Job summary
We are seeking a full time Clinical Psychologist for a period of 12 months to provide psychological input to Paediatric Endocrinology (0.5wte) and to Paediatric Rheumatology (0.5wte) services within Southampton Childrens Hospital. The Paediatric Endocrinology role will involve working with the Specialist Childrens Obesity Service (0.2wte) and the Differences in Sexual Development (DSD) Service (0.3 wte). We will also welcome applications from candidates interested in applying to work on a part-time basis. We are looking for candidates who have experience of working with children and families in a paediatric setting and enthusiasm for collaborative working.
The Child Clinical Psychology department consists of more than 20 Clinical Psychologists and three Admin staff as well as Trainees and Assistants. We are a friendly and supportive team with good arrangements for supervision and further learning. The Child Psychology team provides a strong and supportive base from which we can give our best to the children and families we meet, as well as to our multidisciplinary colleagues. As a team we place a strong emphasis on self-care and on supporting one another. This means that there are clear job plans and people are encouraged to maintain a good work/life balance. The positive working atmosphere and the opportunities for development mean we have a long track record of retaining staff within the team.
Main duties of the job
Attached you will find the person specification document which provides more detail about the essential and desirable skills and experience needed for this role. We highly recommend you review this document and use it when completing your application as these criteria are used by hiring managers as guidance during shortlisting.
For an overview of the main duties of the role please see the Job Description and Main Responsibilities section below. To understand the day-to-day responsibilities in more detail please read the full job description document attached.
About us
As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we offer learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to. UHS is rated Good by the CQC and in the latest national NHS Staff Survey, we were in the top 10 acute trusts for staff engagement and for staff recommending the hospital as a place to work or receive care.
All non-clinical roles may involve a mixture of on site and remote working, Specific details and flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process. UHS employees are able to access a range of NHS discounts, are entitled to a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme.
Southampton is an attractive place to live and work situated on the south coast, with an international airport and direct trains to London. The New Forest National Park and beaches of the Jurassic coast are also right on our doorstep. The city offers living costs 20% lower than London and 14 schools rated outstanding by Ofsted.
Job description
Job responsibilities
WHAT YOULL DO
The post-holder will apply a range of psychological models in a flexible way to work directly with children, young people and their families referred by these services. The post-holder will also be working indirectly, offering regular supervision to Clinical Nurse Specialists and other members of the teams, facilitating psychosocial ward rounds, and offering consultation and advice to wider team members working outside of the hospital setting. Providing holistic care and designing services that take into account wider systemic factors are highly valued in these services, and so there are lots of opportunities to provide formal and informal teaching, to get involved in service development and research, and to produce resources for patients, families and healthcare professionals.
WHAT WERE LOOKING FOR
Prior experience of working in a paediatric setting as a clinical psychologist is essential. It is also essential that the post holder works well as part of a multidisciplinary team. Flexible working is supported.
Job description
Job responsibilities
WHAT YOULL DO
The post-holder will apply a range of psychological models in a flexible way to work directly with children, young people and their families referred by these services. The post-holder will also be working indirectly, offering regular supervision to Clinical Nurse Specialists and other members of the teams, facilitating psychosocial ward rounds, and offering consultation and advice to wider team members working outside of the hospital setting. Providing holistic care and designing services that take into account wider systemic factors are highly valued in these services, and so there are lots of opportunities to provide formal and informal teaching, to get involved in service development and research, and to produce resources for patients, families and healthcare professionals.
WHAT WERE LOOKING FOR
Prior experience of working in a paediatric setting as a clinical psychologist is essential. It is also essential that the post holder works well as part of a multidisciplinary team. Flexible working is supported.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Post graduate doctoral level in training in Clinical Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council
- Further post-doctoral training in the psychological assessment and treatment of children and young people with health conditions or other conditions which give rise to differences in development, acquired through structured clinical supervision, self study and attendance at relevant courses
Desirable
- Further post-doctoral training in one area of psychological therapy e.g. family therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy
- Training in restraint, e.g. SCIP
Experience
Essential
- Assessed experience of working as a qualified Clinical Psychologist for a minimum of 2 years
- Experience of assessing and working with children and young people with a whole range of emotional and behavioural difficulties and their families/carers, presenting with the full range of clinical severity across a range of settings including outpatient, community and residential
- Experience of working in an acute paediatric setting and/or experience of working with children and families experiencing issues related to managing difference, loss, bereavement, long term medical needs, severe illness or injury
- Familiarity with maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and challenging behaviour including physical abuse
- Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility in the psychological care of children and young people, both as a professionally qualified care coordinator and also within the context of a multi-agency care plan
- Experience of teaching/training other professionals in Clinical Psychology.
- Experience of designing, carrying out, analysing and presenting clinical audit and service evaluation.
- Experience of representing psychology within the context of multidisciplinary care.
- Experience working in a constantly changing environment.
Desirable
- Experience of providing psychological management for children and young people who find it difficult to go through medical procedures. Experience of the application of Psychology in different cultural contexts
Aptitudes and skills
Essential
- Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of one or more highly specialised psychological therapies, e.g. systemic family therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy.
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management, frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Experience in using and interpreting a wide range of psychometric tests, neuropsychological tests and other standardised assessment measures, and of objective observation, recording and analysis of behaviour.
- Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, high technical and clinically sensitive information to children, young people, their families/carers and other professional colleagues within and outside the UK.
- Skill in the use of software packages including word-processing spreadsheets and databases.
- Skills in providing consultancy to other professional and nonprofessional groups
- Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology including complex multivariate data analysis as practised within the field of Clinical Psychology.
- Knowledge of relevant legislation in relation to children and young people with mental health problems and complex emotional and behaviour of difficulties.
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the Health and Care Professions Council.
- Ability to work as part of a close knit team.
- Self motivated.
- Literate and Numerate on English.
- Being flexible and adaptable at work in order to meet competing priorities.
- Doctoral level of knowledge of Clinical Psychology, and in particular the literature pertaining to the psychological management of children and young people in hospital, particularly those who have conditions which give rise to differences in development or which compromise health, children and young people with emotional or behavioural problems, therapeutically addressing post-traumatic symptoms, and the ability to describe and continually update the evidence-base for psychological assessment and intervention with these groups.
- Knowledge of a wide range of psychological tests, neuropsychological tests and other standardised assessment measures for use with the relevant client groups and their families and the ability to select an appropriate measure depending on the circumstances.
- Understanding of infection control procedures.
- Understanding health and safety responsibilities.
- Good understanding of the meaning of clinical supervision/mentoring
- Understanding the meaning if Improving Working Lives
- Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic settings.
- Experience of working within a multi cultural framework.
Special requirements
Essential
- An understanding of equality within the workforce and how it can impact on this post.
- Ability to identify and employ as appropriate clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of regular exposure of highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
- Enthusiasm for a broad range of psychological phenomena and an ability to articulate the value added by Clinical Psychology services within the context of multiagency services for children and young people
Values and behaviours
Essential
- Patients First
- Always Improving
- Working Together
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Post graduate doctoral level in training in Clinical Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council
- Further post-doctoral training in the psychological assessment and treatment of children and young people with health conditions or other conditions which give rise to differences in development, acquired through structured clinical supervision, self study and attendance at relevant courses
Desirable
- Further post-doctoral training in one area of psychological therapy e.g. family therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy
- Training in restraint, e.g. SCIP
Experience
Essential
- Assessed experience of working as a qualified Clinical Psychologist for a minimum of 2 years
- Experience of assessing and working with children and young people with a whole range of emotional and behavioural difficulties and their families/carers, presenting with the full range of clinical severity across a range of settings including outpatient, community and residential
- Experience of working in an acute paediatric setting and/or experience of working with children and families experiencing issues related to managing difference, loss, bereavement, long term medical needs, severe illness or injury
- Familiarity with maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and challenging behaviour including physical abuse
- Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility in the psychological care of children and young people, both as a professionally qualified care coordinator and also within the context of a multi-agency care plan
- Experience of teaching/training other professionals in Clinical Psychology.
- Experience of designing, carrying out, analysing and presenting clinical audit and service evaluation.
- Experience of representing psychology within the context of multidisciplinary care.
- Experience working in a constantly changing environment.
Desirable
- Experience of providing psychological management for children and young people who find it difficult to go through medical procedures. Experience of the application of Psychology in different cultural contexts
Aptitudes and skills
Essential
- Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of one or more highly specialised psychological therapies, e.g. systemic family therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy.
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management, frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Experience in using and interpreting a wide range of psychometric tests, neuropsychological tests and other standardised assessment measures, and of objective observation, recording and analysis of behaviour.
- Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, high technical and clinically sensitive information to children, young people, their families/carers and other professional colleagues within and outside the UK.
- Skill in the use of software packages including word-processing spreadsheets and databases.
- Skills in providing consultancy to other professional and nonprofessional groups
- Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology including complex multivariate data analysis as practised within the field of Clinical Psychology.
- Knowledge of relevant legislation in relation to children and young people with mental health problems and complex emotional and behaviour of difficulties.
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the Health and Care Professions Council.
- Ability to work as part of a close knit team.
- Self motivated.
- Literate and Numerate on English.
- Being flexible and adaptable at work in order to meet competing priorities.
- Doctoral level of knowledge of Clinical Psychology, and in particular the literature pertaining to the psychological management of children and young people in hospital, particularly those who have conditions which give rise to differences in development or which compromise health, children and young people with emotional or behavioural problems, therapeutically addressing post-traumatic symptoms, and the ability to describe and continually update the evidence-base for psychological assessment and intervention with these groups.
- Knowledge of a wide range of psychological tests, neuropsychological tests and other standardised assessment measures for use with the relevant client groups and their families and the ability to select an appropriate measure depending on the circumstances.
- Understanding of infection control procedures.
- Understanding health and safety responsibilities.
- Good understanding of the meaning of clinical supervision/mentoring
- Understanding the meaning if Improving Working Lives
- Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic settings.
- Experience of working within a multi cultural framework.
Special requirements
Essential
- An understanding of equality within the workforce and how it can impact on this post.
- Ability to identify and employ as appropriate clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of regular exposure of highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
- Enthusiasm for a broad range of psychological phenomena and an ability to articulate the value added by Clinical Psychology services within the context of multiagency services for children and young people
Values and behaviours
Essential
- Patients First
- Always Improving
- Working Together
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).
