Specialist Practitioner Psychologist

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical and Client Care

To provide highly specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions for patients in the MTC service including developing and delivering psychological interventions tailored to meet the needs of both inpatients and those who have been discharged.

To provide culturally appropriate psychological interventions with carers or families of referred patient when required.

To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans.

To work with MTC colleagues to co-ordinate the services delivered as part of the MTC psychology team

Contributing to team or service clinical functioning

To contribute to the effective working of the MTC psychology team and the MTC service and to help contribute to the development and facilitation of a psychologically informed framework for the service.

To contribute to the team and services delivery of accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.

To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.

To advise other members of the MTC service on specialist psychological care of clients.

To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals concerned with clients in order to develop and review care plans.

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

Policy and service development

To implement policies and procedures in own area of work, and to propose improvements or beneficial changes.

To contribute to service development through undertaking and participating in appropriate projects.

To participate in the ongoing implementation of new initiatives (e.g. national guidelines) across the service.

To contribute to the consultation and engagement of service users in planning and delivering services which meet the needs of local communities.

Care or management of resources

To take care of, and use carefully, the Trusts equipment and physical resources.

To ensure that the post-holder has sufficient resources by estimating future needs and requesting or ordering supplies as needed.

Management and supervision

To be responsible for the allocation and/or clinical supervision of the work of more junior psychologists and any assistant psychologists with support from a more senior psychologist.

To supervise trainee applied psychologists within own area of specialism.

To contribute to the appraisal of more junior psychologists, as appropriate.

To contribute to the recruitment of more junior psychologists, as appropriate.

To provide supervision for the psychological work of other multi-disciplinary staff as appropriate.

Teaching and Training

To undertake occasional teaching and training of pre and post- qualification psychologists and specialised training to other professions as appropriate.

To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within the MTC service by maintaining an active awareness of current developments in psychology and the MTC service and by implementing knowledge gained in practice.

To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles.

Record-keeping and Information Governance

To ensure that all information generated by own work is recorded as required by Trust policies and local procedures.

To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry.

Research and development

To initiate, undertake, support and supervise regular complex service evaluation and audits.

To initiate and carry out appropriate research (NB: not a major job requirement [major = 20% or more of job]).

To provide expertise in a specialist research area which will contribute to the MTC service.

To initiate and implement the development of outcome measurement and assessment and assist other staff in the implementation of same.

Maintaining professional standards and continuing professional development

To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior psychologist according to HCPC and Trust guidelines.

To ensure own Continuing Professional Development in line with BPS and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements and the HCPC Standards for Continuing Professional Development.

To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.

To comply with the HCPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics and Standards of Proficiency, and ensure professional development in line with these.

To adhere to the BPSs Professional Practice Guidelines and Trust policies and procedures.

General

To travel to sites across the Trust and the area it serves as appropriate and when required.

To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the client group, and follow trust policies relating to its management.

To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations including those associated with critically unwell patients and those approaching end of life care and to support others involved in such situations where appropriate.

Person Specification

Essential and Desirable

Essential

• Entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level additional training) that has been accepted by the HCPC for purposes of professional registration.
• Additional training in a specialised area of psychological practice through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses, or an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice-based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma.
• Completed training course in clinical supervision
• Registered with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist, and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC.
• Evidence of having worked with people with medical conditions as a clinical specialist under supervision.
• Experience of working in multidisciplinary teams with colleagues from a range of disciplines.
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of complex psychological and physical health needs.
• Experience of supervising assistant and trainee psychologists having completed the relevant training.
• Post-qualification experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities.
• Experience of providing teaching and training to psychologists or other professional groups.
• Experience of carrying out post-doctoral research, audit or service evaluation projects.
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological assessments and interventions including for those living with complex medical conditions.
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies for people experiencing trauma
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities.
• Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care.
• To deliver psychological therapy across cultural and other differences.
• To be aware of risk relating to aggressive, challenging and extremist behaviour amongst the patient group and follow trust policies relating to the management of those behaviours.
• To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences and hostility to or rejection of information.
• To plan and schedule assessment and interventions for individual clients and groups and carers, and to organise meetings and joint activities with staff of partner agencies.
• Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data.
• Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with critical unwell patients, victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour.
• Ability to manage verbal aggression and hostility directed at self.

Desirable

• Competence and/or specialist training in models of health psychology and/or working with trauma (e.g., motivational interviewing, TF-CBT, EMDR).
• Experience of working with people living with the medical conditions experienced as part of the MTC service.
• Interest and/or experience in implementing service improvements.
• Good working knowledge of models of health psychology in addition to models of psychopathology, particularly working with effects of trauma.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

King's College Hospital

Denmark Hill

London

SE5 9RS

Employer's website

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