Assistant Psychologist
Found in: Talent UK C2 - 1 week ago
Job summary
The post of Assistant Psychologist is based at the Central England Rehabilitation Unit, a National Level 1 neurorehabilitation unit. The Clinical Neuropsychology at CERU is a supportive consultant-lead service for individuals with acquired brain injury who require specialist in-patient and out-patient multi-disciplinary neurorehabilitation.
This post is suitable for Psychology Graduates with a background in Neuropsychology and relevant experience in adult neuropsychological assessment and intervention.
The post holder will work under supervision from qualified clinical psychologists and will work closely with other members of the inter-disciplinary team which includes medical staff, nursing, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, dieticians and physiotherapists. Under supervision from qualified clinical psychologists, and in line with the job description, the duties of the post will involve:
Conducting specialist neuropsychological assessment, formulation, intervention and feedback to clients, families and the team Involvement in the assessment and management, as appropriate, of risk and the management of behaviours that challenge Provision of psychological interventions to both individuals and groups with acquired brain injury and their families to promote adjustment and well-being Provision of training to staff on working with individuals with brain injury Supporting staff with the psychological impact of working with individuals with severe brain injury
Main duties of the job
To support the ongoing development and provision of clinicalneuropsychological services within the Central England RehabilitationUnit (CERU)
To assist in the assessment of emotional and cognitive disorders followingacquired brain injury
To assist in the planning, implementation and delivery of anxiety, fatigueand mood interventions to support patients after acquired brain injury
To carry out cognitive screens and specific neuropsychologicalassessments under supervision
To carry out cognitive rehabilitation programs under supervision in orderto support cognitive deficits in patients following acquired brain injury
To assist in the selection and delivery of psychological measures forassessing the effectiveness of patient work/training/group work and thedevelopment of systems to capture baseline and outcome data
To support in the development of materials and delivery of training to staff within CERU
To undertake audit and research projects, collection of statistics, teachingand project work.
About us
Come and join a Trust rated Outstanding by the CQC. South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust have been rated as outstanding following our latest inspection by the CQC and we are recruiting new staff to come and help us improve even further. In addition our staff survey results have placed us 4th in the country for recommended place to work.
We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the county. We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of values can be summed up in one sentence. We are 'Trusted to provide safe, inclusive, effective and compassionate care'. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn't matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Under the clinical supervision and management of a qualified and suitablyexperienced clinical psychologist, work independently on a day-to-daybasis according to a plan and objectives agreed and reviewed at intervalswith the qualified psychologist and stroke service and within the overallframework of relevant team/service area policies and procedures.
To support the qualified clinical psychologist in the delivery of clinicalservices, administering cognitive screens and specific neuro/psychologicalassessment and undertaking the scoring of these assessments.
To carry out individual and group-based psychological interventions under clinical supervision as required.
To deliver assessments/interventions autonomously to patients followingacquired brain injury during the course of their inpatient stay
To communicate to families of patients under the guidance of the clinicalsupervisor
To be able to work on an agile basis including from home, staff base, andon a hospital inpatient ward.
To liaise and build relationships with staff within the service and promotepsychological understanding of patient needs following acquired braininjury.
To support the qualified clinical psychologist in governance, audit, research and clinical administrative activities, collecting, collating and analysing data, writing and presenting reports and assisting in project development under the guidance of the psychologist as required. To be able to use IT equipment and software as required, including statistical, database, spreadsheet and presentations.
To assist the qualified clinical psychologist in the planning and organisingof teaching/training programs to staff within the Neuropsychology serviceand undertake/contribute to teaching and training activities as required.
To participate in personal appraisal and continuing professionaldevelopment activities as agreed with the psychology line manager,including general training required in accordance with the policies andprocedures of the Trust.
In completing duties, to draw upon a knowledge base commensurate witha good honours degree in psychology and eligibility for graduatemembership of the BPS.
To appropriately undertake the public representation of the departmentsactivities and to promote groups aimed at service users and Trust staff andother departmental activities.
Key Communications and Working Relationships
To liaise with or co-work with other multidisciplinary members of the CERU service including Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists and Rehabilitation Assistants
To liaise with other psychologists within the Trust including the ClinicalHealth Psychology and Neuropsychology Departments, members of otherdisciplines, referral agencies, affiliated organisations,academic/educational and research departments, service users and othersas relevant to this post under guidance.
To develop an awareness and liaise with other support/signpostingservices.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
The post holder may be required to undertake any of the duties specifiedin the key result areas noted below. The relative priority and time allocatedto each of the duties/key result areas will be determined by reference toservice needs and may vary in the light of prevailing service priorities andrequirements.
Clinical
Under the clinical supervision of a qualified psychologist, to undertakeassessment of psychological care needs of inpatients within CERU. Thiswill include administering and scoring cognitive screens/assessments andcognitive rehabilitation programs under guidance. It will also includeemotional disorder assessments and interventions under guidance. Torecord and monitor outcomes and present this information in reports underthe supervision of the qualified clinical psychologist.
To assist in the development of material, co-ordination and delivery ofgroup based interventions for patients following acquired brain injury.
Under the clinical supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist, assist inthe formulation of difficulties following acquired brain injury and in theplanning and delivery of psychological support.
Under the clinical supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist, delivertherapeutic interventions developed or guided by the qualified psychologistor otherwise defined by protocol, for example, planned programs ofmindfulness/CBT for mood/anxiety, fatigue management or cognitiverehabilitation for specific cognitive impairments.
Under the clinical supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist, assist inthe planning, development, co-ordination and delivery of groups, including for example problem solving group approaches. Act as co-therapist withqualified clinical psychologist, other assistant psychologist or otherdesignated clinician and as appropriate run groups in accordance withagreed protocol.
To attend and contribute to multi-disciplinary meetings as appropriate.
To assist in the development of a psychologically based framework ofunderstanding and care to the benefit of patients and staff working withinCERU.
When completing clinical duties, receives, obtains and communicateshighly complex and sensitive clinical and personal information, sometimesin emotionally charged or otherwise challenging circumstances.
Working Environment
The post holder will be required to work with the Neuropsychology Service at CERU to further develop, deliver and evaluate intervention programs.
The post holder will be able to respond quickly and flexibly to the demands and pressures created by the clinical work and be able to work and respond to patients presenting behaviours under the supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist.
Teaching, Training and Supervision
To work alongside the Neuropsychology Service to assist in the planning,literature searching, development and provision of a range of trainingmaterials and resources to support patient and also staff emotionalwellbeing at work. Assisting in the planning and organisation ofteaching/workshops, in the preparation of teaching content, teachingmaterials (including handouts) and teaching aids (including computerassisted), in the direct delivery of teaching sessions (providingpresentations as required) and in the evaluation of teaching initiatives.
To work alongside colleagues in other departments to develop, deliver and evaluate training and teaching.
To receive regular clinical supervision in accordance with professionalpractice guidelines.
To gain wider experience of professional psychology within the NHS overand above that provided within the principal service area where the postholder is employed.
To develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of currentduties.
To contribute to the training and support of other staff in psychological care.
Policy, Service Development, Service/Resource Management, Recruitment and Professional Leadership
To assist the qualified clinical psychologist in the design, implementationand evaluation of service development projects within the service asrequired.
In conjunction with, or as appropriate on behalf of, the clinical psychologistline manager, to attend meetings in which service developments areplanned and discussed, contributing information as appropriate and agreedwith line manager and reporting back where necessary. Is responsible for use, transport and storage of material resources asallocated (test materials, neuropsychology assessments, and equipment,books, stationery and IT equipment). To attend meetings in which service developments are planned anddiscussed.
Research and Service Evaluation
To undertake literature searches and reviews, particularly in respect ofrelevant clinical evidence, and to provide summaries and reports that helpclinical psychologists develop and deliver evidence-based practice in theirindividual work and in their work with other team members.
To assist qualified psychologists in the design and implementation of auditand research projects.
To collect research data using methods and procedures specified inrelevant protocols.
To analyse data and produces/assists in the production of audit andresearch reports and summaries, using statistical procedures asappropriate.
To assist with the audit of service evaluation and feedback data.
Information Technology Responsibilities
To use information technology to record client contact information, toprepare teaching and training materials (including those relevant topresentations and to publications), to complete data display and analysis,to prepare reports (including written, graphical and visual material) and tocommunicate via e-mail.
Professional Development and Practice
To observe professional codes of practice of the BPS, Trust policies andprocedures and terms and conditions of employment.
To be responsible for working within limits appropriate to qualifications,competence and experience.
In common with all applied psychologists, to receive regular clinicalsupervision in accordance with professional practice guidelines.
To participate in personal development/appraisal reviews as required with psychology line manager.
To undertake such programs of internal and external CPD, personaldevelopment and training as may be agreed with the post-holdersprofessional manager at the beginning of the appointment and atsubsequent appraisal reviews, ensuring thereby that the post-holdermaintains the highest professional standards of practice when fulfilling their duties and responsibilities.
To gain wider experience of professional psychological practice, anddevelops skills and competencies that assist in the performance of currentduties, through attendance at training events, reading relevant researchand practice literature, visits to other service settings, etc.
To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and reportwriting in accordance with professional codes of practice and Trust policiesand procedures.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
An upper second-class honours degree or higher in psychology Eligibility for graduate basis for chartered membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society Further training course , mental health or psychological therapies
Desirable
Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, neuropsychology, health services and/or research design and analysis
Experience
Essential
Experience of cognitive/neuropsychological assessments Experience of carrying out cognitive rehabilitation programs for patients with neuropsychological impairment Experience of working with patients who have varying cognitive deficits and adapting input appropriately to support their needs Experience of group work and/or teaching, training others Experience of carrying out, scoring and clearly writing up the findings of cognitive assessments and cognitive screens Experience of paid or voluntary work within a health and/or occupational health setting
Desirable
Experience of searching literature Experience of using a range of Microsoft packages including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and databases Experience as an assistant psychologist (paid or voluntary) Experience of service development and / or training Experience of virtual working, , Microsoft Teams Experience of teaching and training through different media Experience as a participant or facilitator of a reflective practice group
Skills
Essential
High level developed interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal) High standard of report writing Ability to collect clinical data and maintain accurate records.
Desirable
Post graduate experience of research, audit or service evaluation Skilled using computers for databases or data-analysis, including SPSS and Excel.
Personal Qualities
Essential
An interest in Neuropsychology An ability to work independently and on own initiative, reliably and consistently with work agreed and managed at regular intervals Evidence of good time management skills Ability to withstand exposure to emotional or distressing circumstances Ability to manage professional boundaries Working knowledge of NHS policies and procedures. Ability to work flexibly including from at home
Desirable
Ability to manage daily operations and maintain a safe working environment
Other
Essential
Ability to accept and use clinical Supervision appropriately and effectively Awareness of and sensitivity to needs of diverse groups Able to meet the travel requirements of the post
Desirable
A desire to explore a career in professional psychology