Job summary
The post holder will provide a Clinical Psychology Service to patients in the specialist field of chronic pain, providing highly specialist psychological assessment (often in the context of specialist multidisciplinary clinics), treatment and consultation. This includes helping patients with chronic pain to live a full and healthy life, using evidence-based ACT principles and methods. Psychologists are integral members of the multidisciplinary team, working autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the team's policy and procedure. They have responsibility for ensuring the theoretical integrity of the therapy they offer and guiding the multidisciplinary team in providing a high-quality service based on current research and knowledge. They offer advice about clients' psychological care to other professionals as well as non-professional carers. As a senior member of the clinical team the post holder will be expected to take responsibility for psychological services provided within the Pain Management Department and to offer consultation and supervision to other psychologists and members of the multidisciplinary team. The post holder will also lead the research activities within INPUT to contribute to the advancement of pain science and care. The post holder will provide strategic advice and support to enable other MDT clinicians to become research active.
Main duties of the job
The main duties of the job encompass both clinical and research activities. The unique purpose of the role is to conduct high level research and audit with the purpose of guiding and improving clinical practice in pain management. The post holder takes responsibility for routine data collection, for the large INPUT database, and for designing and implementing research and audit. This includes guiding and supporting other clinicians to be research active and representing the department at appropriate conferences and scientific meetings.
About us
The Chronic Pain Service at Guys and St Thomas' is one of the largest in the country and enjoys an international reputation. The multidisciplinary team includes clinical psychologists, pain consultants, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and clinical nurse specialists working in an integrated way and treating both inpatients and outpatients. The team at the INPUT Pain Management Unit use an approach based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help patients with chronic pain address problems with chronic pain more effectively and participate more fully in daily life according to their goals and values. Research is an important part of the department's work. The psychologists are instrumental in leading the treatment approach and research within the multidisciplinary team. The psychologists are involved in providing complex psychological assessment, including assessing patients for their suitability for various treatment options offered in the department. They provide group-based treatments as well as individual psychological therapy. Because of the range of interests within the department the service receives numerous tertiary referrals from all over the south of England with complex pain problems. These patients require multidisciplinary detailed assessment and management. The department has a commitment to training and education within the Trust and Medical School. The department has an active research programme and strong links with King's College London.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please find details in the attached Job Description.
The main responsibilities are providing a clinical service for chronic pain patients, both individually and in groups, and leading research and audit in the department.
The clinical model used in our service is ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy).
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please find details in the attached Job Description.
The main responsibilities are providing a clinical service for chronic pain patients, both individually and in groups, and leading research and audit in the department.
The clinical model used in our service is ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy).
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Doctoral level training in clinical, counselling or health psychology as accredited by the BPS or similar body
- Completed a PhD, or have a Master's in research methodology
Clinical Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
- Experience in providing supervision for Band 5-8 multidisciplinary clinicians
- Experience of providing both group- based and individual interventions
Desirable
- Significant experience in the field of health psychology, particularly working with chronic conditions.
- Significant experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.
Research experience and knowledge
Essential
- Significant experience post-doctoral qualification leading large clinical research projects as Principal Investigator, including obtaining relevant ethics and R&D approvals.
- Experiencing providing research line management.
- Experience publishing research papers in international journals.
- Advanced knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis and qualitative methodologies, as practiced within the field of clinical psychology.
Desirable
- Significant experience engaging patients to shape research and service delivery.
- Knowledge of advanced approaches to statistical analyses (e.g., for clustered data, moderation/mediation)
- Highly developed skills for disseminating research to a range of audiences (clinicians, researchers, patients, public) in a range of formats.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Doctoral level training in clinical, counselling or health psychology as accredited by the BPS or similar body
- Completed a PhD, or have a Master's in research methodology
Clinical Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
- Experience in providing supervision for Band 5-8 multidisciplinary clinicians
- Experience of providing both group- based and individual interventions
Desirable
- Significant experience in the field of health psychology, particularly working with chronic conditions.
- Significant experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.
Research experience and knowledge
Essential
- Significant experience post-doctoral qualification leading large clinical research projects as Principal Investigator, including obtaining relevant ethics and R&D approvals.
- Experiencing providing research line management.
- Experience publishing research papers in international journals.
- Advanced knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis and qualitative methodologies, as practiced within the field of clinical psychology.
Desirable
- Significant experience engaging patients to shape research and service delivery.
- Knowledge of advanced approaches to statistical analyses (e.g., for clustered data, moderation/mediation)
- Highly developed skills for disseminating research to a range of audiences (clinicians, researchers, patients, public) in a range of formats.
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).
