Job summary
A really exciting and rare opportunity as a Principle Clinical Psychologist has arisen to join our Community Mental Health Service here in Taunton and Minehead.
This is a great time to join Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, and we're looking for an experienced psychologist who is passionate about using their clinical expertise and leadership skills to further shape and deliver accessible adult community services that have the power to transform lives.
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust is a trailblazer for the Community Mental Health Framework (2019) and as such we are dismantling the traditional barriers to accessing interventions, treatment and support. We have expanded our mental health staffing in the Trust, working from within community settings (e.g. Recovery College and third sector partners) through to specialist NHS mental health settings, to enable people to access the right interventions, at the right time and in the right place. See for more information see Somerset's Mental Health Alliance - Open Mental Health
The Community Mental Health services are on a journey to developing a trauma informed care approach to how care is delivered. At its heart this is recognising the role of adverse experience in people's lives (both clients and colleagues), and providing care that is trauma aware, safe, responsive and collaborative.
Main duties of the job
As Taunton Specialist Psychological Interventions (SPI) lead psychologist, you would be providing senior clinical leadership and expertise to ensure the delivery of an integrated, flexible and accessible psychological provision within the community mental health locality. 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 ideally be able to provide specialist, evidence-based and NICE- compliant psychological therapy in one of the modalities offered within the Trust (including CBT, CAT, Systemic Family Therapy, DBT, EMDR). This role would be well suited to person who thrives in a team context, and enjoys working in partnership with other psychological and mental health practitioners. In addition, the person will be a strategic thinker, who is able to use their research knowledge to drive forward quality improvements.
The Taunton Community Mental Health Service is a welcoming and friendly team that has an abundance of committed, compassionate and highly skilled team members. You will work alongside a wealth of skilled and competent psychologist, psychological therapist, clinical associate psychologist and assistant psychologist. The leadership in the team is motivated to drive forward and support innovative practice, as well as investing in their staff.
About us
Somerset NHS Foundation Trust endeavours to provide development opportunities for those looking to develop a career in the NHS, in both clinical and non-clinical roles.
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.
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
- To provide a specialised psychological service to clients within the community mental health service and their families, and carers.
- The post-holder will provide highly specialised individual psychological assessments, formulations and interventions for clients.
- The post-holder will also be responsible for providing consultation and clinical leadership to other staff in the multidisciplinary team and other staff working within locality.
- The post-holder will offer advice and consultation on clients psychological care to the locality and wider, and work autonomously within national and professional guidelines and the Trusts policies and procedures.
- The post-holder will be required to clinically supervise a range of staff.
- The post-holder will play an important part in the growing the psychological resource within the service, through engagement in activities such as recruitment, the training of Clinical Associate Psychologist and other staff engaging in training in psychological approaches.
- The post-holder will utilise research skills to monitor quality and outcomes of the service (through audit etc) as well as drive service improvements.
- To propose and implement policy changes within the areas served.
- This role will include design of services including highly complex psychological assessments, formulation and treatment of clients on an individual and group basis, multi-disciplinary work, consultancy work, liaison, research, teaching, training and supervision.
- The post-holder is required to work autonomously planning and organising their own clinics and caseloads, balancing client work, teaching, training, consultation and service development to ensure an effective and efficient use of expertise.
- To offer supervision and teaching to doctoral trainee clinical psychologists as a lead supervisor.
- The post will involve working alongside colleagues in psychological services and the operational team to ensure effective implementation of best practice.
Further detailed information can be found in the attached Job Description.
This post is advertised as a full-time position and would welcome part-time applicants who are interested in the role to apply.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To provide a specialised psychological service to clients within the community mental health service and their families, and carers.
- The post-holder will provide highly specialised individual psychological assessments, formulations and interventions for clients.
- The post-holder will also be responsible for providing consultation and clinical leadership to other staff in the multidisciplinary team and other staff working within locality.
- The post-holder will offer advice and consultation on clients psychological care to the locality and wider, and work autonomously within national and professional guidelines and the Trusts policies and procedures.
- The post-holder will be required to clinically supervise a range of staff.
- The post-holder will play an important part in the growing the psychological resource within the service, through engagement in activities such as recruitment, the training of Clinical Associate Psychologist and other staff engaging in training in psychological approaches.
- The post-holder will utilise research skills to monitor quality and outcomes of the service (through audit etc) as well as drive service improvements.
- To propose and implement policy changes within the areas served.
- This role will include design of services including highly complex psychological assessments, formulation and treatment of clients on an individual and group basis, multi-disciplinary work, consultancy work, liaison, research, teaching, training and supervision.
- The post-holder is required to work autonomously planning and organising their own clinics and caseloads, balancing client work, teaching, training, consultation and service development to ensure an effective and efficient use of expertise.
- To offer supervision and teaching to doctoral trainee clinical psychologists as a lead supervisor.
- The post will involve working alongside colleagues in psychological services and the operational team to ensure effective implementation of best practice.
Further detailed information can be found in the attached Job Description.
This post is advertised as a full-time position and would welcome part-time applicants who are interested in the role to apply.
Person Specification
Essential & Desirable
Essential
- Doctoral Clinical/Counselling Psychology qualification or equivalent.
- Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council.
- Significant specialist post qualification experience in the field of severe mental illness.
- Clinical and audit work within specialist area.
- Working with clients presenting risk to self and/or others.
- Highly developed In-depth knowledge of specialist therapeutic interventions with the client group, including at least two subspecialty areas, underpinned by comprehensive theoretical knowledge.
- Doctorate level knowledge of research design and data analysis
Desirable
- Relevant specialist CPD qualification or post-qualification training in psychological therapy.
- Management training/qualification
- Clinical supervision training
Person Specification
Essential & Desirable
Essential
- Doctoral Clinical/Counselling Psychology qualification or equivalent.
- Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council.
- Significant specialist post qualification experience in the field of severe mental illness.
- Clinical and audit work within specialist area.
- Working with clients presenting risk to self and/or others.
- Highly developed In-depth knowledge of specialist therapeutic interventions with the client group, including at least two subspecialty areas, underpinned by comprehensive theoretical knowledge.
- Doctorate level knowledge of research design and data analysis
Desirable
- Relevant specialist CPD qualification or post-qualification training in psychological therapy.
- Management training/qualification
- Clinical supervision training
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
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).
