Job summary
A full-time Band 8c Consultant Clinical Psychologist position is available at the Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH) Colchester. We are looking for a psychologist with excellent clinical skills, a committed team focus and experience of strategic change and service development. You'll adapt to a new organisational culture whilst still upholding the highest standards of professional practice.
The successful applicant will join a team of psychology colleagues providing a clinical psychology service with an occupational focus to Armed Forces personnel across the Central network. We have extended our service offer to include remote video consultation which provides opportunities for hybrid working. This role is supported from a base at Colchester where you will spend part of your working week in a well-established, cohesive multidisciplinary team.
If you are seeking a new challenge, enjoy working collaboratively and would like to add military mental healthcare to your career portfolio then this could be the role for you! This is a full-time position that will offer the successful candidate 37.5 hours per week and we'd welcome your interest and application.
Benefits
- An NHS Pension
- An inclusive working environment
- Free parking
- Access to a gym
- On site shop and cafe
Main duties of the job
The successful candidate will ensure the systematic
provision of a high-quality clinical psychology service within a defined
clinical network (Central).
You will work autonomously within professional guidelines
and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological
practice within the service/team. You will work to ensure that systems are in place and
working effectively for the clinical delivery and professional supervision and
support of all other staff within the service/ team for which the post holder
has designated responsibility. This will include clear systems for effective
recruitment, professional appraisal, and the identification of continuing
professional development (CPD) needs across the service/sector team.
You will act as a highly specialist resource to the wider
professional community and, as a major requirement of the job, to carry out
research activities, audit, policy and service development.
About us
Our success depends on our people, our
Whole Force, regular and reservist military, civil servants and contractors, all working as one, working together
seamlessly to deliver for us.
Our
civil servants are a central part of this Whole Force, developing strategy,
making policy, supporting ministerial decision-making and Parliamentary
processes. In fact, with over 2,000 different roles working across 650 sites around the world, now really is an
excellent time to join one of the largest, most exciting departments in
government.
The
Ministry of Defence is committed to attracting and retaining people from across the full range of backgrounds and
enabling flexible ways of working as the norm. We offer maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks full pay
followed by 13 weeks of statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid, and
paternity leave of 2 weeks full pay.
In
return, you can expect a department that helps you learn and develop that
recognises your expertise and contribution, both as an individual and part of a team.
If you've ever wanted to do more, see more, go further or be better,
we have roles in more professions and vocations than ever before. Let's see where your future will take you, together.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities of the role include, but are not limited to:
- Providing highly developed specialist psychological assessments of clients 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.
- Formulating and implementing plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a clients mental and/or health problems based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings. Such treatment plans will accommodate the, sometimes conflicting, needs of the client and their military employer, and must have sufficient flexibility to enhance the clients operational efficacy whilst delivering optimum clinical care. Of necessity, this requires full liaison with other members of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) and the military executive/line-management system.
- Ensuring that all members of the wider clinical team have access to a psychologically based framework for the understanding and care of clients of the service, through the provision of advice and consultation and the dissemination of psychological knowledge, research and theory.
Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification for further details.
The sift will be completed within 5 working days of the vacancy closing date. Interviews will be held on a date to be confirmed.
Please ensure you demonstrate that you have the required skills, knowledge, experience, qualifications and memberships in the CV section of the application form.
The selection at sift stage will be based on your CV. At interview, you will be tested against the following Civil Service Behaviours:
- Leadership
- Changing and Improving
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
- Managing a Quality Service
- Delivering at Pace
You will also provide a short (approximately 10 minutes) presentation on a topic relevant to the clinical role, the title of which will be shared with shortlisted candidates.
You will also be asked to discuss a clinical vignette.
Requests to work flexibly and/or part time will be considered, taking into account business needs.
All employees joining Ministry of Defence who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a 6-month probation period (unless otherwise advised) effective from the employment start date. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.
Please note the salary will be pro-rata where part time hours are undertaken.
Please see the link to our Youtube channel for advice preparing your best responses with some hints and tips on answering behaviour based questions. Hints and tips such as: Your behaviours can be based on situations from work, volunteering or home; match your situation to the behaviour requested and how to use your 250-word limit.
Defence Medical Services - YouTube - Please note that if you are viewing this on NHS Jobs, you may need to copy and paste the following in to your browser: https://www.youtube.com/@DMS_MilMed
To be considered for this role, qualifications and memberships detailed must be held in full, prior to submitting your application.
Access to the NHS pension scheme is available to the successful candidate.
There is no requirement to deploy as this is met by our uniformed personnel, but you will form the continuity of care required by our patients when based at home.
The post does NOT offer relocation expenses (move of home, excess fares or temporary transfer). Non Standard move applicants will be eligible for the full package, subject to eligibility.
We encourage all our employees and prospective ones to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to any exemptions that may apply. Please see the attached further information document for full details.
As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system.
Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.
This vacancy is part of the A Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative, Making the Civil Service a Great Place to Work for Veterans - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact dbscivpers-sgdmsresourcingteam@mod.gov.uk.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities of the role include, but are not limited to:
- Providing highly developed specialist psychological assessments of clients 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.
- Formulating and implementing plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a clients mental and/or health problems based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings. Such treatment plans will accommodate the, sometimes conflicting, needs of the client and their military employer, and must have sufficient flexibility to enhance the clients operational efficacy whilst delivering optimum clinical care. Of necessity, this requires full liaison with other members of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) and the military executive/line-management system.
- Ensuring that all members of the wider clinical team have access to a psychologically based framework for the understanding and care of clients of the service, through the provision of advice and consultation and the dissemination of psychological knowledge, research and theory.
Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification for further details.
The sift will be completed within 5 working days of the vacancy closing date. Interviews will be held on a date to be confirmed.
Please ensure you demonstrate that you have the required skills, knowledge, experience, qualifications and memberships in the CV section of the application form.
The selection at sift stage will be based on your CV. At interview, you will be tested against the following Civil Service Behaviours:
- Leadership
- Changing and Improving
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
- Managing a Quality Service
- Delivering at Pace
You will also provide a short (approximately 10 minutes) presentation on a topic relevant to the clinical role, the title of which will be shared with shortlisted candidates.
You will also be asked to discuss a clinical vignette.
Requests to work flexibly and/or part time will be considered, taking into account business needs.
All employees joining Ministry of Defence who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a 6-month probation period (unless otherwise advised) effective from the employment start date. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.
Please note the salary will be pro-rata where part time hours are undertaken.
Please see the link to our Youtube channel for advice preparing your best responses with some hints and tips on answering behaviour based questions. Hints and tips such as: Your behaviours can be based on situations from work, volunteering or home; match your situation to the behaviour requested and how to use your 250-word limit.
Defence Medical Services - YouTube - Please note that if you are viewing this on NHS Jobs, you may need to copy and paste the following in to your browser: https://www.youtube.com/@DMS_MilMed
To be considered for this role, qualifications and memberships detailed must be held in full, prior to submitting your application.
Access to the NHS pension scheme is available to the successful candidate.
There is no requirement to deploy as this is met by our uniformed personnel, but you will form the continuity of care required by our patients when based at home.
The post does NOT offer relocation expenses (move of home, excess fares or temporary transfer). Non Standard move applicants will be eligible for the full package, subject to eligibility.
We encourage all our employees and prospective ones to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to any exemptions that may apply. Please see the attached further information document for full details.
As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system.
Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.
This vacancy is part of the A Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative, Making the Civil Service a Great Place to Work for Veterans - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact dbscivpers-sgdmsresourcingteam@mod.gov.uk.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Supervisor training for doctoral programme clinical psychology trainees.
- Extensive and demonstrable experience of working as a HCPC regulated practitioner psychologist within adult mental healthcare services (to include specialist psychological assessment, formulation and treatment of complexity in a wide range of patient groups across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, primary care, and inpatient).
- Substantial further specialist training and experience commensurate with eligibility for consultant clinical psychologist appointment approval from external BPS assessor.
- Experience of providing supervision and support to psychological and non-psychological staff in a specific therapeutic intervention.
- Substantial post qualification experience of delivering evidence based psychological therapy training to a range of professional groups.
- Specialist knowledge of the theory and practice of specialist psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups relevant to the community pathway, e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnosis, people with additional disabilities.
Provide a CV
Essential
- Please copy and paste your full CV as your response to this question; you will not be able to upload your CV as an attachment.
- Please ensure to refer to the essential criteria where applicable as your application may be rejected should insufficient information to shortlist be included.
- Please use double spacing where possible.
Qualifications
Essential
- Doctoral level training in clinical or counselling psychology (or equivalent as accredited by British Psychological Society (BPS) conferring eligibility for Chartership & full membership of Division of Clinical or Counselling Psychology). Training must have included models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
- Formal training in clinical supervision of trainee clinical psychologist and other staff.
Registrations and Memberships
Essential
- Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) Registered as a Practitioner Psychologist under protected title.
Registrations Details
Essential
- Please provide your membership registration number.
- You are required to be registered with the relevant professional body, as detailed in the advert, prior to submitting your application.
- Your application will not progress should you fail to provide a valid membership registration number.
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Specialist skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management of adult mental health.
- Higher level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies with at least one to an accredited/accreditable level.
- Specialist skills in evidence based psychological interventions and in adapting interventions to individual complex needs and complex systems.
- Skills in strategic/organisational work and service development/redesign.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Supervisor training for doctoral programme clinical psychology trainees.
- Extensive and demonstrable experience of working as a HCPC regulated practitioner psychologist within adult mental healthcare services (to include specialist psychological assessment, formulation and treatment of complexity in a wide range of patient groups across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, primary care, and inpatient).
- Substantial further specialist training and experience commensurate with eligibility for consultant clinical psychologist appointment approval from external BPS assessor.
- Experience of providing supervision and support to psychological and non-psychological staff in a specific therapeutic intervention.
- Substantial post qualification experience of delivering evidence based psychological therapy training to a range of professional groups.
- Specialist knowledge of the theory and practice of specialist psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups relevant to the community pathway, e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnosis, people with additional disabilities.
Provide a CV
Essential
- Please copy and paste your full CV as your response to this question; you will not be able to upload your CV as an attachment.
- Please ensure to refer to the essential criteria where applicable as your application may be rejected should insufficient information to shortlist be included.
- Please use double spacing where possible.
Qualifications
Essential
- Doctoral level training in clinical or counselling psychology (or equivalent as accredited by British Psychological Society (BPS) conferring eligibility for Chartership & full membership of Division of Clinical or Counselling Psychology). Training must have included models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
- Formal training in clinical supervision of trainee clinical psychologist and other staff.
Registrations and Memberships
Essential
- Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) Registered as a Practitioner Psychologist under protected title.
Registrations Details
Essential
- Please provide your membership registration number.
- You are required to be registered with the relevant professional body, as detailed in the advert, prior to submitting your application.
- Your application will not progress should you fail to provide a valid membership registration number.
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Specialist skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management of adult mental health.
- Higher level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies with at least one to an accredited/accreditable level.
- Specialist skills in evidence based psychological interventions and in adapting interventions to individual complex needs and complex systems.
- Skills in strategic/organisational work and service development/redesign.
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.
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
