Clinical/Counselling Psychologist

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 14 May 2025

Job summary

Do you have a passion for delivering outstanding care that brings the 6 C's (care, compassion, commitment, courage, communication and competence) to life?

An exciting opportunity has arisen within Halton community learning disability team.

The post holders will work as part of our established and highly supportive multi-disciplinary teams. Core clinical functions include aspects of assessment, intervention, consultation, clinical team formulation, training, working with and across multi-disciplinary teams and systems, and supporting our programme of audit and research.

You will be joining an established group of clinical psychologists with a wide range of experience and interests. The post holder will receive clinical and managerial supervision, have links to peer psychology meetings and appropriate training and CPD opportunities and an annual personal development review.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work to provide assessment, formulation and, where appropriate, intervention to service users who present with complex mental health problems. Delivery of staff training and support for supporting teams/services regarding psychological principles is fundamental to this role.

The post holder will be responsible for the systematic provision of specialist psychological services for people suffering primarily from common and complex mental health problems. In particular, to provide services that meet the agreed service priorities consonant with the practitioners experience and expertise. Such services to include the development and implementation of specialist psychological assessment and intervention strategies including clinical casework and the provision of consultancy work generally for the assurance of quality in the use of psychological methods by other team members.

About us

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.

We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.

Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.

Date posted

30 April 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£46,148 to £60,504 a year Per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

350-SC7142184

Job locations

Bridges Learning Centre

Crow Wood Health Park Crow Wood Lane

Widnes

WA8 3LZ

Job description

Job responsibilities

CLINICAL

To be a member of the service team and to contribute to, participate in and adhere to the routines and policies of that service.

To be responsible for the systematic provision of psychological services at a highly specialist level. To adhere to the organisation of the service particularly with regard to membership of the multidisciplinary teams.

Services will be based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations, and interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the clients care. Services will include the following:-

Highly specialist one-to-one clinical consultations
Highly specialist psychological assessment including issues of risk
Psychological interventions for individuals, families and groups, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses
Decision making for and evaluating treatment options, taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group
Exercising autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based intervention plans
Staff consultation contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis and intervention plan
Staff consultation on the use of psychological techniques
Staff supervision in the use of psychological techniques

In particular, as part of multidisciplinary team working, to provide casework for people experiencing severe psychological difficulties. To prioritise workload to ensure that skills are used to address the more severe and complex psychological presentations within this area of work.

To supply services within the context of existing multi professional teamwork. To negotiate appropriate professional relationships with both statutory and voluntary agencies to both ensure the referral of appropriate casework and communicate highly complex clinical information.

To maintain the records of service in line with the information needs of the Trust.

To provide input to health, social care and community-based services to enable best practice and service user choice in line with local service accessibility. This may include inpatient environments, specialist departments, general practices, health centres, local day centres, and residential and nursing homes.

To manage frequent exposure to highly distressing and emotional circumstances, and maintain substantial mental effort through frequent and intense levels of concentration and attention.

MANAGERIAL

To support the formulation and implementation of clinical and operational practices and procedures as appropriate.

Support the implementation, monitoring and updating of an operational policy and philosophy for the clinical area.

To prioritise workload to ensure that skills are used to address the more severe and complex psychological presentations within this area of work.

To ensure awareness of the needs for service development and assist in the planning and advocacy of future service provision.

Ensure the principles of clinical governance are incorporated in service delivery by maintaining a high quality service based on agreed clinical standards.

Participate in managerial supervision.

EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT

To assist the supervision of other psychologists, psychological therapists, nurses, occupational therapists, psychiatrists, assistant psychologists and trainee clinical psychologists within the service.

To undertake supervision of other psychologists, psychological therapists, nurses, occupational therapists and psychiatrists qualified clinical/counselling psychologists, assistant psychologists and graduate mental health workers delegated by the service manager/clinical and strategic lead.

To prepare for and implement a training placement for a clinical psychology trainee.

To receive appropriate clinical supervision to ensure quality of professional practice.

Through the personal appraisal process, to engage in professional development that ensures that Continuing Professional Development requirements are met and that eligibility for Chartering and licensed practice is both achieved and maintained.

To have access to up to one session per week (pro rata full time) for pursuing professional development following agreement with service manager/professional lead.

Provide evidence to support development around the Trust Appraisal system which may include the KSF or other competency profiles.

Participate in regular supervision, engage in reflective practice and be committed to continued development.

Develop own skills and knowledge and contribute to the development of others.

RESEARCH AND AUDIT

To undertake appropriate service audits and assist the research and development agenda by proposing areas of study appropriate to advancing the nature of psychological work within this service specialty.

To undertake doctoral research projects with trainee clinical psychologists as required.

To undertake regular audit and evaluation of the teams activity by the derivation, collection and analysis of appropriate data.

Undertake and participate in appropriate audit, quality assurance programmes and research as directed.

Job description

Job responsibilities

CLINICAL

To be a member of the service team and to contribute to, participate in and adhere to the routines and policies of that service.

Highly specialist one-to-one clinical consultations
Highly specialist psychological assessment including issues of risk
Psychological interventions for individuals, families and groups, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses
Decision making for and evaluating treatment options, taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group
Exercising autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based intervention plans
Staff consultation contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis and intervention plan
Staff consultation on the use of psychological techniques
Staff supervision in the use of psychological techniques

To maintain the records of service in line with the information needs of the Trust.

To manage frequent exposure to highly distressing and emotional circumstances, and maintain substantial mental effort through frequent and intense levels of concentration and attention.

MANAGERIAL

To support the formulation and implementation of clinical and operational practices and procedures as appropriate.

Support the implementation, monitoring and updating of an operational policy and philosophy for the clinical area.

To prioritise workload to ensure that skills are used to address the more severe and complex psychological presentations within this area of work.

To ensure awareness of the needs for service development and assist in the planning and advocacy of future service provision.

Ensure the principles of clinical governance are incorporated in service delivery by maintaining a high quality service based on agreed clinical standards.

Participate in managerial supervision.

EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT

To prepare for and implement a training placement for a clinical psychology trainee.

To receive appropriate clinical supervision to ensure quality of professional practice.

To have access to up to one session per week (pro rata full time) for pursuing professional development following agreement with service manager/professional lead.

Provide evidence to support development around the Trust Appraisal system which may include the KSF or other competency profiles.

Participate in regular supervision, engage in reflective practice and be committed to continued development.

Develop own skills and knowledge and contribute to the development of others.

RESEARCH AND AUDIT

To undertake doctoral research projects with trainee clinical psychologists as required.

To undertake regular audit and evaluation of the teams activity by the derivation, collection and analysis of appropriate data.

Undertake and participate in appropriate audit, quality assurance programmes and research as directed.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical psychology (or its equivalent) as accredited by the BPS, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and Neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS

Knowledge

Essential

Experience of specialist psychological assessment, formulation and intervention with clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and inpatient 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.
Doctoral level knowledge (or its equivalent) of research design and methodology, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the field of clinical psychology

Skills

Essential

Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management, frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical &/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 groups.
Excellent interpersonal skills
Appreciation of the interface between personal and professional lives, high level of self-awareness and knowledge of principles of self-care
Ability to assess and manage risk.
Ability to recognise and challenge age discrimination.
Ability to identify and employ methods of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular o High-level skills in the practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies o High level skills in the applications of psychological principles to long term physical conditions o Personal experience of coping with life stressors o Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multimedia materials suitable for presentations in public, professional and academic settings 17/10/23 exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical psychology (or its equivalent) as accredited by the BPS, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and Neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS

Knowledge

Essential

Experience of specialist psychological assessment, formulation and intervention with clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and inpatient 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.
Doctoral level knowledge (or its equivalent) of research design and methodology, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the field of clinical psychology

Skills

Essential

Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management, frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical &/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 groups.
Excellent interpersonal skills
Appreciation of the interface between personal and professional lives, high level of self-awareness and knowledge of principles of self-care
Ability to assess and manage risk.
Ability to recognise and challenge age discrimination.
Ability to identify and employ methods of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular o High-level skills in the practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies o High level skills in the applications of psychological principles to long term physical conditions o Personal experience of coping with life stressors o Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multimedia materials suitable for presentations in public, professional and academic settings 17/10/23 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.