Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen to lead the neuropsychology provision at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust. The post combines clinical work with supervision and leadership of a team of clinical psychologists and neuropsychologists working across acute inpatient stroke and neurology, Level 2 & 3 inpatient stroke & neuro-rehabilitation units, outpatient diagnostic neuropsychology, and community stroke and neurorehabilitation contexts.
The post will suit an experienced Clinical Neuropsychologist with experience of leading and working within neuropsychology or neurorehabilitation settings. Clinical work will usually be within the neuropsychology outpatient context but may also span other service pathways according to the presenting needs of the services at any given time.
Research activity is positively encouraged and supported, with opportunities to work collaboratively with colleagues. Clinical and professional supervision is in place, and the postholder is encouraged to incorporate professional development and/or contributions to professional practice in neuropsychology within their job plan.
Main duties of the job
The postholder will be responsible for delivery of highly specialised neuropsychology provision across the service pathways alongside operational and service management colleagues, and lead on continual service development, improvement and evaluation. They will work closely with neurology, nursing, AHP, social work and other colleagues to deliver neuropsychologically-informed care. They will provide leadership and management of qualified, trainee and assistant psychologists.
About us
As a clinician you will be embedded within your clinical speciality and, simultaneously, also belong to a network of psychological professionals in adult clinical services (PP-ACS) who work within a variety of medical specialities.
The postholder will work closely with the PP-ACS leads to develop and grow the role and governance of psychological professionals in the Trust, helping to create a community that encourages dialogue, learning from each other and mutual support. Joint working with PP-ACS colleagues is supported where relevant to the clinical work both within and beyond the Trust boundary. PP-ACS leads also work to raise the profile of psychological professions within the Trust and encourage development of working relationships with third sector and Higher Education Institutions. There is a culture of welcoming and developing trainees and undergraduate students. We welcome new colleagues to the PP-ACS community who share our values of working together and supporting each other.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see attached job description for more information about this role and working at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see attached job description for more information about this role and working at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.
Person Specification
Education and Professional Qualifications
Essential
- Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent, as accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).
- Registered with HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist
- Post-qualification training in clinical supervision
- Senior management/leadership training
- Post-doctoral training in Clinical Neuropsychology, conferring eligibility for the BPS Specialist Register of Clinical Neuropsychologists (SRCN)
Desirable
- Registered on the Register of Applied Psychology Practice Supervisors (RAPPS), maintained by the BPS
- Registered on the SRCN, maintained by the BPS
Experience
Essential
- Assessed experience of working as a qualified practitioner psychologist for a minimum of 6 years with at least 4 years at a highly specialised level (or equivalent quality and quantity of experience)
- Extensive experience and skills in applying neuropsychology expertise within a relevant setting
- Experience of working with a wide variety of patient 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, inpatient and residential care
- Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for patients' psychological care and treatment, both as practitioner, and within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan
- Substantial experience of highly specialist neuropsychological assessment and treatment of patients, with presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity
- Experience in the application of more than one treatment model in clinical or clinical neuropsychology practice
- Experience of and skills in 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 multidisciplinary teamwork, including with medical colleagues
- Experience of professional management and supervision of qualified and pre-qualified applied psychologists (e.g. clinical, counselling and health) and other psychological professionals (e.g., psychotherapists, counsellors)
- Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts, including working with interpreters
- Experience of formal teaching, training and professional and clinical supervision of psychologists
- Experience of teaching and training of other professionals
- Experience of representing psychology in multi-professional settings (e.g., policy, governance or other forums)
- Experience of service development in a neuropsychology context
- Experience of successful clinical leadership in a neuropsychology context
- Experience co-ordinating the recording and reporting of clinical information as required and to initiate developments and responses to need in this area.
Desirable
- Experience of diagnostic assessment in a neurological context
- Experience of supervising junior colleagues to develop their careers, including towards specialist neuropsychology qualifications
- Experience of budgeting and financial control/planning skills and knowledge of funding arrangements for service and professional development.
Skills and aptitudes
Essential
- Extensive, highly specialist knowledge and expertise in neuropsychology within a relevant medical/health setting.
- Expert skills in the use of complex methods of psychological and neuropsychological assessment, intervention and management, including the use of theoretical models to analyse information and to develop formulations upon which to base choice of treatment.
- Ability to analyse and manage complex, multifactorial information from a range of sources, both clinical and organisational, and integrate and formulate from a range of psychological perspectives, to make expert professional judgements about appropriate action in an NHS context.
- Expert skills in the ability to comprehend and communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to patients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues, both within and outside the NHS, including overcoming barriers to understanding and acceptance.
- Highly-developed skills in providing advice, expertise and consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the profession and mental health generally and the implications for clinical practice and professional management in neuropsychology
- Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex, multivariate data analysis as practised within the field of clinical psychology.
- Ability to identify, provide and promote appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and severely challenging behaviours.
- Ability to plan, deliver and manage a specialist service, and undertake service evaluation and development, based on a thorough understanding of national policy and local and national NHS strategies, and an expert interpretation of current professional best practice.
- Ability to develop, co-ordinate and manage a culturally-competent and non-stigmatising service including an awareness of the potential impact of discrimination and disadvantage on disability and mental health.
- Ability to support and coordinate the work of psychology colleagues and psychology service staff, including administrative staff
- Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and able to hold the stress of others.
- Ability to work creatively, co-operatively, reliably and consistently as an independent practitioner, as a mentor and supervisor, and in multi-disciplinary and senior management settings.
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional, academic and senior NHS management settings.
- Advanced IT skills, including using Outlook and other Microsoft Office programmes, and the ability to learn and use software packages relevant to the Trust.
- Ability to identify and employ, as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice.
- Ability to form meaningful working relationships with others.
Desirable
- Ability to articulate the value added by psychology/neuropsychology services within the context of multi-disciplinary physical and mental health services.
Personal qualities and attributes
Essential
- Highly competent organisational, administrative and time management skills.
- Ability to maintain an open mind, problem-solve creatively, and meet challenges with a flexible, patient and positive attitude.
- Ability to contain and manage conflict.
- A commitment to the evaluation of services.
- Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the BPS and HCPC.
Desirable
- Ability to demonstrate leadership, responsibility and dependability to others.
World Class Care Values
Essential
- Demonstrable ability to meet the Trust Values
Other
Essential
- Demonstrable commitment to advancing professional practice in neuropsychology
Desirable
- Record of having published in either peer-reviewed or academic professional journals and/or books, or participation in national initiatives within the profession (e.g., BPS/ACP-UK working groups, conferences, training)
Person Specification
Education and Professional Qualifications
Essential
- Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent, as accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).
- Registered with HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist
- Post-qualification training in clinical supervision
- Senior management/leadership training
- Post-doctoral training in Clinical Neuropsychology, conferring eligibility for the BPS Specialist Register of Clinical Neuropsychologists (SRCN)
Desirable
- Registered on the Register of Applied Psychology Practice Supervisors (RAPPS), maintained by the BPS
- Registered on the SRCN, maintained by the BPS
Experience
Essential
- Assessed experience of working as a qualified practitioner psychologist for a minimum of 6 years with at least 4 years at a highly specialised level (or equivalent quality and quantity of experience)
- Extensive experience and skills in applying neuropsychology expertise within a relevant setting
- Experience of working with a wide variety of patient 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, inpatient and residential care
- Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for patients' psychological care and treatment, both as practitioner, and within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan
- Substantial experience of highly specialist neuropsychological assessment and treatment of patients, with presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity
- Experience in the application of more than one treatment model in clinical or clinical neuropsychology practice
- Experience of and skills in 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 multidisciplinary teamwork, including with medical colleagues
- Experience of professional management and supervision of qualified and pre-qualified applied psychologists (e.g. clinical, counselling and health) and other psychological professionals (e.g., psychotherapists, counsellors)
- Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts, including working with interpreters
- Experience of formal teaching, training and professional and clinical supervision of psychologists
- Experience of teaching and training of other professionals
- Experience of representing psychology in multi-professional settings (e.g., policy, governance or other forums)
- Experience of service development in a neuropsychology context
- Experience of successful clinical leadership in a neuropsychology context
- Experience co-ordinating the recording and reporting of clinical information as required and to initiate developments and responses to need in this area.
Desirable
- Experience of diagnostic assessment in a neurological context
- Experience of supervising junior colleagues to develop their careers, including towards specialist neuropsychology qualifications
- Experience of budgeting and financial control/planning skills and knowledge of funding arrangements for service and professional development.
Skills and aptitudes
Essential
- Extensive, highly specialist knowledge and expertise in neuropsychology within a relevant medical/health setting.
- Expert skills in the use of complex methods of psychological and neuropsychological assessment, intervention and management, including the use of theoretical models to analyse information and to develop formulations upon which to base choice of treatment.
- Ability to analyse and manage complex, multifactorial information from a range of sources, both clinical and organisational, and integrate and formulate from a range of psychological perspectives, to make expert professional judgements about appropriate action in an NHS context.
- Expert skills in the ability to comprehend and communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to patients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues, both within and outside the NHS, including overcoming barriers to understanding and acceptance.
- Highly-developed skills in providing advice, expertise and consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the profession and mental health generally and the implications for clinical practice and professional management in neuropsychology
- Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex, multivariate data analysis as practised within the field of clinical psychology.
- Ability to identify, provide and promote appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and severely challenging behaviours.
- Ability to plan, deliver and manage a specialist service, and undertake service evaluation and development, based on a thorough understanding of national policy and local and national NHS strategies, and an expert interpretation of current professional best practice.
- Ability to develop, co-ordinate and manage a culturally-competent and non-stigmatising service including an awareness of the potential impact of discrimination and disadvantage on disability and mental health.
- Ability to support and coordinate the work of psychology colleagues and psychology service staff, including administrative staff
- Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and able to hold the stress of others.
- Ability to work creatively, co-operatively, reliably and consistently as an independent practitioner, as a mentor and supervisor, and in multi-disciplinary and senior management settings.
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional, academic and senior NHS management settings.
- Advanced IT skills, including using Outlook and other Microsoft Office programmes, and the ability to learn and use software packages relevant to the Trust.
- Ability to identify and employ, as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice.
- Ability to form meaningful working relationships with others.
Desirable
- Ability to articulate the value added by psychology/neuropsychology services within the context of multi-disciplinary physical and mental health services.
Personal qualities and attributes
Essential
- Highly competent organisational, administrative and time management skills.
- Ability to maintain an open mind, problem-solve creatively, and meet challenges with a flexible, patient and positive attitude.
- Ability to contain and manage conflict.
- A commitment to the evaluation of services.
- Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the BPS and HCPC.
Desirable
- Ability to demonstrate leadership, responsibility and dependability to others.
World Class Care Values
Essential
- Demonstrable ability to meet the Trust Values
Other
Essential
- Demonstrable commitment to advancing professional practice in neuropsychology
Desirable
- Record of having published in either peer-reviewed or academic professional journals and/or books, or participation in national initiatives within the profession (e.g., BPS/ACP-UK working groups, conferences, training)
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).
