Job summary
An exciting and rewarding opportunity has arisen for a fixed term 12 month Clinical / Counselling Psychology post on Andersen Ward, a Mother and Baby Unit which covers the whole of Greater Manchester.
The post holder will be responsible for the provision of inpatient (Mother and Baby Unit) based highly specialist psychology services, in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team, for women / birthing people who are pregnant or up to 1 year postnatal, and who present with a wide range of complex and severe mental health problems, including attachment and bonding difficulties.
We encourage anyone interested in the role to make contact. If you are interested or have any questions, please speak to: Dr Kirsty Pratt, Consultant Clinical Psychologist (kirsty.pratt@gmmh.nhs.uk)
**Please note, this vacancy may be closed at any time if sufficient applications have been received**
Main duties of the job
The main duties of the role:
- Develop specialist psychological assessment and formulation.
- Provide expert psychological assessment and therapies in perinatal mental health (and infant mental health where indicated) in individual, dyadic, family and group format.
- Formulate plans for psychological treatment, sharing these with the MDT and guiding MDT care.
- Implement specialist psychological interventions for individuals, carers and families.
- Demonstrate awareness of diversity issues.
- Provide advice, guidance and consultation on psychological aspects of patient care to colleagues, other service providers, patients, supporters and families.
The post holder will contribute to the provision of psychological services within the MBU and liaise closely with the community Specialist Perinatal Service and Infant Mental Health teams. They will work autonomously within professional guidelines and Trust policies and procedures. In addition, the post holder will be responsible for offering advice and consultation to the Consultant Psychiatrist and Medical Doctors, other multidisciplinary MBU team members, colleagues, and non-professional carers, on matters related to the psychological needs and issues relevant to the service and its users. The post holder will provide supervision to MBU team members and Trainee Clinical / Counselling Psychologists and also offer relevant training to MBU staff.
About us
Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH) is one of the leading mental health trusts in the UK.
Serving a population of 1.2million people, the Trust employs around 4750 people who make a difference across 130 locations.
Situated in one of the most exciting and affordable cities in Europe, GMMH provides community and inpatient mental health care, alongside substance misuse services across the North West.
GMMH provides a range of specialist services including prison in reach across the North of England, a specialist centre for mental health and deafness and inpatient perinatal mental health care.
GMMH is also one of the most active research trusts in the UK, with one of the highest levels of recruitment to clinical trials for mental health. This puts our staff and service users at the leading edge of new mental health treatments.
Important Information about working for GMMHApplicants are encouraged to apply for posts at GMMH who have direct experience of mental health, learning disability or drug and alcohol services either as a service user or a carer.
All positions within GMMH are subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks, for further information on the checks required please visit the NHS Employers website.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Direct clinical work
- To make highly skilled evaluations and decisions about assessment and treatment options considering both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, couple, family.
- To undertake specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to the MBU 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 structured observations and semi- structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the clients care.
- To formulate and implement plans in conjunction with clients within the MBU for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a clients mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy.
- To implement a range of psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families, and groups, adjusting and refining psychological formulations as required.
- To communicate orally and in writing, in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients, to referrers and others involved in the clients care.
- To exercise autonomous professional responsibility, within the context of multidisciplinary MBU team working, for the assessment, psychological formulation, treatment, and discharge of clients.
- To undertake risk assessment for relevant individual clients and to provide both general and specialist advice for Psychologists and other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and management. To be able to identify clients at high risk who may need to be assessed further by the MBU Psychiatrist.
Indirect clinical work
- To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings and agencies serving the client group. All clinical input will be in accordance with the philosophy, policies and standing operating procedure of the MBU.
- To provide specialist psychological advice guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.
- To share psychological formulation within the multidisciplinary MBU team both in formal MDT meetings and informally with staff to increase understanding, advocate for psychological ways of working, and broaden psychological input during admission to Andersen ward.
- To ensure that members of the clients care MBU team have access to a psychologically based framework for the understanding and care of the service user, through the provision of advice and consultation and the dissemination of psychological knowledge, research and theory.
- To supervise MBU ward staff in offering low level psychological support and/or to supervise them in the delivery of interventions they are trained in.
- To support ward staff through regular reflective practice and case formulation sessions, as well as devising and delivering CPD to ward staff where appropriate and indicated.
- To regularly attend MBU ward rounds for all MBU clients in order to assist with assessment and treatment planning.
- To attend clinical meetings, case reviews, and case conferences as appropriate.
- To develop the therapeutic offer on Andersen ward in line with evidence-based practice.
Teaching, training and supervision
- To receive regular clinical professional supervision from an experienced perinatal Clinical / Counselling Psychologist and/or other professional colleagues when appropriate.
- To take responsibility for continuing professional development and continue to gain wider post-qualification experience of perinatal MBU related areas.
- To provide specialist clinical, research and professional supervision to Assistant Psychologists in the MBU, if required.
- To provide specialist clinical placements for Trainee Clinical /Counselling Psychologists and ensure that they acquire the necessary clinical and research skills to doctoral level, if required.
- To provide pre- and post- qualification teaching for Clinical /Counselling Psychologists and staff of other disciplines as appropriate.
- To identify training needs in relation to the MBU.
- To continue to develop expertise in the area of professional pre- and post-graduate training and clinical supervision.
Management, recruitment, policy and service development
- To assist in determining priorities for the MBU and psychology service and assist in the preparation of MBU accreditation reports.
- To help plan, contribute and participate in, any MBU team building process that may be seen as necessary to enhance the working efficiency of the MBU service.
- To exercise delegated responsibility for managing the psychological resources in the form of additional qualified and unqualified psychology staff or in the form of materials employed in the assessment and treatment of clients.
- To ensure that effective team communication systems are in place and that psychology staff comply with departmental and directorate wide policies and procedures of GMMH.
- To communicate and work with other services of Manchester GMMH where this is relevant.
- To participate fully in clinical governance including adequate Quality Assurance, audit, and review measures.
- To liaise with other disciplines within the service and with external allied services regarding the development of services, pathways and relationships. For example, by attendance at appropriate service planning meetings.
- To bid for additional resource as required in conjunction with team and service managers.
- If relevant, to clinically supervise and line manage an Assistant Psychologist within the MBU. To be responsible for the appraisals of relevant staff, ensuring staff development and maintaining systematic records in line with GMMH policies and procedure.
- If relevant, to advise on and participate in the recruitment of Clinical / Counselling Psychologists and Assistant Psychologists to the Specialty.
Research and service evaluation
- To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the services operational procedures, policies and services, through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit.
- To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual/group work, work with other MBU team members and across the service in relation to maternal and infant mental health.
- To support ongoing MBU-related research, share information about research at local and national level and provide research advice to other staff undertaking research within the service as appropriate.
- To participate in evaluation of all clinical activity within the post and provide such information as required by the GMMH/Service Management Team for the purpose of service monitoring and evaluation.
- Trust Mandatory On- going Requirements - to be met by the candidate after commencing in post, these will not be assessed at the recruitment stage
- To understand the Trusts Strategic Goals and how you can support them.
- To understand the need to safeguard children and vulnerable adults and adhere to all principles in effective safeguarding.
- To carry out all duties and responsibilities of the post in accordance with Equal Opportunities, Equality and Diversity and dignity in care/work policies and principles.
- To avoid unlawful discriminatory behaviour and actions when dealing with colleagues, services users, members of the public and all stakeholders.
- To access only information, whether paper, electronic, or, in another media, which is authorised to you as part of the duties of your role.
- Not to communicate to anyone inside or outside the NHS, information relating to patients, services users, staff, contractors, or any information of a commercially sensitive nature, unless done in the normal course of carrying out the duties of the post and with appropriate permission.
- To maintain high standards of quality in corporate and clinical record keeping, ensuring information is always recorded accurately, appropriately and kept up to date.
- To ensure their day-to-day activities embrace sustainability and reduce the impact upon the environment by minimising waste and maximising recycling; saving energy; minimising water usage and reporting electrical faults, water leakages or other environmental concerns to the facilities department or their line manager.
- Take reasonable care of the health and safety of yourself and others.
- To contribute to the control of risk and to report any incident, accident or near miss.
- To protect service users, visitors, and employees against the risk of acquiring health care associated infections.
- To achieve and demonstrate agreed standards of personal and professional development within agreed timescales.
- To contribute positively to the effectiveness and efficiency of the teams in which he/she works.
- See attached detailed job description and person specification:
Staff benefits
Pay Enhancements 30% additional for Evenings (8pm onwards) and Saturdays and 60% additional for Sundays and Bank holidays.
27 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising to 29 after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years
Excellent pension
Cycle to work scheme
Salary sacrifice car scheme
Wellbeing programme
Blue Light Card Discounts
Job description
Job responsibilities
Direct clinical work
- To make highly skilled evaluations and decisions about assessment and treatment options considering both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, couple, family.
- To undertake specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to the MBU 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 structured observations and semi- structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the clients care.
- To formulate and implement plans in conjunction with clients within the MBU for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a clients mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy.
- To implement a range of psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families, and groups, adjusting and refining psychological formulations as required.
- To communicate orally and in writing, in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients, to referrers and others involved in the clients care.
- To exercise autonomous professional responsibility, within the context of multidisciplinary MBU team working, for the assessment, psychological formulation, treatment, and discharge of clients.
- To undertake risk assessment for relevant individual clients and to provide both general and specialist advice for Psychologists and other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and management. To be able to identify clients at high risk who may need to be assessed further by the MBU Psychiatrist.
Indirect clinical work
- To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings and agencies serving the client group. All clinical input will be in accordance with the philosophy, policies and standing operating procedure of the MBU.
- To provide specialist psychological advice guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.
- To share psychological formulation within the multidisciplinary MBU team both in formal MDT meetings and informally with staff to increase understanding, advocate for psychological ways of working, and broaden psychological input during admission to Andersen ward.
- To ensure that members of the clients care MBU team have access to a psychologically based framework for the understanding and care of the service user, through the provision of advice and consultation and the dissemination of psychological knowledge, research and theory.
- To supervise MBU ward staff in offering low level psychological support and/or to supervise them in the delivery of interventions they are trained in.
- To support ward staff through regular reflective practice and case formulation sessions, as well as devising and delivering CPD to ward staff where appropriate and indicated.
- To regularly attend MBU ward rounds for all MBU clients in order to assist with assessment and treatment planning.
- To attend clinical meetings, case reviews, and case conferences as appropriate.
- To develop the therapeutic offer on Andersen ward in line with evidence-based practice.
Teaching, training and supervision
- To receive regular clinical professional supervision from an experienced perinatal Clinical / Counselling Psychologist and/or other professional colleagues when appropriate.
- To take responsibility for continuing professional development and continue to gain wider post-qualification experience of perinatal MBU related areas.
- To provide specialist clinical, research and professional supervision to Assistant Psychologists in the MBU, if required.
- To provide specialist clinical placements for Trainee Clinical /Counselling Psychologists and ensure that they acquire the necessary clinical and research skills to doctoral level, if required.
- To provide pre- and post- qualification teaching for Clinical /Counselling Psychologists and staff of other disciplines as appropriate.
- To identify training needs in relation to the MBU.
- To continue to develop expertise in the area of professional pre- and post-graduate training and clinical supervision.
Management, recruitment, policy and service development
- To assist in determining priorities for the MBU and psychology service and assist in the preparation of MBU accreditation reports.
- To help plan, contribute and participate in, any MBU team building process that may be seen as necessary to enhance the working efficiency of the MBU service.
- To exercise delegated responsibility for managing the psychological resources in the form of additional qualified and unqualified psychology staff or in the form of materials employed in the assessment and treatment of clients.
- To ensure that effective team communication systems are in place and that psychology staff comply with departmental and directorate wide policies and procedures of GMMH.
- To communicate and work with other services of Manchester GMMH where this is relevant.
- To participate fully in clinical governance including adequate Quality Assurance, audit, and review measures.
- To liaise with other disciplines within the service and with external allied services regarding the development of services, pathways and relationships. For example, by attendance at appropriate service planning meetings.
- To bid for additional resource as required in conjunction with team and service managers.
- If relevant, to clinically supervise and line manage an Assistant Psychologist within the MBU. To be responsible for the appraisals of relevant staff, ensuring staff development and maintaining systematic records in line with GMMH policies and procedure.
- If relevant, to advise on and participate in the recruitment of Clinical / Counselling Psychologists and Assistant Psychologists to the Specialty.
Research and service evaluation
- To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the services operational procedures, policies and services, through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit.
- To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual/group work, work with other MBU team members and across the service in relation to maternal and infant mental health.
- To support ongoing MBU-related research, share information about research at local and national level and provide research advice to other staff undertaking research within the service as appropriate.
- To participate in evaluation of all clinical activity within the post and provide such information as required by the GMMH/Service Management Team for the purpose of service monitoring and evaluation.
- Trust Mandatory On- going Requirements - to be met by the candidate after commencing in post, these will not be assessed at the recruitment stage
- To understand the Trusts Strategic Goals and how you can support them.
- To understand the need to safeguard children and vulnerable adults and adhere to all principles in effective safeguarding.
- To carry out all duties and responsibilities of the post in accordance with Equal Opportunities, Equality and Diversity and dignity in care/work policies and principles.
- To avoid unlawful discriminatory behaviour and actions when dealing with colleagues, services users, members of the public and all stakeholders.
- To access only information, whether paper, electronic, or, in another media, which is authorised to you as part of the duties of your role.
- Not to communicate to anyone inside or outside the NHS, information relating to patients, services users, staff, contractors, or any information of a commercially sensitive nature, unless done in the normal course of carrying out the duties of the post and with appropriate permission.
- To maintain high standards of quality in corporate and clinical record keeping, ensuring information is always recorded accurately, appropriately and kept up to date.
- To ensure their day-to-day activities embrace sustainability and reduce the impact upon the environment by minimising waste and maximising recycling; saving energy; minimising water usage and reporting electrical faults, water leakages or other environmental concerns to the facilities department or their line manager.
- Take reasonable care of the health and safety of yourself and others.
- To contribute to the control of risk and to report any incident, accident or near miss.
- To protect service users, visitors, and employees against the risk of acquiring health care associated infections.
- To achieve and demonstrate agreed standards of personal and professional development within agreed timescales.
- To contribute positively to the effectiveness and efficiency of the teams in which he/she works.
- See attached detailed job description and person specification:
Staff benefits
Pay Enhancements 30% additional for Evenings (8pm onwards) and Saturdays and 60% additional for Sundays and Bank holidays.
27 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising to 29 after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years
Excellent pension
Cycle to work scheme
Salary sacrifice car scheme
Wellbeing programme
Blue Light Card Discounts
Person Specification
Education / Qualifications
Essential
- Professional qualification in Clinical / Counselling Psychology at doctoral level (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS.
- HCPC registration as a qualified Clinical /Counselling Psychologist.
Desirable
- Additional training in an intervention relevant to this client group (e.g. EMDR, CFT, CAT, mother-infant interaction).
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working as a clinical /counselling psychologist.
- Previous experience of delivering structured psychological interventions to clients with severe and complex mental health problems.
- Experience in risk assessment, formulation and management.
- Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan.
- Experience of working with a full range of severe mental health problems and across settings including community, outpatient/clinic and/or inpatient settings.
- Experience of multidisciplinary teamwork.
- Experience of consulting with other mental health care and other health care professionals.
- Experience of providing supervision.
- Experience of providing training.
Desirable
- Experience of working therapeutically with antenatal and/or postnatal women with severe and complex mental health problems.
- Experience of working with mothers/parents and their infants as well as the wider family system.
- Experience of working with professionals and services involved in work with parents and/or children and families, in specialist hospital/inpatient or community settings.
- Experience of teaching, training and supervision of trainee clinical /counselling psychologists.
Knowledge
Essential
- Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology.
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to clients with complex, severe and enduring mental health problems including Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act.
- Knowledge of policies and procedures that relate to child protection and safeguarding.
- Evidence of CPD.
Desirable
- Awareness of perinatal mental health service development and priorities as outlined in the Long Term Plan (LTP).
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Skills in planning and delivering evidence-based interventions.
- Skills in providing individual and group interventions.
- Ability to integrate psychological theories and outcome data with clinical practice and service provision.
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to clients, their families and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Ability to work with people from different backgrounds, cultures and of different ages.
- Ability to organise time effectively.
- Ability to use own initiative and to work under supervision where appropriate.
- Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team and to liaise effectively with other professionals.
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi- media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
- Ability to identify, and employ, as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice inthe face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
Desirable
- Ability to provide rapid psychological assessment and brief psychological interventions.
Person Specification
Education / Qualifications
Essential
- Professional qualification in Clinical / Counselling Psychology at doctoral level (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS.
- HCPC registration as a qualified Clinical /Counselling Psychologist.
Desirable
- Additional training in an intervention relevant to this client group (e.g. EMDR, CFT, CAT, mother-infant interaction).
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working as a clinical /counselling psychologist.
- Previous experience of delivering structured psychological interventions to clients with severe and complex mental health problems.
- Experience in risk assessment, formulation and management.
- Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan.
- Experience of working with a full range of severe mental health problems and across settings including community, outpatient/clinic and/or inpatient settings.
- Experience of multidisciplinary teamwork.
- Experience of consulting with other mental health care and other health care professionals.
- Experience of providing supervision.
- Experience of providing training.
Desirable
- Experience of working therapeutically with antenatal and/or postnatal women with severe and complex mental health problems.
- Experience of working with mothers/parents and their infants as well as the wider family system.
- Experience of working with professionals and services involved in work with parents and/or children and families, in specialist hospital/inpatient or community settings.
- Experience of teaching, training and supervision of trainee clinical /counselling psychologists.
Knowledge
Essential
- Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology.
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to clients with complex, severe and enduring mental health problems including Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act.
- Knowledge of policies and procedures that relate to child protection and safeguarding.
- Evidence of CPD.
Desirable
- Awareness of perinatal mental health service development and priorities as outlined in the Long Term Plan (LTP).
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Skills in planning and delivering evidence-based interventions.
- Skills in providing individual and group interventions.
- Ability to integrate psychological theories and outcome data with clinical practice and service provision.
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to clients, their families and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Ability to work with people from different backgrounds, cultures and of different ages.
- Ability to organise time effectively.
- Ability to use own initiative and to work under supervision where appropriate.
- Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team and to liaise effectively with other professionals.
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi- media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
- Ability to identify, and employ, as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice inthe face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
Desirable
- Ability to provide rapid psychological assessment and brief psychological interventions.
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).
Employer details
Employer name
Greater Manchester Mental Health NHSFT
Address
Mother and Baby Unit (MBU). Laureate House
Southmoor road, Wythenshawe Hospital
Wythenshawe
M23 9LT
Employer's website
https://www.gmmh.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
