Highly Specialist Forensic Psychologist

Job responsibilities

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 serive 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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. To establish rapport and build effective working relationships with service users and all those involved in their psychological, emotional and behavioural well-being.
4. To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes.
5. 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.
6. To follow appropriate local Safeguarding Adults and Children policies in all clinical work, including close liaison with all relevant agencies.
7. To provide specialist risk assessment of, and intervention to, service users who may present in local acute settings in line with agreed procedures.
8. To liaise and consult with the wider professional network in the care of service users, offering consultation and supervision where necessary.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. To participate in the multi-disciplinary assessment and treatment of service users.

Teaching, Training, Consultation and Supervision

1. To receive regular professional supervision from a Senior HCPC Registered Clinical Psychologist and where appropriate, other Senior Clinicians.

2. To continue to access continuing professional development opportunities in line with agreed targets and agreed personal development plan up to one session per week (pro rata).

3. To assist in providing supervision to Band 7 HCPC Registered Clinical Psychologists, doctoral level Clinical Psychology trainees, trainees from other disciplines as appropriate, and assistant/graduate psychologists; to ensure that they acquire the necessary skills, competencies and experience to contribute effectively to good mental health care of Service users; and to contribute to the assessment and evaluation of such competencies.

4. To contribute to advice, consultation, teaching and training of professionals from all agencies concerned with the psychological, emotional and behavioural well-being of service users in community and in-patient settings as appropriate.

Research, Audit and Evaluation

1. To use doctoral level research skills for audit and evaluation in relation to relevant aspects of the Service.

2. To contribute to research in the service area.

3. To utilise theory, evidence based literature and research to support evidence based practice of self and others.

4. To provide advice on research projects to other staff within the service around appropriate methodology, statistical analysis, etc.

5. To undertake project management as required to aid service development.

6. To follow appropriate ethical and professional standards and research governance procedures when conducting relevant research, audit and evaluation.

General

1. To maintain HCPC professional registration and to maintain the highest professional standards of practice, through professional self-governance in accordance with the relevant professional codes of practice and Trust policies and procedures, and active participation in internal and external CPD training in consultation with the post-holders professional and service managers(s).

2. To adhere to the administrative and audit protocols of the service. To develop and maintain audit protocols for the Service.

3. To regularly attend and participate in team meetings, away-days and other professional meetings that are appropriate to the role. To attend local and regional groups agreed to be appropriate for the role.

4. To contribute to the development and articulation of best practice in psychology across the service, by continuing to develop the skills of reflexive and reflective scientist practitioner, taking part in regular professional supervision and appraisal and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the fields of clinical psychology and related disciplines.

5. To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry and recording, report writing and the responsible exercise of professional self-governance in accordance with professional codes of practice of the HCPC, British Psychological Society and Trust policies and procedures.

6. To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to service users with mental health issues.

7. The post holder will be required to work flexibly in terms of base and in hours of clinical availability.

For full details of the role please see the supporting documents attached.

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Experience

Essential

• 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.

Desirable

• Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
• Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
• Experience of groupwork.

Training

Essential

• 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).

Qualifications

Essential

• Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
• Significant Post qualification experience in a Setting relevant to the post.
• HCPC Registration as a Clinical Psychologist.

Special Knowledge/Skills

Essential

• 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.

Desirable

• Working with people in Crisis.
• Working on an in-patient Psychiatric ward.

Personal Attributes

Essential

• 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.

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).