Community Links

Clinical Psychologist or CBT/Systemic Family Therapist

This job is now closed

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity for a creative and enthusiastic psychological therapist to join an innovative and friendly early intervention in psychosis service in Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK.

At aspire we are currently developing our at risk mental state pathway, integrating ideas and practices from Open Dialogue into our everyday work with people and their families, and expanding our work towards to more preventative approaches and community engagement. We also offer adventure therapy initiatives and a range of social recovery groups and projects in the community.

We are looking for someone with a strong commitment to working with people who express unshared and apparently unusual distressing experiences, such as voices and visions.

You will provide individual/systemic/group-based therapeutic interventions (depending upon your training and background) in a range of health and community contexts. You will also work in collaboration with, and consult to, team colleagues and members of the wider family and professional network.

We would like to hear from CBT therapists, systemic family therapists, and clinical/counselling psychologists as each of these approaches would make a valuable contribution to the team.

We welcome applications from both qualified applicants and those currently undertaking the final stage of their qualifying training.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be a member of the Early Intervention multi-disciplinary team, working with 14-65 year olds and/or their families/social networks who are regarded as meeting criteria for a first episode of psychosis or an At-Risk Mental State (ARMS). In addition, you will proactively engaging communities in enabling the early identification of people who may be at risk of experiencing voices, visions, extreme suspiciousness and other severe mental health difficulties to a degree that would meet the criteria for psychosis. The postholder will work as an autonomous practitioner providing specialist input to understand and therapeutically engage with people who present with a range of psychological and emotional difficulties. They will also work alongside and support the multidisciplinary team to use appropriate psychologically-informed interventions, and provide supervision and consultation to the MDT.

About us

Inspire North aims to provide a high-quality customer service adhering to the principles of best practice, promoting equal opportunities and working positively with diversity. Inspire North is an ambitious, forward-thinking organisation and you must be committed to developing and enhancing the services we provide.

Community Links as part of the Inspire North Group is a provider of mental health support services to socially excluded groups working with vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals and families. We deliver a range of creative services in partnership with organisations who share our values across sectors and communities.

The organisation expects all its employees to carry out their duties in a professional manner with a client focus, ensuring that respect and courtesy is shown to them, colleagues, other service providers and all those in contact with the organisation. You are expected to uphold the values and ethos of the Inspire North Group at all times.

We are proudly and actively anti-racist and as such, you are expected to drive the anti-racism agenda forward.

Date posted

02 August 2024

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£43,742 to £50,056 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

B0447-24-0007

Job locations

Community Links Aspire

Armley Road

Armley

Leeds

LS12 2LB

Job description

Job responsibilities

Main tasks:

1. Work with a highly specialised caseload of service users on the First Episode and/or ARMS pathways, presenting with severe and complex psychological difficulties including hearing voices, suspiciousness, and paranoia in a range of health and community settings, including the service users home.

2. Work jointly with, and provide advice and consultation to other team members in the provision of individual, family/social network-focused and group-based work.

3. To work with individuals with complex needs, families/social networks, and proactively engaging communities in a range of settings.

4. Work towards and maintain appropriate accreditation and training for the role, such as in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Psychosis (CBTp), Family Interventions (FI) or other relevant training.

5. Liaise with and convey highly complex and specialist information to clients and significant others/relevant workers in a highly skilled and sensitive manner, adapting to the communication needs or preferences of the other person(s), including when information that may be contentious or highly distressing

6. [Psychologists only] To assess, formulate, and intervene with people drawing upon a range of psychological theory and methods.

7. [Psychologists only] To carry out, as needed, neuropsychological assessments of cognitive functioning, memory, and attention under the supervision of a senior clinical psychologist.

8. Assess, monitor and (therapeutically) work with risk for clients on personal caseload in ways that empower the service user and/or the family and social network to reduce and manage risk behaviours, and to contribute to multi-disciplinary care planning around risk, in line with organisational and inter-agency (positive risk-taking) policies and procedures.

9. To evaluate treatment outcomes with clients, selecting appropriately validated psychometric measures and other assessment techniques as required.

10. To liaise with professionals from other health and statutory services regarding a clients psychological care.

11. Provide formal and informal supervision on psychological interventions to MDT colleagues and trainee therapists as agreed with the Psychological Therapies Lead and as appropriate to the grade.

12. Participate in regular supervision, team meetings and other meetings as required.

13. Contribute to the development of skills and knowledge within the service and within Inspire North. This includes identifying gaps in knowledge/skills andproviding guidance and training to address these.

14. Support and contribute to a positive client-led service culture and philosophy, within the overall framework of the recovery-orientated aspire Early Intervention approach, ensuring that support undertaken is meaningful, respectful, and promotes self-determination

15. Contribute to service and policy development as appropriate to the grade and in line with the standards set by the Care Quality Commission.

16. Contribute to and help develop robust mechanisms for audit, data collection and clinical governance.

17. Ensure that client records and other information systems are completed accurately and within agreed timescales.

18. Keep up-to-date with relevant policies, guidelines, legislation, procedures and practices, including those relating to risk, personal safety and the safeguarding of all adults and children

19. Work autonomously within Professional Codes of Conduct and to be aware of changes in these, including maintaining appropriate professional boundaries at all times

20. Identify own training and professional development needs in conjunction with your line manager and participate in training opportunities as directed, including any professional registration requirements.

21. Partake in Inspire Norths Personal Development Review system.

22. Represent Community Links in a knowledgeable and professional manner at all times

You may, be required to perform any other duties as the organisation may reasonably require. You undertake to work to the best of your ability and use your best endeavours to promote, develop and extend the groups business and interests.

Please note this job description is intended to provide a guide to the general duties and responsibilities of the role the post holder is expected to adopt a flexible approach to the tasks. It should not be regarded as a contractual document. It will be reviewed regularly and may be varied at the discretion of Inspire North.