Job summary
Psychology in Hostels are an innovative, multi award-winning specialist homeless psychology service. For 14 years, PIH has led in the development of 'Psychologically Informed Environments', delivering 'Trauma Informed Approaches' and developing best practice for working with excluded and multiply disadvantaged populations across Lambeth and Westminster in partnership with the third sector.
The client group experience multiple disadvantage and have high levels of complex trauma and interpersonal difficulties coupled with substance misuse issues and risk-taking behaviour. To support them we take a 'PIE' approach. A PIE takes into consideration how the psychological and emotional needs of the clients are affected by the environments they inhabit and how services support them. This includes the approaches adopted by hostel and outreach staff; the training and support offered; the psychology-specific interventions delivered and the integration of psychological & trauma informed approaches in the design of services.
We organize our service around the 6 principles of Trauma Informed Care, and draw upon a range of evidence-based treatments for working with complex needs populations (Incl. MBT, DBT, CBT, Narrative, Systemic). We aimto work with the whole system around people experiencing homelessness, and are keen to continue to develop our community psychology ways of working.
Main duties of the job
You will be the PiH Psychologist for Lambeth's Housing First project, embedded within this 3rd Sector team and working closely with staff and management. You will represent 'psychology' for the HF team, and be supervised by one of the senior PiH Psychologists. HF is an approach toending homelessness through housing and support provision. It prioritises access to housing with intensive tailored support for the client, and emphasises choice and control. The Lambeth service supports clients in 47 flats. We are we well embedded in the team, and they make good use of psychology input. The post holder will: Work closely with our third sector partners to develop a PIE and trauma-informed approach to understanding and managing clients' difficulties.
- Support the 3rdsector service, through teaching, training, bi-monthly reflective practice, and consultation
- Support reflection and formulation for HF Workers to provide flexible and psychologically and trauma-informed support to clients
- Offer individual therapeutic work, and facilitate community-based interventions for clients
- Support the assessment and onwards referral of clients into mainstream services.
- Work with your PiH colleagues to develop new ways of working within the team and across the wider system.
This role will sit within the wider Psychology in Hostels team embedded across multiple services in Westminster and Lambeth, which includes: Psychologists at Band 7-8c, a Nurse Psychotherapist, and an Art Therapist.
About us
This post will be based within the Housing First team base on Cedar's Road in Clapham, with travel to visit clients across Lambeth required. The PiH team admin base is at 308 Brixton Road.
Our Trust headquarters is located at Denmark Hill less than 5 minutes from the train station (zone 2). We also provide services and operate across other locations, such as London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark; and substance misuse services for residents of Bexley, Lambeth, Greenwich and Wandsworth.
Benefits:
We are committed to ensuring our staff get the most out of their benefits package, feel valued and understand the importance of a healthy work life balance.
Some of our benefits include:
- Generous pay, pensions and leavepackages dependent on the role and length of service.
- Work life balance,flexible working and supporting a range of flexible options, such as: part-time working and job sharing.
- Career developmentwith plenty CPD opportunities such as mentoring, coaching, collective leadership and other talent programmes.
- Accommodation,our staff benefit fromkeyworker housing at selected sites.
- NHS discountsvia theHealth Service Discounts website.
Other benefits include:
- Counselling services
- Wellbeing events
- Long service awards
- Cycle to work scheme
- Season ticket loan
- Childcare vouchers
- Staff restaurants
Job description
Job responsibilities
To provide a specialist psychology service to support staff and adult clients being supported by HF team: including staff support, psychological therapy, trauma specific interventions and monitoring of outcomes. These roles are suitable for someone with interest in Psychology in Hostels trauma-informed and Psychologically Informed Environment (PIE) work.
Key Responsibilities:
Clinical
- To provide expertise in a specialist clinical area, both directly and indirectly, the psychological needs of those experiencing complex needs and multiple disadvantage (incl. homelessness).
- To provide specialist assessment and clinical formulation to clients with a wide range of mental health needs, including complex trauma, personality disorder, anxiety and depression, addictions, learning difficulties and psychosis.
- To select, administer and interpret psychometric and neuropsychological tests, involving skilled manipulation of test materials and high-level analysis of findings from the assessments.
- To select and deliver evidence-based specialist psychological treatments, monitoring outcome and modifying and adapting interventions, drawing on a range of theoretical options.
- To support other team members and partner services on specialist psychological care of clients.
Teaching, training, and supervision
- To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior psychologist or psychotherapist according to HCPC and Trust guidelines.
- To provide specialist training in psychological and trauma-informed approaches to care for other professionals as appropriate, particularly to third sector staff, peer support workers, project MDT within the Housing First project team.
- To provide clinical supervision for psychological work undertaken by assistant psychologists, placement students, trainee psychologists and the MDT team as appropriate.
Management, recruitment, policy and service development
- To identify any aspects of the service which could be improved and contribute to the service development through undertaking and participating in appropriate projects.
- To manage own workload and the agreed workload of junior staff, as required, under supervision from a more senior psychologist.
- To participate in clinical governance initiatives as agreed by the Directorate clinical governance committee and team.
Research and service evaluation
- To lead, support and/or participate in service evaluation, including gathering and analysing output and outcome data, as required.
- To carry out appropriate research to improve the quality of care and provide research advice to other staff undertaking research within the service
General Responsibilities
-
- To ensure own Continuing Professional Development in line with HCPC, BPS and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements.
A full Job Description and Person Specification is attached to the advert.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To provide a specialist psychology service to support staff and adult clients being supported by HF team: including staff support, psychological therapy, trauma specific interventions and monitoring of outcomes. These roles are suitable for someone with interest in Psychology in Hostels trauma-informed and Psychologically Informed Environment (PIE) work.
Key Responsibilities:
Clinical
- To provide expertise in a specialist clinical area, both directly and indirectly, the psychological needs of those experiencing complex needs and multiple disadvantage (incl. homelessness).
- To provide specialist assessment and clinical formulation to clients with a wide range of mental health needs, including complex trauma, personality disorder, anxiety and depression, addictions, learning difficulties and psychosis.
- To select, administer and interpret psychometric and neuropsychological tests, involving skilled manipulation of test materials and high-level analysis of findings from the assessments.
- To select and deliver evidence-based specialist psychological treatments, monitoring outcome and modifying and adapting interventions, drawing on a range of theoretical options.
- To support other team members and partner services on specialist psychological care of clients.
Teaching, training, and supervision
- To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior psychologist or psychotherapist according to HCPC and Trust guidelines.
- To provide specialist training in psychological and trauma-informed approaches to care for other professionals as appropriate, particularly to third sector staff, peer support workers, project MDT within the Housing First project team.
- To provide clinical supervision for psychological work undertaken by assistant psychologists, placement students, trainee psychologists and the MDT team as appropriate.
Management, recruitment, policy and service development
- To identify any aspects of the service which could be improved and contribute to the service development through undertaking and participating in appropriate projects.
- To manage own workload and the agreed workload of junior staff, as required, under supervision from a more senior psychologist.
- To participate in clinical governance initiatives as agreed by the Directorate clinical governance committee and team.
Research and service evaluation
- To lead, support and/or participate in service evaluation, including gathering and analysing output and outcome data, as required.
- To carry out appropriate research to improve the quality of care and provide research advice to other staff undertaking research within the service
General Responsibilities
-
- To ensure own Continuing Professional Development in line with HCPC, BPS and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements.
A full Job Description and Person Specification is attached to the advert.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Entry-level qualification in applied psychological therapy/mental health/social welfare profession and demonstrable practice in this field (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level/ supervised practice/ additional training) that has been accepted for the purposes of professional registration.
- Registered with professional body as appropriate to discipline HCPC/APC/ BPC/UKCP/BACP/BABCP/ADMP-UK
Desirable
- Additional training in relevant specialist psychological models (Psychodynamic, MBT, DBT, CAT, Systemic, Narrative).
- Additional training in neuropsychological assessment and treatment
Experience
Essential
- Experience of psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in adult mental health (e.g. Addictions/ homelessness /complex trauma/ personality disorder/ mood disorder).
- Experience of engagement of hard-to-reach clients
- Experience of providing teaching and training to other professional groups
Desirable
- Experience of working with homeless people
- Experience of specialist work with trauma and complex trauma.
- Experience of work with substance misuse.
Knowledge
Essential
- Awareness of racial diversity issues and factors affecting access to mental health care.
- Knowledge of psychological assessment and clinical psychometrics (incl. selecting, administering and interpreting neuropsychological tests).
Desirable
- Specialist knowledge relevant to work in supported housing settings.
- Masters or Doctoral level knowledge of psychological research methodology and complex statistical analysis.
- Current knowledge of, expertise, or interest in and/or willingness to train further in neuropsychology, including in reaching excluded populations
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Ability to work flexibly and creatively to engage clients in hostel settings.
- Highly developed verbal and written communication skills (incl. delivering complex and sensitive information to clients, families and staff).
- Specialist practitioner skills at level 3 in at least one model of psychotherapy or psychological therapy (CBT, Psychodynamic, MBT, systemic, CAT).
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Entry-level qualification in applied psychological therapy/mental health/social welfare profession and demonstrable practice in this field (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level/ supervised practice/ additional training) that has been accepted for the purposes of professional registration.
- Registered with professional body as appropriate to discipline HCPC/APC/ BPC/UKCP/BACP/BABCP/ADMP-UK
Desirable
- Additional training in relevant specialist psychological models (Psychodynamic, MBT, DBT, CAT, Systemic, Narrative).
- Additional training in neuropsychological assessment and treatment
Experience
Essential
- Experience of psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in adult mental health (e.g. Addictions/ homelessness /complex trauma/ personality disorder/ mood disorder).
- Experience of engagement of hard-to-reach clients
- Experience of providing teaching and training to other professional groups
Desirable
- Experience of working with homeless people
- Experience of specialist work with trauma and complex trauma.
- Experience of work with substance misuse.
Knowledge
Essential
- Awareness of racial diversity issues and factors affecting access to mental health care.
- Knowledge of psychological assessment and clinical psychometrics (incl. selecting, administering and interpreting neuropsychological tests).
Desirable
- Specialist knowledge relevant to work in supported housing settings.
- Masters or Doctoral level knowledge of psychological research methodology and complex statistical analysis.
- Current knowledge of, expertise, or interest in and/or willingness to train further in neuropsychology, including in reaching excluded populations
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Ability to work flexibly and creatively to engage clients in hostel settings.
- Highly developed verbal and written communication skills (incl. delivering complex and sensitive information to clients, families and staff).
- Specialist practitioner skills at level 3 in at least one model of psychotherapy or psychological therapy (CBT, Psychodynamic, MBT, systemic, CAT).
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).
