Job summary
Clinical/Counselling/Health Psychologist Pain Management, Band 7
We are looking for a HCPC Registered Clinical, Counselling, or Health Psychologist to join our well-established multidisciplinary team within the Pain Management Service and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. We would consider applications from newly qualified psychologists with appropriate trainee experience and/or interest in physical health.
In the event of a successful candidate being pre-HCPC registered the post will be re-banded to Band 6 and made fixed term for one year or until such a time as the post-holder achieves registered status in order for the post to become Band 7 substantive.
The duties therefore would be subject to appropriate clinical supervision from a HCPC registered psychologist in the team.
Main duties of the job
To participate in the design and delivery of the psychology service to a diverse range of patients and presentations within the Pain Management Service.
To be able to accurately triage patient's difficulties related to their persistent pain from a biopsychosocial perspective and decide with them the most appropriate pathway of assessment and treatment.
To be able to provide a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment and formulation to the benefit of both the patient and fellow professionals also involved in their care.
To participate in the design and delivery of current specialist interdisciplinary pathways with the Pain Management Therapy Service inclusive of, Pain Management Programmes (online and in-person); Spinal Cord Stimulation; Fibromyalgia; Complex Regional Pain Syndrome; Survivors of Torture and Pelvic Pain.
To manage your own caseload of complex individuals and presentations within your individual psychology clinic; dual psychology-physiotherapy clinic; education sessions; and pain management therapy groups.
To use a range of evidence-based psychological models and therapies (specifically ACT, CBT, EMDR) to benefit patient's management of their persistent pain related difficulty.
About us
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of England's top-performing and safest trusts. We operate two main acute hospital sites--Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital--along with award-winning clinics across North West London.
Our nearly 7,500 staff care for a diverse population of 1.5 million, providing full clinical services, including maternity, A&E, and children's services, plus specialist HIV and sexual health clinics. The Care Quality Commission rates us 'Good' in safety, effectiveness, care, and responsiveness, and 'Outstanding' in leadership and resource use.
We continually invest in our facilities, including a £30m expansion of critical care at Chelsea and Westminster and an £80m Ambulatory Diagnostic Centre at West Middlesex.
We are committed to equal opportunities and believe that diversity drives innovation and excellence. As part of our dedication to equity, we actively welcome applications from individuals from the global majority, veterans and underrepresented communities. We value the unique perspectives and experiences that diverse teams bring and are committed to creating an environment where all voices are heard, respected, and empowered to succeed."
If you haven't heard from us within three weeks of the closing date, your application was likely unsuccessful. Employment is subject to a six-month probationary period.
Some roles may require weekend shifts at multiple sites.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical
- To participate in multidisciplinary meetings and discussions and management of complex problems in patients with the Pain Management Service.
- To comprehensively assess and manage potential risk of suicide and harmful behaviour in patients within the Pain Management Service and to communicate management plans to relevant services.
- To be able to provide high quality often sensitive verbal and written information to patients and other professionals involved in their care.
- To input and maintain appropriate written and digital records inclusive of the Trusts electronic patient record.
- To maintain compliance with statutory and regulatory standards to ensure safe practice and highest standards of care.
- To maintain up to date knowledge of registration, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific client group and mental health.
- To participate in the maintenance of waiting lists and the Therapy Services programme of work.
- To participate in co-development of pain management services with people with lived experience of pain.
Training, Teaching, Supervision and Consultation
- To develop and deliver appropriate training and teaching sessions for psychological and multidisciplinary colleagues and other relevant services on a range of psychological and pain-related issues
- To be prepared to undertake training relevant to the development and delivery of your role as a psychologist within pain management
- To be prepared to provide supervision to assistant and trainee psychologists within the department
- To receive regular individual and/or group/modality specific supervision from psychological colleagues
- To provide appropriate psychologically informed consultation to multidisciplinary colleagues on a range of issues related to patients under their care
- To be available for psychologically informed consultation by colleagues via a range of mediums
Research and Evaluation
- To promote and disseminate relevant psychology and pain related research and evidenced based practice within appropriate meetings and forums within the multidisciplinary team and other relevant services
- To develop and contribute to the Pain Management Services Research Profile via the publishing of posters, articles, studies in relevant journals and via attendance at relevant domestic and international conferences
- To provide research consultation and supervision to the wider multidisciplinary team
- To develop, maintain and present audits of outcome data within the Pain Therapy Pathways to inform iterative development of Therapy Interventions and best practice
PLEASE SEE JOB DESCRIPTION FOR FULL DUTIES OF THE POST
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical
- To participate in multidisciplinary meetings and discussions and management of complex problems in patients with the Pain Management Service.
- To comprehensively assess and manage potential risk of suicide and harmful behaviour in patients within the Pain Management Service and to communicate management plans to relevant services.
- To be able to provide high quality often sensitive verbal and written information to patients and other professionals involved in their care.
- To input and maintain appropriate written and digital records inclusive of the Trusts electronic patient record.
- To maintain compliance with statutory and regulatory standards to ensure safe practice and highest standards of care.
- To maintain up to date knowledge of registration, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific client group and mental health.
- To participate in the maintenance of waiting lists and the Therapy Services programme of work.
- To participate in co-development of pain management services with people with lived experience of pain.
Training, Teaching, Supervision and Consultation
- To develop and deliver appropriate training and teaching sessions for psychological and multidisciplinary colleagues and other relevant services on a range of psychological and pain-related issues
- To be prepared to undertake training relevant to the development and delivery of your role as a psychologist within pain management
- To be prepared to provide supervision to assistant and trainee psychologists within the department
- To receive regular individual and/or group/modality specific supervision from psychological colleagues
- To provide appropriate psychologically informed consultation to multidisciplinary colleagues on a range of issues related to patients under their care
- To be available for psychologically informed consultation by colleagues via a range of mediums
Research and Evaluation
- To promote and disseminate relevant psychology and pain related research and evidenced based practice within appropriate meetings and forums within the multidisciplinary team and other relevant services
- To develop and contribute to the Pain Management Services Research Profile via the publishing of posters, articles, studies in relevant journals and via attendance at relevant domestic and international conferences
- To provide research consultation and supervision to the wider multidisciplinary team
- To develop, maintain and present audits of outcome data within the Pain Therapy Pathways to inform iterative development of Therapy Interventions and best practice
PLEASE SEE JOB DESCRIPTION FOR FULL DUTIES OF THE POST
Person Specification
Education and qualifications
Essential
- Post-graduate training in Clinical, Counselling or Health Psychology
- Registered as a Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council
Desirable
- Additional formal training or qualification relevant to Clinical Health Psychology
- Membership of relevant professional group or society e.g. BPS, ACP, British Pain Soc, IASP
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in physical health settings
- Experience of psychological assessment, intervention and management working with a wide range of clinical presentations with complex, long-term co-morbid physical and mental health conditions including pain and maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems
- Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts
- Experience of representing psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary care
Desirable
- Extensive experience over several years of working in clinical health psychology
- Experience of working in a pain management programme
- Experience of working with service user representatives
Skills and knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialist psychological therapies (e.g. ACT, CBT, EMDR) with relevant client groups (e.g. people with long-term co-morbid physical and mental health problems, histories of trauma and abuse)
- Skilled in working with the above clients individually and within groups and managing group dynamics in the face of highly emotive and distressing difficulties
- Skilled in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management with individuals, couples, families and groups, frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Highly developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical, and 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
- Ability to identify, and employ, as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour
- Post-graduate level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practiced within the field of psychology
Desirable
- Published peer-reviewed research and/or conference presentations within the field of clinical health psychology
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health
- Knowledge of the wider landscape involved in the management of chronic pain
Personal qualities
Essential
- Ability to work autonomously in situations requiring careful clinical judgement
- Excellent planning, time management and organisational skills
- Excellent IT skills with a range of programmes and platforms
Person Specification
Education and qualifications
Essential
- Post-graduate training in Clinical, Counselling or Health Psychology
- Registered as a Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council
Desirable
- Additional formal training or qualification relevant to Clinical Health Psychology
- Membership of relevant professional group or society e.g. BPS, ACP, British Pain Soc, IASP
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in physical health settings
- Experience of psychological assessment, intervention and management working with a wide range of clinical presentations with complex, long-term co-morbid physical and mental health conditions including pain and maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems
- Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts
- Experience of representing psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary care
Desirable
- Extensive experience over several years of working in clinical health psychology
- Experience of working in a pain management programme
- Experience of working with service user representatives
Skills and knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialist psychological therapies (e.g. ACT, CBT, EMDR) with relevant client groups (e.g. people with long-term co-morbid physical and mental health problems, histories of trauma and abuse)
- Skilled in working with the above clients individually and within groups and managing group dynamics in the face of highly emotive and distressing difficulties
- Skilled in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management with individuals, couples, families and groups, frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Highly developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical, and 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
- Ability to identify, and employ, as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour
- Post-graduate level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practiced within the field of psychology
Desirable
- Published peer-reviewed research and/or conference presentations within the field of clinical health psychology
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health
- Knowledge of the wider landscape involved in the management of chronic pain
Personal qualities
Essential
- Ability to work autonomously in situations requiring careful clinical judgement
- Excellent planning, time management and organisational skills
- Excellent IT skills with a range of programmes and platforms
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.
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).