Applied Principal Psychologist–Band 8B

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

Accountable for own professional practice in the delivery of highly specialist psychological care to clients with highly complex and contentious mental health conditions or learning disabilities which include challenging behaviours and possible risk of physical aggression.

To be compassionate in meeting the needs of clients, their carers and families.

To promote at all times a positive image of people with mental ill health or learning disabilities.

To promote at all times a positive image of the service and the wider Trust.

In line with the banding of the post and its service context to:

Exercise supervisory/professional responsibility for other psychological therapists

Provide leadership in multi-disciplinary training and development

Provide leadership in service audit and development

Provide leadership in service evaluation and research

Ensure that a psychological perspective is brought to service redesign and cultural change

Main Duties/Responsibilities

1.0. Clinical Responsibilities, Patient Contact

1.1. Provides highly specialist psychological assessment of clients with highly complex and contentious conditions based on the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of data from a variety of sources, which may include neuropsychological testing.

1.2. Responsible for recognising the potential for or signs of client harm, abuse or neglect, including poor clinical practice, reporting all such concerns and taking all reasonable steps to protect the client. Responsible for identifying and reporting concerns regarding the safeguarding of children who may be at risk.

1.3. Undertakes risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and provides highly specialist advice to other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management and the high physical risks inherent in the client group.

1.4. Formulates plans for highly specialist psychological therapy and/or management of clients mental health conditions based upon an appropriate conceptual framework and evidence-based practice. Negotiates the implementation of such plans with clients and/or their carers.

1.5. Implements a range of highly specialist psychological therapies for individual clients, carers, families and groups, adjusting and refining psychological formulations as required.

1.6. Undertakes highly skilled evaluations and makes decisions about treatment options.

1.7. Provides highly specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other staff contributing directly to clients diagnosis, formulation and intervention plan.

1.8. Facilitates decision-making by planning and mapping processes/interventions with members of the team to determine the most appropriate treatment modality or service for clients.

1.9. Leads the multi-disciplinary care team in the development and implementation of multi-disciplinary care plans where appropriate. Monitors progress during the course of multidisciplinary interventions.

1.10. To liaise with other professionals working within the NHS, Social Inclusion and Health and the voluntary sector on matters relating to client care that have implications for the service.

2.0 Supervisory/Professional Responsibility

2.1. Clinical supervision of Trainee Applied Psychologists and Assistant Psychologists

2.2. Supervises Band 7 and 8a Applied Psychologists

2.3. Specialist psychological supervision and scaffolding in a care pathway/cluster

2.4. Line manage Assistant Psychologists

2.5. Will hold responsibility and accountability for their own actions, ensuring appropriate support and supervision is sought when required.

2.6. To keep abreast of current developments in this field through reading, attendance at appropriate training courses, and a range of other CPD activities, and to ensure that a log is kept of this in line with HCPC requirements.

2.7. To contribute, as appropriate, to the teaching offered on the local Applied Psychology training courses.

3.0 Multi-Disciplinary Training and Development

3.1. To work with members of the multi-disciplinary team to develop and maintain psychologically minded ways of understanding and working with clients using the services, both to promote and maintain the mental health and coping strategies of the clients and to maintain the safety of clients and staff.

3.2. Provides highly specialist advice, guidance and consultation to other direct care staff in MDT

3.3. Provide clinical supervision to other direct care staff in MDT

3.4.Ensures appropriate clinical supervision and scaffolding is in place to enable embedding of psychological skills in relation to a specific care pathway/cluster

3.5. Assesses the need for and develops a plan for training in psychological interventions for the team in relation to a specific care pathway/cluster

3.6. Devises and delivers training to staff which may include those outside immediate MDT in consultation with Consultant Applied Psychologist

4.0 Service and Organisational Development

4.1. Clinically leads MDT in development, implementation and monitoring of MD care plans/ pathways/clusters

4.2. Takes a lead role in MDT delivery of CQUIN and QIP projects, NICE benchmarking and compliance requirements as required within MDT

4.3. Able to identify service priorities and to work with Consultant Applied Psychologist and/or Team/Service Managers on developing these into action plans

5.0 Service Redesign and Cultural Change

5.1. Bring an understanding of psychological change processes to own role within MDT and to help MDT to cope with changes, in consultation with Consultant Applied Psychologist

5.2. Bring an understanding of psychological change processes to help Team/Service Managers to devise suitable plans for change

5.3. Represent a psychological perspective in regular specific Division-wide forums around governance, quality and redesign under guidance from Consultant Applied Psychologist

6.0 Service Evaluation and Research

6.1. Take a lead role in clinical audits as required within MDT

6.2. Evaluates training and competencies of staff who have been trained in psychological therapies in relation to the care pathway/cluster

6.3. Undertake service evaluation and research

6.4. Working on projects from conception to delivery

6.5. Leading projects across MDTs in agreement with Consultant Psychologist and Team/Service Manager

6.6. Engaging multiple stakeholders in project work including service users and/or carers

6.7. Developing and implementing outcome monitoring within MDT

6.8.Supervise Applied Psychology trainee service evaluation and/or research

7.0 Other

7.1. To undertake any other duties of a similar nature consistent with the responsibilities of this post in order to provide a quality Forensic Community Team service.

Person Specification

shortlisitng criteria

Essential

• oPost-graduate doctoral level training in applied Psychology (or its equivalent) as accredited by the BPS including models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
• oPost-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice
• oHCPC registration as an Applied Psychologist with Chartered Status
• oTrained in clinical supervision and the supervision of doctoral trainees
• oEvidence of continuing professional development
• oWorking as a qualified applied psychologist within the designated service including a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and a range of clinical severity across a range of care settings.
• oExercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care as a care coordinator within the context of a multidisciplinary team.
• oLiaison and joint working with statutory, voluntary and private sector agencies
• oTeaching, training, consultancy and clinical supervision and field supervisor for doctoral theses.
• oResearch and development
• oActive participation in quality and service improvement initiatives
• oEvidence-based practice relevant to the role
• oRisk assessment and risk management
• oClinical governance
• oKnowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health and its implications for clinical practice
• oAudit and research methodology
• oSocial inclusion agenda
• oCommunicate highly complex, highly sensitive and contentious information effectively, to a wide range of peoplehe Trust's Quality Improvement System
• oAdapt creatively the evidence base for the interventions relevant to the client group
• oArticulate the value added by applied psychology services within the context of multidisciplinary mental health and learning disability healthcare provision
• oUndertake complex multiagency working and liaise with multiple systems
• oUtilise psychometric tests competently
• oProvide effective teaching, training, consultancy and clinical supervision for the multidisciplinary team
• oIdentify, provide and promote appropriate interventions / means of support for carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and challenging behaviours
• oUtilise appropriate clinical governance mechanisms within own work
• oDemonstrate effective keyboard skills
• oUtilise multimedia materials for presentations in professional, academic and public settings
• oAble to work in accordance with the Trust Values and Behaviours
• oAble to engage with vulnerable people and work effectively in highly distressing and challenging circumstances
• oRespects and has awareness of the advantages of joint working with other experienced professionals in a multidisciplinary setting
• oAble to work flexibly and co-operatively as part of a team
• oAble to use own initiative and make decisions independently
• oCommitted to continual quality and service improvement
• oSelf-aware and committed to professional and personal development. Able to accept and respond positively to feedback from supervision
• oEnthusiasm for a broad range of psychological phenomena, theories and application
• oBe compassionate, empathetic and caring to everyone
• oEnable yourself and others to act with confidence and authority in order to achieve the best outcome for everyone
• oWork with others. Be inclusive by understanding and valuing others to achieve the best results for everyone and everything we do
• oAct with transparency and honesty, respect and value others to do the right thing at the right time for everyone
• Highly developed knowledge and skills in the care of difficult to treat groups e.g. dual diagnoses, additional disabilities or severely challenging behaviour

Desirable

• oRegistration with BPS
• oProject management

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Penn Hospital (but may be required to work within other Black Country CMHT localities)

Penn Road

Wolverhampton, West Midlands,

WV4 5HN

Employer's website

https://www.blackcountryhealthcare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)