Job summary
- Main area
- Research
- Grade
- Band 5
- Contract
- Fixed term: 31 months
- Hours
- Part time - 26.25 hours per week (the service operates between 9-5, but some occassional later sessions may be required)
- Job ref
- 263-SS24-050-LB
- Employer
- Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- St Nicholas Hospital
- Town
- Gosforth
- Salary
- £28,407 - £34,581 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 04/07/2024 23:59
Employer heading
Higher Assistant Psychologist
Band 5
Hello!
We are so delighted you are considering coming to work with us at Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW).
We know the power of looking into an organisation, one you might want to work in, or one where you are going to get help, and being able to say, ‘I’ve seen somewhere I can fit in and be myself.’ We’re on a journey to make the Trust an inclusive employer, representative of the community we serve and we want more of our community to consider applying for jobs with us.
Opportunities for you
Spanning east to west coasts from Northumberland to Cumbria and from the Scottish Borders down to Middlesbrough we’ve got exciting new opportunities available at every level and in every area.
We offer flexible working, helping work fit around family and caring responsibilities, or training and development needs and there’s lots on offer in the way of benefits, such as, lease cars, childcare schemes, staff discounts, season tickets for travel and a cycle to work scheme. All this in a vibrant workplace supported by the following staff networks.
- Cultural diversity staff network
- Disabled staff network
- LGBT+ staff network
We also have a number of staff support groups which are open to any staff to attend. These Include:
- Armed Forces and Veterans Staff Association
- Mind, Health and Wellbeing Community
- Menopause toolkit and cafes and staff carer support group
We offer fantastic personal development opportunities through our Collective Leadership Programme and other Organisational Development initiatives. Whatever you are looking for, you will be joining a supportive, friendly team, offering varied and interesting roles, with opportunities for career progression.
Always improving
CNTW is regulated by the national healthcare regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Our last two inspections have rated us as an outstanding organisation. We’re always seeking to improve as an organisation. Do you want to be part of that?
Job overview
We are recruiting a post to help evaluate the benefit of a new talking therapy.
The ideal candidate will have experience in research and or clinical settings You may have a background as an assistant psychologist, PWP or Graduate Mental Health worker. All would be relevant and well suited to this project.
The Sleeping Better trial is investigating whether a new form of psychological therapy improves sleep, cognitive function (concentration, memory), reduces distressing experiences like paranoia, and hallucinations and improves quality of life.
This is multi-centre randomised controlled trial of a psychological intervention to improve sleep in people at risk of transition to psychosis or those in their first episode of psychosis. The post-holder will be based with Robert Dudley’s research team at St, Nicholas Hospital and will work in CNTW NHS Foundation Trust.
The post-holder will be key to the successful delivery of this trial and will lead on the delivery of the sleep intervention.
It may help if you have experience of working with people who have experienced difficulties with sleep, but also issues such as worry, mood, paranoia, hallucinations are all highly relevant. Most importantly, they will need to be enthusiastic about the research area and have a high level of motivation and commitment.
Main duties of the job
The post-holder will provide an 8 session, manualised, low intensity intervention to service users with mental health problems from the At risk mental state (ARMS) and Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) teams.
The treatment is a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) intervention offered as an individual intervention.
They should have the ability to organize and manage multiple interlinked components of the project and their work. They will need to demonstrate a high level of interpersonal skills and be able to conduct assessment and therapy with potentially vulnerable individuals.
The post holder will work as a member of the team, ensuring that high quality individualised care is delivered which ensures safety and a commitment to promoting recovery and wellbeing, and maximising independence.
The post-holder will provide compassionate care that is based on empathy, kindness, respect and dignity.
The post-holder will work within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the service's policies and procedures..
Working for our organisation
We aim to attract and retain a diverse, talented and committed workforce, who are caring and compassionate, and therefore able to meet the demands of the modern NHS now and in the future. In return we can offer a dynamic working environment in which to build a career.
The post will provide experience in engaging and treating individuals with psychosis and other presenting issues; assessment; treatment, NHS services; and clinical trials methodology. The post would suit individuals interested in going on to pursue a career in clinical psychology or clinical research. You will be given full training in assessment, the therapy package, good clinical practice, and trust procedures.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The post will help deliver a large-scale Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a new psychological treatment for people with sleep difficulties. The post will be based in Newcastle but will involve travel across the Trust. The post holder will act as a research therapy provider and work with the trial therapist, the research assistants and the site lead to help evaluate the treatment trial. The main role of the trial therapist will be as outlined below:
- Provision of 8 sessions for the sleeping better randomised controlled trial of psychological treatment. This will involve speaking to referrers regularly, attending clinical team meetings, visiting First episode psychosis teams, and At risk mental state (ARMS) teams. There are monthly recruitment targets.
- Participants will be seen in clinic settings or at home across a large geographical area. This means there will be extensive travel which would be facilitated by having valid driving licence, and access to own or other independent means of transport.
- Good record-keeping will be needed, including updating medical records with trial progress and completing the relevant therapy database.
- You will need to produce regular reports on the therapy process (including managing the recruitment database) and assessments.
- You will need to regularly enter and check data in the study databases.
- Attendance at supervision will be expected, and at appropriate research team meetings, including training at the lead site, Oxford.
For details of the sleep intervention please look at this description ( A targeted psychological treatment for sleep problems in young people at ultra-high risk of psychosis in England (SleepWell): a parallel group, single-blind, randomised controlled feasibility trial - The Lancet Psychiatry)
Please find attached job description for full details.
Advertising date : 20th June 2024
Closing date : 4th July 2024
We welcome your application.
Person specification
Education / Qualification
Essential criteria
- Upper 2nd class honours degree, or higher, in psychology.
- Eligibility for graduate membership of British Psychological Society.
Desirable criteria
- Training in nursing, social work, occupational therapy, counselling or within a psychological therapy.
Skills and Competencies
Essential criteria
- Ability to conduct thorough assessments and develop appropriate treatment plans based on low-intensity interventions.
- Ability to assess risk and develop appropriate risk management plans.
- Computer literate
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including telephone skills
- Able to develop good therapeutic relationships with clients
Knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of working with people with mental health difficulties.
- Knowledge of common mental health problems.
- Knowledge of low intensity, evidence- based interventions.
- Knowledge of the issues surrounding work, meaningful activity, social inclusion, and the impact it can have on mental health
Desirable criteria
- Experience as a research therapist
- Experience of working with people with Psychosis and or ARMS
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Robert Dudley
- Job title
- Consultant Clinical Psychologist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07468 700320
- Additional information
Please email with questions,
We expect to interview in mid July and would like you to start at the beginning of September 2024 Secondment and job shares/part time work would be considered, but you will need support from your service to be released for a secondment.
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