Paediatric Psychologist

St George's Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

This job is now closed

Job summary

We are looking for an enthusiastic and experienced 8a clinical psychologist to join our thriving paediatric psychological therapies service at St Georges Hospital.

This exciting post provides a service to our Paediatric Haematology team, supporting children and young people who have haemoglobinopathy conditions, such as Sickle Cell Disease and Thalassaemia. Whist this is an 8a role, we would also welcome applications from newly qualified psychologists who have worked in a health context and are looking for a preceptorship opportunity.

As part of the post, there is scope to contribute to research, policy and service development as well as delivering care in innovative ways. St Georges Hospital is one of London's largest children's hospitals, with one of only four paediatric trauma units in London. St George's also hosts the only paediatric intensive care unit in South West London. We are one of the top three centres for specialist paediatric surgery in London, and a centre of excellence in foetal medicine. Psychology plays a key role within children's services; embedded within MDTs to deliver high quality evidence based and family integrated care.

The Paediatric Psychological Therapies Team is a large, friendly and expanding service. We consist of clinical and counselling psychologists, assistant psychologists, trainees and administrators. Our service provides psychological support to both inpatient and outpatients, covering a wide range of specialties. The team holds weekly meetings, with emphasis on professional development including regular opportunities for case discussion, reflection and service development. There are many opportunities for CPD and a chance to develop your clinical and leadership skills.

The post is advertised at full-time but we would be happy to consider applications for those who may be looking for a part-time role.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will participate in the Paediatric Haematology MDT meetings, join clinic appointments and provide outpatient appointments and follow up as needed. The post will involve provided cognitive assessments and psychological therapy, working as part of the multi-disciplinary team both within St George's hospital and with other hospitals within the network to manage the psycho-social factors related to sickle cell disease and thalassaemia. We are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic Clinical Psychologist who is interested in continuing to develop the service and who has an interest in providing cognitive assessments.

The postholder will be responsible for supporting children while in hospital and in the community.

The role of the clinical psychologist is to provide specialist psychological assessment, formulation and intervention to both CYP and their families, and also offer consultation and liaison to the wider network such as schools and social care. Issues arising may include challenges with managing painful episodes, hospital admissions and time off school, poor adherence to treatment, mood related disorders associated with their condition, difficulties with managing fatigue, and pica.

About us

An opportunity has arisen for an 8a Clinical Psychology position within the Paediatric Haematology team support children, young people (CYPS) who have haemoglobinopathy conditions, such as Sickle Cell Disease and Thalassaemia. While working within the Paediatric Haematology team, the post holder will be part of a wider Paediatric Psychology Service at St George's Hospital.

Within the role, there is scope to contribute to research, or policy work in psychological care for people with Sickle Cell & Thalassemia as well as opportunities for service development and providing care in an innovative way. There are also opportunities for CPD and a chance to develop clinical skills.

Date posted

06 September 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£58,698 to £65,095 a year per annum INCL HCAS

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

200-5597258-KL-GO-Y

Job locations

St Georges Hospital

London

SW17 0QT

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical: To provide specialist psychological assessments of patients referred to the service based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the clients care.

To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a patients psychological difficulties, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings.

To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across teams employed individually and in synthesis, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.

To be responsible for carrying out cognitive assessments with young people and supporting families and schools to understand the results of the assessment.

To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for assessment, treatment options and discharge planning, taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.

To work as part of a MDT; carrying out Nurse-Psychology clinics, providing specialist psychological advice guidance to families and consultation to other professionals involved in the patients care.

To undertake risk assessment and risk management as appropriate for individual patients and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management.

To have a good understanding of social services advocating for the childs best interests.

To act as care coordinator, where appropriate, taking responsibility for initiating planning and review of care plans including patients, their families, referring agents and others involved the network of care.

To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of patients under their care and to monitor progress during the course of both uni- and multi-disciplinary care.

Teaching, training, and supervision To receive regular clinical professional supervision from a senior clinical psychologist and, where appropriate, other senior professional colleagues.

To gain experience and skills relevant to clinical psychology and/or the service (as agreed with the professional psychology manager) up to 12 days per year (pro rata)

To develop skills in the area of professional post-graduate teaching, training and supervision and to provide supervision to other MDT staffs psychological work as appropriate.

To provide professional and clinical supervision of assistant/trainee psychologists as required

To contribute to the pre- and post-qualification teaching of clinical staff as appropriate.

To provide advice, consultation and training to staff working with the patient group across a range of agencies and settings, where appropriate.

Management, recruitment, policy and service development

To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the services operational policies and services, through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit.

To advise both service and professional management on those aspects of the service where psychological and/or organisational matters need addressing.

To manage the workloads of assistant/trainee psychologists, within the framework of the team/services policies and procedures.

To be involved, as appropriate, in the shortlisting and interviewing of assistant / graduate

Research and service evaluation

To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members.

To undertake appropriate research and provide research advice to other staff undertaking research.

To undertake project management, including complex audit and service evaluation, with colleagues within the service to help develop service provision.

To take an active role in health education.

General (Profession related)

To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the postholders professional and service manager(s).

To contribute to the development and articulation of best practice in psychology across the service, by continuing to develop the skills of a reflexive and reflective scientist practitioner, taking part in regular professional supervision and appraisal and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the field of clinical psychology and related disciplines.

To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry and recording, report writing and the responsible exercise of professional self-governance in accordance with professional codes of practice of the British Psychological Society and Trust policies and procedures.

To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific client group and mental health.

General (Trust related)

To have responsibility for the Health, Safety and Welfare of self and others and to comply at all times with the requirement of the Health and Safety Regulations.

To ensure confidentiality at all times, only releasing confidential information obtained during the course of employment to those acting in an official capacity in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act and its amendments.

To work in accordance with the Trusts Equal Opportunities policy to eliminate unlawful discrimination in relation to employment and service delivery.

To ensure skills are up-to-date and relevant to the role, to follow relevant Trust policies and professional codes and to maintain registration where this is a requirement of the role.

To comply with St. Georges University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust No Smoking Policies.

To undertake such duties as may be required from time to time as are consistent with the responsibilities of the grade and the needs of the service.

This job description is not an exhaustive document but is a reflection of the current position. Details and emphasis may change in line with service needs after consultation with the postholder.

St. Georges University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is an Equal Opportunities employer and operates a No Smoking Policy.