Senior Psychological Therapist

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB PURPOSE/SUMMARY

To be responsible for the systematic provision of specialist, evidence based Psychological treatment for adults with long-term health conditions with an emphasis on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). The post-holder will be accredited in CBT via the BABCP or be in the process of becoming accredited.

To provide expert advice, clinical supervision and training within the designated service and to other healthcare professionals across the organisation and wider health community.

To carry out audit, policy, research and development projects.

To develop expertise in working therapeutically with patients from diverse backgrounds.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Clinical

To provide highly specialised psychological assessment of patients based on the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of highly complex data from a variety of sources, taking into account cultural and contextual factors.

Undertakes risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and provides highly specialist advice to other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management and the high physical risks inherent in the client group.

To formulate plans for highly specialist psychological treatment and/or management of patients physical health problems.

Undertakes highly skilled evaluations and makes decisions about treatment options taking into account NICE guidance and the best available research evidence.

Provides expert psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other staff contributing directly to clients diagnosis, formulation and intervention plan.

Facilitates decision-making by planning and mapping processes/interventions with members of the team or the wider Psychology Service to determine the most appropriate treatment modality or service for clients.

Provides expertise and advice to facilitate the effective and appropriate provision of psychological care by all members of the wider team.

Administrative Responsibilities

May be required to undertake administrative tasks in relation to own work.

Uses Microsoft Office applications on a daily basis.

Responsibility for Information Systems

Responsible for maintaining accurate and comprehensive patient/client records in accordance with the Trust and professional record keeping standards.

Writes reports for other members of the multidisciplinary team and external parties regarding patient/client related matters.

Responsibility for Planning/Organising & Strategic/Business Development

Plans individual patient/client care and where appropriate co-ordinates care within the multidisciplinary team and external agencies.

Contributes to operational planning and advises senior colleagues on those aspects of the service which may need addressing at a strategic level.

Policy Development

Responsible for identifying and proposing changes to policies and procedures which may impact on the Clinical and Health Psychology service.

Service Development, Project Management

Responsible for identifying and proposing strategic service improvements which may impact on the Clinical and Health Psychology service.

Responsibility for Physical Resources, Estates, Hotel Services

Has a personal duty of care to ensure all equipment is used safely and effectively, following manufacturers instructions, immediately reporting any defects in accordance with local procedures.

Uses available resources efficiently and effectively.

Research, Audit and Service Evaluation

Maintains an active engagement with current developments in the field of psychological therapy and related disciplines and utilises theory, evidenced based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other team members. To take the psychology lead, as a senior clinician, in planning and implementing systems for the evaluation, monitoring and development of the service, through the deployment of professional skills in service evaluation and audit and ensuring incorporation of psychological frameworks for understanding and provision of high quality care.

Undertakes co-ordination and management of research projects including complex audit and service evaluation, with colleagues within and across the service to help develop and improve services to patients and their families.

Undertakes formal psychological research and development pertaining to own clinical speciality, on an on-going basis.

Provides advice and supervision to other staff undertaking research.

Staff Management, Training and Development

To manage and supervise trainees within the Clinical and Health Psychology service.

Provides teaching on appropriate courses.

Provides specialist advice and training where appropriate to other staff within the service and members of the multidisciplinary team.

Provides clinical placements and contributes to competency assessment for trainee psychological therapists, ensuring that trainees acquire the necessary skills and experience to contribute effectively to psychological practice.

To exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice within the Clinical and Health Psychology service, including work allocation, checking record keeping and quality of care delivered and providing clinical guidance as required.

Participates in the recruitment and selection of staff as appropriate.

To provide emotional and psychological support to staff members to enable them to function effectively.

Responsible for ensuring that all staff within area of responsibility adhere to professional practice guidelines and that mechanisms are in place to ensure that performance standards are met.

COMMUNICATION

Communicates in a way which recognises difference and ensures that people feel included and their individual communication needs are met.

Communicates complex and sensitive information regarding patients.

Shares information relating to psychological assessment and formulation with patients in a responsive, empathic manner.

Communicates effectively with all professionals involved in the clients care including all members of the multidisciplinary team, general practitioners, Social Services, education providers, voluntary agencies, user/carer groups etc, to maximise the quality of service delivered to patients, their families and carers.

ANALYSIS AND JUDGEMENT

Analyses highly complex client information, derived from a variety of sources including self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with the client, family members and others involved in the clients care.

Adjusts and refines psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.

Evaluates and makes 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.

Assesses, diagnoses and makes clinical judgements involving a range of highly complex factors in the context of inadequate or unavailable information, equivocal research/evidence or where expert opinion differs.

FREEDOM TO ACT

Works as an autonomous practitioner accountable for own professional practice in respect of assessment, therapy and discharge of patients.

Works within the Professional Codes of Conduct of the Health & Care Professions Council or the BABCP.

Professionally accountable to the Head of Service, Lead Consultant Clinical Psychologist.

Uses highly specialist knowledge to interpret broad clinical/professional policies.

Provides expert professional advice to senior clinicians and managers within the Trust.

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The post holder must:

Comply with the terms of the contract of employment and the Leeds Way Values.

Be aware of, comply with and keep up to date with all Trust Policies and Procedures and other communications relevant to the role.

Maintain registration with the appropriate professional body where applicable and comply with the relevant code of conduct and standards of professional practice.

Fully participate in management, clinical and professional supervision sessions relevant to the role, as required by the Trust.

Fully participate in annual appraisal and appraisal reviews.

Maintain up to date knowledge and competency in the skills required to perform safely and effectively in the role. Undertake relevant training (including statutory and mandatory training) and be responsible for personal development agreed with the line manager and in line with the requirements of the AFC Knowledge and Skills Framework.

THE LEEDS WAY VALUES

Our values are part of what make us different from other trusts, so we see this as a strength, as well as a responsibility. They have been developed by our staff and set out what they see as important to how we work. Our five values are:

Patient-centred

Collaborative

Fair

Accountable

Empowered

All our actions and endeavours will be guided and evaluated through these values.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Post-graduate training in Clinical Psychology, Counselling Psychology, Health Psychology or BABCP accreditation in CBT.
• Registration with the HCPC or accreditation with the BABCP.

Skills & behaviours

Essential

• Skills in the use of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, accredited with the BABCP or working towards accreditation.
• High level ability to form and maintain collaborative professional relationships with colleagues across all levels and in working in the MDT.
• Ability to work in a complex and changing environment; demonstrable ability to work under pressure and according to changing priorities and service needs.

Desirable

• High level of analytical and judgement skills with ability to understand complex facts or situations requiring analysis, interpretation, comparison.
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.

Additional Requirements

Essential

• Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to patients.
• Their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
• Skills in planning and organising activities (e.g. groups); skills in planning, organising and managing own workload.
• Able to fulfil Occupational Health requirements for the post (with reasonable adjustments, if necessary). Including clearance on blood borne viruses, in compliance with Trust Policy.

Experience

Essential

• Understanding of Information Governance and Confidentiality.
• Understanding of equality and diversity issues and how this affects patients, visitors and staff.
• Understanding of what the NHS Constitution means to you, and your responsibilities to the public, patients and colleagues.
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of highly specialised evidence-based psychological interventions and assessment methodologies.
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the patient group.
• Ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for patients psychological care and treatment, both as a professionally qualified care coordinator.
• Also within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan.
• Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts and the ability to adapt interventions to reflect these.

Desirable

• Experience of working with people with complex health needs.
• Experience of working with people from medical teams or in an acute hospital setting.
• Experience of representing psychological therapies within the context of multi-disciplinary care.
• Experience of working with a wide range of people, presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings.
• Including particularly those with long term health conditions and chronic pain.

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Leeds Teaching Hospitals

Address

St. James's University Hospital

Beckett Street

Leeds

LS9 7TF

Employer's website

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