Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity to join West London NHS Trust in a role funded by Adopt London based in Adopt London West. Adopt London are regional adoption services which recruit adopters and 'family find' for children across partner agencies and offer support services to adoptive families. Every child has the right to a safe and supportive family life and Adopt London aspires to promote best practice across its adoption support services.
We are seeking a Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist (8a 0.6 WTE 1 year fixed term post with possible extension to March 2025) to develop and support a matching project. The purpose of this post is to enhance the quality of matches and transitions, to support and develop best matching practice and use the principles of Early Support & Intervention. The main activities will consist of delivering training to social workers, network and professional consultation, consultation with social work teams and with adopters, planning and supporting transitions, offering guidance on therapeutic parenting techniques and attend activity and 'stay and play' events where children and prospective adopters are present.
The clinical psychologist will join the existing Adopt London West Clinical Psychologists who are themselves part of the wider Brighter Futures Psychology Service based in Ealing's Childrens Social Care. The role is based in Ealing, with across London travel and hybrid working is encouraged.
Main duties of the job
The team values are a committed, empathic and trauma-informed approach to the work with children, their carers, families and the professional network. Applicants must be keen to facilitate service development and be open to develop new ways of working, demonstrate flexibility and adaptability in their approach to their work and team life and be willing to practice in a collaborative way. A key aspect of this work is a committed, empathic and trauma-informed and responsive approach with children young people and their parents and the team, building on strengths and resiliencies.
Offering consultation to develop reflective thinking and sharing complex psychological formulation in an accessible way is a key skill within this role. The role will also include delivering training and skills development sessions for social workers, supporting therapeutic parenting approaches and developing psychologically informed transition plans and collecting and presenting qualitative and quantitative evaluation data. The Adopt London West Team have been trained in Dyadic Developmental Practice (DDP) and the post holder will be expected to attend this and any available trainings to support the development of an attachment and trauma-informed model of practice, as well as offering a range of other interventions suitable for adopted children and their families.
About us
West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse providers of mental health, community and social care in the UK.
Our 3,982 staff care for people in hospital and in the community, helping them to recover and go on to lead full and productive lives. We aim to be the best organisation of our kind in the country.
We provide care and treatment for more than 800,000 people living in the London boroughs of Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham and Hounslow, delivering services in the community (at home, in GP surgeries and care homes), hospital, specialist clinics and forensic (secure) units.
We'rerated good overall by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Together, we're committed to promoting hope and wellbeing, working with patients, service users, carers, families and partners across the communities we serve.
We are keen to ensure that our workforce reflects the community it serves, particularly in terms of ethnicity, gender, disability, LGBTQ+ and experience of mental illness.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the full JD in the supporting documentation for more information on the main responsibilities.
To be noted:
- This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, and the post holder may be required to undertake other duties which fall within the grade of the job, in discussion with the manager.
- This job description will be reviewed regularly in the light of changing service requirements and any such changes will be discussed with the post holder.
- The post holder is expected to comply with all relevant Trust policies, procedures and guidelines, including those relating to Equal Opportunities, Health and Safety and Confidentiality of Information.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the full JD in the supporting documentation for more information on the main responsibilities.
To be noted:
- This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, and the post holder may be required to undertake other duties which fall within the grade of the job, in discussion with the manager.
- This job description will be reviewed regularly in the light of changing service requirements and any such changes will be discussed with the post holder.
- The post holder is expected to comply with all relevant Trust policies, procedures and guidelines, including those relating to Equal Opportunities, Health and Safety and Confidentiality of Information.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Doctoral level training in clinical psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the British Psychological Society.
- Eligible to work as a Practitioner Psychologist as approved by the Health Care Professions Council.
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across a range of care settings, (e.g. outpatient, community, primary care, in patient settings).
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
- Demonstrate further specialist training/experience through having received a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision of working as a specialist clinical psychologist over a minimum of 18 months, or an alternative agreed by the Child Clinical Psychology Lead.
- Experience working with children and young people in a CAMH setting.
Desirable
- Training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
- Experience of working with other agencies.
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
- Experience of working in Social Care settings.
- Experience of working with children and families under Social Services, including looked after Children and Children under Child in Need/Child Protection Plans who may also have mental health needs.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across a range of care settings, (e.g. outpatient, community, primary care, in patient settings).
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
- Demonstrate further specialist training/experience through having received a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision of working as a specialist clinical psychologist over a minimum of 18 months, or an alternative agreed by the Child Clinical Psychology Lead
- Experience working with children and young people in a CAMH setting.
Desirable
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
- Experience of working with other agencies.
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
- Experience of working with Children looked after, care experienced or adopted children
- Experience of working in Social Services settings
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS (dependent on grade).
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media 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.
- Commitment to provide support to children, their families/carers and linked professionals and maintain high levels of aspiration for the population referred to the service.
- Willingness to work flexibly when necessary.
- Commitment to working flexibly and collaboratively with team colleagues and to support innovative ways of working.
- To approach clients with empathy and adaptability and to be open to development of new approaches to work with clients.
Desirable
- Knowledge and skills in specialist psychological assessment and treatment of specific groups (e.g. looked after children, learning disabilities, neurodevelopmental disorders, adolescent mental health, trauma, anxiety and mood disorders).
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to children and families and mental health and children's social care.
- Knowledge of application of therapeutic models to children who have a history of family trauma, loss and/or attachment difficulties.
Other Requirements
Essential
- Experience of working within a multicultural framework.
- 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.
- Willingness to work flexibly when necessary.
- To approach clients with empathy and adaptability and to be open to development of new approaches to work with clients.
Desirable
- Commitment to provide support to children, their families/carers and linked professionals and maintain high levels of aspiration for adopted and formerly child in care population.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Doctoral level training in clinical psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the British Psychological Society.
- Eligible to work as a Practitioner Psychologist as approved by the Health Care Professions Council.
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across a range of care settings, (e.g. outpatient, community, primary care, in patient settings).
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
- Demonstrate further specialist training/experience through having received a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision of working as a specialist clinical psychologist over a minimum of 18 months, or an alternative agreed by the Child Clinical Psychology Lead.
- Experience working with children and young people in a CAMH setting.
Desirable
- Training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
- Experience of working with other agencies.
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
- Experience of working in Social Care settings.
- Experience of working with children and families under Social Services, including looked after Children and Children under Child in Need/Child Protection Plans who may also have mental health needs.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across a range of care settings, (e.g. outpatient, community, primary care, in patient settings).
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
- Demonstrate further specialist training/experience through having received a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision of working as a specialist clinical psychologist over a minimum of 18 months, or an alternative agreed by the Child Clinical Psychology Lead
- Experience working with children and young people in a CAMH setting.
Desirable
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
- Experience of working with other agencies.
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
- Experience of working with Children looked after, care experienced or adopted children
- Experience of working in Social Services settings
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS (dependent on grade).
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media 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.
- Commitment to provide support to children, their families/carers and linked professionals and maintain high levels of aspiration for the population referred to the service.
- Willingness to work flexibly when necessary.
- Commitment to working flexibly and collaboratively with team colleagues and to support innovative ways of working.
- To approach clients with empathy and adaptability and to be open to development of new approaches to work with clients.
Desirable
- Knowledge and skills in specialist psychological assessment and treatment of specific groups (e.g. looked after children, learning disabilities, neurodevelopmental disorders, adolescent mental health, trauma, anxiety and mood disorders).
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to children and families and mental health and children's social care.
- Knowledge of application of therapeutic models to children who have a history of family trauma, loss and/or attachment difficulties.
Other Requirements
Essential
- Experience of working within a multicultural framework.
- 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.
- Willingness to work flexibly when necessary.
- To approach clients with empathy and adaptability and to be open to development of new approaches to work with clients.
Desirable
- Commitment to provide support to children, their families/carers and linked professionals and maintain high levels of aspiration for adopted and formerly child in care population.
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).
