Band 7/8a Clinical/Counselling Psychologist or Psychological Therapist

Job summary

We are delighted to advertise for a full-time band 8a clinical/counselling psychologist or highly specialist psychotherapist to join us at Bury Secondary Care Psychological Therapies Service. Applicants looking for band 7/8a preceptorship and part-time working will be considered.

We are a friendly and supportive team, consisting of clinical psychologists, a CBT therapist and an administrator. We have close links to Bury Community Mental Health Team, with whom we share a base. We also provide regular support and supervision to associate psychological practitioners, mental health and wellbeing practitioners and placements for trainee clinical psychologists.

The post-holder will support the delivery of an existing secondary care psychological therapies service within the community pathway. This includes individual therapy, joint interventions with CMHT clinicians, groups, consultation to CMHT staff, supervision and training.

The team are currently working towards greater integration into the CMHT and welcomes applicants with experience and a keen interest in working collaboratively with our multi-disciplinary colleagues.

The post-holder will receive frequent clinical supervision and have regular access to a supportive peer supervision group.

Main duties of the job

To provide consultation and formulation to staff within the CMHT, supported by secondary care psychological therapies colleagues.

To provide a qualified specialist psychological therapy service for people referred to the secondary care community care pathway.

The post holders will provide specialist assessment, formulation and interventions for a clinical caseload.

A key function of the role will be to support CMHT practitioners and to develop a psychological understanding and context for service users and carers.

Operating in an integrated and inclusive style you will work closely with MDT's to support the development of individual care-planning.

The post holders will propose and implement evidence-based practice, utilising research skills for audit and service developments.

About us

Our service is based at Humphrey House, located opposite Bury Interchange, making it easily accessible by motorway and public transport. We share the building with several services, including Bury Community Mental Health Team, Early Intervention Team, Talking Therapies, and a Drug and Alcohol Service.

We are a friendly and supportive team consisting of psychologists and psychotherapists, trained in a range of models, including CBT, CFT, CAT, Mentalisation and EMDR.

We have a good relationship with Bury CMHT and work closely with our MDT colleagues, including: social workers, nurses, occupational therapists, support workers, and consultant psychiatrists, who welcome collaborative working and psychological input.

Over the last year our service has been instrumental in the development of a pathway to increase access to short-term psychological interventions; through the training and supervision of a new workforce, including mental health and wellbeing and associate psychological practitioners. This pathway is continually developing, , delivering groups through links with the Trust's Wellbeing College and Third Sector Services, including an exciting 'Greenspace' project with Lancashire Wildlife Trust.

All clinicians in the team are actively supported with their continued professional development. Funding opportunities are available to support attendance at one-off workshops/events and to undertake additional formal therapy training in line with our service needs.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To provide specialist psychological assessments based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex psychological data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi structured interviews with service users and carers. To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological intervention and / or management of a clients mental health problems, based upon appropriate conceptual framework of the service users problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings. Clinical work requiring intense concentration over prolonged periods and also frequently involving working with highly distressed service users. To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across the teams, developing and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models. Judgement regarding choice of therapy intervention is based on appraisal of evidence based therapeutic options. To evaluate and make decisions about intervention options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group. To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of service users whose problems are managed by psychologically-based standard care plans. To provide specialist psychological support, consultation and guidance to other professionals contributing directly to the service users assessment, formulation and intervention plan. To ensure that all members of the team have access to a psychologically-based framework for understanding and caring for the service user, through the provision of advice, consultation and the dissemination of psychological research and theory. To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual service users and to provide general advice to other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and management. To communicate and receive highly complex and contentious information in a skilled and sensitive manner, in the course of psychological assessment and therapy. To provide training and support to facilitate the effective and appropriate provision of psychological care by all members of the teams. To deliver a care package appropriate for the service users needs, co-ordinating the work of others involved with care, arranging service user reviews as required and communicating effectively and monitoring progress during the course of multi-disciplinary interventions. To support clinical placements for trainee clinical and/or counselling psychologists and other therapists, ensuring that trainees acquire the necessary experience to contribute effectively to good mental health care and to the assessment and evaluation of such competencies. To provide advice, consultation, training and clinical supervision to other members of MDTs for their provision of psychologically-based interventions to help improve service users functioning. To provide pre and post qualification teaching of clinical psychology as appropriate. To maintain and develop skills in the area of professional pre and post graduate training and clinical supervision. To contribute to the appropriate use of the psychological resources available to a team, whether in the form unqualified graduate psychology staff, or in the form of psychological materials employed in the assessment and treatment of patients. To contribute to the systematic governance of psychological practice within the service / team. To participate as appropriate in staff recruitment, both in the short-listing process and as a member of interview panels for assistant and trainee clinical psychologists. To participate in the development of a high quality, responsive and accessible service including advising both service and professional managers on those aspects of the service where psychological and/or organisational matters need addressing. To participate in the evaluation, monitoring and development of the teams operational policies, through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit and ensuring incorporation of psychological frameworks for understanding and provision of high quality care. Person Specification

Qualifications/Education

Essential

Doctoral level training in clinical psychology, including specific models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychological assessments, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan development psychology as accredited by the BPS.

Desirable

Pre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and / or other fields of applied psychology

Experience

Essential

Experience of specialist psychology assessment and treatment across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in-patient settings. 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 MDT working

Desirable

Experience of teaching training and / or supervision Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.

Knowledge

Essential

Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology. Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS. Knowledge of the practice implications of National guidance and policy, Nice Guidance, MHA, etc.

Desirable

Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treatgroups ( personality disorder, dual diagnosis, people with additional disabilities etc.). High-level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies. Knowledge of legislation in relation to working age adults and mental health Formal training in supervision of other psychologists.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration. Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to service users, their families and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non professional groups. Ability to teach and train others using a variety of complex and multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings. Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.

Desirable

Experience of working within a multi-cultural framework. Strong interest and experience of working with service users with severe / complex needs.

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