Highly Specialist Psychological Therapist

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a psychological therapist to join the Clinical Health Psychological Services (CHPS). The role involves co-leading a Long Term Conditions (LTC) Psychology Service for adults and their families living with Type I & II Diabetes, Respiratory Conditions and Coronary Heart Disease) at Porters Avenue in the London Borough of Barking & post holder will be an integral member of the wider LTC multidisciplinary team and will work closely with other team members to provide a fully integrated holistic will include conducting specialist assessments and offering evidence-based psychological therapy interventions to patients with LTC and their carers or families.

Main duties of the job

To provide a specialist psychological therapy assessment and treatment service for patients with LTC, carers and their families, who are referred with complex mental health difficulties in relation to their physical health. Delivering at least 2-3 high quality specialist clinical interventions in line with national guidance1. To provide comprehensive mental health needs and risk assessments of referred patients and carers. To be an active and integrated member of the LTC multi-disciplinary team,.4. To sit on a panel with other B&D mental health services to triage psychological referrals in lines with the stepped-care To be a key member of the broader NELFT Clinical Health Psychological Service, and to provide specialised training and consultation to other professionals working across different tiers of service and within the wider NELFT service areas provide supervision to newly qualified and trainee clinical/counselling psychologists, psychotherapists, assistant psychologists and/or staff or students as To take responsibility for the analysis and reporting on key performance targets (KPS's), as set in the SLA with NHSE, taking appropriate action in collaboration with the Operational Lead for Clinical Health Psychological Services and the Community Lead Psychologist leading CHPS.

About us

Probationary Period

This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).

Starting with NELFT

NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop in sessions focussing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.

High Cost Area Supplement - Outer London

This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £4,313 to a maximum of £5,436 pro rata for part time).

High Cost Area Supplement - Fringe

This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 5% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £1,192 to a maximum of £2,011 pro rata for part time).

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. To be responsible for undertaking specialist psychologically informed assessments of patients presenting with psychological concerns in relation to their long-term health conditions, in particular diabetes, cardiac and respiratory conditions.

2. To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological therapy treatment and / or management of the cognitive, emotional, behavioural, physical and psychological health of people with psychological distress in relation to their physical health, utilising a bio- psycho-social model, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the patients problems.

implement a range of psychological interventions both therapeutic and psycho- educational, for individuals, families and groups, using at least two-three evidence-based interventions and best practice guidelines.

4. To show professional skill and autonomous professional responsibility when evaluating and making decisions about psychological treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.

5. To liaise closely with other disciplines responsible for a patients care, when necessary, and to be flexible in offering joint assessments of patients and carers with other key members of MDTs.

6. To enhance the psychological profile of long term conditions by attending and contributing to regular MDT meetings at Porters Avenue, as well as in-house clinical health psychology meetings and external specialist interest groups.

7. To have a robust knowledge base of mental health presentations, as well as experience and knowledge of how to manage clinical risk within community settings.

8. To discriminate between treatment alternatives and recommend appropriate evidence- based treatment programmes.

9. To be responsible for undertaking specialist psychological assessments and treatment of patients to the service.

10. To communicate skilfully, highly complex and sensitive information, to patients, their carers, families, and other professionals, taking account of sensory and cultural challenges to communication.

11. To deliver a culturally and ethically sensitive, equitable psychological therapy service to all minority groups regardless of race and, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, culture, religion, and disability; including service users in the design and delivery of the service.

12. To provide specialist assessment and therapy to non-English speaking patients with the use of an interpreter, when necessary, communicating with a high degree of clarity and sensitivity to cultural and linguistic differences.

13. To assess and manage clinical risk and mental health conditions, where appropriate, and to liaise with other mental health services (such as Talking Therapies and Mental Health and Wellness Teams) to be able to signpost patients to such services when indicated. To advise team colleagues on the psychological aspects of clinical risk and its management.

14. To provide written reports to update referrers and inform planning / professionals meetings, as the need arises.

15. To actively participate in the setting of quality standards, including auditing, monitoring and reviewing treatment interventions and outcomes.

16. To liaise and sit on a stepped-care panel with other psychological professionals in the Barking & Dagenham, TT/Secondary Mental Health Wellness teams, and provide updates as appropriate. This would include providing Link Worker sessions once monthly, following a broad clinical health perspective.

17. To support and offer consultation to multidisciplinary colleagues and team members of the Long Term Conditions Teams as a resource for specialist psychological advice, consultation and training about the psychological treatment and management of long term conditions.

18. To have an interest and ability to run clinical health psychology groups, especially psycho-education groups related to specific physical health conditions such as diabetes, respiratory and cardiac conditions.

19. To attend review meetings, clinical health psychological services meetings and away days, CPAs, other professional and network meetings as appropriate in order to share information and to provide clinical health psychology advice.

20. To maintain adequate clinical documentation in electronic (RiO) systems and written documentation as directed of all work undertaken in line with trust policies and to ensure appropriate communication is maintained with GPs, referrers etc.

21. To plan and prioritise own workload within the priorities of the clinical health psychological service and the needs of patients and their families / carers.

be accountable for own professional actions and to seek advice and supervision from the line manager / supervisor where needed over clinical, ethical and policy issues

Person Specification

Clinical

Essential

Registration with UK professional body as HCPC clinical/counselling psychologist or counsellor/psychotherapist with a UK body (eg BABCP, UKCP, BACP) Experience working in at least 2 to 3 evidence based therapeutic interventions

Desirable

Additional specialist training in advanced therapy skills, such as CBT, mindfulness, group, couples and family interventions

Professional/Clinical

Essential

Experience working with complex mental health presentations and risk Experience ofdelivering psychological therapy in physical health services

Desirable

Experience working with specific conditions-diabetes, cardiac and respiratory

Clinical/Professional

Essential

Experience working as a member of a multidisciplinary team Experience with triage and signposting referrals

Desirable

Experience in undertaking audits, QI projects and/or service development Experience in providing supervision and consultation

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