Job summary
We are looking for a dynamic, highly motivated individual committed to delivering high-quality care to autistic people and their families. This is an exciting opportunity for a suitably qualified, experienced professional looking to contribute to the development of this new service.
The Adult Autism Intensive Support Team provides specialist assessment, formulation, therapeutic interventions (directly to individuals or through consultation) to a small number of autistic people with complex needs. The multi-disciplinary service will support autistic adults, without a co-occurring intellectual disability, under the care of an existing SWLSTG service. The aim of the service is to reduce reliance on inpatient mental health care and improve the skills of SWLSTG clinicians in working with autistic adults.
You will be thoughtful in the way you work with the multi-disciplinary team and have experience in developing the skills of colleagues. You will be interested in working with external partners to develop supportive networks and have energy, drive and enthusiasm for working with complexity.
You will be part of a psychology led developing service that strives for clinical excellence and aims to support its staff to feel valued, provides opportunities for training and development and encourages active participation relevant service developments.
Main duties of the job
o To provide specialist psychological service for autistic adults with complex needs, placing them at risk of admission.
o To provide specialist psychological assessment, formulation and intervention to clients and their care teams, involving undertaking direct assessment with clients or indirect assessment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes with staff or carers.
o To participate in strengthening local services and developing capable environments though training, consultation and modelling.
o To work across a variety of setting including community teams, residential services and inpatient services.
o To work autonomously alongside service users, families, support workers and professionals to enable others to better understand and respond to behaviours of distress in line with Positive & Proactive Care: reducing the need for restrictive interventions (2014) and NICE Guidance (including NG11 & NG93).
o To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate.
o To plan and facilitate staff training and teaching, and presentations as appropriate.
o To participate in service evaluation, audit and research.
o To work as an autonomous professional within professional and Trust guidelines and codes of conduct and guided by the policies and procedures of the service, taking responsibility for own work including treatment and discharge decisions with support of clinical supervisor.
About us
We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.
We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' - we aspire to be 'outstanding'.
This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services as we invest a further £120m to upgrade and modernise our estate by 2027.
We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.
We offer flexible working, career development and a variety of benefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.
Come and join our inclusive teams and help our patients on their recovery journey.
Unless expressly stated in the job advert the role is not subject to sponsorship, please be advised that all offers of employment are subject to evidence of right to work in the UK.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To provide specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to the team. This is to include appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a range of sources including psychological and neurological tests, clinical questionnaires, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interview with clients, staff, family members and others involved in the clients care, all in the context of multi-disciplinary working.
To formulate, implement and evaluate plans for the specialised psychological intervention and/or management of a clients problems, based upon a thorough holistic assessment. The formulation should include consideration of the clients presenting difficulties, personal, social and developmental history, strengths and needs, environmental factors, intellectual ability and level of social support and independence. To consider, evaluate and decide upon a range of interventions and theoretical models across the full range of care settings, including consideration of evidence of efficacy, and to decide upon the most appropriate intervention in liaison with the client or staff or carer.
To be responsible for implementing a range of specialist psychological interventions, across outpatient, community and in-patient settings, for individuals, carers, families and groups, employed individually and in synthesis, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
To provide expertise and specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.
To provide expertise, consultation and specialist advice to professional colleagues on the psychological assessment and treatment of autistic people and to promote a psychological perspective of their needs. To provide access, advice and consultation on psychological knowledge, research and research methods to other professionals in the team.
To undertake risk assessment and risk management for relevant individual clients and to provide both general and specialist advice for psychologists and other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and management.
To act as care co-ordinator where appropriate, ensuring the provision of a care package appropriate for the clients needs. This is to include co-ordinating the work of others involved with care, arranging clients care reviews as required and communicating effectively with the client, their family and all others involved in care; and to monitor progress during the course of multi-disciplinary interventions.
To provide expert consultation about the psychological care of the client group to staff and agencies outside of the team and the Trust including advice, consultation and support to clinical staff in mainstream health services to enable them to offer best evidence-based practice for autistic adults accessing their service. These may include organisations such as independent sector agencies and social services.
To work with other disciplines and agencies, to provide a coherent and effective service for autistic people.
To communicate information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care in a skilled, professional and sensitive manner, and to monitor and evaluate progress during the course of both university- and multi-disciplinary care. To be sensitive to each clients level of needs and to communicate in a manner that is accessible and understandable. This may involve producing easy-to-understand version of reports or letters or arranging face-to-face meetings to explain assessment results. Existing worksheets or intervention packages may need to be adapted to suit the needs of autistic people.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To provide specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to the team. This is to include appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a range of sources including psychological and neurological tests, clinical questionnaires, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interview with clients, staff, family members and others involved in the clients care, all in the context of multi-disciplinary working.
To formulate, implement and evaluate plans for the specialised psychological intervention and/or management of a clients problems, based upon a thorough holistic assessment. The formulation should include consideration of the clients presenting difficulties, personal, social and developmental history, strengths and needs, environmental factors, intellectual ability and level of social support and independence. To consider, evaluate and decide upon a range of interventions and theoretical models across the full range of care settings, including consideration of evidence of efficacy, and to decide upon the most appropriate intervention in liaison with the client or staff or carer.
To be responsible for implementing a range of specialist psychological interventions, across outpatient, community and in-patient settings, for individuals, carers, families and groups, employed individually and in synthesis, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
To provide expertise and specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.
To provide expertise, consultation and specialist advice to professional colleagues on the psychological assessment and treatment of autistic people and to promote a psychological perspective of their needs. To provide access, advice and consultation on psychological knowledge, research and research methods to other professionals in the team.
To undertake risk assessment and risk management for relevant individual clients and to provide both general and specialist advice for psychologists and other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and management.
To act as care co-ordinator where appropriate, ensuring the provision of a care package appropriate for the clients needs. This is to include co-ordinating the work of others involved with care, arranging clients care reviews as required and communicating effectively with the client, their family and all others involved in care; and to monitor progress during the course of multi-disciplinary interventions.
To provide expert consultation about the psychological care of the client group to staff and agencies outside of the team and the Trust including advice, consultation and support to clinical staff in mainstream health services to enable them to offer best evidence-based practice for autistic adults accessing their service. These may include organisations such as independent sector agencies and social services.
To work with other disciplines and agencies, to provide a coherent and effective service for autistic people.
To communicate information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care in a skilled, professional and sensitive manner, and to monitor and evaluate progress during the course of both university- and multi-disciplinary care. To be sensitive to each clients level of needs and to communicate in a manner that is accessible and understandable. This may involve producing easy-to-understand version of reports or letters or arranging face-to-face meetings to explain assessment results. Existing worksheets or intervention packages may need to be adapted to suit the needs of autistic people.
Person Specification
Training & Qualification
Essential
- Doctoral level training in clinical psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology, as accredited by the HCPC.
- Registered with the Health & Care Professions Council as a practitioner psychologist under the appropriate domain.
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the HCPC
Desirable
- Pre-qualification training in research methodology, staff training.
- Skills in neuropsychological assessment.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of adults with Autism??across a range of care settings, for example outpatient, community, primary care and in patient settings.
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect 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 of working with professional systems and families in a clinical context
Desirable
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment.
- 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.
Desirable
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc).
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies
Person Specification
Training & Qualification
Essential
- Doctoral level training in clinical psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology, as accredited by the HCPC.
- Registered with the Health & Care Professions Council as a practitioner psychologist under the appropriate domain.
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the HCPC
Desirable
- Pre-qualification training in research methodology, staff training.
- Skills in neuropsychological assessment.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of adults with Autism??across a range of care settings, for example outpatient, community, primary care and in patient settings.
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect 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 of working with professional systems and families in a clinical context
Desirable
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment.
- 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.
Desirable
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc).
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies
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).
