Principal Clinical Psychologist

Job responsibilities

Clinical

a) To provide highly specialist psychological assessment and intervention for young people, children and families/carers experiencing moderate, severe and complex mental health/psychological problems based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect observation and semi-structured interviews with service users, their family and/or carers.

b) To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological intervention and/or management of mental health/psychological and/or behaviours that challenge based upon an appropriate conceptual framework and exercising expert clinical judgement based on the highest standards of evidence-based practice across a full range of care settings.

c) To manage an autonomous caseload of children and young people who are experiencing highly complex and persistent mental health difficulties including exposure to domestic violence and other trauma.

d) To establish rapport and build effective working relationships with service users and all those involved in their psychological, emotional, and behavioural well-being.

e) To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options based on psychological formulation, taking into account theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes.

f) To work jointly with other team members within the eating disorder pathway and professionals in delivering the most appropriate clinical service to young people, children, and families/carers.

g) To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the Clinical Pathway Manager.

h) To follow appropriate local Safeguarding Adults and Children policies in all clinical work, including close liaison with all relevant agencies.

i) To participate in regular review and ongoing discussion of cases in treatment with other members of the multi-disciplinary team and where appropriate, co-ordinate and organise network meetings with professional members of other agencies.

j) Take a lead with team safeguarding supervision and processes, this will include undertaking safeguarding supervision training.

k) To provide highly specialist advice, guidance, and consultation to external agencies to assist their understanding and analysis of the child / young person and familys complex needs, to assist in developing appropriate care pathways.

l) To provide specialist risk assessment of, and intervention to, young people and children who may present in local acute settings in line with agreed procedures.

m) To liaise and consult with the wider professional network in the care of service users, offering consultation and supervision where necessary.

n) To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment, and discharge of children and young people whose problems are managed by psychological interventions and to autonomously manage a caseload of clients.

o) To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all service users, the settings in which they present, and agencies involved in the psychological, emotional, and behavioural well-being.

o)

p) To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of children and young people under their care and to effectively evaluate progress.

q) To participate in the multi-disciplinary assessment and treatment of children and young people.

r) To provide a leadership role working alongside the eating disorder multidisciplinary team.

s) To take a lead role in supporting interventions for ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)).

t) To participate and lead in the development of specialist services both within CAMHS and externally with other agencies.

Teaching, Training, Consultation and Supervision

a) To receive regular professional supervision from a Senior HCPC Registered Clinical Psychologist and where appropriate, other Senior Clinicians.

b) To continue to access continuing professional development opportunities in line with agreed targets and agreed personal development plan up to one session per week (pro rata).

c) To assist in providing supervision to HCPC registered Clinical Psychologists, doctoral level Clinical Psychology trainees, trainees from other disciplines as appropriate, and assistant/graduate psychologists; to ensure that they acquire the necessary skills, competencies, and experience to contribute effectively to good mental health care of children and young people; and to contribute to the assessment and evaluation of such competencies.

d) To contribute to advice, consultation, teaching, and training of professionals from all agencies concerned with the psychological, emotional, and behavioural well-being of service users in community and in-patient settings as appropriate.

Research, Audit and Evaluation

a) To use doctoral level research skills for audit and evaluation in relation to relevant aspects of the Service.

b) To contribute to research in the service area.

c) To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice of self and others.

d) To provide advice on research projects to other staff within the service around appropriate methodology, statistical analysis, etc.

e) To undertake project management as required to aid service development.

f) To follow appropriate ethical and professional standards and research governance procedures when conducting relevant research, audit, and evaluation.

General

a) To maintain HCPC professional registration and to maintain the highest professional standards of practice, through professional self-governance in accordance with the relevant professional codes of practice and Trust policies and procedures, and active participation in internal and external CPD training in consultation with the post-holders professional and service managers(s).

b) To adhere to the administrative and audit protocols of the service. To develop and maintain audit protocols for the service.

c) To regularly attend and participate in team meetings, away-days and other professional meetings that are appropriate to the role. To attend local and regional groups agreed to be appropriate for the role.

d) To contribute to the development and articulation of best practice in psychology across the service, by continuing to develop the skills of reflexive and reflective scientist practitioner, taking part in regular professional supervision and appraisal, and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the fields of clinical psychology and related disciplines.

e) To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry and recording, report writing and the responsible exercise of professional self-governance in accordance with professional codes of practice of the HCPC, British Psychological Society and Trust policies and procedures.

f) To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies, and issues in relation to service users with mental health issues.

g) The post holder will be required to work flexibly in terms of base and in hours of clinical.

Please refer to full Job description attached for further details

Knowledge

Essential

• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological formulation, assessment, intervention, and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
• Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate and adapt effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to CYP, their families, carers, and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and nonprofessional groups.
• Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology as practiced within the field of clinical psychology.
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the patient group and mental health.
• Knowledge of clinical caseload management within a team setting .
• Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS/HCPC.
• High-level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least one evidence-based psychological therapies for the treatment of eating disorders (e.g. CBT-ED, FT-AN, MANTRA etc.).

Desirable

• Working with people in Crisis
• Well-developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups.
• Knowledge of the theory and practice

Qualifications

Essential

• Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical psychology as accredited by the BPS, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
• Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.
• Current registration with the HCPC as a Clinical Psychologist .
• Formal training in supervision of other psychologists.

Desirable

• Pre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology

Experience

Essential

• Post qualification experience of working at a specialist level with patients with complex needs.
• Experience of clinical supervision of trainee or assistant psychologists or other psychologists.
• Experience of supervision of MDT staff.
• Experience of working with a wide variety of patient groups.
• Experience of representing psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary care.
• Experience of supervision of MDT staff.
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for patients psychological care and treatment, both as a professionally qualified care coordinator and also within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan.
• Experience of delivering teaching and training.
• Show respect and treat people with dignity.
• Be able to give unwelcome news sensitively.
• Maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse, and the threat of physical abuse.

Desirable

• Experience of groupwork
• Working as a qualified clinical psychologist within child & adolescent eating disorders or equivalent.
• Demonstrable experience working with eating disorder patients and families across the lifespan.
• Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.
• Experience of working with a wide variety of patient groups, across the life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, inpatient, and residential care settings .
• Further specialist training/experience in an evidence-based treatment for eating disorders

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Ability to work as part of a team and autonomously.
• Ability to embrace change and have capacity to thrive in demanding situations.
• Ability to communicate/listen formally and informally, verbally and in writing.
• Highly reflective, confident, and articulate.
• High reflective capacity on own practice and committed to life-long learning and within supervision.
• Flexible and resourceful in coping under pressure and with conflicting demands.
• Excellent time management skills
• A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where the sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).

Desirable

• Willingness to work flexibly.
• Sensitivity to working within a multicultural framework.
• An awareness of own strengths and limitations

Contractual Requirements or Other Requirements

Essential

• Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multimedia materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
• Car owner / driver. Ability to travel between bases and within the community as required for the post

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).