertake service evaluation and research

Working on projects from conception to delivery

Leading projects across MDTs in agreement with Consultant Psychologist and Team/Service Manager

Engaging multiple stakeholders in project work including service users and/or carers

Developing and implementing outcome monitoring within MDT

Supervise Applied Psychology trainee service evaluation and/or research

Other

To undertake any other duties of a similar nature consistent with the responsibilities of this post in order to provide a quality Forensic Community Team service.

A requirement of this post is that the post holder will participate in the Trusts on call rota. To undertake any other duties of a similar nature consistent with the responsibilities of this post in order to provide a quality CMHT service.

please see full job description to understand our:-

Trust Values Confidentiality & Data Protection Data Quality No Smoking policy Health & Safety Clinical Governance Infection Prevention & Control Adult & children Safeguarding Professional Managerial Codes of Practice Policies & Procedures Pandemic & Other Emergencies

The Job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Other duties, responsibilities and work base appropriate to this role / grade, may also be required. The manager will discuss this with the post holder where necessary.

Person Specification

shortlisitng criteria

Essential

oPost-graduate doctoral level training in applied Psychology (or its equivalent) as accredited by the BPS including models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology. oPost-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice oHCPC registration as an Applied Psychologist with Chartered Status oTrained in clinical supervision and the supervision of doctoral trainees oEvidence of continuing professional development oWorking as a qualified applied psychologist within the designated service including a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and a range of clinical severity across a range of care settings. oExercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care as a care coordinator within the context of a multidisciplinary team. oLiaison and joint working with statutory, voluntary and private sector agencies oTeaching, training, consultancy and clinical supervision and field supervisor for doctoral theses. oResearch and development oActive participation in quality and service improvement initiatives oEvidence-based practice relevant to the role oRisk assessment and risk management oClinical governance oKnowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health and its implications for clinical practice oAudit and research methodology oSocial inclusion agenda oCommunicate highly complex, highly sensitive and contentious information effectively, to a wide range of peoplehe Trust's Quality Improvement System oAdapt creatively the evidence base for the interventions relevant to the client group oArticulate the value added by applied psychology services within the context of multidisciplinary mental health and learning disability healthcare provision oUndertake complex multiagency working and liaise with multiple systems oUtilise psychometric tests competently oProvide effective teaching, training, consultancy and clinical supervision for the multidisciplinary team oIdentify, provide and promote appropriate interventions / means of support for carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and challenging behaviours oUtilise appropriate clinical governance mechanisms within own work oDemonstrate effective keyboard skills oUtilise multimedia materials for presentations in professional, academic and public settings oAble to work in accordance with the Trust Values and Behaviours oAble to engage with vulnerable people and work effectively in highly distressing and challenging circumstances oRespects and has awareness of the advantages of joint working with other experienced professionals in a multidisciplinary setting oAble to work flexibly and co-operatively as part of a team oAble to use own initiative and make decisions independently oCommitted to continual quality and service improvement oSelf-aware and committed to professional and personal development. Able to accept and respond positively to feedback from supervision oEnthusiasm for a broad range of psychological phenomena, theories and application oBe compassionate, empathetic and caring to everyone oEnable yourself and others to act with confidence and authority in order to achieve the best outcome for everyone oWork with others. Be inclusive by understanding and valuing others to achieve the best results for everyone and everything we do oAct with transparency and honesty, respect and value others to do the right thing at the right time for everyone Highly developed knowledge and skills in the care of difficult to treat groups dual diagnoses, additional disabilities or severely challenging behaviour

Desirable

oRegistration with BPS oProject management

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