Clinical Counsellor & Psychotherapist

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical:

1. To provide a qualified time limited counselling service to patients referred to the NMOSD team in the NMOSD clinics.

2. To formulate and implement coherent treatment and / or management plans for a patients presenting psychological difficulties based on an appropriate conceptual framework and employ methods of therapeutic intervention most appropriate to the individual case.

3. To provide signposting information and advice to patients in terms of accessing psychological support and community engagement with appropriate NHS, Statutory and Third Sector organization as appropriate.

4. When necessary, arrange onward referral of patients to other NHS and non-NHS teams and organizations.

5. To offer advice and consultation on patients psychological care to the NMOSD team and wider professional groups including GPs, primary and community teams.

6. To liaise with other NHS and community services as appropriate.

7. To monitor and audit evidence-based practice

8. To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of patients.

9. To work within professional guidelines and the WCFT framework of policies and procedures.

Teaching, training, and supervision:

1. To receive regular clinical professional supervision.

2. To gain additional highly specialist experience and skills relevant to clinical counselling/psychotherapy.

3. To provide advice, consultation and training to staff working within NMOSD team.

Management, recruitment, policy and service development:

1. To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring, service evaluation and audit.

Research and service evaluation:

1. To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members.

2. To undertake project management, including audit and service evaluation, with colleagues within the service to help develop service provision.

IT responsibilities

1. To maintain professional and personal records on computer, as appropriate

2. To enter data onto local Trust IT systems and databases, as appropriate

3. To utilize IT methodologies, such as e-mail and the internet, to access clinical and professional information and to communicate with colleagues.

General

1. To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice.

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

4. To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific client group and mental health.

Additional notes:

This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, and the post holder may be required to undertake other duties which fall within the grade of the job, in discussion with the manager.

This job description will be reviewed regularly in the light of changing service requirements and any such changes will be discussed with the post holder.

The post holder is expected to comply with all relevant Trust policies, procedures and guidelines, including those relating to Equal Opportunities, Health and Safety and Confidentiality of Information, clinical governance including research governance.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualified Counsellor / Psychotherapist, current Registrant on the Professional Standards Authority Accredited Register of Counsellors (BACP, BPC, UKCP, NCS [Accredited Professional], COSCA, UKAHPP) OR
• Qualified Counselling Psychologist, current registrant with the HCPC.Qualification and experience of delivering CBT. OR
• Substantial post-qualification experience of generic counselling.
• Continued professional development that includes learning/knowledge of other clinical modalities and theoretical models

Desirable

• Specialist training relevant to long term conditions / neurological conditions

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• Experience of working therapeutically with specialist health populations such as clients presenting with Long Term Health Conditions
• Experience of providing evidence based psychological interventions
• Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
• Ability to manage own caseload and time
• Evidence of continued professional development as recommended by the relevant professional or registering body
• Demonstrates high standards in written communication

Desirable

• Experience of counselling / psychotherapy assessment and treatment of clients with complex physical health conditions
• Experience of working in a multidisciplinary tea
• Experience in teaching and liaising with other professionals
• Experience and evidence of audit

Skills & Attributes

Essential

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills including communicating clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
• Good oral communication skills based on fluency on the English Language
• Proficient in use of IT systems including word processing, email and local electronic patient information systems

Desirable

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of cognitive behavioural therapy in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc).

Other

Essential

• Demonstrates an understanding of anxiety and depression and how it may present in individuals with a rare neurological disorder
• Ability to work within a team and foster good working relationships
• Ability to work under pressure
• Demonstrate an understanding for the need to use evidence based psychological therapies and how it relates to this post
• Ability to self-reflect and use clinical supervision and personal development positively and effectively
• Ability to adhere to and demonstrate Trust values and behaviours
• Ability to travel across sites efficiently and across Trust boundaries to attend meetings, etc.

Desirable

• Knowledge of medication used in anxiety and depression and other common mental health problems

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).

Employer details

Employer name

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust

Address

The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust

Lower Lane

Liverpool

L9 7LJ

Employer's website

https://www.thewaltoncentre.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)