Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a dynamic and committed Clinical/Counselling Psychologist or Psychological Therapist to join the Buckinghamshire At Risk Mental State Service.
You will offer evidence-based psychological therapy to clients aged 14-35 years, who are at high risk of developing first episode of psychosis. This is a new service and you will work closely with the MDT to shape the team to meet the needs of the clients and the standards of care for the service. You will offer consultation and indirect work to support and supervise junior staff. You will work together with psychologists and psychological therapists across the Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire EI services to improve care by contributing to projects and supporting research.
This is an exciting and developing service which is research active and will have close links with other services in the neighbourhood teams. This is an independent service but will work closely with local Early Intervention in Psychosis service. As we cover the whole county it is essential that you can drive.
Applications are invited for a permanent full-time psychologist, but part-time and flexible hours will be also be considered. This is a band 7-8a preceptorship, but if you are a psychologist who is already able to fulfil the band 8a post requirements we will consider you for the 8a role immediately.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for an enthusiastic psychological therapist for a permanent full-time post in the newly forming service in Buckinghamshire (part-time, job share, flexible hours will be considered).
The Buckinghamshire At Risk Mental States Service will provide timely assessment, psychological intervention and monitoring for those at ultra high clinical risk for developing psychosis.
The purpose of the post is to provide a highly specialist psychology service to the clients of the Buckinghamshire At Risk Mental State Service, across a variety of settings in the community. In particular, the post-holder will deliver NICE recommended individual cognitive behavioural therapy to individuals and family intervention (FI) to clients and their support network.
The post-holder will be expected to see psychologically complex clients, for example, with multiple unusual symptoms and a high level of diagnostic uncertainty. Skills in cognitive behavioural therapy (BABCP accreditable) are essential. The post-holder will also provide clinical supervision, consultation and training to the psychology assistants and other staff. The post holder will be expected to contribute to audit, service development and clinically-relevant research. You will work as part of an MDT and contribute to the wider team functions.
Line management and clinical and professional supervision will be provided by the Principal Counselling Psychologist.
About us
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust provides physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset.
Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people's homes, delivering care as close to home as possible
Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive:"Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team"
Our values are:"Caring, safe and excellent"
At Oxford Health we offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:
- Excellent opportunities for career progression
- Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and development
- 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
- NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
- Competitive pension scheme
- Lease car scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Mental Health First Aiders
- Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists may apply)
- Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team
Job description
Job responsibilities
The successful candidate will have a Doctorate in Clinical or Counselling Psychology and will be HCPC registered and BABCP accreditable. Interest and experience in working with clients with complex difficulties and their networks using a CBT framework is highly desirable.
This will be an exciting opportunity to develop further experience and skills working with young people with unusual experiences in a community settings. Excellent supervision, support and CPD opportunities are available.
The purpose of the post is to provide a highly specialist psychology service to the clients of the newly forming Buckinghamshire At Risk Mental State Service, across a variety of settings. In particular, the post-holder will deliver NICE-recommended individual cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and family intervention (FI) to clients with unusual experiences that put them at risk of developing first episode psychosis.
The post-holder will be expected to see psychologically complex clients, for example, with multiple unusual symptoms and other comorbidities. The treatment requires sufficient training and experience in cognitive behavioural therapy and we would also support the post holder to develop additional skills necessary to treat this client group.
The post-holder will also provide clinical supervision, consultation and training, initially to the psychology assistant and later to any junior staff recruited. The post holder will be expected to utilise research skills for audit, service development and clinically-relevant research. The post-holder will work as part of an MDT and contribute to the wider team functions.
Line management and clinical and professional supervision will be provided by the principal counselling psychologist. Excellent supervision, support and CPD opportunities are available.
The service operates 9-5 Monday to Friday with some flexible working outside of these hours, such as providing interventions to individuals and families who are working. We welcome applicants who have personal experience of mental health as a client or carer and can discuss any reasonable adjustments needed. The post holder will need to travel between sites across Bucks and to see clients in the community, therefore a full driving licence and access to a car is essential (please specify this in your application).
Please see attached JD/PS for further details of the role.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The successful candidate will have a Doctorate in Clinical or Counselling Psychology and will be HCPC registered and BABCP accreditable. Interest and experience in working with clients with complex difficulties and their networks using a CBT framework is highly desirable.
This will be an exciting opportunity to develop further experience and skills working with young people with unusual experiences in a community settings. Excellent supervision, support and CPD opportunities are available.
The purpose of the post is to provide a highly specialist psychology service to the clients of the newly forming Buckinghamshire At Risk Mental State Service, across a variety of settings. In particular, the post-holder will deliver NICE-recommended individual cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and family intervention (FI) to clients with unusual experiences that put them at risk of developing first episode psychosis.
The post-holder will be expected to see psychologically complex clients, for example, with multiple unusual symptoms and other comorbidities. The treatment requires sufficient training and experience in cognitive behavioural therapy and we would also support the post holder to develop additional skills necessary to treat this client group.
The post-holder will also provide clinical supervision, consultation and training, initially to the psychology assistant and later to any junior staff recruited. The post holder will be expected to utilise research skills for audit, service development and clinically-relevant research. The post-holder will work as part of an MDT and contribute to the wider team functions.
Line management and clinical and professional supervision will be provided by the principal counselling psychologist. Excellent supervision, support and CPD opportunities are available.
The service operates 9-5 Monday to Friday with some flexible working outside of these hours, such as providing interventions to individuals and families who are working. We welcome applicants who have personal experience of mental health as a client or carer and can discuss any reasonable adjustments needed. The post holder will need to travel between sites across Bucks and to see clients in the community, therefore a full driving licence and access to a car is essential (please specify this in your application).
Please see attached JD/PS for further details of the role.
Person Specification
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies with clients with severe and complex mental health problems
- Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology and psychotherapy
Desirable
- Knowledge of the specific needs of the ARMS population
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to adult and/ or older mental health.
Qualifications
Essential
- Doctoral level training in clinical/ counselling psychology (or equivalent training of qualified / accredited psychological practice)
- Registered with HCPC or equivalent professional / regulatory registration
- Ability to travel across Buckinghamshire to provide patient care, attend meetings etc.
Desirable
- Pre-qualification training and qualifications or experience in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology
Experience
Essential
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, day services and inpatient settings
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and threat of physical abuse
- Experience of working with young people
Desirable
- Experience of working within a multicultural framework
- Experience of running/co-running groups
Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the relevant professional body
- Good organisational and time management skills, ability to plan and prioritise own workload
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings
Desirable
- Willingness to work towards accreditation with accrediting body such as BABCP, SfDBT or ACAT
Person Specification
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies with clients with severe and complex mental health problems
- Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology and psychotherapy
Desirable
- Knowledge of the specific needs of the ARMS population
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to adult and/ or older mental health.
Qualifications
Essential
- Doctoral level training in clinical/ counselling psychology (or equivalent training of qualified / accredited psychological practice)
- Registered with HCPC or equivalent professional / regulatory registration
- Ability to travel across Buckinghamshire to provide patient care, attend meetings etc.
Desirable
- Pre-qualification training and qualifications or experience in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology
Experience
Essential
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, day services and inpatient settings
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and threat of physical abuse
- Experience of working with young people
Desirable
- Experience of working within a multicultural framework
- Experience of running/co-running groups
Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the relevant professional body
- Good organisational and time management skills, ability to plan and prioritise own workload
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings
Desirable
- Willingness to work towards accreditation with accrediting body such as BABCP, SfDBT or ACAT
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).
