Trainee ASC / LD Practitioner

Job responsibilities

Please see our Candidate information pack for a comprehensive job description and person specification for this role.

If you have any enquiries about the post, please do get in touch with:

Dr Ana Chacin

Principal Clinical Psychologist, Ealing CAMHS Neurodevelopmental Team

via Ana.Chacin@westlondon.nhs.uk or 07594 647498

or

Dr Rob Brindley

Consultant Clinical Psychologist & Joint Head of Psychology for CAMHS

via rob.brindley@westlondon.nhs.uk or 07355 028297

Qualifications and Training

Essential

• Qualifications that demonstrate a capacity to complete academic work at postgraduate diploma level

Desirable

• Minimum second-class Bachelor's Degree from a UK University or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard in a relevant subject (e.g., psychology, social work etc.). OR Applicants who do not fulfil the academic criteria but with relevant professional experience are encouraged to apply and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• A training in a mental-health related profession (e.g., psychology, nursing, health visiting; social-work, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, special needs teaching, psychiatry, other psychotherapy, counselling).
• *Applicants who do not fulfil the academic criteria may still be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Previous Experience

Essential

• At least two years' experience of working within a professional setting concerned with the mental health of children and young people or families (e.g. as a mental health worker).
• Basic level of clinical competence and experience (at least one year) of having worked with Autistic Individuals or those with a Learning Disability.
• Experience of assessing and managing risk and safeguarding issues
• Experience of multi-agency and/or multi-disciplinary working and liaising across internal & external agencies.

Desirable

• Experience of working as part of the multi-disciplinary team with children and young people with ASC and/or LD and their families.
• Experience of monitoring and recording outcome measures for children's emotional wellbeing.
• Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds

Knowledge

Essential

• Demonstrates an understanding and appreciation of the unique challenges associated with ASC and/or LD for children, young people and their families.
• Demonstrates awareness of the significantly increased risk of co-morbid mental health and other neuro-developmental problems in this population
• Knowledge and understanding of the key features and symptoms associated with ASC and/or LD.
• Knowledge and understanding of importance to modify, adapt methods of communication and intervention for this population.
• Knowledge and understanding of issues relating to risk and safeguarding children and young people.
• Ability to be an autonomous practitioner whilst being able to work as an integral part of a multi-agency locality team.
• Be committed to anti discriminatory/ anti oppressive practice and equal opportunity

Desirable

• Demonstrates an appreciation of the MDT approach and involving other agencies, such as education and social care in order to ensure that the needs of children and young people with ASC and/or LD are well understood and effectively met.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Ability to be flexible and creative in facilitating engagement with children and young people with ASC and/or LD and their families.
• Ability to adapt communication style according to the varying needs and levels of comprehension of children and young people with ASC and/or LD.
• Ability to maintain a reflective stance in emotive/challenging interactions with children and their families.
• Ability to work in a collaborative and respectful manner with children, young people and their families.
• Ability to use supervision to reflect on current and future practice
• Ability to manage academic demands alongside placement/clinical or service demands.
• Ability to organise own time and diary.
• Ability to follow local policy and procedures and make proposals for change.
• Ability to maintain accurate clinical records.
• Capability to complete academic work at postgraduate diploma level, including IELTS or equivalent to the appropriate level for students with English as a foreign language (Level 2) https://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/english-language-requirements
• Ability to carry out 1:1 therapeutic mental health interventions with children and families.
• Ability to conduct mental health assessments of children and young people.
• Ability to make an assessment of risk and to record and communicate it appropriately
• Ability take appropriate action to mitigate or manage risk

Desirable

• Ability to adopt a multi-agency working, especially in relation to complex cases with multiple needs, where a more systemic approach is required.
• Ability to advocate for the needs for children and young people with ASC and/or LD and their families.
• Ability to maintain an observational stance, particularly in relation to children and young people with ASC and/or LD who do not express themselves verbally.
• Understanding of evidence-based clinical practice and the ability to demonstrate how this influences good clinical practice.

Specific Attributes

Essential

• Full, enhanced and current satisfactory DBS disclosure for the role.
• Ability to personally manage a sensitive, and potentially emotionally distressing caseload.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Desirable

• Proven commitment to continuous professional development.

Personal qualities

Essential

• Self-motivated.
• Able to travel to meet the requirements of the post.
• Team player.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills.
• Able to meet the physical requirements of the role after reasonable adjustments have been made for any illness or disability.

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).