Clinical/Counselling Psychologist

Job summary

We are a large very well established service with an experienced multidisciplinary team of clinicians. The post holder would be working as part of the Single Point of Access (SPA) and Tier 2 provision in Sutton CAMHS.

We are seeking an experienced Clinical / Counselling Psychologist (HCPC registered) who is enthusiastic and passionate about working with a range of clients, to work in our friendly service. We will also consider applications from newly qualified and recently qualified Clinical/Counselling Psychologists eligible to occupy the post at band 7 in a preceptorship role.

An applicant appointed to the band 7 preceptorship role will be supported through a preceptorship model that includes a professional and clinical development plan. A Preceptorship Clinical/Counselling Psychologist will be supported to acquire the knowledge, skills and experience that meet the person specifications for the post at band 8a, in line with the preceptorship policy. Where these conditions are met the post holder will be expected to progress to band 8a subject to successful interview.

Please note candidates need to be qualified clinical/counselling psychologists (or about to qualify) and registered with the Health & Care Professions Council or clearly state in their application how they are planning to achieve this registration.

Main duties of the job

This role is part of the Tier 2 (Getting Help) Sutton Alliance provision in the London Borough of Sutton.

The clinician will provide psychological intervention for mild to moderate anxiety, low mood and other presenting problems at a ITHRIVE Getting Help level. The remaining days will be based in the Sutton CAMHS SPA, offering assessment and formulation of need to ensure Children and Young People are signposted to the most suitable service.

The role will also work closely with the 8b Clinical Psychologist who is the Clinical Lead in both SPA and Getting Help pathways. The appointed clinician will assist with the:

Supervision to B7 Clinicians and Trainee/Assistant Psychologists in the single point of access and/or Getting Help Cognitive Behavioural pathway. Management of demand and capacity planning in the SPA and Getting Help CBT Pathway, ensuring that local agreed waiting times are met Provide advice and consultation on clients' psychological care. To work within Trust and professional guidelines, to a clear CAMHS job plan.

The post holder would offer psychological assessment, formulation and therapy to individuals and groups and contribute to teaching, supervision, service development projects, research and audit.

The post holder will receive clinical and professional supervision from an experienced Clinical Psychologist and will have the opportunity to provide supervision to an Assistant Psychologist and trainees on placement subject to experience and opportunity.

About us

We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.

We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' - we aspire to be 'outstanding'.

This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services.

We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.

We offer flexible working, career development and a variety ofbenefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical

To provide specialist psychological assessments to children who are referred to the Team based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the child or young persons care. To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and / or management of the mental health problems of children and young people who are based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of their problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy across the full range of care settings. To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological and psycho-educational interventions for individual children, carers, families and groups, within and across teams including community settings employed individually and in synthesis, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses. To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options for children and their families in conjunction with other professional colleagues, taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family, group or system. To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of children whose problems are managed by psychologically-based standard care plans. To provide specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan for the children. To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically-based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all children, across all settings and agencies serving this client group. To undertake mental health risk assessment and risk management for individual children and young people and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management. To act as mental health care coordinator, where appropriate, taking responsibility for initiating planning and review of care plans under enhanced CPA including the children, their carers, referring agents and others involved the network of care. This includes organising case conferences and professional network meetings where appropriate. To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of children under their care and to monitor progress during the course of both uni- and multi-disciplinary care.

Teaching, Training, and Supervision

To receive regular clinical professional supervision from a senior clinical psychologist / psychotherapist / family therapist and, where appropriate, other senior professional colleagues. To gain additional highly specialist experience and skills relevant to psychology / psychotherapy and/or the service (as agreed with the teams professional manager and team manager) in accordance with the CAMHS Directorates common expectations for P&P staff. To develop skills in the area of professional post-graduate teaching, training and supervision and to provide supervision to other MDT staffs psychological work as appropriate. To provide, professional and clinical supervision of trainee and assistant psychologists / psychotherapists, as well as contributing to clinical supervision of Band 6 and Band 7 staff working across the local and dedicated services. To contribute to the pre- and post-qualification teaching and training of staff, as appropriate. To provide advice, consultation and training to staff working with the client group across a range of agencies and settings.

Management, Recruitment, Policy and Service Development

To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the Directorates operational policies and high quality responsive and accessible services, through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit. To advise both service and professional management on those aspects of the service where psychological and/or organisational matters need addressing. To manage the workloads of assistant and trainee clinical psychologists, within the framework of the team/services policies and procedures. To be involved, as appropriate, in the shortlisting and interviewing of assistant / graduate psychologists.

Research and Service Evaluation

To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other team members in CAMHS. To undertake appropriate research and provide research advice to other staff undertaking research. To undertake project management, , audit or service evaluation, in line the CAMHS Directorates common expectations for P&P staff, and by agreement and under direction from the Team Manager with colleagues within CAMHS.

Other

In common with all psychologists / psychotherapists, to receive regular clinical supervision in accordance with good practice guidelines. To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in line CAMHS Directorate common expectations for P&P staff and by agreement and under direction from the post holders professional and service manager(s). To contribute to the development and articulation of best practice in psychology / psychotherapy across the service, by continuing to develop the skills of a reflexive and reflective scientist-practitioner, taking part in regular professional supervision line CAMHS Directorate common expectations for P&P staff and appraisal and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the fields of psychology / psychotherapy and related disciplines. To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry and recording, report writing and the responsible exercise of professional self-governance in accordance with professional codes of practice of the Health Professions Council and Trust services policies and procedures. To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both children and young people and mental health.

Training and Development

To undertake mandatory and statutory training as required by Trust policy. To contribute and commit to undertaking an annual Development Review/appraisal. To undertake personal development as identified in the Personal Development Plan (PDP). Person Specification

Training & Qualification

Essential

oQualified Clinical / Counselling Psychologist registered with the HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist under the domain of Clinical Psychologist, or Counselling Psychologist oEvidence of continuing professional development. oPost qualification training in the clinical supervision of trainees.

Desirable

oTraining as part of a CYP IAPT collaborative in a recognised evidenced based approach. oFormal training in the supervision of a psychotherapeutic modality. oFurther training in a recognised evidence-based psychological therapy.

Experience

Essential

oConsolidated experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care, and in-patient settings. oConsolidated experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse. oDemonstrate further specialist training and experience by having received a minimum of 50 hours of clinical supervision of working as a specialist psychologist or psychotherapist over a minimum of 18 months.

Desirable

oExperience of teaching, training and/or supervision. oExperience of service development or of a leadership role.

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