Job summary
37.5 hours per week.
We are looking for an enthusiastic and experienced assistant
psychologist to provide psychological services at the interface of the acute inpatient
mental health setting and the home treatment team. This is an exciting
opportunity to continue to develop a relatively new role and contribute to
improving the psychological provision to individuals who transfer between the
acute inpatient setting and the home treatment team.
You will be working within and supported by the psychology
team based at the Glenbourne unit at the Derriford Hospital site with some days
based at the Home Treatment Team (HTT) at Mount Gould Hospital.
The Glenbourne Unit is located on the Derriford Hospital site and is made up of two acute wards (one male and one female) and the HTT is based at the Mount Gould site predominately providing care at service users homes. Both sites operate MDTs made up of nursing, psychiatry, occupational therapy, psychology and administration. The role will involve being located at both sites requiring flexibility in how time is organised according to need. You will be supervised by and support the work of a forensic and clinical psychologist.
This role may not be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route.
Please note that Livewell may close the job advertisement earlier than the specified deadline.
All Livewell staff are expected to be able and willing to work across a 7 day service.
Interviews for the role are planned for 29thJanuary
Main duties of the job
We are looking for an experienced assistant psychologist to
provide psychological services at the interface of the acute inpatient mental
health setting and the home treatment team (HTT). You will work with a
multidisciplinary team (MDT) to support people facing complex mental health
challenges during a period of crisis. This includes those in inpatient care or
under the Home Treatment Team (HTT), which offers an alternative to hospital
admission.
The position involves supporting teams in enhancing their
psychological understanding of individuals to optimise care. You will promote
psychological approaches with staff and develop and apply psychological
formulations with teams and individuals. You will facilitate continuity of
psychological support as service users transition between inpatient and
community settingsand provide brief assessments and interventions to
service users both individually and in groups. You will collaborate with
stakeholders and third sector organisations across Plymouth to strengthen
support networks.There is also opportunity to contribute to service
evaluations, clinical audits and training of staff.
You will join a collaborative team of psychologists
operating across in-patient and specialist community mental health services.
The role offers opportunities for professional development through informal CPD
and peer supervision. Livewell is committed to ensuring each psychologist is a
valued member of the psychological therapies workforce.
About us
Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with specialist services in parts of Devon and Cornwall. Our teams work in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, and health hubs.
As an organisation with a strong social conscience we are guided by our values, kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration. We focus on transforming services to ensure sustainability, while empowering staff and those we serve.
We involve the people we care for, along with their families and carers, in shaping the care they receive, striving to deliver the right care at the right time and place. Centering our work on individual needs helps people lead healthy, independent lives.
We prioritise employees' development, offering protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications like the Care Certificate and Nurse Training Scholarships. Our induction and preceptorship programs ensure a smooth transition into our organisation.
Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community, including those with armed forces experience, lived experience of mental health, neuro-diverse conditions and learning disabilities. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during the application process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.
Job description
Job responsibilities
JOB PURPOSE
To
support the qualified psychologists working within the acute pathway through
undertaking clinically supervised psychologically-informed assessments and
intervention with people with varying and complex mental health challenges who
are admitted to an acute inpatient setting or are under the care of the Home
Treatment Team either as an alternative to an admission or post discharge. To
undertake brief psychological interventions, individually or in groups, and
with families and professional carers. To proactively work with MDTs and
service users to support the development of psychological formulations and communicate
how these can inform care and treatment in both the inpatient and community
settings. To support research projects, service evaluations and clinical audits
as required
SCOPE AND RANGE
The post relates to the two 18 bedded
acute mental health wards (one male and one female) housed in the Glenbourne Unit
and the Home Treatment Team (HTT). Referrals to the acute wards are gatekept by
HTT and can be received from across Plymouth and other areas of Devon, with a
number of beds commissioned by Denon Partnership Trust. The Home Treatment
team, which offers an alternative to hospital admission, to keep people who are
experiencing acute mental health difficulties out of hospital and living in the
community, is based at Riverview on the Mount Gould Hospital site. The post
holder will work flexibly across the service areas depending on demand and
service priorities.
The post holder will provide a range of
psychological assessments and interventions, likely to include contributing to
initial assessments to clarify psychological needs, assessment of suitability
for psychological intervention, and risk assessments, all of which will be
carried out either jointly or individually, when appropriate, supervised by a
Registered Psychologist.
MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
5.1 Clinical
To work sensitively and respectfully with clients with mental health
difficulties who may sometimes be in distress and high emotional states, to
engage with them in order to deliver psychological interventions.
To carry out a range clinical assessments with adults with severe and
enduring mental health conditions using interview skills, standardized tests
and informant based measures, including screening assessments, cognitive
assessments, suitability for psychological therapy, and assessments of various
emotional and/or behavioural issues.
To work within organizational guidelines to provide input into
assessments of complex psychological problems including: the long-term effects
of childhood trauma; and other complex bio-psychosocial presentations.
To be able to provide psychological interventions in 1:1 and group
settings, and with families and professional carers, and to organize own caseload which will include clients with
varying severe and enduring mental health presentations living in the
community, including people attracting a diagnosis of personality disorder;
chronic depression and anxiety; bipolar presentations; and psychosis and
schizophrenia.
To undertake joint work with other members of the multi-disciplinary
team, as appropriate.
To utilize psychological theory and apply it to clinical situations in
order to integrate assessment data and begin to develop psychological
formulations
To be able to communicate, by talking and writing, psychological
formulations and intervention plans to the client, family members, carers and
professional colleagues as appropriate.
The post holder will be in part a community-based member of staff and
will be expected to travel around the catchment area in the course of their
duties.
To maintain appropriate client records as required by the employer.
To maintain clinical resources and databases as required by the team.
Policy and
Service Development
To comment on policy and service development documents.
The post holder will be expected to identify and support areas of
service development.
Human
Resources
To receive regular clinical supervision from a HCPC Registered Practitioner
Psychologist.
Required to demonstrate own duties to new staff; train other health care
staff in specific tasks/assessments.
To provide teaching input on a variety of training courses, including
staff CPD sessions.
Research
and Development
To assist with research, evaluation studies and clinical audit that is
relevant to the acute mental health pathway.
To conduct statistical analyses using SPSS and Excel and prepare data
tables, graphs, etc.
To assist with the dissemination of the results to service users,
carers, service managers, other professionals and academic audiences.
Job description
Job responsibilities
JOB PURPOSE
To
support the qualified psychologists working within the acute pathway through
undertaking clinically supervised psychologically-informed assessments and
intervention with people with varying and complex mental health challenges who
are admitted to an acute inpatient setting or are under the care of the Home
Treatment Team either as an alternative to an admission or post discharge. To
undertake brief psychological interventions, individually or in groups, and
with families and professional carers. To proactively work with MDTs and
service users to support the development of psychological formulations and communicate
how these can inform care and treatment in both the inpatient and community
settings. To support research projects, service evaluations and clinical audits
as required
SCOPE AND RANGE
The post relates to the two 18 bedded
acute mental health wards (one male and one female) housed in the Glenbourne Unit
and the Home Treatment Team (HTT). Referrals to the acute wards are gatekept by
HTT and can be received from across Plymouth and other areas of Devon, with a
number of beds commissioned by Denon Partnership Trust. The Home Treatment
team, which offers an alternative to hospital admission, to keep people who are
experiencing acute mental health difficulties out of hospital and living in the
community, is based at Riverview on the Mount Gould Hospital site. The post
holder will work flexibly across the service areas depending on demand and
service priorities.
The post holder will provide a range of
psychological assessments and interventions, likely to include contributing to
initial assessments to clarify psychological needs, assessment of suitability
for psychological intervention, and risk assessments, all of which will be
carried out either jointly or individually, when appropriate, supervised by a
Registered Psychologist.
MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
5.1 Clinical
To work sensitively and respectfully with clients with mental health
difficulties who may sometimes be in distress and high emotional states, to
engage with them in order to deliver psychological interventions.
To carry out a range clinical assessments with adults with severe and
enduring mental health conditions using interview skills, standardized tests
and informant based measures, including screening assessments, cognitive
assessments, suitability for psychological therapy, and assessments of various
emotional and/or behavioural issues.
To work within organizational guidelines to provide input into
assessments of complex psychological problems including: the long-term effects
of childhood trauma; and other complex bio-psychosocial presentations.
To be able to provide psychological interventions in 1:1 and group
settings, and with families and professional carers, and to organize own caseload which will include clients with
varying severe and enduring mental health presentations living in the
community, including people attracting a diagnosis of personality disorder;
chronic depression and anxiety; bipolar presentations; and psychosis and
schizophrenia.
To undertake joint work with other members of the multi-disciplinary
team, as appropriate.
To utilize psychological theory and apply it to clinical situations in
order to integrate assessment data and begin to develop psychological
formulations
To be able to communicate, by talking and writing, psychological
formulations and intervention plans to the client, family members, carers and
professional colleagues as appropriate.
The post holder will be in part a community-based member of staff and
will be expected to travel around the catchment area in the course of their
duties.
To maintain appropriate client records as required by the employer.
To maintain clinical resources and databases as required by the team.
Policy and
Service Development
To comment on policy and service development documents.
The post holder will be expected to identify and support areas of
service development.
Human
Resources
To receive regular clinical supervision from a HCPC Registered Practitioner
Psychologist.
Required to demonstrate own duties to new staff; train other health care
staff in specific tasks/assessments.
To provide teaching input on a variety of training courses, including
staff CPD sessions.
Research
and Development
To assist with research, evaluation studies and clinical audit that is
relevant to the acute mental health pathway.
To conduct statistical analyses using SPSS and Excel and prepare data
tables, graphs, etc.
To assist with the dissemination of the results to service users,
carers, service managers, other professionals and academic audiences.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Previous experience in an assistant psychologist role
- Experience of working with people with complex mental health difficulties
- Experience of working in acute or in-patient mental health services
- Experience of working as part of a team
- Experience of using clinical supervision / reflective practice in the workplace
- Experience of applying psychological models practically with people in a health or social care setting
Desirable
- Experience of psychological assessments including the use of psychometric tests
- Experience of providing psychological intervention
- Experience of using DBT or DBT informed approaches in practice
- Experience of providing teaching, training or supervision
Qualifications
Essential
- Honours degree at 2:1 or above in psychology and the qualification renders the applicant eligible for graduate membership of the BPS
Desirable
- Further post graduate training in relevant area of professional psychology, health and social care practice
Knowledge and skills
Essential
- Knowledge and understanding of complex mental health difficulties and the role of acute mental health services
- Basic knowledge of research skills and methodology
- Excellent verbal, nonverbal and written communication skills, including being able to provide and receive complex, sensitive or contentious information in a potentially highly emotive atmosphere.
- Ability to integrate complex data; make evaluations; produce psychological formulations and contribute to decisions.
- Organisation and time management skills, including the ability to be flexible and cope with multiple demands, being capable of using initiative and organising work to agreed goals.
- Ability to use supervision, knowing when to ask for and use supervision, identifying when there is need for advice and using supervision at agreed intervals.
- Good IT skills, including the ability to use common software for routine communication and effectively conveying information.
- Ability to work as a member of a clinical team and to work collaboratively, flexibly and supportively.
- Ability to tolerate ambiguity and maintain own morale and motivation in challenging service delivery contexts.
- Ability to listen to and tolerate material that maybe considered upsetting and difficult.
- Ability to travel across the the Livewell footprint. Reasonable adjustments will be considered as per the Equality Act.
Desirable
- Knowledge of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
- Working knowledge of software for analysing quantitative and qualitative data.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Previous experience in an assistant psychologist role
- Experience of working with people with complex mental health difficulties
- Experience of working in acute or in-patient mental health services
- Experience of working as part of a team
- Experience of using clinical supervision / reflective practice in the workplace
- Experience of applying psychological models practically with people in a health or social care setting
Desirable
- Experience of psychological assessments including the use of psychometric tests
- Experience of providing psychological intervention
- Experience of using DBT or DBT informed approaches in practice
- Experience of providing teaching, training or supervision
Qualifications
Essential
- Honours degree at 2:1 or above in psychology and the qualification renders the applicant eligible for graduate membership of the BPS
Desirable
- Further post graduate training in relevant area of professional psychology, health and social care practice
Knowledge and skills
Essential
- Knowledge and understanding of complex mental health difficulties and the role of acute mental health services
- Basic knowledge of research skills and methodology
- Excellent verbal, nonverbal and written communication skills, including being able to provide and receive complex, sensitive or contentious information in a potentially highly emotive atmosphere.
- Ability to integrate complex data; make evaluations; produce psychological formulations and contribute to decisions.
- Organisation and time management skills, including the ability to be flexible and cope with multiple demands, being capable of using initiative and organising work to agreed goals.
- Ability to use supervision, knowing when to ask for and use supervision, identifying when there is need for advice and using supervision at agreed intervals.
- Good IT skills, including the ability to use common software for routine communication and effectively conveying information.
- Ability to work as a member of a clinical team and to work collaboratively, flexibly and supportively.
- Ability to tolerate ambiguity and maintain own morale and motivation in challenging service delivery contexts.
- Ability to listen to and tolerate material that maybe considered upsetting and difficult.
- Ability to travel across the the Livewell footprint. Reasonable adjustments will be considered as per the Equality Act.
Desirable
- Knowledge of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
- Working knowledge of software for analysing quantitative and qualitative data.
Additional information
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).
