Highly Specialised Practitioner in Physical Health

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

The closing date is 12 May 2025

Job summary

Clinical/Counselling/Health Psychologist, Band 8a

Permanent - full time (part time hours would be considered)

This is an exciting opportunity to join our forward-thinking and dedicated multi-disciplinary diabetes teams across Bexley and Greenwich. Our team comprise of highly specialist nurses, dietitians, podiatrists, psychologists and medical Consultants.

We are looking for a highly specialist clinical/counselling/health Psychologist, preferably with experience in physical health, Diabetes and/or Long-Term Conditions, to be part of our multidisciplinary teams.

The postholder will be joining a dynamic and friendly network of psychologists in physical health in the Adult Community Physical Health Services Directorate. There are regular opportunities for CPD and training in providing reflective practice to other teams within the Directorate. The postholder will be able to network and come together with other psychologists working in physical health for collegiate support. Clinical supervision is provided from within the directorate by a Consultant Psychologist, Directorate Head of Psychological Therapies.

Main duties of the job

To provide a specialist psychology service to clients of the Community Diabetes Specialist Teams across Bexley and Greenwich.

The postholder will provide highly specialist psychological assessment and therapy at the same time as offering advice and consultation on clients' psychological care to non-psychologist colleagues and to other, non-professional carers, working autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the team's policies and procedures. To facilitate reflective practice groups with staff groups within the directorate. To utilise research skills for audit, policy and service development and research within the area served by the team/service.

About us

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

  • We're Kind
  • We're Fair
  • We Listen
  • We Care

Date posted

29 April 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£59,490 to £66,239 a year pa inc

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

277-7102192-CPH

Job locations

151 Goldie Leigh

Lodge Hill

London

SE2 0AS


Job description

Job responsibilities

  • 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 post holders 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.
  • To work flexibly when the service requires in order to provide a service to clients and their support network within a service that operates across different clinics and also in clients homes.
  • To provide specialist psychological assessments of Diabetes clients and other people referred to the team 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 clients problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, 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 the service, and other teams where necessary or appropriate and in synthesis, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.

Job description

Job responsibilities

  • 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 post holders 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.
  • To work flexibly when the service requires in order to provide a service to clients and their support network within a service that operates across different clinics and also in clients homes.
  • To provide specialist psychological assessments of Diabetes clients and other people referred to the team 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 clients problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, 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 the service, and other teams where necessary or appropriate and in synthesis, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.

Person Specification

Education

Essential

  • Doctoral level training in clinical/counselling/health psychology, as accredited by the BPS.
  • HCPC Registration

Desirable

  • Completion of further post-qualification doctoral specialist training including training in supervision of practitioner psychologists.
  • Completion of further post-qualification specialist training or expertise in a distinct therapy relevant to this service.

Experience

Essential

  • At least 12 months experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including community and primary care.

Desirable

  • Experience of working in physical health services.

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

  • Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.

Desirable

  • Skills in providing consultation to other professionals and non-professional groups
  • Experience of group work and training in supervision of other psychologists/professionals
Person Specification

Education

Essential

  • Doctoral level training in clinical/counselling/health psychology, as accredited by the BPS.
  • HCPC Registration

Desirable

  • Completion of further post-qualification doctoral specialist training including training in supervision of practitioner psychologists.
  • Completion of further post-qualification specialist training or expertise in a distinct therapy relevant to this service.

Experience

Essential

  • At least 12 months experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including community and primary care.

Desirable

  • Experience of working in physical health services.

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

  • Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.

Desirable

  • Skills in providing consultation to other professionals and non-professional groups
  • Experience of group work and training in supervision of other psychologists/professionals

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).

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.

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

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Address

151 Goldie Leigh

Lodge Hill

London

SE2 0AS


Employer's website

http://oxleas.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Address

151 Goldie Leigh

Lodge Hill

London

SE2 0AS


Employer's website

http://oxleas.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


For questions about the job, contact:

Head of Psychological Therapies, ACPH Directorate

Dr Dimitra Lorentzatou

dimitra.lorentzatou@nhs.net

02083197103

Date posted

29 April 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£59,490 to £66,239 a year pa inc

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

277-7102192-CPH

Job locations

151 Goldie Leigh

Lodge Hill

London

SE2 0AS


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)