Applied Psychologist Perceptorship Band 7/8a

Job summary

MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE - APPLIED PSYCHOLOGIST

BAND 7-8A preceptorship

We are looking for an experienced and passionate Psychologist to work in our Black Country Maternal Mental Health Service, which aims to integrate maternity, reproductive health and psychological therapy for women and birthing individuals experiencing mental health difficulties associated with their maternity experience.

This is an exciting opportunity to develop and enhance your skills and develop into a more senior post over time (7-8a). This service presently offers assessments and a range of psychological interventions to women and birthing individuals experiencing moderate to severe mental health difficulties associated with experiences of perinatal loss, as well as training, supervision, consultation and support to maternity services and other relevant stakeholders.

This post also offers a real opportunity to develop your consultation, supervision and service development competencies

Main duties of the job

To deliver highly specialist and targeted evidence-based psychological interventions to those struggling with complex mental health presentations. Working with maternity systems - including provision of support and consultation for maternity staff is also integral to the model. This post also offers an opportunity to develop your consultation, supervision and service development competencies as you will be expected to contribute to our training and consultation offer within maternity and other mental health services, as well as wider service development and evaluation initiatives.

This service is being coproduced and evaluated, with principles of diversity and inclusion embedded throughout. There are a number of projects you will have the opportunity to be involved in, including research, co-production, the design and evaluation of teaching/training workshops and more.

Ideally you will have some experience of working with loss and trauma, and you must have a genuine and keen interest in maternal mental health. Clinical supervision will be provided by a Clinical Psychologist; you will also have the support of a friendly, welcoming and inclusive team of psychological therapists, specialist midwives, peer support workers, mental health practitioners and administrators. You will also join a fantastic network of colleagues supporting each other nationally as perinatal and maternal mental health services continue to expand and develop.

About us

BCHFT provides a range of services to people across Sandwell, Dudley, Walsall and Wolverhampton. Our vision is to improve health and well-being for people of all ages across the Black Country. In the Mental Health Division, we aim to provide outstanding care to our service users and support our staff to be the best they can be. Our clinical services are among some of the most forward-thinking in the country, consistently offering patients respect and dignity, high quality care, recovery-promoting interventions and a positive experience, all within a strong framework of coproduction. Psychological professionals are highly regarded by colleagues of all professions within our services and are the 'go to' people for complex problems and creative ideas to make a difference to our staff and service users. We have good links with the full range of Doctoral Psychology courses at the Universities of Birmingham, Coventry and Warwick, and Wolverhampton, as well as psychotherapy courses in the wider region. We have key staff closely involved with Research and Innovation. CPD and supervision for all grades of staff is highly valued. Psychological professionals are thoroughly integrated at all levels in the quality, governance and service development infrastructure of the Trust.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Main Duties/Responsibilities

Clinical Responsibilities, Patient Contact

Provides specialist psychological assessment of clients with complex 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 specialist advice to other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management.

Formulates plans for 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 specialist psychological therapies for individual clients, carers, families and groups, adjusting and refining psychological formulations as required.

Evaluates therapy options and makes decisions about treatment.

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 Assistant Psychologists under the guidance of their Applied Psychologist line manager .

. 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 Psychology and Counselling service and HPC requirements.

Multi-Disciplinary Training and Development

Provides psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other direct care staff in MDT.

Provides clinical supervision to other direct care staff in MDT.

Provides training to other staff in MDT under the guidance of a more senior Applied Psychologist.

Service and Organisational Development

Participate in CQUIN and QIP projects, NICE benchmarking and compliance requirements as required within MDT

Service Redesign and Cultural Change

Bring an understanding of psychological change processes to own role within MDT

Service Evaluation and Research

Participate in clinical audits as required within MDT

Undertake service evaluation and research in MDT

A requirement of this post is that the post holder will participate in the Trusts on call rota. (Delete as appropriate) To undertake any other duties of a similar nature consistent with the responsibilities of this post in order to provide a quality (insert) service. Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Qualifications Experience of assessment, formulation and intervention Evidence of continuing professional development

Desirable

Evidence of ongoing study and development

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