Band 8b Highly Specialist Psychologist

Job responsibilities

We pride ourselves on our compassionate and inclusive ways of working, which seek to reduce the risk of inpatient admission and associated trauma. We seek to improve quality of life for our clients, whilst strengthening relationships and attachments with others. We have a focus on wellbeing, both for ourselves as a psychology team, but also for our colleagues, clients and staff teams that we work with. We would be particularly interested to hear from applicants who have proven experience in leading strategic development or quality improvement initiatives within MDT teams and across services.

Here is some feedback from trainees who have been on placement in the community team:

the clients, close knit MDT and supportive supervisors make the community LD service a great place to work

lots of opportunities for getting involved with other aspects of the service, for example with staff wellbeing or the Service User Group

variety of interests within the psychology team which means you get to experience different models and perspectives. For example, there are opportunities to work systemically or from a trauma informed perspective

You would be based one of our Community Learning Disability bases which are situated within the Birmingham community. Whilst our work is moving towards a locality based model of care, you may be expected to travel throughout Birmingham, with occasional out of area visits. Requests for part-time or flexible working will be considered in line with the needs of our clients and the wider service.

You will be welcomed into an established group of experienced, friendly and supportive psychologists, banded from 8C to 7, as well as Honorary Assistant Psychologists and Trainees who are valued members of our team. We work closely with psychology colleagues in the Community Forensic Team and Intensive Support Team. We have expertise in a broad range of adapted psychological models, including behavioural (primarily PBS), systemic, narrative, CBT, ACT, psychodynamic and attachment, CFT, Video Interaction Guidance, CAT and EMDR. We are passionate about trauma-informed care and are constantly advocate for these principles to be embedded at all levels of service and pathway development. We have developed a thriving family therapy and consultation service. Psychologists are actively encouraged to participate within research, which is facilitated by our close working links with Professor Peter Langdon who holds a position as an Approved Clinician within our service.

Our specialist healthcare service for people with learning disabilities also offers a wide and diverse range of experiences for the post holder, such as opportunities to develop clinical leadership skills and be involved with wider clinical projects, including projects to address and reduce health inequalities. The Psychology Service offers support and close links with other psychologists through peer supervision, CPD events and team meetings. There are good links with the local DClinPsy training course and the MSCi pathway at Birmingham University. You are also invited to join the newly developed West Midlands Learning Disability special interest group, which brings together clinicians and academic colleagues from across the region to improve the standards of our services via research and collaboration.

The post holder will also be part of the professional network of Applied Psychologists working across BCHC NHS Foundation Trust, within our Learning Disabilities, NeuroRehabilitation, Stroke, Pain Management, Weight Management services and Childrens Neurodevelopmental pathway team, with access to a variety of models for clinical supervision, expert coaching, mentoring and other CPD opportunities.

Qualifications/training

Essential

• Satisfactory completion of a British Psychological Society accredited Doctoral Level postgraduate professional training course in clinical/ psychology completion of which includes the study of models of psychopathology, psychometric and neuropsychological assessment, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
• Eligibility for entry onto the Register of Chartered Psychologists. (Candidates for Clinical Psychology posts who i) possess a qualification in clinical psychology obtained oversees, that does not fully meet UK training requirements; ii) are seeking lateral transfer from another branch of applied psychology; or iii) hold a research degree in a clinical subject, must provide evidence that they have obtained a Statement of Equivalence in Clinical Psychology awarded by the BPS Committee for the Scrutiny of Individual Clinical Qualifications (CSICQ), further to the satisfactory completion of such additional training as is required by the CSICQ.)
• Post-doctoral training in clinical psychology.
• Pre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
• HCPC Registration
• The Graduate Basis for registration (further to completion of an honours degree in psychology accredited by the British Psychological Society, or, in the case of courses that are not accredited or where the first degree is not in psychology, by completion of the Society's Qualifying examination, or completion of a Society accredited Conversion Course).

Experience

Essential

• Assessed significant experience of working as a qualified clinical psychologist at a specialist level with complex behavioural, physical health or mental health issues such as acute self-injurious behaviours
• Experience of working with a wide variety of client 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, in-patient and residential care settings 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.
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment and also working within the context of a multidisciplinary team.
• Experience of assessing and treating clients across the full range of care settings.
• Experience of teaching, training and/or professional and clinical supervision.
• Experience of representing psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary care.

Desirable

• Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts

Skills/knowledge

Essential

• Doctorate level knowledge of Clinical Psychology.
• Highly specialist skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management including specialist clinical interviewing, behavioural observation, complex psychometric testing and specialist neuropsychological testing
• Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non professional groups.
• Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practiced within the field of clinical psychology.
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group.
• Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS
• Formal training in supervision of other psychologists.
• Well-developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. Learning disabilities, personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc).

Desirable

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of highly specialised psychological therapies and assessment methodologies.

Personal qualities

Essential

• Self-motivated and resilient
• Positive, energetic, enthusiastic in outlook and able to set a good example
• Keen to develop services in line with service, educational and research priorities with the service.
• Able to work independently or as part of a team

Desirable

• Evidence of strong leadership skills, the ability to negotiate, persuade and influence at a senior level with a supportive style whilst also able to take difficult decisions and act assertively
• Keen to develop services in line with service, educational and research priorities with the service.

Other job requirements

Essential

• 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 identify, and employ, as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
• Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic settings.
• Ability to reach scheduled appointments across the city in a timely fashion. Ability to travel independently Trustwide

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).