Job summary
Our Clinical Health Psychology team is seeking a Principal Practitioner Psychologist to work within the East Sussex Healthcare Trust (ESHT) Critical Care Service (Eastbourne District General Hospital and Conquest Hospital, Hastings). Psychology is well integrated within the Critical Care Service in this Trust, and much valued. You will have the opportunity to work across the pathway which offers varied work and opportunities, such as: inpatient and outpatient work, MDT-working, teaching, staff support and reflective practice.
We are looking for an enthusiastic and experienced clinician with a passion to work as part of an acute medical team, and seek someone with prior experience of clinical health psychology and of working with psychological trauma, grief and loss.
You will join a welcoming and skilled clinical health psychology team in SPFT, and a local network of psychologists working in Critical Care in the South East. You will have the opportunity to contribute to the experience of supervising trainee psychologists, consultation and teaching with physical healthcare staff teams, and to be involved in the continuing development of the service.
Main duties of the job
This is an opportunity to gain experience with a variety of roles due to the nature of the medical context, psychological ways of working. The core elements are:
Assessment of and, as appropriate, therapy for patients admitted to critical care and/or their relatives, experiencing significant psychological distress associated with critical illness or due to the critical care environment
Offering ongoing 1:1 therapy to patients discharged from critical care, and/ or their relatives, drawing on a range of psychological theories & models
Attending the weekly critical care rehabilitation team meetings to support the development of individualised, psychologically informed 'rehab prescriptions' (NICE Guidance: Critical Care Rehabilitation)
Consultation with the critical care staff to support care of complex patients
Support & signposting for critical care colleagues experiencing psychological distress associated with their work role
Teaching & training with physical healthcare colleagues in critical care
Receiving regular supervision from the lead psychologist, & providing supervision (as required) to trainee clinical psychologists
Contributing to service development / reviews
Attending the wider monthly clinical health psychology meeting when appropriate / biannual away days for peer support from fellow clinical health psychology colleagues working across a range of medical & occupational health settings
About us
Sussex Partnership Trust provides mental health and learning disability care for children, young people and adults across Sussex and is rated good overall and outstanding for caring by the Care Quality Commission. Recent positive staff survey results include:
- 70% highlighting flexible working opportunities as a key point for satisfaction at work
- 79% reporting feeling able to make suggestions to improve the work within their team
- 77% identifying the opportunities to show initiative in their roles
Working in Sussex:
- Travel easily between coast and countryside, with a blend of picturesque villages and seaside towns there's always new experiences to be enjoyed
- Embrace the city life with great access to visit Brighton and London
- With easy access to Gatwick and Heathrow and excellent railway links across the UK there is plenty of opportunity for adventure
Clinical Health Psychology:
You will join a Trust wide Clinical Health Psychology Team. This is a supportive team of professionals working into different physical health settings and services. We work hard at supporting and caring for one another. As part of our team you will be offered opportunities for continuing professional development and peer support.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job responsibilities
You will be a member of the East Sussex Healthcare (ESHT) Critical Care team. As the Principal Practitioner Psychologist, you will also be a member of the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust's Clinical Health Psychology team, which holds the leadership, governance and supervision for the post on behalf of ESHT.
The role necessitates on-site working. However, there may be scope for occasional remote access therapy sessions.
To join our team, you will:
Be passionate about supporting critical care patients and/ or their relatives with understanding and managing the psychological experiences of critical illness, recovery and care;
Confident working with a range of clinical professionals and communicating complex psychological concepts in an understandable way;
Be compassionate and passionate about supporting individuals who are critically unwell, recovering or supporting a loved one who is caring for someone who is/ has been critically unwell;
Understand the impact of 'hidden illness', long term recovery, the psychological sequalae of critical illness - especially grief, loss, transition and trauma reactions;
Have knowledge and skill in the application of psychological theory and practice in physical health settings;
Be aware of the latest evidence base and national strategies in critical care.
Knowledge/Experience Essential
You will have completed post-graduate/ doctoral level training in applied psychology [or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996 or outside the UK] as approved by the HCPC;
You will have experience of working with a range of models including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology;
You will have extensive experience of working with patients with a wide range of mental health presentations, including those with complex difficulties, and of working with wider multidisciplinary teams;
You will have experience of taking full clinical responsibility for a patient's psychological care plan and intervention;
You will have experience of managing and supervising other clinical staff, including trainee clinical psychologists and physical health staff.
Desirable
Prior experience of working in a critical care context;
Experience of working with patients who present with grief, loss and trauma reactions;
Experience of working within a physical healthcare setting.
See JD and PS for full details.
For further information please contact hiring manager:
Dr Susan Hennessey, Consultant Clinical Lead for Clinical Health Psychology, susan.hennessey@nhs.net
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job responsibilities
You will be a member of the East Sussex Healthcare (ESHT) Critical Care team. As the Principal Practitioner Psychologist, you will also be a member of the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust's Clinical Health Psychology team, which holds the leadership, governance and supervision for the post on behalf of ESHT.
The role necessitates on-site working. However, there may be scope for occasional remote access therapy sessions.
To join our team, you will:
Be passionate about supporting critical care patients and/ or their relatives with understanding and managing the psychological experiences of critical illness, recovery and care;
Confident working with a range of clinical professionals and communicating complex psychological concepts in an understandable way;
Be compassionate and passionate about supporting individuals who are critically unwell, recovering or supporting a loved one who is caring for someone who is/ has been critically unwell;
Understand the impact of 'hidden illness', long term recovery, the psychological sequalae of critical illness - especially grief, loss, transition and trauma reactions;
Have knowledge and skill in the application of psychological theory and practice in physical health settings;
Be aware of the latest evidence base and national strategies in critical care.
Knowledge/Experience Essential
You will have completed post-graduate/ doctoral level training in applied psychology [or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996 or outside the UK] as approved by the HCPC;
You will have experience of working with a range of models including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology;
You will have extensive experience of working with patients with a wide range of mental health presentations, including those with complex difficulties, and of working with wider multidisciplinary teams;
You will have experience of taking full clinical responsibility for a patient's psychological care plan and intervention;
You will have experience of managing and supervising other clinical staff, including trainee clinical psychologists and physical health staff.
Desirable
Prior experience of working in a critical care context;
Experience of working with patients who present with grief, loss and trauma reactions;
Experience of working within a physical healthcare setting.
See JD and PS for full details.
For further information please contact hiring manager:
Dr Susan Hennessey, Consultant Clinical Lead for Clinical Health Psychology, susan.hennessey@nhs.net
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Post-graduate doctoral level training in applied psychology [or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996 or outside the UK] as approved by the HCPC, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology
- Professionally registered as a Practitioner Psychologist with the Health Professions Council (HCPC)
Knowledge/Experience
Essential
- Significant assessed experience of working as a qualified psychologist
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, primary care, in-patient and residential care settings 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.
- Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment, both as a professionally qualified care coordinator and also within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan.
- Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group
- Well-developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of highly specialised psychological therapies and assessment methodologies
- Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the H CPC.
- Formal training in supervision of other psychologists
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Post-graduate doctoral level training in applied psychology [or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996 or outside the UK] as approved by the HCPC, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology
- Professionally registered as a Practitioner Psychologist with the Health Professions Council (HCPC)
Knowledge/Experience
Essential
- Significant assessed experience of working as a qualified psychologist
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, primary care, in-patient and residential care settings 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.
- Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment, both as a professionally qualified care coordinator and also within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan.
- Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group
- Well-developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of highly specialised psychological therapies and assessment methodologies
- Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the H CPC.
- Formal training in supervision of other psychologists
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).
