Principal Psychological Professional

Job summary

South Staffordshire CAMHS are developing our psychological professions workforce.

A Principal Psychological Professional (A4C Band 8b) post is now available for which we would be happy to receive applications from suitably qualified and experienced Clinical / Counselling Psychologists or Family & Systemic Psychotherapists. Registration with a professional body is required (HCPC practitioner psychologist or appropriate section of the UKCP).

The post is full-time ( hours), but we will consider candidates seeking a part-time (minimum 30 hours) post. All staff can request flexible working opportunities through their Team Leader; please note that the current working hours for CAMHS clinics are Monday-Friday, 9am- 5pm.

Main duties of the job

Main duties:

Holding a clinical caseload

Supporting the psychological needs of vulnerable children and young people (CYP), including those on a Child Protection Plan or in the care of a Local Authority. This will require highly specialist skills relevant for working with parent/carer - child relationships and complex trauma / developmental trauma and the ability to support and/or supervise colleagues in relation to this work.

Providing highly specialist advice, clinical supervision and training to colleagues and trainees across designated localities and to other healthcare professionals as required.

Offering delegated clinical leadership in the continual development and provision of excellence across the service.

Utilising Research & QI skills for audit, policy and service development and research.

About us

By joining Team MPFT, you will be helping your communities and in return for this, we will support you by;

Supporting your career development and progression Excellent NHS Pension scheme Generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave Options for flexible working Up to 27 days annual leave (increasing with service up to 33 days) and the opportunity to purchase additional leave Extensive Health and Wellbeing support and resources If you work in our community teams, we pay for your time travelling between patients Lease car if you complete more than 500 business miles per annum, fully insured and maintained (including tyres), mileage paid at lease car rate Salary sacrifice car - fully insured and maintained (including tyres), your gross pay is reduced by the cost of the vehicle before tax, NI and pension deductions are calculated, mileage paid at business rates Salary sacrifice bikes up to £2k Free car parking at all trust sites Free flu vaccinations every year Citizens Advice support linked with a Hardship Fund for one off additional support up to £250 (if the criteria is met)

And more. We are proud to be a diverse and inclusive organisation and there is a choice of staff networks that help you meet like-minded people.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Role requirements:

There are three key strands to this post:

An overarching leadership role in supporting psychological practice across CAMHS: The post-holder will work alongside a peer Principal Psychological Professional and the Consultant Psychological Professional for CAMHS to support the governance of psychological practice across our core CAMHS teams in South Staffordshire.

Profession-specific leadership and support: The post-holder will provide clinical and/or professional supervision to staff from within their own core profession. We currently have three qualified Family Therapists and a Trainee Family Therapist in post, and also staff with systemic trainings (NVR, SFP, and Intermediate Family Therapy). We have eight Clinical Psychologist posts within CAMHS where staff have a variety of special interests (CBT, NVR, DDP, Systemic Practice).

Highly specialist clinical work: The post-holder will be clinically based within the Cannock CAMHS team. They will provide direct and indirect clinical support in line with their core professional training and clinical expertise. The post-holder will hold a caseload of suitable complexity and will not be expected to provide initial assessments or core duty cover. Clinical expertise in supporting the needs of care experienced children and young people and/or families with complex social care histories will be an advantage. Additionally, the ability to adapt interventions to meet the mental health needs of neurodivergent children and young people is required. For Family Therapy applicants, there is the potential to develop a tertiary clinic with Family Therapy colleagues based in other teams.

Location :

The post-holder will be expected to mainly work from the Cannock CAMHS site (West Chadsmoor Clinic, WS11 4NJ) for clinical interventions and MDM meetings. The site is equipped with a Family Therapy room with recording equipment and observation room. Outside of this, CAMHS staff need to be able to work in a range of settings, most usually clinic settings but also other community sites as well as attending meetings at different bases. As such, the ability to travel across South Staffordshire is required. The impact of working in pandemic conditions has facilitated use of digital/remote working practices and this is likely to continue where it is of benefit. Our staff have primarily returned to working from base and the supportive team environment this provides.

Qualifications and training:

Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical or counselling psychology (or equivalent prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, including models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.

Or,

Post-graduate qualification via a relevant core CAMHS mental health/social welfare professional training as recognised by AFT followed by post-qualification CAMHS experience and completion of a Masters level qualification in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy as accredited by AFT.

And,

Trained in clinical supervision and the supervision of psychological professionals in training such as Doctorate-level Trainee Psychologists or MSc-level Family Therapy Trainees.

Knowledge, Experience and Skills:

Working as a registered Practitioner Psychologist or Family Therapist within specialist CAMHS with experience of the full range of clinical severity of mental health needs across a range of care settings.

Experience of providing clinical consultation services to other professional staff.

Teaching, training, and clinical supervision of pre-qualified and trainee psychologists or trainee Family Therapists including field supervision of research theses.

Experience of Research, Audit and Quality Improvement activities in psychological practice

Please see the attached documents for the full Job Description and Person Specification to ensure you have the relevant knowledge, skills and experience for this post.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Registration with appropriate regulatory body/organisation: HCPC or appropriate section of UKCP. Evidence of continuing relevant professional development sufficient to ensure continued professional registration. To include ongoing CPD in relation to CAMHS specialty clinical delivery. Trained in clinical supervision and the supervision of psychological professionals in training such as Doctorate-level Trainee Psychologists or MSc-level Family Therapy Trainees. Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical or counselling psychology (or equivalent prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, including models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology. A For Practitioner Psychologists: full membership of a professional body ( registration with the British Psychological Society as a Chartered Psychologist) A or Post-graduate qualification in relevant core CAMHS mental health/social welfare professional training recognised by AFT followed by post-qualification CAMHS experience and then completion of a Masters level qualification in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy as accredited by AFT.

Desirable

Post registration qualification/registration in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice ( neuropsychology, trauma, attachment) as required for specific clinical post. Leadership development training and/or qualification For Practitioner Psychologists: full membership of a professional body ( registration with the British Psychological Society as a Chartered Psychologist)

Experience

Essential

Working as a registered Practitioner Psychologist or Family Therapist both within the designated service area and also with the full range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings (in-patient and outpatient settings, community, primary care inpatient and residential settings). Experience of working in specialist CYP mental health provision which includes multi-disciplinary working. Exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care as a care co-ordinator Experience of providing clinical consultation services to other professional staff. Experience of working in the NHS and/or publicly funded health or care settings Experience of working collaboratively with CYP and their families/carers and professional network Liaison and joint working with statutory, voluntary and private sector agencies Teaching, training, and clinical supervision of pre-qualified and trainee psychologists or Family Therapists including field supervision of research theses. Quality and Assurance Governance issues. Research, Audit, Quality Improvement and/or Development activities

Desirable

Experience of working with CYP with attachment and trauma needs is highly desirable Experience of clinical leadership in a multi-disciplinary team. Project management of quality and service improvement initiatives. Working at a strategic level.

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

Essential

Demonstrate skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management and their application in a CYP mental health setting. Evidence-based practice relevant to the role Application of psychological understanding, formulation and intervention across therapeutic modalities and within clinical, multi-disciplinary and service level working Identify, provide and promote appropriate interventions / means of support for carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and challenging behaviours. Communicate highly complex, highly sensitive and highly contentious information effectively, to a wide range of people Adapt evidence based interventions creatively for clients with communication difficulties / learning disabilities and have the ability to tailor interventions where CYP have not responded to normally recommended interventions Demonstrate skills in providing liaison, consultation and clinical supervision to other professionals and non-professional groups in health and non-health settings. Articulate sensitively and collaboratively the value added by the range of psychological services within the context of multidisciplinary mental health and learning disability healthcare provision, whilst also valuing the range of roles and skills represented in the MDT. Undertake complex multiagency working and liaise with multiple systems Risk assessment and risk management Utilise psychometric tests competently Utilise appropriate clinical governance mechanisms. Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health and its implications for clinical practice. Audit and research methodology Social Inclusion agenda Application of psychological understanding, formulation and intervention across therapeutic modalities and within clinical, multi-disciplinary and service level working. Provide effective teaching, training and clinical supervision for the multidisciplinary team. Demonstrate proficiency in the use of Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook and similar applications. Online Clinical Consulting platforms ( One Consultation) Use multimedia materials for presentations in professional, academic and public settings.

Desirable

Skilled in effective clinical leadership. Highly developed skills to meet the mental health and attachment needs of Looked After Children, either through direct work or through the support of professional and care networks.

Personal Attributes

Essential

Ability to develop productive therapeutic relationships with a range of clients. Able to work in accordance with the Trust Values and Behaviours. Able to engage with vulnerable children, young people and families and work effectively in highly distressing and challenging circumstances Able to maintain a high degree of professionalism within highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical assault. Able to provide containment, insight and direct input to complex and challenging cases where there is a high degree of parental distress and/or hostility in addition to the difficulties presented by the child or young person. Able to work flexibly and co-operatively as part of a team. Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and hold the stress of others. Able to use own initiative and make decisions independently. Committed to continual quality and service improvement. Self-aware and committed to professional and personal development. Able to accept and respond positively to feedback from supervision Willingness to undertake further leadership development both formal and informal. Enthusiasm for a broad range of psychological phenomena, theories and application and in developing psychologically-informed services for CYP with mental health needs Ability to travel independently in accordance with service need.

Desirable

Ability to demonstrate leadership and management skills.

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