Job responsibilities
Role Purpose
To provide strong clinical leadership across designated Via services, developing the
role of psychology, supported by central Via Clinical Department (including clinical
supervision).
To play a key role in shaping service culture and processes, ensuring person-centred
care, partnership working, inclusivity, and culture of learning.
To support staff development through consultancy, reflective practice, supervision,
training, and clinical case management.
To oversee the delivery of high quality psychological assessment and interventions, as
part of a multi-disciplinary team.
Be responsible for the designated services less experienced
Psychologists/Psychological Professionals, associated training placements, and
Assistant Psychologists/Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioners (MHWPs).
Key duties and activities of the role
Clinical:
Provide highly specialist psychological assessments drawing on complex data from a
variety of sources.
Formulate and implement plans involving specialist psychological treatment and/or
management of problems, utilising joint working where appropriate.
Champion the application of psychological principles in care delivery, using theory,
evidence-based literature and research.
Undertake risk assessment and management relating to psychological interventions,
and provide highly specialist advice on psychological aspects of risk, ensuring
appropriate action in accordance with legislation, professional and organisational
requirements and best practice guidance.
Record, monitor and report on highly complex clinical work and communicate (in
accordance with organisational requirements), in a skilled and sensitive manner, clinical
information (including assessment, formulation, treatment plans and progress) to a
variety of recipients (e.g. people who use services, their significant others, other
professionals, formal panels, statutory and voluntary organisations) orally, in writing and
electronically.
Leadership:
Provide highly specialist psychological guidance, consultation and training to other
professionals.
Provide supervision and facilitate reflective practice sessions for recovery practitioners,
less experienced psychological professionals, trainees (as appropriate with
professional registration), assistant psychologists, and other team members where
appropriate.
To be responsible for the continued development of less experienced
Psychologists/Psychological Professionals, associated training placements, and
Assistant Psychologists/MHWPs
Psychologist (Band 8b) JD
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Lead on development, implementation and local quality assurance of evidence based
psychological interventions and pathways, e.g. our group work programme, talking
therapies offer.
Ensure that the needs of people using our services are communicated to
commissioners and partner agencies, advocating and representing the service in
appropriate forums.
Utilise research skills for evaluation, policy and service development, as well as wider
research.
Facilitate relevant audits/performance indicators and implementation of associated
recommendations/action plans.
Lead in appropriate multi-disciplinary/project meetings, advising on issues of service
and policy development for the psychological care of service users, as well as wider
operational and strategic issues.
Provide line management to less experienced Psychologists/Psychological
Professionals, and Assistant Psychologists/Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioners
(MHWPs).
Contribute to recruitment processes and the wider strategic plans regarding
psychology, as appropriate.
Work collaboratively with partner agencies to improve our psychology provision (e.g.
universities, commissioners), developing and facilitating pathways into wider services
such as mental health teams and social services.
Provide teaching/supervision/practice assessment for relevant educational providers.
Contribute to the reporting of incidents, complaints and disciplinary matters to reduce
the risk of recurrence.
General:
Work autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the
teams policies and procedures.
Manage the emotional demands of working with individuals with complex needs,
including behaviours that the service can find challenging to manage.
Develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties.
Work alongside management and their direct reports to effectively support a one team
approach.
Person specification for the role
Accredited Postgraduate Doctorate in Clinical/Counselling/Forensic Psychology (or its
equivalent) as accredited by the BPS and registered with the HCPC as a Practitioner
Psychologist.
Additional psychological training (or willingness to undertake) in relevant therapeutic
modality (e.g. compassion focussed approaches, CBT, DBT, AMBIT, EMDR).
Experience in the psychological assessment and treatment of people with co-occurring
substance use and mental health problems, of varying severity, using formulation to
inform complex decision making.
Experience in the psychological assessment and treatment of young people struggling
with substance use.
Sound and demonstrable knowledge of psychological issues relating to problematic
substance use, including safeguarding and risk management.
Sound and demonstrable knowledge of psychological issues experienced by young
people, including safeguarding and risk management.
Psychologist (Band 8b) JD
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Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients psychological care and
treatment, within the context of an MDT
Experience of facilitating partnership working
Experience of managing and supervising trainees, assistant psychologists/MHWPs,
and qualified psychological practitioners.
Experience of providing supervision, teaching, training and consultation to other
professional/non-professional groups on complex psychological issues and risk.
Experience of leading in clinical practice, service development or project work.
Able to plan, prioritise and organise own clinical work.
Demonstrable leadership skills, team working, communication and interpersonal skills.
Experience of applying doctoral level knowledge of research methodology within
practice, e.g. through routine outcome monitoring, audit and clinically related research.
Skills in the effective communication of highly technical and/or clinically sensitive
information to a wide variety of recipients in a range of settings, including the ability to
produce comprehensive and coherent letters, reports and associated documentation.
A demonstrable understanding of Health and Social Care regulatory requirements
including the CQC, NICE and any other relevant bodies.
Good IT skills including use of Microsoft Office programs, digital meeting platforms and
Case Management Systems.
Solution-focused, with an inclusive and innovative approach to service development.
The ability to work calmly under pressure, ensuring that deadlines are met, and ensure
all information is recorded in a timely manner.
The ability to communicate effectively, across mediums, settings, and audiences,
information which may be highly emotive, complex and sensitive.
A demonstrable commitment to working in partnership with other professionals such as
criminal justice agencies, primary care, secondary care, commissioners, community
groups and other stakeholders to achieve good outcomes for people who use our
services.
Responsibilities for all Via staff
To work within Via values and ethos, supportively collaborating with all colleagues, and
demonstrating active engagement with the wider organisation.
To promote and deliver positive, inclusive and anti-discriminatory practices in line with
Via policies, professional and sector requirements, and legislative frameworks.
To act on all Safeguarding concerns so that all statutory and organisational
Safeguarding responsibilities are met and that all learning is shared.
To observe professional integrity and candour at all times and with all people.
To comply with all organisational policies and procedures including GDPR and all
Health and Safety policy and guidance, taking responsibility for your own safety and
contributing to that of colleagues and others as applicable.
To regularly participate in one-to-one / supervision sessions, objective setting and
review, training, practice and learning forums.
A commitment to learning and to continuously improve everyones knowledge and skills.
To work flexibly to enable the delivery of effective services. This may include flexibility
across sites or flexible hours, and any other duties that may reasonably be required of
you within your role.
