Job summary
We are offering an exciting opportunity for a full-time Band 8a Psychologist to join us in delivering clinical neuropsychological services to people with epilepsy receiving care in specialist neurological and neurosurgical services in University Hospital of Wales.
This post is supported by the lead Consultant Neuropsychologist, friendly team of clinical/ neuropsychologists, and the wider Health Psychology Specialty. The role requires delivering on all aspects of a neuropsychological service. Alongside therapeutic services, it is an essential requirement to develop specialist neuropsychological assessment skills to address concerns regarding cognition in epilepsy and to support evaluations on the Welsh Epilepsy Surgery Programme. Additionally, the postholder will support the epilepsy team by providing psychological assessment and advice to inform diagnosis and/or care options where epilepsy may not explain a presentation.
There is access to a wealth of supervision within our supportive neuropsychology department. The post holder will be able to develop specialist skills with supervision from a Consultant Neuropsychologist. Completion of the QiCN will be supported. We have strong teaching and research links with Cardiff University, and research interests are encouraged.
We are looking for an applicant with interests in the neuropsychology of epilepsy and neurosurgery. This post would appeal to an enthusiastic practitioner who holds patient care at the centre of their work.
Main duties of the job
1. To provide a highly specialised neuropsychological service to patients with epilepsy, their families, and the multidisciplinary team, including cognitive assessment and the provision of psychological therapy and/or advice to clients, their carers and other staff.
2. To provide highly specialised psychological and cognitive assessment to aid diagnosis as required. This may involve disclosing the diagnosis to service users and their families, and the provision of specialist psychological advice to facilitate adjustment to this.
3. The post-holder will also be responsible for providing consultation to other staff in the multidisciplinary team and within other health and care settings.
4. The post-holder will initiate, co-ordinate and conduct psychological service improvement and will also be responsible for evaluation and audit.
5. The post-holder will be responsible for the initiation and facilitation of projects that will contribute to the development of psychologically informed services for people with epilepsy.
6. They will act as a specialist in their area of work within epilepsy neuropsychology.
7. The post-holder will be responsible for their own professional actions, decision-making and for working within professional ethics, HCPC and UHB policies and procedures.
8. In common with all clinical/counselling psychologists, the post-holder will receive regular clinical supervision as per good practice guidelines.
About us
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is one of the largest Integrated Health Boards in the UK, employing over 15,000 staff, providing over 100 specialist services. Working across 6 hospital sites, we have a diverse range of career opportunities to offer. Serving around 500,000 people living in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, we are focussed on the health and care needs of our local population whilst working with our partners to develop regional services.
Our mission is "Caring for People, Keeping People Well",and our vision is that every person's chance of leading a healthy life should be equal. As an organisation we are unashamedly ambitious for our population's health, rising to the challenges of today and tomorrow through our 10-year strategy, Shaping our Future Wellbeing. We are contributing to a healthier Wales with great emphasis placed on innovation and improvement, learning from around the world and leading the way in clinical research. Partnership working is strong at Cardiff and Vale, and we work closely with our staff and our community.
Cardiff, the thriving Welsh capital, is a fantastic city to live and work in with an abundance of sports, arts and cultural attractions. Situated to the west of Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan offers a combination of beautiful Welsh countryside and a dramatic natural coastline. Whether city life or rural living, Cardiff and the Vale offers the best of both worlds.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; English and/or Welsh speakers are equally welcome to apply.
You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click Apply now to view in Trac.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; English and/or Welsh speakers are equally welcome to apply.
You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click Apply now to view in Trac.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Good Honours degree in Psychology with eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC) with the BPS.
- Post-graduate Doctorate in Clinical/Counselling Psychology accredited by the HCPC (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996 as accredited by the BPS).
- HCPC registration as a practitioner psychologist.
Desirable
- Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialist areas of psychological practice.
Experience
Essential
- Significant and demonstrable post-qualification experience of working as a HCPC Registered Practitioner Psychologist.
- Experience of working with people with neurological conditions in an NHS setting; problems 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 and maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems.
- Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan.
- Experience of teaching/training and/or professional and clinical supervision.
- Demonstrable evidence of significant specialist clinical supervision within a scientist-practitioner framework, including individual supervision, group supervision and case presentations.
Desirable
- Experience of working in both community and in-patient settings.
- Experience working within a multi-disciplinary context
- Experience of NHS planning/service improvement forums
Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management, frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Ability to use the highest level of interpersonal and communication skills to convey and receive highly complex / sensitive information effectively, requiring empathy and reassurance, in a highly emotive atmosphere and the ability to overcome psychological resistance to potentially threatening information, whilst maintaining high degree of professionalism at all times.
- Ability to create and maintain effective working relationships.
- Ability to work collaboratively in multi-disciplinary settings.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Ability to make clinical and service-related judgments involving complex facts requiring analysis, interpretation and comparison of several options.
- Ability to evaluate critically research evidence relating to clinical effectiveness and service development.
- Ability to plan and organise a range of clinical or service-related activities and programmes.
- Ability to implement agreed policies and strategic long-term service developments.
Desirable
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialized psychological therapies in specific groups that are difficult to treat (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnosis, people with additional disabilities, etc.)
- High level of knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialist psychological therapies.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to client group and mental health.
- Ability to speak Welsh and a willingness to use this in the context of work where relevant.
Special Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of Clinical Psychology in relation to neurological problems.
- Knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to the service.
- Evidence of post-qualification continuing professional development as recommended by the HCPC and BPS.
- Formal training in supervision of other psychologists.
- Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology.
- Doctoral level knowledge of clinical/counselling psychology theory and practice, assessment, psychological therapies and their application.
Desirable
- Well-developed specialist knowledge of psychological models and therapies related to the needs of people with neurological conditions.
- Awareness of ethnic diversity issues.
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Ability to make effective use of clinical consultation and appraisal.
- Respect for users of services and their Carers.
- Commitment to and interest in working with people who have epilepsy.
- Commitment to working collaboratively with people living with epilepsy and their carers to develop and improve services.
- Willingness to work as part of a team.
- Ability to work independently
- Willingness to supervise trainee clinical psychologists and other qualified clinical/counselling psychologists working in similar team settings.
- Willingness to participate in continuing professional development.
- Ability to communicate clearly and with sensitivity - verbally and in writing.
- Organised and flexible, able to prioritise workload.
Other
Essential
- Ability to travel between work sites in a timely manner.
- Must be capable of working within organisational policies, and be accountable for own professional actions.
- Computer literate. Standard keyboard skills. Ability to use standard and specialist software.
- Formal training in assessment.
- Formal training in breakaway techniques.
Desirable
- Ability to speak Welsh and willingness to use in a work context.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Good Honours degree in Psychology with eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC) with the BPS.
- Post-graduate Doctorate in Clinical/Counselling Psychology accredited by the HCPC (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996 as accredited by the BPS).
- HCPC registration as a practitioner psychologist.
Desirable
- Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialist areas of psychological practice.
Experience
Essential
- Significant and demonstrable post-qualification experience of working as a HCPC Registered Practitioner Psychologist.
- Experience of working with people with neurological conditions in an NHS setting; problems 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 and maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems.
- Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan.
- Experience of teaching/training and/or professional and clinical supervision.
- Demonstrable evidence of significant specialist clinical supervision within a scientist-practitioner framework, including individual supervision, group supervision and case presentations.
Desirable
- Experience of working in both community and in-patient settings.
- Experience working within a multi-disciplinary context
- Experience of NHS planning/service improvement forums
Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management, frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Ability to use the highest level of interpersonal and communication skills to convey and receive highly complex / sensitive information effectively, requiring empathy and reassurance, in a highly emotive atmosphere and the ability to overcome psychological resistance to potentially threatening information, whilst maintaining high degree of professionalism at all times.
- Ability to create and maintain effective working relationships.
- Ability to work collaboratively in multi-disciplinary settings.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Ability to make clinical and service-related judgments involving complex facts requiring analysis, interpretation and comparison of several options.
- Ability to evaluate critically research evidence relating to clinical effectiveness and service development.
- Ability to plan and organise a range of clinical or service-related activities and programmes.
- Ability to implement agreed policies and strategic long-term service developments.
Desirable
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialized psychological therapies in specific groups that are difficult to treat (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnosis, people with additional disabilities, etc.)
- High level of knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialist psychological therapies.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to client group and mental health.
- Ability to speak Welsh and a willingness to use this in the context of work where relevant.
Special Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of Clinical Psychology in relation to neurological problems.
- Knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to the service.
- Evidence of post-qualification continuing professional development as recommended by the HCPC and BPS.
- Formal training in supervision of other psychologists.
- Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology.
- Doctoral level knowledge of clinical/counselling psychology theory and practice, assessment, psychological therapies and their application.
Desirable
- Well-developed specialist knowledge of psychological models and therapies related to the needs of people with neurological conditions.
- Awareness of ethnic diversity issues.
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Ability to make effective use of clinical consultation and appraisal.
- Respect for users of services and their Carers.
- Commitment to and interest in working with people who have epilepsy.
- Commitment to working collaboratively with people living with epilepsy and their carers to develop and improve services.
- Willingness to work as part of a team.
- Ability to work independently
- Willingness to supervise trainee clinical psychologists and other qualified clinical/counselling psychologists working in similar team settings.
- Willingness to participate in continuing professional development.
- Ability to communicate clearly and with sensitivity - verbally and in writing.
- Organised and flexible, able to prioritise workload.
Other
Essential
- Ability to travel between work sites in a timely manner.
- Must be capable of working within organisational policies, and be accountable for own professional actions.
- Computer literate. Standard keyboard skills. Ability to use standard and specialist software.
- Formal training in assessment.
- Formal training in breakaway techniques.
Desirable
- Ability to speak Welsh and willingness to use in a work context.
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).
