Assistant Psychologist

Job description

Job responsibilities

General Duties

To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training.

To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping, including electronic data entry and recording, and report writing and the responsible exercise of professional self-governance, in accordance with professional codes of practice, the law and Riverdale Grange policies and procedures.

To maintain patient confidentiality working within and demonstrating responsibilities under the Caldicott principles: Justify the purpose of using confidential information, only use this when necessary, use the minimum required, access is restricted to need to know (circle of trust), understand and comply with the law.

To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to adolescents and adults with eating disorders.

To ensure that in all aspects of professional activity (e.g. communication with patients, relatives, colleagues, as well as in the assessment, development/ delivery of interventions) issues of diversity are sensitively considered.

To ensure that patients are appropriately involved in relevant aspects of their care and are empowered to express their views in a responsive environment enabling such views to be assimilated/incorporated into continued service development.

Additional Duties

This is not an exhaustive list of responsibilities or duties and in discussion with the MDT/Clinical Psychologist/Senior Management Team addition duties might be required in line with skills and knowledge.

See full job description and person specification as downloadable documents

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with people with mental health difficulties
• Experience of using psychometric assessment and undertaking audit
• A basic understanding of the psychological needs of people with eating disorders
• An ability to transfer psychological theory and understanding to an inpatient eating disorder setting
• Recognition of the importance of psychological assessment, formulation and intervention
• Ability to assess risk
• Ability to empathise with families and carers and remain neutral in stressful, emotionally demanding situations
• Ability to work intensively and empathically with individuals who present challenges in the complexity of their problems and needs.
• Ability to work in an emotionally distressing environment
• Ability to advocate for and assert patients needs in multiagency settings
• Excellent time management skills.
• An autonomous decision-maker.
• Recovery-focussed, positive approach to practice.
• A creative problem-solving ability
• Keen observational skills
• Experience of working effectively in multidisciplinary settings.
• Ability to contribute to the planning and organisation of transition and discharge arrangements in collaboration with community partners.
• Continually develop specialist knowledge and skills by engaging in relevant study and Continuing Professional Development relevant to the eating disorder population.

Desirable

• Experience of working with people with eating disorders
• Experience of working with people with complex mental health difficulties
• Experience of working in an inpatient mental health setting
• Experience of delivering teaching/training
• Experience of facilitating structured therapeutic group programmes
• Knowledge of evidence-based psychological interventions for people with an eating disorder
• Knowledge of the Mental Health Act
• Experience of completing risk formulations
• Experience of conducting quantitative and/or qualitative data analysis

Qualifications

Essential

• Upper second-class honours degree or higher in Psychology
• Eligible for Graduate Membership of the British Psychological Society

Desirable

• Further post-graduate training in relevant areas of clinical psychology, research and/or specific to eating disorders.
• Graduate Membership of the British Psychological Society

Skills

Essential

• Good communication (written and verbal) and organisational skills
• Ability to communicate complex and sensitive information to patients, carers and colleagues
• Ability to demonstrate a non-judgmental attitude to working with people affected by mental health issues
• Ability to work independently and prioritise own workload.
• Ability to work in emotionally distressing situations
• Ability to use supervision appropriately
• Ability to produce timely and accurate documentation
• Good level of IT skills

Desirable

• Experience of computerised methods for data analysis
• Experience of qualitative data analysis

Knowledge

Essential

• Basic knowledge of the context of eating disorder services
• An awareness of the needs of people with eating disorders
• An ability to apply to existing psychological knowledge across an adult and adolescent eating disorder unit
• Understanding of issues relating to patients in mental health inpatient settings
• Understanding of the broad principles and issues in psychological assessment and formulation
• Understanding of self-harm and suicide ideation
• Good working knowledge of professional boundaries

Desirable

• Knowledge of specific psychological interventions for adults and adolescents with eating disorders
• Knowledge of the Mental Health Act and other relevant legislation and mental health issues.
• Experience of completing self-harm and/or suicide assessment and formulation

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Riverdale Grange Hospital

Address

93 Riverdale Road

Sheffield

S10 3FE

Employer's website

https://www.riverdalegrange.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)