Job summary
At MPFT we pride ourselves on staff wellbeing and development and can we offer you:
- Our SOOTHE resources - supporting staff across the trust with their physical, mental and financial health. In addition to the support offered from our occupational health provider Team Prevent.
- Counselling support and lifestyle information with advice on a variety of personal matters
- "In our Gift" providing a platform for your voice to be heard to inform change
- The opportunity to purchase additional annual leave
- Opportunities for flexible working (depending on the role)
- Career development opportunities and coaching plus access to in house training programs
- Innovative research training program entitled STARS (Supporting the advancement of Research Skills)
- Child Care Vouchers Scheme
- Recognition and engagement through our staff LOVE awards, LOVE long service awards and Staff Engagement Surveys
- NHS discounts available via the Blue Card and Red Guava schemes
Main duties of the job
To work as a principal psychologist within the CLDTs in South Staffordshire providing clinical services to adults with a learning disability who require highly specialist psychological input. Providing highly specialist psychological assessment, formulation and treatment to people eligible for the service; for both individuals and groups. Providing specialist clinical supervision, psychological advice and training to others (internal and external to MPFT) as required.
To support MPFT colleagues to better understand and meet the needs of people with Learning Disabilities who have experienced trauma, with the ultimate aim of enhancing the quality of life and psychological well-being of people who use its services and their families and/or carers.
To contribute to, and lead on (where appropriate), psychological service developments and improvements for people with learning disabilities their families and/or carers in South Staffordshire. To lead on the delivery of best practice in relation to trauma informed care for adults with learning disabilities; including attention to the development and use of appropriate Clinical Pathways, Trauma Training and trauma informed supervision as agreed with the Professional Leads for Learning Disability Psychological Services.
About us
Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT) is an award winning organisation with over 9000 employees. We are one of the largest integrated Health and Social Care providers, covering services across North & South Staffordshire, Shropshire, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, Isle of Wight and Essex.
Demonstrating our strong commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and in context of our objective aligned to the growth of diversity across the workforce; we are particularly seeking applications from individuals who may be from under-represented groups, such as black, Asian or other ethnic groups, individuals with a disability, or LGBTQ+ individuals who meet the specific criteria.
We are embedding values based and inclusive recruitment practices to ensure that all applicants, from any backgrounds, have an equal chance of success in achieving a role with us.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To provide highly specialist psychological assessments for service users with learning disabilities in South Staffordshire based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex psychological 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 service users, family members and others involved in the service users care.
- To undertake person-centred diagnostic assessments to establish whether or not a learning disability diagnosis is appropriate for a person following current best practice guidance; and to robustly assess other presenting psychological needs to inform future treatment planning as appropriate.
Systems and Equipment
- The post requires a range of general skills including driving, assembly and operation of complex test equipment, high level keyboard and computer skills for data analysis, analysis and interpretation of psychological tests, presentations and communication.
- The administration of neuropsychological tests requires high levels of concentration, skilled manipulation of test materials, excellent hand-eye co-ordination and accuracy under timed conditions. Scoring and interpretation of psychological and neuropsychological tests requires analytical skills, technical and statistical knowledge and the use of computer-based packages in some cases.
- To utilise IT skills and equipment to input, analyse and report clinical data, including psychometric assessment data.
Decisions and Judgements
- To make high level specialist clinical decisions and clinical judgements about service users care.
To advise the Local and Professional Leads for Learning Disability Psychological Service, CLDT & IST Leads, team members and others on service development and/or aspects of the service where psychological and/or organisational matters in respect of people with learning disabilities in South Staffordshire need addressing
Communication and Relationships
- Communicates in a way which recognises difference and ensures that people feel included and that their individual communication needs are met.
- To maintain a high level of professionalism despite regular exposure to highly emotive, distressing and disturbing clinical material including first and second hand accounts of serious offences, victimisation and physical and verbal aggression.
Collaboratively communicates highly complex, highly sensitive and highly contentious information to service users and others during the course of psychological therapy where the atmosphere may be highly emotive, there may be barriers to understanding or the service users may react in an antagonistic or hostile manner
- To maintain and promulgate 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 HCPC, the British Psychological Society and Trust policies and procedures.
- To use clinical expertise and knowledge of professional and legal frameworks to balance confidentiality and disclosure of highly sensitive information pertaining to risk.
Please see Job Description for the full details.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To provide highly specialist psychological assessments for service users with learning disabilities in South Staffordshire based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex psychological 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 service users, family members and others involved in the service users care.
- To undertake person-centred diagnostic assessments to establish whether or not a learning disability diagnosis is appropriate for a person following current best practice guidance; and to robustly assess other presenting psychological needs to inform future treatment planning as appropriate.
Systems and Equipment
- The post requires a range of general skills including driving, assembly and operation of complex test equipment, high level keyboard and computer skills for data analysis, analysis and interpretation of psychological tests, presentations and communication.
- The administration of neuropsychological tests requires high levels of concentration, skilled manipulation of test materials, excellent hand-eye co-ordination and accuracy under timed conditions. Scoring and interpretation of psychological and neuropsychological tests requires analytical skills, technical and statistical knowledge and the use of computer-based packages in some cases.
- To utilise IT skills and equipment to input, analyse and report clinical data, including psychometric assessment data.
Decisions and Judgements
- To make high level specialist clinical decisions and clinical judgements about service users care.
To advise the Local and Professional Leads for Learning Disability Psychological Service, CLDT & IST Leads, team members and others on service development and/or aspects of the service where psychological and/or organisational matters in respect of people with learning disabilities in South Staffordshire need addressing
Communication and Relationships
- Communicates in a way which recognises difference and ensures that people feel included and that their individual communication needs are met.
- To maintain a high level of professionalism despite regular exposure to highly emotive, distressing and disturbing clinical material including first and second hand accounts of serious offences, victimisation and physical and verbal aggression.
Collaboratively communicates highly complex, highly sensitive and highly contentious information to service users and others during the course of psychological therapy where the atmosphere may be highly emotive, there may be barriers to understanding or the service users may react in an antagonistic or hostile manner
- To maintain and promulgate 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 HCPC, the British Psychological Society and Trust policies and procedures.
- To use clinical expertise and knowledge of professional and legal frameworks to balance confidentiality and disclosure of highly sensitive information pertaining to risk.
Please see Job Description for the full details.
Person Specification
Qulaification
Essential
- Relevant qualification as within person spec
Desirable
Experience
Essential
- Substantial experience of working as a qualified psychologist with people with learning disabilities and complex mental health problems; including assessment and clinical interventions for a wide range of presenting problems. To include experience of working with people with learning disabilities who have come into contact with the criminal justice system.
Desirable
- Experience of providing clinical consultation to other professional staff.
Person Specification
Qulaification
Essential
- Relevant qualification as within person spec
Desirable
Experience
Essential
- Substantial experience of working as a qualified psychologist with people with learning disabilities and complex mental health problems; including assessment and clinical interventions for a wide range of presenting problems. To include experience of working with people with learning disabilities who have come into contact with the criminal justice system.
Desirable
- Experience of providing clinical consultation to other professional staff.
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
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).
