Job summary
We are looking for a highly motivated and innovative Clinical/Counselling Psychologist to join our friendly and compassionate established multi-disciplinary Team.
To join the Multi Agency Psychological Support (MAPS) Service - which is located in the local authority (London Borough of Hillingdon) and is part of an existing NHS service. The MAPS service comprises of a team of psychologists, providing a service for children, young people and young adults who are in/leaving care and/or adopted or have special guardianship orders, or who are children in need of protection, children in need, or vulnerable children referred to the stronger families service. We work closely with our Hillingdon CAMHS service.
An additional part of role will be to provide psychological support for the 'Staying Close' project. Staying Close aims to provide stable accommodation and comprehensive support to care-experienced young people, aged 18+, who are leaving residential or supported living placements. This will be delivered in partnership with a range of agencies and organisations, including health, education, and employment providers. The aim is to ensure that young people receive joined-up support that meets their needs and helps them to achieve their full potential as they step out of care and transition into adulthood.
Main duties of the job
1. To provide specialist psychological and/or systemic or psychotherapeutic assessments and interventions whilst interpreting and integrating complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members, foster carers and others involved in the client's care, including frontline workers in health, education, social services and the voluntary sector.
2. To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of children and young people with mental health difficulties, including those children who are looked after and adopted, or are children in need, children in need of protection, young adults leaving care, or vulnerable children who are part of the stronger families teams. These plans will be based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the client's problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings.
3. To work to prevent placement breakdown, and far more effective rehabilitation of children and young people back into their families where appropriate.
About us
The Multi Agency Psychological Support (MAPS) Service - Is a service which is located in the local authority (London Borough of Hillingdon) and is part of an existing NHS service. The MAPS service is a well-established team of psychologists, and provides a service for children, young people and young adults who are in/leaving care and/or adopted or have special guardianship orders, or who are children in need of protection, children in need, or children referred to stronger families service. We work closely with our Hillingdon CAMHS service based at Minet Clinic, Uxbridge. The CAMHS team is well established and is staffed by a multi-disciplinary team of clinicians.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder will join an established Looked After Children and Early Intervention Service, and will have the opportunity to be part of the Staying Close project (Leaving care young adults). These services work alongside an MDT CAMHS Team and undertake the following responsibilities:
Clinical:
1. To provide specialist psychological and/or systemic or psychotherapeutic assessments and interventions whilst interpreting and integrating complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members, foster carers and others involved in the clients care, including frontline workers in health, education, social services and the voluntary sector.
2. To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of children and young people with mental health difficulties, including those children who are looked after and adopted, or are children in need, children in need of protection, young adults leaving care, or vulnerable children who are part of the stronger families teams. These plans will be based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings.
3. To work to prevent placement breakdown, and far more effective rehabilitation of children and young people back into their families where appropriate.
4. To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological, psychotherapuetic and systemic interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across teams employed individually and in synthesis, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
5. To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical, environmental, biological and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.
6. To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans.
7. To collaborate with colleagues in devising appropriate psychological, psychotherapeutic and systemic interventions for children, young adults, families and groups.
8. To provide specialist psychological/ systemic advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals who comprise of the team around the child/young adult contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.
9. To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically and or systemic based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings and agencies serving the client group.
10. To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management.
11. To act as care coordinator, where appropriate, taking responsibility for initiating planning and review of care plans including clients, their carers, referring agents and others involved the network of care.
12. To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care and to monitor progress during the course of both uni- and multi-disciplinary care.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder will join an established Looked After Children and Early Intervention Service, and will have the opportunity to be part of the Staying Close project (Leaving care young adults). These services work alongside an MDT CAMHS Team and undertake the following responsibilities:
Clinical:
1. To provide specialist psychological and/or systemic or psychotherapeutic assessments and interventions whilst interpreting and integrating complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members, foster carers and others involved in the clients care, including frontline workers in health, education, social services and the voluntary sector.
2. To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of children and young people with mental health difficulties, including those children who are looked after and adopted, or are children in need, children in need of protection, young adults leaving care, or vulnerable children who are part of the stronger families teams. These plans will be based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings.
3. To work to prevent placement breakdown, and far more effective rehabilitation of children and young people back into their families where appropriate.
4. To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological, psychotherapuetic and systemic interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across teams employed individually and in synthesis, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
5. To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical, environmental, biological and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.
6. To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans.
7. To collaborate with colleagues in devising appropriate psychological, psychotherapeutic and systemic interventions for children, young adults, families and groups.
8. To provide specialist psychological/ systemic advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals who comprise of the team around the child/young adult contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.
9. To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically and or systemic based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings and agencies serving the client group.
10. To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management.
11. To act as care coordinator, where appropriate, taking responsibility for initiating planning and review of care plans including clients, their carers, referring agents and others involved the network of care.
12. To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care and to monitor progress during the course of both uni- and multi-disciplinary care.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Postgraduate doctoral training in clinical psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology, as accredited by the BPS
- Registration as a Clinical Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council
- Or have completed a training on a postgraduate course which must be accredited by the Association for Family Therapy and be registered with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) as a Systemic and Family Psychotherapist
- Or Hold an MA in Art Therapy, Eligibility for State Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and Membership of BAAT
- Or Masters level preclinical training at an Association of Child Psychotherapists recognised training school; - post graduate doctoral level training in clinical child psychotherapy at a training school accredited by the Association of Child Psychotherapy (ACP) or Association of Child Psychotherapists Statement of Equivalence. Registered with the ACP
Desirable
- Pre/ Post-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other field of applied psychology or relevant area of practice.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of specialist psychological/ psychotherapeutic, systemic assessment and treatment of clients across a range of care settings (e.g. outpatient, primary care, inpatient).
- Experience of working with a variety of client groups, 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 in a CAMHS setting
Desirable
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision
- Experience of working with Looked After Children Adopted, Children in Need, children in Need of Protection or vulnerable children/ young adults
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology/ systemic psychotherapy/ psychotherapy in different cultural contexts.
- Experience of working with interpreters
- Experience of the use of a range of cognitive and neuropsychological tests, and diagnostic tools
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological / systemic / psychotherapeutic assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration
- Skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, 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
- Knowledge of research methodology, research design and data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
- Knowledge of effective Child Protection Strategies
- Knowledge of issues relating to consent/ capacity
Desirable
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of evidence based psychological/ psychotherapeutic, systemic therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. children with challenging behaviours, developmental delays, post traumatic stress disorder, and complex trauma, neuro developmental difficulties, and interpersonal difficulties).
- Knowledge and skills in specialist psychological/ psychotherapeutic / systemic assessment and treatment with children and young people who are looked after or adopted.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
- Skills of assessing mental health risk and safeguarding concerns
Key Skills/Abilities
Essential
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi -media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
- Valid drivers licence and the ability to drive to different bases.
Desirable
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Postgraduate doctoral training in clinical psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology, as accredited by the BPS
- Registration as a Clinical Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council
- Or have completed a training on a postgraduate course which must be accredited by the Association for Family Therapy and be registered with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) as a Systemic and Family Psychotherapist
- Or Hold an MA in Art Therapy, Eligibility for State Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and Membership of BAAT
- Or Masters level preclinical training at an Association of Child Psychotherapists recognised training school; - post graduate doctoral level training in clinical child psychotherapy at a training school accredited by the Association of Child Psychotherapy (ACP) or Association of Child Psychotherapists Statement of Equivalence. Registered with the ACP
Desirable
- Pre/ Post-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other field of applied psychology or relevant area of practice.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of specialist psychological/ psychotherapeutic, systemic assessment and treatment of clients across a range of care settings (e.g. outpatient, primary care, inpatient).
- Experience of working with a variety of client groups, 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 in a CAMHS setting
Desirable
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision
- Experience of working with Looked After Children Adopted, Children in Need, children in Need of Protection or vulnerable children/ young adults
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology/ systemic psychotherapy/ psychotherapy in different cultural contexts.
- Experience of working with interpreters
- Experience of the use of a range of cognitive and neuropsychological tests, and diagnostic tools
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological / systemic / psychotherapeutic assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration
- Skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, 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
- Knowledge of research methodology, research design and data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
- Knowledge of effective Child Protection Strategies
- Knowledge of issues relating to consent/ capacity
Desirable
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of evidence based psychological/ psychotherapeutic, systemic therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. children with challenging behaviours, developmental delays, post traumatic stress disorder, and complex trauma, neuro developmental difficulties, and interpersonal difficulties).
- Knowledge and skills in specialist psychological/ psychotherapeutic / systemic assessment and treatment with children and young people who are looked after or adopted.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
- Skills of assessing mental health risk and safeguarding concerns
Key Skills/Abilities
Essential
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi -media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
- Valid drivers licence and the ability to drive to different bases.
Desirable
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
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).
Employer details
Employer name
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Children’s Services, Civic Centre Hillingdon; other venues as required
Uxbridge
UB8 1UW
Employer's website
https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/work (Opens in a new tab)
