Job responsibilities

• To provide a highly specialist psychology service to service-users and their families experiencing a range of mental health difficulties, including specialist assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes.
• To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate, functioning as a lead specialist in psychological interventions for the team.
• To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.
• To undertake service evaluation, audit and research.
• To work as an autonomous professional within BPS and HCPC guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by principles and policies or procedures of the service, taking responsibility for interpreting policies within defined parameters.
• To agree outcomes/results with clinical/professional lead and to decide how they are best achieved.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level additional training) that has been accepted by the HCPC for purposes of professional registration OR Postgraduate Diploma or Masters in CBT.
• Registered with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist or Psychotherapist accreditation, and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC or BABCP.

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working clinically in a community setting
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature
• Experience of supervising assistant and trainee psychologists having completed the relevant training
• Post-qualification experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological assessments and interventions for people with complex mental health difficulties and their families
• Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.
• Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Entry-level qualification in : Applied Psychology (Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent) (Masters plus PG Diploma in Counselling Psychology) that has been accepted by the HCPC for purposes of professional registration OR accredited Psychotherapist (A/I)
• Professional registration with relevant body or within 6 months of attaining registration

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working as an NHS clinical/counselling psychologist or CBT therapist, with people with complex mental health problems who require MDT support.( A/I)
• Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. (A/I)

Desirable

• Experience as a clinical/ counselling psychologist/ CBT therapist, of working within an NHS multidisciplinary secondary care mental health service.

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of NICE concordant specialised psychological assessments and interventions for clients who present with complex presentations, such as bi- polar affective disorders, psychosis . (A/I)
• Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care, and legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities. (A/I)

Skills

Essential

• To deliver psychological therapy across cultural and other differences. (A/I)
• To support multi-disciplinary team and other practitioners in reflective practise, and in development of psychological knowledge/ formulations of team clients and clinical situations. (A/I)
• To select and administer specialist psychological assessments, interpreting and integrating complex data that require analysis, interpretation and comparison, drawn from several sources.
• To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences and hostility to or rejection of information.
• Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups, and well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data. (A/I)

Abilities

Essential

• Ability to work effectively within a multi- disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.
• Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour.
• Ability to manage verbal aggression and hostility directed at self.