Principal Practitioner Psychologist

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Principal Practitioner Psychologist to work within our Forensic Mental Health and Psychiatric Intensive Care Specialities. The successful candidate will play a key role in the development and provision of psychological services to adult inpatients of the Cwm Seren LSU and PICU in Carmarthen, and in providing support to multidisciplinary teams involved in this setting. This will include the community based Forensic Mental Health Team.

We are looking for a dynamic and inspiring Psychologist who can not only deliver high quality assessments, formulations and interventions, but can share psychological understanding and skills with colleagues. They will be joining a welcoming and dedicated Psychology Speciality with a commitment to personal and professional development and a robust sense of professional identity. We are driven by values of respect and compassion as we work towards increasing access to high quality, evidence-based help for individuals and their carers.

Main duties of the job

The key objective of this post is to ensure that people with serious and enduring mental health problems are appropriately assessed, supported and treated, and that they are helped to regain their place in the local community and to achieve their full potential as members of that community.

The postholder will lead on the provision of specialist psychological assessment and intervention to clients admitted to the Cwm Seren LSU and PICU in Carmarthen, working therapeutically with individuals, groups, families and significant others to meet the full range of referred needs.

Emphasis will also be placed on contributing to service development, care and treatment planning, and on providing consultation, training and supervision to multidisciplinary teams. The postholder will ensure that all members of the treatment team have access to a psychologically based framework for understanding and care of clients of the Service, and will act as a Specialist Resource for clinical-forensic psychological risk evaluation and management. They will provide specialist advice to other Psychology Services, inpatient and community teams, including liaison and support to the community Forensic Mental Health Team, and other multidisciplinary and multi-agency teams.

About us

Hywel Dda University Health Board is the planner and provider of NHS healthcare services for people in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and its bordering counties. Our 11,000 members of staff provide primary, community, in-hospital, mental health and learning disabilities services for around 384,000 people across a quarter of the landmass of Wales. We do this in partnership with our three local authorities and public, private and third sector colleagues, including our volunteers, through:

Four main hospitals: Bronglais General in Aberystwyth, Glangwili General in Carmarthen, Prince Philip in Llanelli and Withybush General in Haverfordwest;

Seven community hospitals: Amman Valley and Llandovery in Carmarthenshire; Tregaron, Aberaeron and Cardigan in Ceredigion; and Tenby and South Pembrokeshire Hospital Health and Social Care Resource Centre in Pembrokeshire;

48 general practices (four of which are managed practices), 47 dental practices (including three orthodontic), 99 community pharmacies, 44 general ophthalmic practices (43 providing Eye Health Examination Wales and 34 low vision services) and 17 domiciliary only providers and 11 health centres;

Numerous locations providing mental health and learning disabilities services;

Highly specialised and tertiary services commissioned by the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee, a joint committee representing seven health boards across Wales.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The postholder will contribute to the development of a high quality, responsive and accessible service, and will play a lead role in the Service's audit and research activities.

In this role there will be scope to develop the Service's trauma-informed care approach to meet psychological needs and support engagement and the building of resilience salient to recovery.

Although inpatient focused, the post enjoys good working relationships with community services and other agencies involved in the management and care of clients. There is excellent professional networking and support for CPD, including specific links to Swansea and Cardiff Universities.

You will be able to find a full job description and person specification attached within the supporting documents.

The Health Board is committed to supporting its staff to fully embrace the need for bilingualism, thereby enhancing patient and service user experience. In our commitment to increase the number of staff who are able to communicate in Welsh with patients and professionals, we welcome applications from Welsh speakers.

The ability to communicate in Welsh is desirable for this post. If you do not meet the Welsh Language requirements specified, the Health Board offers a variety of learning options and staff support to help you meet these minimal desirable requirements during the course of your employment with us.

Interviews will be held on 18/12/24

Person Specification

Qualifications and Knowledge

Essential

Post-graduate doctoral level training in Applied Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, including clinical psychometrics and cognitive/neuropsychological assessment. Training also to specifically include models of psychopathology and two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist. Knowledge of the full range of evidence-based psychological interventions from low to high intensity, including guidelines for their appropriate use. Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practised within the fields of Applied Psychology.

Desirable

Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice. Knowledge and/or qualifications relating to work within Forensic mental Health and Acute Mental Health. Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological interventions relevant to the Service's client groups. Knowledge and advanced skills in risk assessment methodology and risk management. Knowledge and skills in Resource Based Therapies ( solution-focused, motivational, positive interventions). Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and Mental Health Accredited, specialist training in a therapeutic modality CBT, DBT, MBT

Experience

Essential

Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course Experience of representing/ leading Psychology services Application form and interview. 7 CAJE Ref: and presenting with the full range of clinical severity across various care settings including outpatient, community, primary care, inpatient and residential care settings, and maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse. Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan. Significant experience of conducting and interpreting cognitive/neuropsychological assessment and clinical psychometrics Significant experience of providing teaching, training and clinical supervision to qualified psychologists and other staff working in Mental Health Significant experience relevant to the Service Speciality area.

Desirable

Experience of representing/ leading Psychology services within the context of multi-disciplinary care Experience of assessing and treating clients across the full range of care settings. Experience of the application of Psychology in different cultural contexts. Experience of multiagency/partnership working Experience of providing consultation to community and inpatient teams, including team clinical supervision Specific experience of assessing and treating within inpatient services.

Language Skills

Desirable

Ability to speak Welsh (level 1)

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