Assistant Behaviour Analyst

Job responsibilities

2. Job Purpose

To support and enhance the professional psychological care of clients within the service, across all sectors of care; providing behavioural assessment, designing, implementing and monitoring behaviour analysis programmes under the supervision of a qualified Behaviour Analyst, working independently according to a plan agreed with a qualified Behaviour Analyst and within the overall framework of the teams policies and procedures. To assist in clinically related administration, statistical and data analysis, development of audit and/or research projects, teaching and project work.

3. Dimensions

To work across and within a variety of settings, including service users homes, colleges, work settings, clinics, day services and at home.

To be able to respond quickly and flexibly to the demands and pressures created by the clinical work and external factors.

To be able to work and respond to service users presenting a high severity of behaviours that challenge.

4. Key Result Areas

Clinical

The role of the NdS Psychological Service is to work with adults affected by a range of conditions, including learning disability, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other complex healthcare needs. The role includes:

Undertaking specialist assessments, including completing functional assessments of behaviours that can challenge to inform a recommended support plan under the supervision of a qualified behaviour analyst, in both community and residential settings.

Providing interventions directly to service users, families/carers and groups.

Providing advice and recommendations for services supporting people affected by neurodevelopmental conditions on strategies and their implementation.

Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of behavioural interventions to promote services which are sustainable, consistent and long-term.

Incorporating specialist knowledge and research findings in the design and delivery of effective and high standard services.

Facilitation of research and audit projects leading to further development of the NdS and advances in clinical practice.

To assist in the co-ordination and running of psycho-educational and therapeutic groups.

To assist in the development of a psychologically based framework of understanding for the benefit of all clients of the service and across all settings.

To attend and contribute to multi-disciplinary meetings as requested.

Teaching, training and supervision

To gain wider experience of behaviour analysis within community neurodevelopmental services.

To participate in individual and group based personal supervision, performance and development reviews.

To actively seek to develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties.

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

Providing advice, education, information and consultation to families, carers, professionals and others involved in services, on best practice behavioural interventions.

Using specialist knowledge and expertise to provide training on working with people with neurodevelopmental conditions and complex needs.

Service development

To assist in the design and implementation of service development projects.

Research and service evaluation

Facilitation of research and audit projects leading to further development of the NdS and advances in clinical practice.

This includes:

Data collection, analysis, the production of reports and summaries, using IT and statistical programmes.

To undertake searches of evidence-based literature and research to assist qualified behaviour analyst in their clinical practice.

Qualifications

Essential

• Honours degree in psychology (2:1)
• Further experience working alongside a behaviour analyst, applying the principles of behaviour analysis to others.

Desirable

• Current, or plans to complete further training in behaviour analysis.

Personal qualities

Essential

• Evidence of an ability to communicate well with staff from all disciplines.
• An ability to interact with people with learning disabilities.
• Good planning and prioritising skills.

Desirable

• An interest in working with people with a learning disability.

Experience

Essential

• Evidence of work with people with learning disabilities mental health problems, neurological disorders.
• Some experience of applied behavioural analysis.

Desirable

• Evidence of paid or voluntary work in direct health care settings.

Knowledge

Essential

• Evidence of an understanding of the psychological needs and difficulties of people with neurodevelopmental conditions.
• Evidence of an ability to apply applied behaviour analysis knowledge within a mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions context.
• Evidence of an understanding of the roles of different health professionals within specialist healthcare services.

Desirable

• Evidence of the understanding of the changing psychological needs of people across the lifespan.

Other factors

Essential

• Ability to use supervision appropriately, creatively and effectively.

Desirable

• A desire to explore a career within behaviour analysis.

Skills and abilities

Essential

• Evidence of good communication skills (both written and verbal).
• Evidence of an ability to communicate and work in settings which may be stressful.
• High standard of report writing.
• Ability to communicate sensitive information to clients, carers and colleagues in a way that addresses psychological resistance.

Desirable

• Experience of IT systems for the creation of databases or data analysis.