Principal Practitioner Psychologist

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Practitioner Psychologist to take on a newly created role as Clinical Lead for the Wessex Kidney Centre (WKC) Psychological Support Service.

WKC is situated as Queen Alexandra Hospital (QA) is a Regional Renal & Transplantation Centre which services a population of million, across Hampshire and Isle of Wight, plus neighbouring areas of Sussex, Dorset and Wilshire.

Main duties of the job

To provide highly specialist psychological assessment to patients of the Wessex Kidney Centre, including assessments of patients due to receive a kidney transplant and of living donors in accordance with the National Living Donor Guidelines. This will be based upon the appropriate use , interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of resources, including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structure observations and semi-structured interviews.

Please contact Andrew Merwood - if you would like to discuss the role.

About us

Here at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, we are proud to provide expert, compassionate care for our local population. We are ranked as the third in the country for research, embedding education and training across the organisation. Our main hub is the Queen Alexandra Hospital, which is one of the largest hospitals on the south coast employing over 8,700 staff.

Our patients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes our hospital stronger. If you share our values and our enthusiasm for getting it right for patients, colleagues and our community, you will find a home at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust.

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. Clinical

To provide highly specialist psychologicalassessments to patients of the Wessex Kidney Centre, including assessments ofpatients due to receive a kidney transplant and of living donors in accordancewith the National Living Donor Guidelines. This will be based upon theappropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a varietyof sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-reportmeasures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations andsemi-structured interviews.

To advise on appropriate psychoeducation andtraining to staff to help them to provide high quality psychological and emotionalsupport to patients.

To provide psychological support andsupervision for staff working on the unit.This may be in the form of group sessions by providing a safe space forreflection and providing tools and/or sign posting for further support. This will also include either supporting, orleading small group debrief sessions following an emotionally traumaticclinical situation.

To developpsychological formulations of presenting problems or situations that integratecomplex information from assessments within a coherent framework that drawsupon psychological theory and evidence, and which incorporates interpersonal,societal, cultural and biological factors, across the full range of caresettings.

To develop andimplement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of aclients psychological difficulties, based upon an appropriate conceptualframework of the clients problems, and employing methods based upon evidenceof efficacy, across the full range of care settings.

To be responsiblefor implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals,carers, families and groups, within and across teams, adjusting and refiningpsychological formulations, drawing upon different explanatory models andmaintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.

To evaluate and makedecisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical andtherapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical anddevelopmental processes that have shaped the individual, family, carers orgroup.

To exerciseautonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, psychologicalformulation, treatment and discharge of families, and to manage and maintain acaseload in line with service guidelines.

To providespecialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to otherprofessionals contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis andtreatment plan.

To ensure that allmembers of the treating team have access to a psychologically based frameworkfor understanding and care of clients of the service, through the provision ofadvice and consultation and the dissemination of psychological research andtheory.

To contributedirectly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understandingand care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings andagencies serving the client group.

To undertake riskassessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide advice toother professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and riskmanagement in line with Trust and inter-agency policies and procedures. Toassess clients for referral onto Mental Health Services should their needs bemore relevant for management by those teams.

To communicate in ahighly skilled and sensitive manner to clients, family, carers and others asappropriate, information that may be contentious or highly distressingconcerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients undertheir care.

To monitor andevaluate progress during the course of both uni- and multi-disciplinary care,and to provide appropriate reports on this.

To provide highlyspecialist expertise, advice and support to facilitate the effective andappropriate provision of psychological care by all members of the treatmentteam.

To work inpartnership with other disciplines and to maintain links with statutory andnon-statutory and primary care agencies as appropriate.

To produce reportson clients, in a timely manner, that convey the key findings of psychologicalassessment and formulation and treatment outcomes in a way that does justice tothe complexity of the problems described, but that are understandable to therecipients of the reports, including clients and referrers.

Will be required tosit in a constrained position for therapy and extended assessment.

May be required totolerate and manage verbal abuse and occasional physical aggression.

Will be required todeal with the intense emotional atmosphere surrounding therapy contacts whichmay be frequently highly distressing on a daily basis, and to work withfrequent intense concentration for much of the clinical sessions of assessmentand therapy.

2. Teaching,training and supervision

In common with all Practitioner Psychologists,to receive regular clinical supervision and monthly management supervision, inaccordance with good practice and BPS guidelines.

To continue to gainwider post-qualification experience of applied psychology in line with BPSpolicy on CPD; in particular, to make links with other Clinical Psychologistsand Practitioner Psychologists working in Renal Care regionally, nationally,and to attend relevant special interest groups and training sessions.

To develop skills inthe area of professional post-graduate teaching, training and supervision andto provide supervision to other MDT staffs psychological work, as appropriate.

To provide professional and clinicalsupervision of assistant/graduate psychologists and Trainee Clinical/Counselling/ Health Psychologists, as appropriate

To support placements for Trainee Clinical/ Counselling/Health Psychologists, ensuring that trainees acquire the necessary skills,competencies and experience to contribute effectively to good psychologicalcare and to contribute to the assessment and evaluation of such competencies.

Tocontribute to the pre- and post-qualification teaching of clinical, health, counsellingand other applied psychologists, as appropriate, through contact within thelocality with other Practitioner Psychologists.

Whereappropriate, to offer clinical and/or professional supervision to qualifiedpractitioner psychologists working elsewhere within the organisation.

Toprovide advice, consultation, supervision and training to staff working withthe client group across a range of agencies and settings for the provision ofpsychologically based interventions to help improve clients functioning.

Tocontribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professionalstandards of practice, through active participation in internal and externalCPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the postholdersprofessional and service manager(s).

Tomaintain and develop skills in the area of professional pre- and post-graduatetraining and clinical supervision.

3. Leadershipand management

There are no specific budgetary or management responsibilities attachedto this post.

To contribute to the analysis, development,evaluation and monitoring of Key Performance Indicators to highlight the addedvalue of psychology through the deployment of professional skills in research,service evaluation and audit.

To be involved, as appropriate, in theshortlisting and interviewing of assistant/graduate/ recently qualifiedpsychologists.

To exercise responsibility with team membersfor the systematic governance of psychological practice within theservice/team.

To ensure the development and articulation ofbest practice in psychology within the service area and contribute across theservice by exercising the skills of a reflexive and reflective scientistpractitioner, taking part in regular professional supervision and appraisal,and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the field of neonatalpsychology and related disciplines.

Thispost includes a service development role in building a Renal Supportive Careservice in line with the Kidney Care UK Psychosocial Care manifesto (2022),which the postholder will be expected to draw upon when developing and leadingthe renal care psychological support service.

4. Researchand development

To bring forward matters of psychology, as asenior clinician, in the evaluation, monitoring and development of the teamsoperational policies, through the deployment of professional skills inresearch, service evaluation and audit and ensuring incorporation ofpsychological frameworks for understanding and provision of high-quality care. Toutilise theory, evidence-based literature, and research to support evidence-basedpractice in individual work and work with other team members.

To utilise theory, evidence-based literature,and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and workwith other team members.

To undertake project management, includingcomplex audit, quality improvement, and service evaluation, with colleagueswithin the service to help develop service provision.

To undertake a personal research anddevelopment programme, developing service orientated and clinically relevantresearch as agreed by the Department

To work with the active departmental researchteam identifying local or national research projects that may be appropriatefor the department to participate in.

For a full job description, please refer to the job description attached to this vacancy.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Doctoral level training in clinical/counselling/health psychology, including models of psychopathology, psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the BPS. Registered with HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC. Eligible for Full Membership of the BPS Division of Clinical Psychology, Counselling Psychology, or Health Psychology.

Desirable

Further training relevant to working in acute medical settings Evidence of training in leadership; service development, quality improvement and/or project management. Pre- or post-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology. A track record of conference presentations and publications in the current clinical or related area.

Experience

Essential

Evidence of post-qualification experience within an NHS context. Experience of working in a health setting with patients who have a physical health difficulty. Experience delivering highly skilled psychological assessments, interventions, follow-up and data monitoring utilising at least 2 therapeutic models. Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course, with presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity. Experience of liaising with patients, carers and families and external organisations that support these groups. Ability to show autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients and liaising with other professionals as and when necessary. Experience of supervising pre-qualified psychologists/qualified psychologists and /or professionals from other disciplines. Experience of leading MDT group work to share psychological/psychotherapeutic knowledge & skill consultation, reflective practice, supervision groups. Experience designing, conducting and leading on research activities at a doctoral level including service-related research and audits. Experience of teaching and training others, using a variety of complex multimedia material suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings. Evidence of and willingness to undertake continued professional development.

Desirable

Experience of working in a renal unit or with patients and families affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD); knowledge of the treatment of CKD including dialysis and transplant. Experience of working with trauma and bereavement Experience of setting up new services Formal training in supervision Formal QI training Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, psychological formulation, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration. This requires the use of highly developed analytical and judgement skills. Ability to cope with a fast-paced work environment, maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems. Ability to assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans. High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies. Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information, including contentious and highly distressing information, to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues, both within and outside the NHS. Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups. Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology. Planning and organising skills for caseload management Skills in self-management , including time-management Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance, including regular supervision, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour. Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies as applied in a clinical health psychology setting.

Desirable

Well-developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies relevant to working with adults in an acute healthcare environment. Knowledge of the legislation in relation to the client group and mental health. A commitment to the evaluation of services, enthusiasm for both multi-professional and uni-professional audit, and a desire to continue to develop expertise in the area. Experience of working within a multicultural framework, skills in working with diversity. Ability/skills in working through interpreters

Personal Attributes

Essential

Approachable and empathetic personality, excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and able to defuse difficult, volatile situations. Understanding of confidentiality. Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of practice governance and to support and maintain own and service's standards of clinical practices. Able to contain and work with high levels of distress from clients and with organisational stress. Able to tolerate ambiguity and to take decisions in situations of incomplete information. Ability to exercise appropriate levels of self-care and to monitor own state, recognising when it is necessary to take active steps to maintain fitness to practice. Motivated towards personal and professional development with a strong CPD record. The post holder may be required to travel between sites.

Other

Essential

Able to tolerate prolonged periods of sitting

---