Job summary
We are delighted to offer an exciting opportunity to join the Cheshire and Merseyside Specialist Community Forensic Team for Learning Disabilities and/or Autism (CM SCFT LD/A) as an Assistant Psychologist. The service is looking to appointment an Assistant Psychologist
As an Assistant Psychologist, you will work closely with a dynamic and vibrant multidisciplinary team--including clinical psychologists, psychiatry, social worker, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, nurses, and support workers.
The psychology team comprises of three qualified psychologists and two assistant psychologist in this team. You will have the opportunity to develop your psychological knowledge, skills and experience in a broad range of contexts and with a variety of presenting needs, as well as through CPD events.
This highly specialist team offers the successful applicant excellent learning and development opportunities in a wide variety of areas.
Main duties of the job
The Assistant Psychologist will support and enhance the psychological care of clients within the service, providing psychological assessment, formulation and interventions under the close supervision of a qualified Clinical Psychologist. They will also work independently according to a plan agreed with the multi-disciplinary team and within the overall framework of the team policies and procedures.
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.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To undertake psychological assessments of clients - applying psychological tests, including neuropsychological, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the clients care.
To review a variety of data sources, including medical records, case files, and depositions to inform standardised risk assessments for qualified members of staff.
To assist in the formulation and delivery of care plans involving the psychological treatment and/or management of a clients problems, under the supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist.
To contribute to the development of outcome measures for clinical interventions, and to assist the design and implementation of service development projects within the service as required.
To communicate and liaise with staff and other disciplines with regard to assessing clients and reviewing their care in preparation for multidisciplinary review meetings.
Under the supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist or clinical nurse specialist, to prepare reports on clinical assessments with individuals, the results of psychometric assessments, case note reviews and research/audit projects.
To assist in clinically related administration, conduct of audits, collection of statistics, development of audit and/or research projects, training and project work.
To contribute to the training and support of other staff in psychological care, including contributing to the organisation of training seminars and conferences for others.
For additional information , please refer to Job Description and Personal Specification.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To undertake psychological assessments of clients - applying psychological tests, including neuropsychological, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the clients care.
To review a variety of data sources, including medical records, case files, and depositions to inform standardised risk assessments for qualified members of staff.
To assist in the formulation and delivery of care plans involving the psychological treatment and/or management of a clients problems, under the supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist.
To contribute to the development of outcome measures for clinical interventions, and to assist the design and implementation of service development projects within the service as required.
To communicate and liaise with staff and other disciplines with regard to assessing clients and reviewing their care in preparation for multidisciplinary review meetings.
Under the supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist or clinical nurse specialist, to prepare reports on clinical assessments with individuals, the results of psychometric assessments, case note reviews and research/audit projects.
To assist in clinically related administration, conduct of audits, collection of statistics, development of audit and/or research projects, training and project work.
To contribute to the training and support of other staff in psychological care, including contributing to the organisation of training seminars and conferences for others.
For additional information , please refer to Job Description and Personal Specification.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- A First or Upper Second honours degree in psychology
- Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society (GBR)
- ECDL or demonstrable proficiency with Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Publisher and SPSS.
Desirable
- Degree included study of psychopathology/clinical/forensic issues
- Further training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice, autism, personality disorder and/or research design and analysis
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of forensic services and learning disability
- An interest in psychological approaches to learning disabled offenders and a career in Clinical Psychology
- Good written and spoken English
- Good keyboard skills
- Good inter-personal skills
- Good organisational skills
- Ability to carry out instructions, use own initiative but recognise own limits and can utilise and tolerate supervision effectively
Desirable
- Has experience of face-to-face work within psychology, mental health and/or with clients who offend
- Has experience of working in a hospital or learning disability setting, such as supported accommodation or residential home
- Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team/ experience of working alongside staff from other disciplines
- Experience of research methods, audit or other service evaluation techniques
- Has worked with clinical psychologists and/or mental health professionals and has an awareness of professional standards/issues
- Experience using computers for databases or data-analysis, especially SPSS for Windows
Skills
Essential
- High level communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive
- An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems, learning disabilities and/or offending behaviours
- An understanding of psychology applied to health care
- Able to use library effectively, conduct literature searches, etc.
- Ability to accept and use supervision appropriately and effectively
- Recognises the limits of own competence and need for supervision
- Ability and willingness to travel across the Trust for work
Desirable
- High standard of report writing.
- An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a forensic learning disability context
Values
Essential
- Continuous Improvement
- Accountability
- Respectfulness
- Enthusiasm
- Support
- High professional standards
- Responsive to service users
- Engaging leadership style
- Strong customer service belief
- Transparency and honesty
- Discreet
- Change oriented
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- A First or Upper Second honours degree in psychology
- Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society (GBR)
- ECDL or demonstrable proficiency with Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Publisher and SPSS.
Desirable
- Degree included study of psychopathology/clinical/forensic issues
- Further training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice, autism, personality disorder and/or research design and analysis
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of forensic services and learning disability
- An interest in psychological approaches to learning disabled offenders and a career in Clinical Psychology
- Good written and spoken English
- Good keyboard skills
- Good inter-personal skills
- Good organisational skills
- Ability to carry out instructions, use own initiative but recognise own limits and can utilise and tolerate supervision effectively
Desirable
- Has experience of face-to-face work within psychology, mental health and/or with clients who offend
- Has experience of working in a hospital or learning disability setting, such as supported accommodation or residential home
- Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team/ experience of working alongside staff from other disciplines
- Experience of research methods, audit or other service evaluation techniques
- Has worked with clinical psychologists and/or mental health professionals and has an awareness of professional standards/issues
- Experience using computers for databases or data-analysis, especially SPSS for Windows
Skills
Essential
- High level communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive
- An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems, learning disabilities and/or offending behaviours
- An understanding of psychology applied to health care
- Able to use library effectively, conduct literature searches, etc.
- Ability to accept and use supervision appropriately and effectively
- Recognises the limits of own competence and need for supervision
- Ability and willingness to travel across the Trust for work
Desirable
- High standard of report writing.
- An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a forensic learning disability context
Values
Essential
- Continuous Improvement
- Accountability
- Respectfulness
- Enthusiasm
- Support
- High professional standards
- Responsive to service users
- Engaging leadership style
- Strong customer service belief
- Transparency and honesty
- Discreet
- Change oriented
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.
