Macmillan Clinical Psychologist

Job summary

We are delighted to advertise a new 2-year fixed term vacancy to establish a Clinical Psychology service for cancer patients at the James Paget University Hospital, funded by Macmillan. You will be line managed by a Deputy Divisional Operational Director but would be based within the Oncology directorate, supported by the wider Oncology teams.

We are recruiting across the region to place a Band 8b Clinical Psychologist in each of the 3 Trusts, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and James Paget University Hospital, as part of a collaborative approach to ensure equity of access for our cancer patients. We would expect the 3 post holders to work closely together to facilitate this. You will be developing a new psycho-oncology service at JPUH.

We would be happy to consider a candidate taking a secondment from their existing role.

Main duties of the job

This role will include direct clinical work supporting cancer patients as inpatients and outpatients across JPUH where both individual and group work might be clinically appropriate. You would also join MDT discussions across cancer body sites. Job planning would include clinical time at the James Paget University Hospital. Other opportunities for identifying community venues for clinical work may be explored later.

In addition to clinical work, there will be a focus on establishing a working model for service provision which equitably provides access to psychology across the region and integrates into existing support services within cancer. Service user involvement will be key and contribute to the process of establishing the new service. A quantitative and qualitative service evaluation will be needed to support the service continuing past the 2 years.

There will be administrative support available and a laptop to support a hybrid combination of working at the hospital sites and working from home.

About us

We want to attract the best and brightest people to work with us and that means we will look after you from the moment you apply for a role at the Trust and throughout your career with us. Our staff are central to everything we do, and we believe that investing in you is crucial if we want to enable you to reach your full potential.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The post holder will ensure and lead on the systematic provision of a high-quality specialist clinical psychology service to clients referred to the specified speciality (see advert), provided by the James Paget University Foundation Trust through the development, delivery and evaluation of integrated specialised clinical psychology assessment and intervention services.

The post holder will work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of the psychological practice within the Clinical Psychology Speciality. They will formulate and deliver complex psychological assessment and therapy to individuals within the specialist service and develop and facilitate reflective practice to the team on psychological issues.

The post holder will supervise and support the psychological assessment and therapy provided by psychologists in training, other psychologists and other clinical members of the team who provide psychologically based care and treatment, as appropriate. This post has a responsibility to provide staff support to the multidisciplinary team members, as appropriate. They may hold line management responsibilities, as delegated by the Service Manager.

To carry out Research & Development activities as a major job responsibility using post-doctoral research skills for complex audit, service evaluation and research.

To provide vision and, in liaison with the Consultant Clinical Psychologist, provide modern delivery and quality assurances of the speciality psychology services.

To propose and implement policy changes and policy development within the specialist Psychology service and in consultation with the Consultant Clinical Psychology Line Manager/ Service Manager for Clinical Psychology and Divisional managers, as appropriate, and aligning with national drivers within the profession of clinical psychology.

The post holder will be joining a service of adult and child clinical psychologists providing services to specialties within the Trust. The post holder will also be expected to contribute to the flexible delivery of clinical psychology services, across the Trust, in response to new developments and organisational changes. They will be expected to promote developments in Clinical Psychology service through attendance at team meetings and providing teaching and training to disseminate new developments in psychology to wider audiences in and outside the Trust, and to participate in service developments and research.

Person Specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential

Honours degree in psychology Registration with HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist Post-graduate doctorate (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) in Clinical Psychology recognised as eligible for registration as a Practitioner Clinical Psychologist with the Health Professional Council.

Desirable

Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice (cognitive behavioural therapy, family therapy etc.) Accredited qualification in Clinical supervision.

Knowledge

Essential

Significant proven assessed experience of working as a qualified clinical psychologist. Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, primary care, and in-patient settings maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse. Demonstrable understanding of the implications of long-term conditions and medically/physically ill patients (for adults, children, young people and their families (as applicable in the speciality)). Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment, both as a professionally qualified care coordinator and also within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan. Experience of teaching, training and/or professional and clinical supervision. Experience of teaching, training and/or professional and clinical supervision.

Desirable

Experience of working within the Clinical Speciality

Skills

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, highly technical and clinically sensitive information to clients, their families carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS. Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practiced within the field of clinical psychology. Evidence of continuing professional development as recognised by the BPS Ability to identify, provide and promote appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and severely challenging behaviours. Ability to identify, and employ, as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour. Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic settings.

Desirable

Evidence of active involvement in clinical research. Evidence of publication, in peer reviewed journals or academic books. Experience of working within a multicultural framework.

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