Job summary
We are delighted to announce an exciting opportunity for a permanent Band 8a Clinical / Counselling Psychologist in the Traumatic Stress Service.
The Traumatic Stress Service is a tertiary-level specialist service which provides psychological assessment and evidence-based treatment to people with PTSD and associated conditions. People treated at the service have experienced traumatic events in adulthood such as physical or sexual assault, torture or serious accidents. Approximately half of patients referred are refugees or asylum-seekers.
The team is based at Springfield Hospital and is part of South-West London and St George's NHS Trust, covering the boroughs of Wandsworth, Sutton, Merton, Kingston and Richmond. The team also accepts national referrals. The service provides assessment and NICE guideline recommended treatments for PTSD: trauma-focused CBT (tf-CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR).
You will join a team of 1 Consultant Clinical Psychologist, 4 Clinical Psychologists, 1 Counselling Psychologist, Trainee Clinical Psychologists and 2 Assistant Psychologists.
The service has a strong commitment to research and evidence-based practice, with regular opportunities for CPD and specialist supervision. The service is also involved in several research projects including a multi-site RCT of cognitive therapy for complex PTSD.
Main duties of the job
The post is primarily a clinical post, alongside which there are opportunities to be involved in clinical research, supervision, consultation, and delivering training to the Trust and more widely.
The post is for a qualified clinical or counselling psychologist registered with the Health & Care Professions Council and who has at least 18 months post qualification experience. We are particularly interested in recruiting someone with a strong interest and experience of working with people with PTSD and associated difficulties.
About us
We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.
We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' - we aspire to be 'outstanding'.
This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services.
We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.
We offer flexible working, career development and a variety ofbenefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To provide specialist psychological assessments of clients 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 mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy in the treatment of acute and chronic/complex PTSD.
- To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals, employed individually and in combination, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing on a number of different explanatory theoretical models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
- To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options 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 exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans.
- To provide specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals, as appropriate, to assist in the formulation, diagnosis and treatment of clients presenting with acute and chronic/complex PTSD.
- To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically-based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings and agencies
- To undertake risk assessment and risk management for relevant individual clients and to provide general advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management.
- To provide reports and communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients to other health professionals, family and carers, the client, legal professionals and other relevant agencies.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To provide specialist psychological assessments of clients 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 mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy in the treatment of acute and chronic/complex PTSD.
- To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals, employed individually and in combination, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing on a number of different explanatory theoretical models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
- To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options 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 exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans.
- To provide specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals, as appropriate, to assist in the formulation, diagnosis and treatment of clients presenting with acute and chronic/complex PTSD.
- To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically-based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings and agencies
- To undertake risk assessment and risk management for relevant individual clients and to provide general advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management.
- To provide reports and communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients to other health professionals, family and carers, the client, legal professionals and other relevant agencies.
Person Specification
Training and Qualifications
Essential
- Doctoral level training in clinical/counselling psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the BPS.
Desirable
- Pre-qualification training and qualifications in, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
- Post-doctoral training in CBT.
- EMDR Training Level 1-4 and accreditation
- BABCP Accreditation as practitioner and/or supervisor
Experience
Essential
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in-patient 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.
- Experience in the assessment of clients presenting with both acute and chronic/complex PTSD.
- Experience of using trauma-focused CBT to treat clients with PTSD / complex PTSD
- Demonstrate further specialist training/experience through having received a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision of working as a specialist clinical psychologist over a minimum of 18 months, or an alternative agreed by the Associate Borough Director.
Desirable
- Psychological work with refugees and/or asylum seekers
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management, including evidence-based treatments for PTSD / CPTSD
- 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.
- Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS
- Formal training in supervision of trainee applied psychologists and related personnel.
Desirable
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnosis)
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialized psychological therapies, one of which has an evidence base for PTSD (e.g. EMDR, Narrative Exposure Therapy, Imagery Re-scripting, Compassion focused therapy)
Person Specification
Training and Qualifications
Essential
- Doctoral level training in clinical/counselling psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the BPS.
Desirable
- Pre-qualification training and qualifications in, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
- Post-doctoral training in CBT.
- EMDR Training Level 1-4 and accreditation
- BABCP Accreditation as practitioner and/or supervisor
Experience
Essential
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in-patient 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.
- Experience in the assessment of clients presenting with both acute and chronic/complex PTSD.
- Experience of using trauma-focused CBT to treat clients with PTSD / complex PTSD
- Demonstrate further specialist training/experience through having received a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision of working as a specialist clinical psychologist over a minimum of 18 months, or an alternative agreed by the Associate Borough Director.
Desirable
- Psychological work with refugees and/or asylum seekers
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management, including evidence-based treatments for PTSD / CPTSD
- 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.
- Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS
- Formal training in supervision of trainee applied psychologists and related personnel.
Desirable
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnosis)
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialized psychological therapies, one of which has an evidence base for PTSD (e.g. EMDR, Narrative Exposure Therapy, Imagery Re-scripting, Compassion focused therapy)
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).
