Job summary
We are looking for a skilled, experienced and creative Clinical or Counselling Psychologist
As an HCPC registered psychologist you will work within the community mental health pathways providing psychological assessment, formulation and therapy to adult and older adult patients with complex co-morbid physical and mental and emotional health problems.
This will include the provision of highly specialised psychological assessment and interventions, comprehensive risk assessment, supervision and consultation to other team, as well as contributing to team training of staff.
The post holder will lead and contribute to service development and evaluation. Liaison with a wide range of partners is central to the role.
The post holder will work within a Community Mental Health Service that has challenged the traditional boundaries between primary and secondary care in partnership with Service Users and the Voluntary Sector and Community Enterprise.
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust is a trailblazer for the Community Mental Health Framework and as such we are dismantling the traditional barriers to accessing care. We have greatly expanded our mental health staffing in the organisation to enable people to access the right interventions, at the right time and in the right place. Part of the psychological workforce development has been training a cohort of Clinical Associate Psychologist (CAP) - the second Trust nationally to do so.
Main duties of the job
You will be an excellent clinician, be able to lead and develop other staff's skills and abilities, and be able to think creatively, embrace co-production and work with colleagues to help us offer a wide-ranging, flexible and positive response to people seeking support for their mental health. You would be joining a highly skilled team who are trained in a variety of psychological approaches including CAT, CBT, EMDR, DBT, Art Therapy and Systemic family therapy. These approaches aim to identify, promote and discover an individual's strengths, and resilience to enable them to 'thrive not just survive'.
We will support you to develop as a clinician and as a clinical leader, through management and clinical supervision, and access to training and development opportunities within and outside the Trust. This is a great opportunity to join a well established network of psychological therapists and psychologists integrated with wider community mental health services.
About us
As an organisation, the NHS offers a wide range of benefits including flexible working, pension contributions, market leading annual leave allowance, career progression and regular conversations, not to mention our Blue Light Card and NHS exclusive discounts.
You would be joining a trust who have recently won the Health service Journal Award for Mental Health Trust of the Year in 2021.
The benefits of working in Somerset include the idyllic countryside, with our areas of outstanding beauty and stunning coastlines. You will get to enjoy these perks whilst still only being a stone's throw away from bustling city centres like Bristol, Bath and Exeter and only two hours away from London.
There are excellent educational facilities in the area and, when compared to other regions, house prices are reasonable. You will experience the best of both in Somerset, the countryside and the cosmopolitan - there is truly something for everyone!
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder is responsible for providing psychological clinical leadership and specialist interventions with regard to the care of service users with complex, severe and enduring mental health difficulties within the community mental health setting, to ensure that the care provided is effective, well led, responsive and compassionate
This post holder will provide expertise to ensure the delivery of an integrated, flexible and accessible psychological provision within the community mental health locality. The post will include providing both direct client work including specialist assessments, formulations andintervention, and indirect work to underpin the psychological informed context of the community mental health offer. This will include being embedded within the mental health team to support colleagues in the provision of care through consultation, team formulation, clinical supervision and training. The post holder will link closely with other psychological therapy staff in the provision of psychological interventions, and will be supported and given clinical supervision by 8B psychologist in the Bridgwater locality.
- Responsible for providing highly specialised psychological assessment and psychological assessment and treatment with clients. To carry a clinical caseload, and to offer direct clinical interventions to service users, including evidence based therapy where appropriate, and / or flexible innovative interventions to enable, empower and engage with service users at different stages of the change cycle.
- To provide highly specialist advice, consultation and guidance to a wide range of staff and other professionals, with regard to problem assessment, complex case formulation and therapy interventions as appropriate in order to contribute to care planning and to better enable them to work with service users presenting in challenging and/or risky ways.
- To undertake risk assessment and risk management with and for individual service users, and to provide advice and consultation to other professions on the psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management in line with Trust and inter-agency policies and procedures.
- To liaise with appropriate professionals and to contribute to multi-disciplinary case discussions/planning meetings.
- To provide specialist supervision to practitioners, trainees and other professionals, as appropriate.
- To organise and undertake teaching and training in relevant skills as agreed with both professional and operational managers.
- Responsible for updating electronic patient record systems and other IT functions including outcome measurements.
- To be responsible for own work and interventions and for interpretation of agreed guidelines and policies as an autonomous practitioner and to seek consultation appropriately from peers, clinical lead for adult psychology and psychological therapies, and / or other clinical supervisors.
- To monitor capacity in psychological therapies and to maximize efficiency and equity of access.
- To support the develop and maintain effective multi-agency communication and pathways, to ensure smooth transition between the agencies and services, which will be able to meet the changing health and social care needs of service users.
- To contribute to strategic planning and proposed changes to service delivery in order to ensure / promote effective service delivery in accordance with Trust strategy and local need.
- The post will involve working alongside colleagues in psychological services and the operational team to ensure effective implementation of best practice.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder is responsible for providing psychological clinical leadership and specialist interventions with regard to the care of service users with complex, severe and enduring mental health difficulties within the community mental health setting, to ensure that the care provided is effective, well led, responsive and compassionate
This post holder will provide expertise to ensure the delivery of an integrated, flexible and accessible psychological provision within the community mental health locality. The post will include providing both direct client work including specialist assessments, formulations andintervention, and indirect work to underpin the psychological informed context of the community mental health offer. This will include being embedded within the mental health team to support colleagues in the provision of care through consultation, team formulation, clinical supervision and training. The post holder will link closely with other psychological therapy staff in the provision of psychological interventions, and will be supported and given clinical supervision by 8B psychologist in the Bridgwater locality.
- Responsible for providing highly specialised psychological assessment and psychological assessment and treatment with clients. To carry a clinical caseload, and to offer direct clinical interventions to service users, including evidence based therapy where appropriate, and / or flexible innovative interventions to enable, empower and engage with service users at different stages of the change cycle.
- To provide highly specialist advice, consultation and guidance to a wide range of staff and other professionals, with regard to problem assessment, complex case formulation and therapy interventions as appropriate in order to contribute to care planning and to better enable them to work with service users presenting in challenging and/or risky ways.
- To undertake risk assessment and risk management with and for individual service users, and to provide advice and consultation to other professions on the psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management in line with Trust and inter-agency policies and procedures.
- To liaise with appropriate professionals and to contribute to multi-disciplinary case discussions/planning meetings.
- To provide specialist supervision to practitioners, trainees and other professionals, as appropriate.
- To organise and undertake teaching and training in relevant skills as agreed with both professional and operational managers.
- Responsible for updating electronic patient record systems and other IT functions including outcome measurements.
- To be responsible for own work and interventions and for interpretation of agreed guidelines and policies as an autonomous practitioner and to seek consultation appropriately from peers, clinical lead for adult psychology and psychological therapies, and / or other clinical supervisors.
- To monitor capacity in psychological therapies and to maximize efficiency and equity of access.
- To support the develop and maintain effective multi-agency communication and pathways, to ensure smooth transition between the agencies and services, which will be able to meet the changing health and social care needs of service users.
- To contribute to strategic planning and proposed changes to service delivery in order to ensure / promote effective service delivery in accordance with Trust strategy and local need.
- The post will involve working alongside colleagues in psychological services and the operational team to ensure effective implementation of best practice.
Person Specification
QUALIFICATIONS & TRAINING
Essential
- oDoctoral Clinical / Counselling Psychology qualification or equivalent
- Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council.
Desirable
- oRelevant specialist CPD qualification or post-qualification training in psychological therapy
- oManagement training/ qualification
- oClinical supervision training
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
Essential
- oSignificant specialist post qualification experience in the field of severe mental illness.
- oExperience of work across service settings and agencies.
- oClinical and audit work within specialist area.
- oTeaching/training with range of staff and other professions.
- oSupervision experience with all grades of staff.
- oWorking with clients presenting risk to self and/or others.
Desirable
- oExperience managing Services
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- oHighly developed In-depth knowledge of specialist therapeutic interventions with the client group, including at least two subspecialty areas, underpinned by comprehensive theoretical knowledge.
- oAdvanced assessment and formulation skills.
- oKnowledge of legislation and its implications for clinical practice and professional management, including complex child protection issues.
- oChange and project management techniques
Desirable
- oUnderstanding of Health Services Management and Policy
Person Specification
QUALIFICATIONS & TRAINING
Essential
- oDoctoral Clinical / Counselling Psychology qualification or equivalent
- Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council.
Desirable
- oRelevant specialist CPD qualification or post-qualification training in psychological therapy
- oManagement training/ qualification
- oClinical supervision training
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
Essential
- oSignificant specialist post qualification experience in the field of severe mental illness.
- oExperience of work across service settings and agencies.
- oClinical and audit work within specialist area.
- oTeaching/training with range of staff and other professions.
- oSupervision experience with all grades of staff.
- oWorking with clients presenting risk to self and/or others.
Desirable
- oExperience managing Services
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- oHighly developed In-depth knowledge of specialist therapeutic interventions with the client group, including at least two subspecialty areas, underpinned by comprehensive theoretical knowledge.
- oAdvanced assessment and formulation skills.
- oKnowledge of legislation and its implications for clinical practice and professional management, including complex child protection issues.
- oChange and project management techniques
Desirable
- oUnderstanding of Health Services Management and Policy
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
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).
