Job summary
The post holder will work alongside an experienced and enthusiastic Community Mental Health Team and Memory Assessment Service and will be responsible for providing a high quality clinical psychological service to older people in the Taunton Neighbourhood. There is a strong emphasis on working alongside CMHT and Dementia Assessment & Support Service (DASS) staff to help develop formulations and support staff to implement psychologically informed interventions for older adults with both organic and functional difficulties. This post also involves delivering highly specialist psychological therapy and neuropsychological assessment.
This post is part of a well-established Older People's Clinical Psychology Service in Somerset which employs twelve qualified Clinical Psychologists, five Assistant Psychologists and hosts five - six Trainee Clinical Psychologists each academic year. There also are good links with other later life practitioners across the Trust and the opportunity to link with psychology colleagues working across other specialisms.
The successful candidate will have an interest and enthusiasm for working with older people. They will be resilient, confident, and well organised and able to communicate effectively with people from a range of backgrounds. and 7 preceptorship.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will work with integrated Neighbourhood teams alongside experienced Community Mental Health Teams and Dementia
Assessment Services. They will be responsible for providing a high quality clinical psychology service to older people, conducting specialist
assessments, including neuropsychological assessments and rehabilitation, and providing psychological therapy and interventions. Clinical
psychology services are valued for their work with colleagues, providing supervision and training.
This post is part of a well established Older Person's Clinical Psychology service in Somerset which currently employs eight Clinical
Psychologists, six Assistant Psychologists and hosts Trainee Clinical Psychologists in Clinical Psychology each year.
We maintain good links with our clinical psychology colleagues across the Trust and there are excellent opportunities for career development.
Ongoing specialist training is encouraged.
About us
As an organisation, Somerset NHS Foundation Trust offers employees a wide range of benefits including flexible working, NHS pension scheme, generous annual leave allowance and a commitment to career development.You will be eligible for our Blue Light Card and a wide range of NHS exclusive shopping & leisure discounts.We are proud of our skilled, diverse workforce and as an inclusive employer we welcome applications from all backgrounds.Working in Somerset enables you to enjoy the idyllic countryside, areas of outstanding beauty and stunning coastlines 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.Somerset offers the countryside and the cosmopolitan, there is truly something for everyone!
Job description
Job responsibilities
To provide a consultancy service to CMHT, DASS and Inpatient Older Persons teams and to other professionals in the service, with regard to complex functional and organic assessments, and complex case formulation.
To liaise with appropriate professionals and to contribute to multi-disciplinary case discussions and planning meetings.
Responsible for providing autonomous and systematic clinical psychology service, highly specialised psychological therapy, neuropsychological
assessment and rehabilitation for the most complex cases referred to the service.
To work with and support families and carers
To provide a consultancy service for the staff members of the CMHT, DASS, Day Hospital and other professionals, for complex case formulation.
To advise on the development of Day Hospital evidence based psychological programmes
To liaise with appropriate professionals and to contribute to multidisciplinary case discussions and planning meetings
To be responsible for own caseload, work and interventions with even the most complex presentations and for interpretation of agreed guidelines
and policies as an autonomous practitioner and to seek consultation and supervision appropriately from peers, the Head of Older Adult
Psychology and Consultant Clinical Psychologists and Clinical Neuropsychologists
To contribute to strategic planning and proposing changes to the service to ensure and promote effective evidence based service delivery. To
participate in relevant areas of research & evaluation and undertake service evaluation as agreed with Older Adult service management and or
supervise the research of others.
To provide specialist clinical supervision to practitioners, trainees in clinical psychology, assistant psychologists, and other professionals, as
appropriate.
Key working relationships with the following
Head of Older Adult Psychology
Head of Older Persons Mental Health Services
Taunton and West Somerset Neighbourhood CMHT and DAS
Clinical Neuropsychologists in the Older Persons Service
Other Clinical Psychologists contributing to the DAS
Clinical Psychologists in Older Persons Psychology and other specialities
Job description
Job responsibilities
To provide a consultancy service to CMHT, DASS and Inpatient Older Persons teams and to other professionals in the service, with regard to complex functional and organic assessments, and complex case formulation.
To liaise with appropriate professionals and to contribute to multi-disciplinary case discussions and planning meetings.
Responsible for providing autonomous and systematic clinical psychology service, highly specialised psychological therapy, neuropsychological
assessment and rehabilitation for the most complex cases referred to the service.
To work with and support families and carers
To provide a consultancy service for the staff members of the CMHT, DASS, Day Hospital and other professionals, for complex case formulation.
To advise on the development of Day Hospital evidence based psychological programmes
To liaise with appropriate professionals and to contribute to multidisciplinary case discussions and planning meetings
To be responsible for own caseload, work and interventions with even the most complex presentations and for interpretation of agreed guidelines
and policies as an autonomous practitioner and to seek consultation and supervision appropriately from peers, the Head of Older Adult
Psychology and Consultant Clinical Psychologists and Clinical Neuropsychologists
To contribute to strategic planning and proposing changes to the service to ensure and promote effective evidence based service delivery. To
participate in relevant areas of research & evaluation and undertake service evaluation as agreed with Older Adult service management and or
supervise the research of others.
To provide specialist clinical supervision to practitioners, trainees in clinical psychology, assistant psychologists, and other professionals, as
appropriate.
Key working relationships with the following
Head of Older Adult Psychology
Head of Older Persons Mental Health Services
Taunton and West Somerset Neighbourhood CMHT and DAS
Clinical Neuropsychologists in the Older Persons Service
Other Clinical Psychologists contributing to the DAS
Clinical Psychologists in Older Persons Psychology and other specialities
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Doctorate Clinical Psychology or equivalent
- Registered with the HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist
- Eligible for Chartered Clinical Psychologist status
Desirable
- Relevant specialist training in Neuropsychology, Psychological Therapy, Supervision, and Research Methods
Experience
Essential
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialist psychological therapies, and their application and adaptation in Older Persons Psychology
- Specialist training in Neuropsychology in Dementia and neurodegenerative disorders in Older Adults
- Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology including complex multivariate analysis applicable to clinical psychology
- Clinical and audit work in Older Adults
- Significant postdoctoral experience as follows:
- Clinical and audit work in Older Adults
- Teaching and training psychologists and other professional staff
- Supervision experience with a range of staff
- Consultancy experience in a range of settings
- Experience of working in multi-professional/multiagency settings
Desirable
- Research and development work in area relevant to Older Adults
- Experience of providing a psychological service in the community
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods and tests in psychological and neuropsychological assessment frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration
- Skill in providing consultation and training to other professionals and non-professionals
- Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team
- Ability to provide rapid psychological assessment and brief psychological interventions, especially in the management of risk.
- Ability to contain and work with stress and harrowing
- situations
- Ability to make clinical decisions around complex and emotive issues
- Ability to maintain intense concentration for complex
- interaction with patients
- Car driver with valid driving licence and insurance
Desirable
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multimedia materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
- Strong leadership qualities, resilience and ability to handle ambiguity and uncertainty
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Doctorate Clinical Psychology or equivalent
- Registered with the HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist
- Eligible for Chartered Clinical Psychologist status
Desirable
- Relevant specialist training in Neuropsychology, Psychological Therapy, Supervision, and Research Methods
Experience
Essential
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialist psychological therapies, and their application and adaptation in Older Persons Psychology
- Specialist training in Neuropsychology in Dementia and neurodegenerative disorders in Older Adults
- Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology including complex multivariate analysis applicable to clinical psychology
- Clinical and audit work in Older Adults
- Significant postdoctoral experience as follows:
- Clinical and audit work in Older Adults
- Teaching and training psychologists and other professional staff
- Supervision experience with a range of staff
- Consultancy experience in a range of settings
- Experience of working in multi-professional/multiagency settings
Desirable
- Research and development work in area relevant to Older Adults
- Experience of providing a psychological service in the community
Additional Criteria
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods and tests in psychological and neuropsychological assessment frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration
- Skill in providing consultation and training to other professionals and non-professionals
- Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team
- Ability to provide rapid psychological assessment and brief psychological interventions, especially in the management of risk.
- Ability to contain and work with stress and harrowing
- situations
- Ability to make clinical decisions around complex and emotive issues
- Ability to maintain intense concentration for complex
- interaction with patients
- Car driver with valid driving licence and insurance
Desirable
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multimedia materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
- Strong leadership qualities, resilience and ability to handle ambiguity and uncertainty
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.
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
