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Job summary

Main area
Senior Assistant Psychologist
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 5
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
333-J-KC-0792
Employer
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
St Charles Hospital
Town
Kensington and Chelsea
Salary
£34,089 - £41,498 per annum inc HCAS
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
08/07/2024 23:59

Employer heading

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust logo

Senior Assistant Psychologist

NHS AfC: Band 5

Job overview

The post holder would support and enhance the professional psychological care of service users within the home treatment team, providing psychological assessments and interventions within the scope appropriate to level of experience and training and under the supervision of a qualified Clinical Psychologist, and to undertaking related tasks to enhance assessment, intervention and evaluation within the care group. 

Please note this post may close early. 

Main duties of the job

To work independently with work managed and goals agreed and reviewed through regular supervision by an HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist and within the overall framework of the Team policies and procedures. To assist in clinically related administration, conduct of audits, collation and analysis of statistics, development of audit and/or research projects, teaching, consultation and project work.

·       To undertake projects relating to service development and evaluation.

·       To set up databases, spreadsheets and using advanced IT skills in evaluation audit and research.

·       To support assessment and treatment interventions undertaken by the service.

·       To undertake direct and indirect clinical work that is managed and goals agreed and reviewed through regular supervision by a qualified applied HCPC registered Clinical  Psychologist.

·       To plan, organise and co-teach psycho-educational courses and groups with appropriately qualified professional staff.

·       To liaise with a range of services (including health, social care and voluntary agencies) relevant to the working area.

·       To support the team’s adherence to the Quality Network for Crisis and Home Treatment Teams (QN-CRHTT) Standards set by the Royal College of Psychiatry.

Working for our organisation

Kensington and Chelsea Home treatment team is part of the acute mental health care pathway within CNWL Trust and are very proud to be accredited by the Royal College of Psychiatry's Quality Network for Crisis Resolution & Home Treatment Teams.

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical 

1. To undertake assessments and interventions (including, self report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect observations and semi-structured interviews of clients, family members and others involved in the clients' care).

 

2. To assist in the development of psychologically based frameworks of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service.

 

3. To formulate and deliver care plans involving the psychological treatment and/or management of a client’s problems within settings where there may be a hostile atmosphere, challenging behaviour or high levels of expressed emotion.

 

4. To assist in the coordination and running of therapeutic groups, carer’s groups and community based groups.

 

5. To compile risk histories to inform care plans, risk assessments and crisis plans.

 

6. To work with other team members to improve care practices and the quality of life of clients.

 

7. To attend and contribute to multi-disciplinary meetings.

 

8. To support the delivery of evidence based psychological interventions for clients.

 

9. To carry out other clinical and administrative tasks as appropriate to the post holder’s grade.

 

10. To be up to date with both de-escalation, physical breakaway and PMVA techniques appropriate to the service environment.

 

 

Administration

1. To establish and maintain records and statistics concerning the service.

 

2. To be acquainted with, implement and maintain all relevant Trust and Psychology and Psychological Therapies policies and procedures.

 

3. To report immediately any incidents affecting staff, users or visitors on health service property in accordance with Trust policies.

 

4. To maintain and manage systems for stock control of Psychology tests, test materials and other equipment.

 

Education and Training

 

1.To receive regular clinical supervision in accordance with professional practise guidelines

 

2.To gain wider experience of professional psychology within the NHS over and above that provided within the service area where the post holder is employed

 

3.To develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties.

4.To contribute to the training and support of other staff in contribution to teaching programmes and through joint working arrangements; supporting skill development in others.

 

 

Professional Issues

1. To abide by the BPS code of Conduct and Ethics and the Division of Clinical Psychology Professional Practice Guidelines.

 

2. To maintain confidentiality in line with Trust policy

 

3. To participate in clinical and professional audit.

 

4. To participate in and contribute to Quality Assurance initiatives.

 

5. To develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties.

 

Research and Service Evaluation

1. To design and implement agreed elements of audit and research projects.

 

2. To undertake data collection, analysis, the production of reports and summaries, using IT and statistical programmes.

 

3. To undertake searches of evidence-based literature and research in order to promote evidence based clinical practice. This will contribute to the clinical work of Applied Psychologists and other team members.

 

General

1. To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through the active participation in internal and external Continuing Professional Development training and development programmes, in consultation with the post holders manager.

 

2. To maintain the highest standards of record keeping and report writing in accordance with professional codes of practice of the British Psychological Society and Trust policies and procedures.

 

3. To undertake specific administrative duties as required.

 

4. To perform other duties of a similar kind appropriate to the grade, which may be required, from time to time, by the Clinical Psychologist Supervisor.

 

5. To participate fully in the Trust’s performance review and personal development planning process on an annual basis.

 

6. To work within a variety of clinical and non-clinical settings (including patient homes, inpatient mental health units and other areas).

 

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Honours degree at 2:1 or above in Psychology, or equivalent. Eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartership with the BPS
Desirable criteria
  • Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience of working with people with complex needs
  • Working effectively within a multi-disciplinary team
  • Relevant clinical and research skills
  • Experience of paid work in direct care provision
  • Experience of carrying out individual psychological assessments
  • Ability to formulate a client’s distress in the context of a psychological formulation
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of working with individuals with severe and enduring mental health problems and/or other difficulties
  • Experience of using psychometric tests
  • Experience of carrying out clinical audits and recording routine outcome measures
  • Experience of inpatient mental health units
  • Previous experience of working within acute mental health care
  • Experience of working within a trauma informed framework
  • Experience of communicating sensitive information to individuals and/or their families/cares

Knowledge and Skills

Essential criteria
  • High level communication skills (written and verbal).
  • Ability to communicate sensitive information to patients, carers and colleagues in a way that addresses psychological resistance.
  • An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems or other disabilities.
  • An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a mental health context.
  • An understanding of psychology applied to health care.
  • Awareness of the Mental Health Act and other relevant policies/guidelines/procedures
  • High level of proficiency in working with databases such as Excel and designing spreadsheets and other tools for analysing and reviewing data
  • To be able to communicate effectively under pressure and maintain a high degree of professionalism at all times
  • To be able to provide and receive complex sensitive or contentious information in a potentially highly emotive atmosphere.
  • To be able to work with resistance to ideas.
  • To be able to work with resistance to ideas
Desirable criteria
  • Awareness of trauma informed care approaches/principles
  • Awareness of Quality Network for Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment teams
  • Ability to provide effective training for other professionals
  • Awareness of systemic ways of working

Personal Values/Approach

Essential criteria
  • Demonstrate a flexible and dynamic approach to working within a busy environment
  • Demonstrate and awareness of own difficulties and be selfreflective
  • Illustrate a non-judgemental, compassionate approach to service users, carers and staff members
  • Demonstrate effective team working skills
  • Ability to travel across sites and work within non traditional psychology areas
  • Ability to use supervision appropriately and effectively
Desirable criteria
  • Lived experience of mental health difficulties
  • Effectively navigating difficult work environments
  • Experience of working within a service user’s home
  • Show a keenness to work with people who are experiencing a mental health crisis
  • A desire to explore a career in Professional Psychology

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Trust IDWe are a Living Wage EmployerEmployers for CarersPurple SpaceHealthy Workplace - Excellence 2018No smoking policyMenopause Friendly EmployerAge positiveDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - BronzeNational Autistic SocietyDisability confident committedStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.AccessAbleStonewall Gold 2022Step into healthCarer Confident -AccomplishedNHS Rainbow Badge - BronzeArmed Forces Covenant

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Dr Nicole Hudson
Job title
Principal Clinical Psychologist
Email address
[email protected]
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