Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Information:

This job is now closed

Job summary

The Neuropsychology Department of the National Hospital is one of the largest Neuropsychology Departments in the UK and has long had an international reputation for its clinical services and research.

The Department provides highly specialised diagnostic, management and rehabilitation services both for in and outpatients with a variety of neurological, neurosurgical and neuropsychiatric conditions.

Main duties of the job

This post is suitable for clinical psychologists with a background in neuropsychology and relevant experience in adult neuropsychology assessment and intervention. Candidates must: -

  • Have Doctorate level training in Clinical Psychology or Clinical Neuropsychology (or its equivalent)
  • Be registered or eligible to register with the HCPC
  • Have experience in conducting, interpreting and communicating findings from complex neuropsychological assessments

The post holder will contribute to the provision of specialist neuropsychological assessment, cognitive rehabilitation and advice on management of complex disability, for both inpatients and outpatients. It is expected that the post holder will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, be committed to the delivery of a high standard of care, and have the ability to work both independently and as part of a team. Supervision and further training will be provided by the Department.

About us

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically led acute and specialist services, to people from the local area, from throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. Our vision is to deliver top-quality patient care, excellent education, and world-class research.

We provide first-class acute and specialist services across eight sites:

  • University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing)
  • National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
  • Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals
  • University College Hospital Grafton Way Building
  • Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine
  • University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre
  • The Hospital for Tropical Diseases
  • University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street

We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. UCLH specialises in women's health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological, gastrointestinal and oral disease. It has world class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclear medicine and pathology.

At UCLH, we have a real 'One Team' ethos, and our values - safety, kindness, teamwork and improving, are central to the way we work. This is supported by our staff, who voted us as the #1 NHS Acute Trust to work for in the whole of England.

Date posted

25 August 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£58,698 to £65,095 a year Per annum inclusive of HCAS

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

309-UCLH-2862

Job locations

National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery

Queen Square

London

WC1N 3BG


Job description

Job responsibilities

For a full and detailed description of the role, all applicants are advised to read the attached Job Description.

Job description

Job responsibilities

For a full and detailed description of the role, all applicants are advised to read the attached Job Description.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Qualifications

Essential

  • Honours degree in psychology or related disciplines, and Doctorate level training in clinical psychology (or its equivalent)
  • Registered or eligible to register as a Practitioner Psychologist with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC)
  • Specialist knowledge of neuropsychological assessment techniques and psychometrics
  • Knowledge of interventions and neuro-rehabilitation and an ability to guide and advise medical / nursing and therapy staff on these principles.
  • Specialist knowledge of psychological therapies relevant to use in a neuro-rehabilitation setting.

Desirable

  • Specialist knowledge of neuropsychological syndromes and functional neuroanatomy
  • Knowledge of further educational and support systems / services for cognitively impaired adults

Experience

Essential

  • At least two years clinical experience post-qualification of working as a specialist clinical neuropsychologist.

Desirable

  • Previous experience presenting to peers / colleagues on a range of clinical and research issues.
  • Post-qualification experience using cognitive rehabilitation techniques and psychological interventions (eg CBT, brief interventions, counselling, psychosocial interventions) with patients and their family members, within both individual and group settings.
  • Neuropsychological experience across a range of clinical settings, client ages and neuropsychological syndromes.

Skills & Abilities Communication & Customer Care

Essential

  • Demonstrates understanding of, and ability to, manage the needs of patients with acute and chronic disability, including the use of supportive counselling skills as appropriate
  • Demonstrates professional and effective verbal and written communication skills including excellent negotiation skills with patients, carers and other health professional staff in service delivery
  • Ability to communicate highly sensitive information to cognitively impaired and/or psychologically vulnerable people and their carers, who may have significant barriers to understanding or acceptance
  • Management of behavioural disturbances eg verbal aggression, inappropriate behaviour and risk of physical aggression from people with a behavioural / cognitive disturbance.

Personal & people development

Essential

  • Ability to establish good rapport and professional working relationships within multidisciplinary teams and other agencies for extended periods of time
  • Ability to show leadership, initiative and utilise clinical supervision in different services effectively
  • Ability to identify areas for own personal / professional development through highly developed reflective practice skills and integrate knowledge gained into own practice
  • Ability to autonomously manage own caseload

Desirable

  • Effective time management and ability to prioritise own workload
  • Ability to represent clinical psychology in multi-disciplinary group settings and within specialist clinical services
  • Ability to complete clinical and research duties in an autonomous fashion

Academic and research

Essential

  • Ability to critique and evaluate scientific data and best practice clinical guidelines

Desirable

  • Evidence of a research publication track record within relevant areas of clinical neuropsychology
  • Previous experience in conducting research and/or audit in relevant area of neuropsychology

Quality and service improvement

Essential

  • Evidence of working effectively in multidisciplinary teams
  • Evidence of effective clinical reasoning in the assessment and management of complex neuro-disability.

Information processing (IT skills)

Essential

  • Competent IT skills (word processing, spreadsheets, SPSS)

Personal Qualities

Essential

  • A high level of interpersonal and communication skills.
  • Must be able to cope with highly emotive and psychologically challenging demands of working with neurologically impaired patients for long periods of time.
  • Must be able to communicate effectively with a wide range of people in a sensitive, caring and non-judgemental manner.
Person Specification

Knowledge and Qualifications

Essential

  • Honours degree in psychology or related disciplines, and Doctorate level training in clinical psychology (or its equivalent)
  • Registered or eligible to register as a Practitioner Psychologist with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC)
  • Specialist knowledge of neuropsychological assessment techniques and psychometrics
  • Knowledge of interventions and neuro-rehabilitation and an ability to guide and advise medical / nursing and therapy staff on these principles.
  • Specialist knowledge of psychological therapies relevant to use in a neuro-rehabilitation setting.

Desirable

  • Specialist knowledge of neuropsychological syndromes and functional neuroanatomy
  • Knowledge of further educational and support systems / services for cognitively impaired adults

Experience

Essential

  • At least two years clinical experience post-qualification of working as a specialist clinical neuropsychologist.

Desirable

  • Previous experience presenting to peers / colleagues on a range of clinical and research issues.
  • Post-qualification experience using cognitive rehabilitation techniques and psychological interventions (eg CBT, brief interventions, counselling, psychosocial interventions) with patients and their family members, within both individual and group settings.
  • Neuropsychological experience across a range of clinical settings, client ages and neuropsychological syndromes.

Skills & Abilities Communication & Customer Care

Essential

  • Demonstrates understanding of, and ability to, manage the needs of patients with acute and chronic disability, including the use of supportive counselling skills as appropriate
  • Demonstrates professional and effective verbal and written communication skills including excellent negotiation skills with patients, carers and other health professional staff in service delivery
  • Ability to communicate highly sensitive information to cognitively impaired and/or psychologically vulnerable people and their carers, who may have significant barriers to understanding or acceptance
  • Management of behavioural disturbances eg verbal aggression, inappropriate behaviour and risk of physical aggression from people with a behavioural / cognitive disturbance.

Personal & people development

Essential

  • Ability to establish good rapport and professional working relationships within multidisciplinary teams and other agencies for extended periods of time
  • Ability to show leadership, initiative and utilise clinical supervision in different services effectively
  • Ability to identify areas for own personal / professional development through highly developed reflective practice skills and integrate knowledge gained into own practice
  • Ability to autonomously manage own caseload

Desirable

  • Effective time management and ability to prioritise own workload
  • Ability to represent clinical psychology in multi-disciplinary group settings and within specialist clinical services
  • Ability to complete clinical and research duties in an autonomous fashion

Academic and research

Essential

  • Ability to critique and evaluate scientific data and best practice clinical guidelines

Desirable

  • Evidence of a research publication track record within relevant areas of clinical neuropsychology
  • Previous experience in conducting research and/or audit in relevant area of neuropsychology

Quality and service improvement

Essential

  • Evidence of working effectively in multidisciplinary teams
  • Evidence of effective clinical reasoning in the assessment and management of complex neuro-disability.

Information processing (IT skills)

Essential

  • Competent IT skills (word processing, spreadsheets, SPSS)

Personal Qualities

Essential

  • A high level of interpersonal and communication skills.
  • Must be able to cope with highly emotive and psychologically challenging demands of working with neurologically impaired patients for long periods of time.
  • Must be able to communicate effectively with a wide range of people in a sensitive, caring and non-judgemental manner.

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).

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.

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

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery

Queen Square

London

WC1N 3BG


Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery

Queen Square

London

WC1N 3BG


Employer's website

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

For questions about the job, contact:

Lead Clinical Neuropsychologist

Natasja van Harskamp

natasja.van-harskamp@nhs.net

Date posted

25 August 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£58,698 to £65,095 a year Per annum inclusive of HCAS

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

309-UCLH-2862

Job locations

National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery

Queen Square

London

WC1N 3BG


Supporting documents

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