Clinical or Counselling Psychologist

Job responsibilities

For full job description, please see attached supporting documents.

Band 8a

JOB SUMMARY

This job description is an outline of the main duties of the post. The postholder will be required to undertake other duties commensurate with the grade as directed. The content of this post will be reviewed in consultation with the postholder when necessary and in line with the service developments.

JOB PURPOSE:

The post holder will provide a high quality specialist clinical psychology service to clients as part of the multidisciplinary team within the service.

Provide highly specialist psychological assessment and intervention.

Provide advice and consultation on psychological care to non-psychologist colleagues, and other, non-professional carers, working autonomously within professional guidelines, and the overall framework of the team and trusts policies and procedures.

Supervise and support Psychology Assistants, Trainees and Band 7 HCPC Registered Clinical Psychologists.

To utilise research skills for audit, policy, service development and research within the areas served by the team/service.

JOB DIMENSIONS:

(e.g. budgetary or supervisory responsibilities)

To offer consultation and supervision when required by other agencies involved in the psychological, emotional and behavioural well-being of service users.

To provide supervision of Band 7 Clinical Psychologists, doctoral level clinical psychology trainees, assistant psychologists and trainees from other disciplines as appropriate.

KEY RESULT AREAS:

Clinical

To provide highly specialist psychological assessment and treatment for service users experiencing moderate, severe and complex mental health/psychological problems 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 observation and semi-structured interviews with service users, their family and/or carers.

To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological intervention and/or management of mental health/psychological and/or behavioural difficulties based upon an appropriate conceptual framework and exercising expert clinical judgement based on the highest standards of evidence based practice across a full range of care settings.

To establish rapport and build effective working relationships with service users and all those involved in their psychological, emotional and behavioural well-being.

To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes.

To work jointly with other team members and professionals in delivering the most appropriate clinical service to service users and, where appropriate, their families/carers.

To follow appropriate local Safeguarding Adults and Children policies in all clinical work, including close liaison with all relevant agencies.

To provide specialist risk assessment of, and intervention to, service users who may present in local acute settings in line with agreed procedures

To liaise and consult with the wider professional network in the care of service users, offering consultation and supervision where necessary.

To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychological interventions and to autonomously manage a caseload of clients.

To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all service users, the settings in which they present, and agencies involved in the psychological, emotional and behavioural well-being.

To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care and to effectively evaluate progress.

To participate in the multi-disciplinary assessment and treatment of service users.

Band 7

JOB SUMMARY

This job description is an outline of the main duties of the post. The postholder will be required to undertake other duties commensurate with the grade as directed.

The content of this post will be reviewed in consultation with the postholder when necessary and in line with the service developments.

The post holder will provide specialist clinical psychology skills within a multidisciplinary team. The post holder will provide a high quality clinical service to the users of the service.

They will provide highly specialist psychological assessment and intervention while working collaboratively with non-psychologist colleagues, professionals from other agencies and carers. They will be clinically responsible to a senior clinical psychologist. Clinical oversight of all work will be held by the clinical lead in the service.

The job plan will be delivered in the services the post is based.

The post holder will work autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the team while observing Trust and National policies and procedures.

The post holder will provide support to Assistant Psychologists and Doctoral trainees. They will utilise research skills in audit, service development and research relevant to the post.

KEY RESULT AREAS:

To offer consultation, supervision and training when required by other agencies involved in the psychological, emotional and behavioural well-being of people referred to the service

To provide consultation, assessment and intervention in the service.

To work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary context.

To provide assessment and treatment options for people experiencing moderate, severe and complex mental health problems.

To exercise expert clinical judgement based on the highest standards of evidence based practise.

To continually seek to expand and consolidate clinical skills using training, experience, and supervision.

To be proficient in the use of Psychometric testing appropriate to the age range.

To provide specialist risk assessment of and intervention to people who present to the service.

To follow appropriate Adult and Child Protection guidelines in all Clinical work, including close liaison with all agencies.

To liaise and consult with the wider professional network in the care of the client.

To work jointly with other team members in delivering the most appropriate clinical service to people and their families.

To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients.

To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care and to effectively evaluate progress.

To receive regular professional supervision from a senior Clinical Psychologist and where appropriate, other senior clinicians.

To continue to access continuing professional development opportunities in line with agreed targets and agreed personal development plan.

To assist in the supervision of Doctoral level Clinical Psychology trainees and trainees from other disciplines as appropriate.

To contribute to the pre and post qualification teaching of Clinical Psychologists.

To assist in the teaching and training of professionals

To contribute to the Audit processes within the service.

We are aware that an increasing number of applicants are using AI technology to generate responses on NHS Job application forms. Over reliance on AI-generated content in application forms is strongly discouraged and we will conduct a thorough screening process before selecting candidates to progress to the next stage. If you are using AI to enhance your application, please disclose this in your NHS Jobs application form.

At the time of advertising, this role does meet the minimum requirements set by UK Visas and Immigration to sponsor candidates to work in the UK. We look forward to receiving your application.

Training

Essential

• Band 8a
• Completion of formal training to meet eligibility as clinical supervisor of Doctoral Trainee Clinical Psychologists.

Physical Attributes

Essential

• Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post. A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where the sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).

Personal Attributes

Essential

• Band 8a
• A Current driving licence and access to a car during the working day is essential (reasonable adjustments will be considered for any applicants who are unable to drive due to a disability).
• To transport Psychometric testing equipment.
• Band 7
• Caring.
• Team Player.
• Commitment to supervision and support.

Desirable

• Band 7
• Flexible.
• Committed to client group.

Special Knowledge & Skills

Essential

• Band 8a
• Good Psychometric Assessment skills.
• Experience of assisting in training of Post Graduate Clinical Psychology Trainees.
• Exceptional communication skills in verbal, non verbal and written modes.
• Ability to empathise and develop good therapeutic alliance.
• Ability to Formulate Complex processes.
• Capacity to conduct Psychometric Assessment.
• Ability to travel around the Trust as appropriate to the role.
• Keyboard skills.
• Manual Dexterity for conducting tests.
• Band 7
• Communication skills.
• A Current driving licence and access to a car during the working day is essential (reasonable adjustments will be considered for any applicants who are unable to drive due to a disability).
• IT Literate.

Desirable

• Band 8a
• Working with people in Crisis.
• Working on an in-patient Psychiatric ward.
• Band 7
• Research skills.
• Knowledge of adult & child protection legislation.
• Awareness of legislation relevant to the clinical area of practice.

Qualifications

Essential

• Band 8a
• Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
• Significant Post qualification experience in a Setting relevant to the post.
• HCPC Registration as a Clinical Psychologist.
• Band 7
• Hons. Degree in Psychology.
• Doctoral qualification clinical psychology.
• Appropriate safeguarding training
• Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council as a Clinical Psychologist.

Desirable

• Band 7
• 2:1 min.
• Eligible for chartered status

Experience

Essential

• band 8a
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of 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.
• Frequent, protracted sustained and intense concentration.
• Show respect and treat people with dignity.
• Be able to give bad news sensitively.
• Be able to sustain empathy in difficult situations.
• Be aware of all interviewees in any situation.
• Band 7
• Completion of supervised clinical practice in the NHS.
• Ability to work within two models of psychological assessment, formulation and intervention.

Desirable

• Band 8a
• Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
• Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
• Experience of groupwork.
• Band 7
• Experience in working with service users in the clinical area of the post.
• Different theoretical approaches.
• Work with other disciplines.
• Work with people who have disabilities.

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).