Clinical Psychologist

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Working Relationships

*Service Users, families and carers

*Therapeutic Education staff

*Multi Professional agencies

*Care home staff and foster carers

*Operational Managers CAMHS

*Consultant Psychiatrists

*Other members of the multi-disciplinary team

*Members of range of CAMHS teams including inpatient and community teams

*Children's Social Care staff

*Voluntary and private sector care organisations providing services for children and young people

*Principal psychologist for Therapeutic Education

*Head of Child Psychology

Planning and Organisation

*To ensure client records are maintained in line with Trust policy

*To work in line with Trust Lone Working Policy

*To ensure your diary is kept up-to-date

*To ensure work is prioritised in line with clinical need

Analytics

*To take part in the on-going evaluation of the post and advice/ consultation model of service delivery.

*To participate in clinical or administrative audits as required.

Clinical Responsibilities

*Responsible for providing specialist psychological assessment (including neuro psychological assessments); developing and implementing a psychological service for young people and their carers; maintaining a clinical caseload.

*To formulate and implement plans for the psychological treatment and/or management of a client's mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the client's problems, and employing methods of proven efficacy, across the full range of care settings.

*To liaise with appropriate professionals and to contribute to multi-disciplinary case discussions/planning meetings.

*To provide consultancy to colleagues from different professional groups and non-professionals.

*Responsible for updating electronic patient record systems and other IT functions.

* To be responsible for managing one's own workload and also to allocate work to trainees and assistants as appropriate.

*To interpret agreed guidelines and policies as an autonomous practitioner and to seek consultation appropriately from peers, the Head of Speciality and Clinical Supervisor.

*To write reports summarising complex information to guide clinical care.

Service development responsibilities

*To work with the relevant operational managers and to advise regarding service priorities and effective implementation of best practice guidelines and propose changes for policy or service development as necessary.

*Contribute to strategic planning and proposing changes to service delivery to ensure / promote effective service delivery

Clinical Governance

*To promote the use of effective psychological models and interventions in the service.

*To participate in and promote clinical audit within the service, alongside discussion with the wider team.

*To liaise with other disciplines and agencies, as appropriate, to ensure best practice is shared.

*To liaise with other disciplines & agencies to ensure that best practice is shared.

Research & Development

*To regularly participate in relevant areas of research & evaluation and undertake service evaluation as agreed with the education team. -- and / or supervise the research of others.

*To encourage a culture of evidence-based practice in all parts of the service.

Clinical Supervision, Teaching & Training

*To provide specialist clinical supervision to less experienced clinical psychologists, trainees in psychology and other professionals, as appropriate.

*Responsibility for organising and undertaking teaching and training in relevant psychological skills as agreed with both professional and operational managers.

*To develop a personal professional development plan in collaboration with the principal psychologist, to be updated annually, and to participate in annual review process. To fully observe the BPS (1996) Code of Conduct and DCP (1995) professional practice guidelines

*To participate in psychology service business and professional meetings, as appropriate, and in discussion with the Head of Child & Adolescent Psychology.

*To maintain and further develop high standards of clinical psychology Practice through co-operative work with other clinical psychologists through audit and supervision.

*To be aware of, adhere to Trust policies and procedures.

*To receive regular clinical and management supervision in an agreed and appropriate format, as provided by the psychology team.

*To keep abreast of developments in the practice of clinical psychology, as agreed with the Head of Child Psychology.

Information Resources & Administrative Duties

*To make accurate observations and recordings, using Rio (electronic patient recording system).

Other Specific Tasks Required

*To undertake any other duties at a comparable level of responsibility as may be allocated or deemed appropriate by your line manager

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Doctoral Clinical Psychology qualification or equivalent as accredited by the BPS
• Eligible for Chartered Clinical Psychologist status
• Registration with the Health & Care Professions Council

Desirable

• Relevant specialist CPD qualification
• Clinical supervision training

Experience

Essential

• Well-developed knowledge of specialist therapeutic interventions with the client group, underpinned by comprehensive theoretical knowledge
• Ability to develop therapeutic relationships with young people and families in which the presentation is complex and the dynamic may involve rejection or disconnect
• Teaching/training with psychology staff and other professions
• Clinical Supervision experience

Desirable

• Specialist post qualification experience in CAMHS / with young people
• Work with Children who are looked after or in an education setting
• Experience of working systemically with teams and/or across agencies
• Experience of Service Development/Project Work
• Consultancy work in multi-professional setting

Additional Criteria

Essential

• Advanced psychological/ neuropsychological assessment and formulation skills
• Doctorate level knowledge of research design and data analysis
• Knowledge of the role & functions of other agencies in respect of children and young people
• Effective communication with colleagues at all levels within the organisation and external organisations
• Ability to sit for long periods in front of a VDU and physical dexterity for keyboard use
• Advanced use of judgement and analytical skills in interpreting overall health service policy and strategy in order to establish goals and standards
• COMMUNICATION SKILLS
• Evidence of a good standard of Literacy / English language skills
• PLANNING & ORGANISING SKILLS
• Ability to organise diary and work and maintain good boundaries
• OTHER
• A desire to work with children and young people with complex presentations
• Open minded, treats colleagues, patients, carers and relatives with compassion, dignity and respect
• Effective team player with good leadership, communication and negotiation skills
• Empathy/engagement skills with the client group, families, carers and colleagues
• Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and ability to "hold" the stress of others
• Ability to work independently
• Self-awareness and emotional reliance
• Skills in clinical supervision
• Consultancy skills to other professions/ agencies
• Ability to sit in a restricted position for long periods of time maintaining continuous, intense concentration, in working with challenging people and their families
• Active commitment to children and young people's participation in their own care and treatment, and promotion of their wider involvement in the service
• Own transport available for work purposes
• Full UK driving licence

Desirable

• Knowledge of legislation and its implications for clinical practice and professional management, including complex child protection issues
• Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS and HCPC

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Foundation House

Wellsprings Road

Taunton

Somerset

TA2 7PQ

Employer's website

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