Job summary
The successful candidate will lead a specialized project within The Christie Psycho-Oncology Service on a fixed-term contract for 23 months. This role involves working 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, excluding bank holidays. Funded by The Christie Charity, the role focuses on developing a Trust-Wide Mental Health Strategy to enhance psychological support for oncology patients. Responsibilities include conducting a comprehensive gap analysis across various disease groups, identifying unmet mental health needs, and creating evidence-based psychological programs to address these gaps.
The post holder will manage a modest clinical caseload, providing specialized psychological assessments and interventions for patients with complex physical and mental health needs. They will collaborate with the principal psychologist and the multidisciplinary team to offer supervision, training, and support, ensuring the delivery of care that adheres to guidelines.
This role requires autonomous work within professional guidelines and involves contributing to research, audits, and policy development. The post holder will also evaluate service outcomes, identify appropriate clinical measures, and gather data for continuous improvement. This position is pivotal in enhancing psychological care and improving the overall patient experience throughout the cancer journey.
Main duties of the job
- Lead and execute a gap analysis to identify deficiencies in psychological support across different cancer types.
- Develop and implement protocols to gather information on gaps in care.
- Identify evidence-based priorities and pathways of care to improve psychological interventions.
- Manage and develop the Psycho-Oncology project, including working with an Assistant Psychologist.
- Analyse modifiable stressors in patient care and make recommendations for psychological strategies.
- Implement evidence-based psychological programs and support the development of improved supportive oncology services.
- Maintain a modest clinical caseload, providing specialized psychological assessment and evidence-based interventions for patients with complex needs.
- Communicate sensitively about emotionally challenging topics, including terminal illness.
- Collaborate with the principal psychologist and other MDT members on case discussions and psychological aspects of patient care.
- Provide level 2 supervision and training in psychological interventions for clinical staff.
- Liaise with wider mental health services and ensure effective signposting.
- Participate in the Greater Manchester Cancer Psychological Support pathways board and Physical Health Psychology Speciality within the mental health trust.
- Utilize research skills for audit and policy development.
- Identify and evaluate clinical outcome measures and service evaluation data.
About us
The Christie is one of Europe's leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country. We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years. We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.
Job description
Job responsibilities
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Clinical
- Contribute to the service delivery and target objectives/priorities of the Psycho-oncology service and the pilot project, to ensure the most efficient and effective utilisation and contribution of psychological knowledge and practice.
- Complete, under clinical supervision, specialist psychological assessments of people referred to the Psycho-oncology Service, including the administration of self-report measures, rating scales and semi structured interviews.
- Write reports following assessments to clients and referrers and, where appropriate, other family members and other professionals involved in clients care. To ensure adequate written clinical records and related administration are complete and up to date.
- Assist in the delivery of intervention plans involving the psychological treatment and management of a clients problems, under the supervision of the lead psychologist. This may involve aspects of psychological therapy for trauma.
- Attend and contribute to appropriate multidisciplinary meetings.
Research and Service Evaluation
Under the direction of the Psycho-Oncology clinical and service leads and in line with trust policy, the post holder will assist the team to develop the Trust Mental Health Strategy.
The postholders duties, under the guidance of the senior team are to:
- Identify key disease group priorities for the gap analysis
- Jointly develop systematic protocols for the pilot to identify patient experience across disease pathways for data collection and analysis
- Develop the mechanisms to enable service users and patients by experience to be involved in informing the pilot
- Report the findings of the pilot in relation to clinical outcomes and project evaluation data during the project.
- Identify protocols and pathways for improving patient outcomes based on the evidence gathered
- Utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice and systematic research protocols
- Develop pathways and protocols with the wider team to improve outcomes
- Produce recommendations to the senior team.
- Identify, prepare and with the support of the senior team, present key aspects of the project
- Develop knowledge of applied and academic psychology, through regular literature searches, reading and personal study.
Teaching, Training and Support
- Receive regular clinical professional supervision from a qualified clinical psychologist and, where appropriate, other senior professional colleagues.
- Support the delivery of training to staff within the team and to staff in other services in the wider network (e.g. Talking Therapies staff).
- Provide advice, consultation and training to staff working with the patient group across a range of agencies and settings, where appropriate.
- Provide Level 2 supervision to clinical nurse specialists where appropriate
I.T. Responsibilities
- To enter, integrate and extract data using a computer system and to present information in a variety of formats for dissemination when required, including using an electronic patient record system.
- To undertake data collection, the production of reports and summaries using I.T. and statistical programmes.
- To assist in the identification of any omissions or inconsistencies concerning clinical activity data and to liaise directly with clinical staff to correct this.
- To utilise basic word processing skills in order to produce reports and other communications.
Job description
Job responsibilities
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Clinical
- Contribute to the service delivery and target objectives/priorities of the Psycho-oncology service and the pilot project, to ensure the most efficient and effective utilisation and contribution of psychological knowledge and practice.
- Complete, under clinical supervision, specialist psychological assessments of people referred to the Psycho-oncology Service, including the administration of self-report measures, rating scales and semi structured interviews.
- Write reports following assessments to clients and referrers and, where appropriate, other family members and other professionals involved in clients care. To ensure adequate written clinical records and related administration are complete and up to date.
- Assist in the delivery of intervention plans involving the psychological treatment and management of a clients problems, under the supervision of the lead psychologist. This may involve aspects of psychological therapy for trauma.
- Attend and contribute to appropriate multidisciplinary meetings.
Research and Service Evaluation
Under the direction of the Psycho-Oncology clinical and service leads and in line with trust policy, the post holder will assist the team to develop the Trust Mental Health Strategy.
The postholders duties, under the guidance of the senior team are to:
- Identify key disease group priorities for the gap analysis
- Jointly develop systematic protocols for the pilot to identify patient experience across disease pathways for data collection and analysis
- Develop the mechanisms to enable service users and patients by experience to be involved in informing the pilot
- Report the findings of the pilot in relation to clinical outcomes and project evaluation data during the project.
- Identify protocols and pathways for improving patient outcomes based on the evidence gathered
- Utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice and systematic research protocols
- Develop pathways and protocols with the wider team to improve outcomes
- Produce recommendations to the senior team.
- Identify, prepare and with the support of the senior team, present key aspects of the project
- Develop knowledge of applied and academic psychology, through regular literature searches, reading and personal study.
Teaching, Training and Support
- Receive regular clinical professional supervision from a qualified clinical psychologist and, where appropriate, other senior professional colleagues.
- Support the delivery of training to staff within the team and to staff in other services in the wider network (e.g. Talking Therapies staff).
- Provide advice, consultation and training to staff working with the patient group across a range of agencies and settings, where appropriate.
- Provide Level 2 supervision to clinical nurse specialists where appropriate
I.T. Responsibilities
- To enter, integrate and extract data using a computer system and to present information in a variety of formats for dissemination when required, including using an electronic patient record system.
- To undertake data collection, the production of reports and summaries using I.T. and statistical programmes.
- To assist in the identification of any omissions or inconsistencies concerning clinical activity data and to liaise directly with clinical staff to correct this.
- To utilise basic word processing skills in order to produce reports and other communications.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- British Psychological Society Accredited Doctoral Degree in Clinical/Counselling.
- Eligibility for British Psychological Society Chartered Psychologist Status.
- Registered with The Health & Care Professions Council as a 'Practitioner Psychologist'.
Desirable
- Accredited membership of an appropriate psychological therapy professional body.
- Additional further training and qualifications in a range of therapeutic models (e.g. CBT, IPT, CAT) and in the use of specific psychometric and/or neuro-psychological assessment tools.
- Completion of appropriate supervision training.
Experience
Essential
- Proven post-qualification experience as a practitioner psychologist within the NHS.
- Experience working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and full range of settings including primary care, community, inpatients and acute care settings, and with expert knowledge in common mental health difficulties.
- Experience of exercising psychological assessment and intervention and evaluation with a range of common, acute and complex mental health needs.
- Proven experience of supervising others within domain of service area.
Desirable
- Experience of representing psychological services in local policy forums.
- Development and delivery of group therapy for complex presentations.
- Undergraduate and post graduate research experience.
- Experience of audit and service evaluation within psychological therapy services
- Experience in teaching and training and qualified psychological therapist and of non-psychology staff.
- Experience of the application of psychological therapy in diverse cultural and ethnic contexts.
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of research design and methodology, including data analysis as practiced within the field of Clinical/Counselling psychology.
- Good understanding of phenomenology and theoretical models of complex co-morbid common mental health disorders.
- Understanding of the national guidance and policy directives in relation to the development and delivery of psychological therapies for common mental health disorders in relation to long-term health conditions/cancer
Desirable
- Awareness of similarities and differences between schools of psychological therapy.
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Ability to formulate presenting problems using range of evidence based psychological models.
- Ability to formulate presenting problems from first principles drawing from appropriate knowledge base.
- Planning, development and delivery of psychological services within the NHS
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of multi-media materials suitable for presentations
Other
Essential
- Willing to carry out all duties and responsibilities of the post in accordance with the Trust's Equal Opportunities and Equality and Diversity policies.
- Appointments to regulated and controlled activities require an enhanced CRB disclosure and registration with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA), Vetting and Barring Scheme.
- There is a requirement to travel in order to attend clinics and an occasional requirement to travel across the wide footprint of the Trust to attend meetings and events relevant to the role.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- British Psychological Society Accredited Doctoral Degree in Clinical/Counselling.
- Eligibility for British Psychological Society Chartered Psychologist Status.
- Registered with The Health & Care Professions Council as a 'Practitioner Psychologist'.
Desirable
- Accredited membership of an appropriate psychological therapy professional body.
- Additional further training and qualifications in a range of therapeutic models (e.g. CBT, IPT, CAT) and in the use of specific psychometric and/or neuro-psychological assessment tools.
- Completion of appropriate supervision training.
Experience
Essential
- Proven post-qualification experience as a practitioner psychologist within the NHS.
- Experience working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and full range of settings including primary care, community, inpatients and acute care settings, and with expert knowledge in common mental health difficulties.
- Experience of exercising psychological assessment and intervention and evaluation with a range of common, acute and complex mental health needs.
- Proven experience of supervising others within domain of service area.
Desirable
- Experience of representing psychological services in local policy forums.
- Development and delivery of group therapy for complex presentations.
- Undergraduate and post graduate research experience.
- Experience of audit and service evaluation within psychological therapy services
- Experience in teaching and training and qualified psychological therapist and of non-psychology staff.
- Experience of the application of psychological therapy in diverse cultural and ethnic contexts.
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of research design and methodology, including data analysis as practiced within the field of Clinical/Counselling psychology.
- Good understanding of phenomenology and theoretical models of complex co-morbid common mental health disorders.
- Understanding of the national guidance and policy directives in relation to the development and delivery of psychological therapies for common mental health disorders in relation to long-term health conditions/cancer
Desirable
- Awareness of similarities and differences between schools of psychological therapy.
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Ability to formulate presenting problems using range of evidence based psychological models.
- Ability to formulate presenting problems from first principles drawing from appropriate knowledge base.
- Planning, development and delivery of psychological services within the NHS
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of multi-media materials suitable for presentations
Other
Essential
- Willing to carry out all duties and responsibilities of the post in accordance with the Trust's Equal Opportunities and Equality and Diversity policies.
- Appointments to regulated and controlled activities require an enhanced CRB disclosure and registration with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA), Vetting and Barring Scheme.
- There is a requirement to travel in order to attend clinics and an occasional requirement to travel across the wide footprint of the Trust to attend meetings and events relevant to the role.
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).
