Job summary
We are looking for an enthusiastic and innovative psychologist to lead the psychology provision in the North Westminster Community Mental Health Hub. The Hub is an integrated multi-disciplinary service designed to serve the need of clients with severe and enduring mental health problems including psychosis, bipolar affective disorder, complex emotional needs, recurrent depression and complex PTSD.
Main duties of the job
Joining our Adult Psychology services in Westminster will provide you with the opportunity to develop your leadership skills, overseeing the provision and development of psychology services and psychosocial interventions for complex difficulties as part of an integrated multi-disciplinary team.
As the Lead Psychologist for the North Hub, the post holder will be responsible for oversight and management of the day-to-day running of psychology service to ensure the delivery of high quality integrated, recovery-focused and evidence-based psycho-social interventions to individuals who experience complex and enduring mental health problems.
The post holder will have significant experience of working with people who have severe and enduring mental health problems across the age span. Excellent psychological assessment, intervention and consultation skills are required, especially in the delivery of NICE recommended interventions. They will be expected to contribute to and initiate service developments related to psychological care provision within the Hub.
The post holder will have a strong commitment to the recovery model, multi-disciplinary working, service user and carer involvement, and working with people who are cautious about engaging with mental health services. Strong team skills and confidence in providing consultation, training and supervision to other staff is essential.
About us
You will be part of a supportive group of psychologists, with good supervision structures and access to opportunities within the borough and wider trust for development of special interests and the sharing of specialist knowledge. The service also has close links with regional Clinical & Counselling Psychology Training Courses.
We especially welcome applications from candidates with the valuable experience of the diverse social and cultural communities the Trust serves as we are seeking to ensure our psychology staffing has greater diversity and better represents local communities. The successful candidate will be supported to develop their career and flourish as a valued member of the psychology staff group. There are also a number of support systems within the Trust including staff peer networks.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To develop, co-ordinate and ensure the systematic provision of a psychology services to individuals who experience complex and severe mental health problems in North Westminster via the North Westminster CMH Hub, and to provide supervision, line management and operational guidance to the principle psychologist in Queens Park & Paddington CMH Hub.
- To personally provide highly specialist clinical input.
- To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.
- To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate, functioning as a lead specialist in secondary care services in North westminster.
- To ensure that systems are in place and working effectively for the clinical and professional supervision and support of other psychologists within North Westminster CMH Hub and QPP Hub.
- To undertake service evaluation, audit, research and policy development.
- To work as an autonomous professional within BPS and HCPC guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by principles and policies or procedures of the service, taking responsibility for interpreting policies within defined parameters.To agree outcomes/results with clinical/professional lead and to decide how they are best achieved
Clinical and Client Care
- To develop, co-ordinate and ensure the systematic provision of a highly specialist psychology service to North Westminster CMH Hub.
- To provide highly specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions for clients in the Hub including high quality integrated, recovery-focused and evidence based health and social care interventions to individuals who experience complex and severe mental health problems.
- To provide culturally appropriate psychological interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.
- To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans.
- To act as primary worker taking responsibility for initiating, planning and reviewing care plans using Dialog+ and coordinating review meetings between service users, carers and the Hub as needed.
- To travel to other team bases, service users homes, community setting as appropriate and across the Trust when required.
Responsibilities for team or service clinical functioning
- To co-ordinate (and chair) meetings for the Psychology team and wider Hub to ensure effective functioning and review these when appropriate.
- To take a lead in ensuring a psychologically informed framework for the psychology provision within the Westminster CMH Hubs.
- To take a lead in developing the team or services delivery of accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.
- To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.
- To advise other members of the service on specialist psychological care of clients.
- To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals concerned with clients in order to develop and review care plans.
- To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members
Policy and service development
- To implement policies and procedures in own area of work.
- To identify any aspects of Psychology and wider hub provision which could be improved and propose changes to practices or procedures that affect the Hub and may also affect other services.
- To initiate and implement service development projects, as agreed with clinical/professional lead.
- To participate in the ongoing implementation of new initiatives (e.g. national guidelines) across relevant services.
- To lead the consultation and engagement of service users in planning and delivering services which meet the needs of local communities.
Management and supervision
- To provide clinical leadership to more junior psychologists, psychotherapists and other professionals, as appropriate.
- To be responsible for the allocation and/or clinical supervision of the work of more junior psychologists.
- To supervise trainee applied psychologists within own area of specialism.
- To contribute to the appraisal of more junior psychologists, as appropriate.
- To contribute to the recruitment of more junior psychologists, as appropriate
Teaching and Training
- To undertake occasional teaching and training of pre and post- qualification psychologists and specialised training to other professions as appropriate.
- To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within the Westminster CMH Hubs by maintaining an active awareness of current developments in psychology and complex mental health provision and care and by implementing knowledge gained in practice.
- To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To develop, co-ordinate and ensure the systematic provision of a psychology services to individuals who experience complex and severe mental health problems in North Westminster via the North Westminster CMH Hub, and to provide supervision, line management and operational guidance to the principle psychologist in Queens Park & Paddington CMH Hub.
- To personally provide highly specialist clinical input.
- To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.
- To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate, functioning as a lead specialist in secondary care services in North westminster.
- To ensure that systems are in place and working effectively for the clinical and professional supervision and support of other psychologists within North Westminster CMH Hub and QPP Hub.
- To undertake service evaluation, audit, research and policy development.
- To work as an autonomous professional within BPS and HCPC guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by principles and policies or procedures of the service, taking responsibility for interpreting policies within defined parameters.To agree outcomes/results with clinical/professional lead and to decide how they are best achieved
Clinical and Client Care
- To develop, co-ordinate and ensure the systematic provision of a highly specialist psychology service to North Westminster CMH Hub.
- To provide highly specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions for clients in the Hub including high quality integrated, recovery-focused and evidence based health and social care interventions to individuals who experience complex and severe mental health problems.
- To provide culturally appropriate psychological interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.
- To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans.
- To act as primary worker taking responsibility for initiating, planning and reviewing care plans using Dialog+ and coordinating review meetings between service users, carers and the Hub as needed.
- To travel to other team bases, service users homes, community setting as appropriate and across the Trust when required.
Responsibilities for team or service clinical functioning
- To co-ordinate (and chair) meetings for the Psychology team and wider Hub to ensure effective functioning and review these when appropriate.
- To take a lead in ensuring a psychologically informed framework for the psychology provision within the Westminster CMH Hubs.
- To take a lead in developing the team or services delivery of accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.
- To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.
- To advise other members of the service on specialist psychological care of clients.
- To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals concerned with clients in order to develop and review care plans.
- To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members
Policy and service development
- To implement policies and procedures in own area of work.
- To identify any aspects of Psychology and wider hub provision which could be improved and propose changes to practices or procedures that affect the Hub and may also affect other services.
- To initiate and implement service development projects, as agreed with clinical/professional lead.
- To participate in the ongoing implementation of new initiatives (e.g. national guidelines) across relevant services.
- To lead the consultation and engagement of service users in planning and delivering services which meet the needs of local communities.
Management and supervision
- To provide clinical leadership to more junior psychologists, psychotherapists and other professionals, as appropriate.
- To be responsible for the allocation and/or clinical supervision of the work of more junior psychologists.
- To supervise trainee applied psychologists within own area of specialism.
- To contribute to the appraisal of more junior psychologists, as appropriate.
- To contribute to the recruitment of more junior psychologists, as appropriate
Teaching and Training
- To undertake occasional teaching and training of pre and post- qualification psychologists and specialised training to other professions as appropriate.
- To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within the Westminster CMH Hubs by maintaining an active awareness of current developments in psychology and complex mental health provision and care and by implementing knowledge gained in practice.
- To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent that has been accepted by the HCPC for purposes of professional registration
- Registration with HCPC as a Practitioner Clinical or Counselling Psychologist
Desirable
- Completed training course in clinical supervision.
Experience
Essential
- Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in Community Mental Health Hub or similar complex care service working with patients with complexity and co-morbidity
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in an adult mental health setting
- Experience of representing Psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary care.
- Experience of supervising assistant and trainee psychologists having completed the relevant training
- Experience of providing teaching and training to psychologists or other professional groups.
- Post-qualification experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities.
- Experience of carrying out post-doctoral research, audit or service evaluation projects.
- Experience of proposing and implementing service development projects within own service area.
Desirable
- Record of publications in either peer reviewed, academic or professional journals/books
- Experience of professional management of other staff including appraisals, clinical governance and performance management.
Skills
Essential
- To deliver psychological therapy across cultural and other differences
- To select and administer specialist psychological assessments, interpreting and integrating complex data that require analysis, interpretation and comparison, drawn from several sources, on which expert opinion may differ
- To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences and hostility to or rejection of information.
- To plan and schedule assessment and interventions for individual clients and groups and carers, and to organise meetings such as CPAs and case reviews, and joint activities with staff of partner agencies.
- To plan projects and work schedules for groups of psychologists.
- To be expert in the skilled administration of psychometric tests, including skilled manipulation of test materials; and to be able to supervise others in administration of psychometric tests.
- Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data.
- Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups
Desirable
- Post-qualification training and accreditation in CBT or other evidence-based psychological therapies
Abilities
Essential
- Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate.
- Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings
- Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions, and to deal with unexpected interruptions or changes during these. (
- Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour.
- Ability to manage verbal aggression and hostility directed at self.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent that has been accepted by the HCPC for purposes of professional registration
- Registration with HCPC as a Practitioner Clinical or Counselling Psychologist
Desirable
- Completed training course in clinical supervision.
Experience
Essential
- Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in Community Mental Health Hub or similar complex care service working with patients with complexity and co-morbidity
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in an adult mental health setting
- Experience of representing Psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary care.
- Experience of supervising assistant and trainee psychologists having completed the relevant training
- Experience of providing teaching and training to psychologists or other professional groups.
- Post-qualification experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities.
- Experience of carrying out post-doctoral research, audit or service evaluation projects.
- Experience of proposing and implementing service development projects within own service area.
Desirable
- Record of publications in either peer reviewed, academic or professional journals/books
- Experience of professional management of other staff including appraisals, clinical governance and performance management.
Skills
Essential
- To deliver psychological therapy across cultural and other differences
- To select and administer specialist psychological assessments, interpreting and integrating complex data that require analysis, interpretation and comparison, drawn from several sources, on which expert opinion may differ
- To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences and hostility to or rejection of information.
- To plan and schedule assessment and interventions for individual clients and groups and carers, and to organise meetings such as CPAs and case reviews, and joint activities with staff of partner agencies.
- To plan projects and work schedules for groups of psychologists.
- To be expert in the skilled administration of psychometric tests, including skilled manipulation of test materials; and to be able to supervise others in administration of psychometric tests.
- Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data.
- Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups
Desirable
- Post-qualification training and accreditation in CBT or other evidence-based psychological therapies
Abilities
Essential
- Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate.
- Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings
- Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions, and to deal with unexpected interruptions or changes during these. (
- Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour.
- Ability to manage verbal aggression and hostility directed at self.
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).
