Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen to recruit an assistant psychologist to join our community Forensic Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (FCAMHS). Consideration will be given to applicants who want to work either full time or part time. The FCAMHS community team base is in Peterborough and there is also a second base in Cambridge. The service is regional covering the East of England region (Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire).
This dynamic service established in 2018, works in partnership with wider agencies to ensure integrated care provision across health, social care, education and youth justice to optimise the outcomes for children/young people who present with high risk and/or concerning behaviours and where mental health and/or neurodevelopmental concerns are suspected. The job will involve supporting clinicians with advice and consultation with the possibility of observing and completing assessments undertaken as appropriate. The post holder will be responsible for the continuation of developments of the teams offer to those young people presenting with Learning Disability and/or Neurodiversity.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be part of a multi-disciplinary team and will have the support of a Senior Leadership Team that includes a Consultant Psychologist and Consultant Psychiatrist. The post holder may have the opportunity to be part of psychology networks across the Trust and a specialist forensic peer supervision group.
The post holder will provide a specialist psychology service under supervision to children/young people and their families/carers. The post holder will support specialist psychological assessments for children/young people with highly complex presentations and psychological consultation to other professionals involved in their care. The post holder will also be expected to undertake service development projects and research as agreed with the Psychological Therapies Lead and Senior Leadership Team.
About us
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health & social care organisation dedicated to providing high quality care with compassion to improve the health & wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting & empowering them to lead a fulfilling life.
Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services not only via inpatient and primary care setting but also with the community. These services include Children, Adult & Older Peoples mental & physical health, Forensic & Specialist mental health, Learning Disabilities, Primary Care & Liaison psychiatry, Substance misuse, Social care, Research & Development.
To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high calibre candidates that share our vision & values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including disabled people & members of our ethnic minorities & LGBTQ+ communities.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities
- To provide under supervision of a clinical/forensic psychologist psychological assessments of children who are referred to the service, based on appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex psychological data from a variety of sources, including undertaking psychometric tests, self-report measures, rating scales, structured observations and supporting semi-structured interviews, with children/young people, family members/carers and others involved.
- Under supervision contribute to appropriate psychologically informed formulations, consultation and advice based upon analyses of the range of available complex information concerning children/young people who are referred to the service and their particular risks.
- Under supervision to contribute to specialist structured risk assessments, drawing on highly specialist knowledge of forensic factors.
- To communicate highly confidential and personal information obtained through assessment, formulation and interventions, to the child/young person themselves, other involved professionals, their relatives/carers, and referring agents. To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, making judgements concerning what information to report and how and when to convey it, in the best interests of the child/young person.
- To be active in risk assessment and complex risk management of children/young people who may be at risk to themselves and/or others, and/or may be vulnerable and at risk of physical, sexual or emotional harm.
- Contribute to the production of clinical and forensic reports on children/young people, in a timely manner, that convey the complex analysis and recommendations to the relevant audience.
- Where appropriate to support the safe and effective transitions for children/young people between the community and custodial/welfare secure settings so as to ensure the appropriate services are available and coordinated.
- To shadow and where appropriate to advocate and constructively challenge on behalf of the child/young person and their family/carers in order to ensure they can access the appropriate support and services to meet their needs.
- To contribute within boundaries of knowledge to the teaching/training of other professionals within child health and allied services
- To promote team working, psychologically safety and constructive relationships
- To actively participate in clinical and managerial supervision.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities
- To provide under supervision of a clinical/forensic psychologist psychological assessments of children who are referred to the service, based on appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex psychological data from a variety of sources, including undertaking psychometric tests, self-report measures, rating scales, structured observations and supporting semi-structured interviews, with children/young people, family members/carers and others involved.
- Under supervision contribute to appropriate psychologically informed formulations, consultation and advice based upon analyses of the range of available complex information concerning children/young people who are referred to the service and their particular risks.
- Under supervision to contribute to specialist structured risk assessments, drawing on highly specialist knowledge of forensic factors.
- To communicate highly confidential and personal information obtained through assessment, formulation and interventions, to the child/young person themselves, other involved professionals, their relatives/carers, and referring agents. To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, making judgements concerning what information to report and how and when to convey it, in the best interests of the child/young person.
- To be active in risk assessment and complex risk management of children/young people who may be at risk to themselves and/or others, and/or may be vulnerable and at risk of physical, sexual or emotional harm.
- Contribute to the production of clinical and forensic reports on children/young people, in a timely manner, that convey the complex analysis and recommendations to the relevant audience.
- Where appropriate to support the safe and effective transitions for children/young people between the community and custodial/welfare secure settings so as to ensure the appropriate services are available and coordinated.
- To shadow and where appropriate to advocate and constructively challenge on behalf of the child/young person and their family/carers in order to ensure they can access the appropriate support and services to meet their needs.
- To contribute within boundaries of knowledge to the teaching/training of other professionals within child health and allied services
- To promote team working, psychologically safety and constructive relationships
- To actively participate in clinical and managerial supervision.
Person Specification
Education / Qualifications
Essential
- Completed a certified graduate level qualification
- Evidence of continuing professional development
Experience
Essential
- Professional knowledge acquired through degree, clinical placements, previous assistant psychology post, supplemented by formal teaching, clinical supervision of practice.
- Experience of using psychometric and manualised assessment procedures.
- Experience of supporting with the delivery of audit and service evaluation.
Desirable
- Experience of forensic risk assessment.
- Experience working with young people with high complexity and concerns.
Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Skills for assessing and developing formulations about clients, family members / carers & teams around the young person using evidence-based formulation approaches.
- Ability to deliver evidence-based interventions under supervision of qualified psychologist.
- Ability to use data collection and data analysis programmes (e.g. ESCEL, SPSS).
- Ability to deliver teaching and develop training materials to be used by the team as a whole.
- Assist qualified staff in collating information for case reviews and reports.
- Plans & prioritises own patient workload, research programme & work activities.
Knowledge & Understanding
Essential
- Works within guidelines, works independently, refers problems of formulation and intervention to clinical supervisor.
- Knowledge of systemic approaches and how they contribute to formulation methods in CAMHS.
- Updates client, research records, writes reports
- Follows departmental policies, comments on proposals.
- Knowledge of forensic approaches to assessment, formulation and intervention in forensic CAMHS.
Physical Requirements
Essential
- The ability to travel independently across the East of England region.
- Light physical effort for short periods/ sitting in constrained position for assessment and therapy sessions.
- Verbal abuse, hostility/ risk of physical aggression.
Other
Essential
- Must hold and work in line with Trust PRIDE Values.
Person Specification
Education / Qualifications
Essential
- Completed a certified graduate level qualification
- Evidence of continuing professional development
Experience
Essential
- Professional knowledge acquired through degree, clinical placements, previous assistant psychology post, supplemented by formal teaching, clinical supervision of practice.
- Experience of using psychometric and manualised assessment procedures.
- Experience of supporting with the delivery of audit and service evaluation.
Desirable
- Experience of forensic risk assessment.
- Experience working with young people with high complexity and concerns.
Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Skills for assessing and developing formulations about clients, family members / carers & teams around the young person using evidence-based formulation approaches.
- Ability to deliver evidence-based interventions under supervision of qualified psychologist.
- Ability to use data collection and data analysis programmes (e.g. ESCEL, SPSS).
- Ability to deliver teaching and develop training materials to be used by the team as a whole.
- Assist qualified staff in collating information for case reviews and reports.
- Plans & prioritises own patient workload, research programme & work activities.
Knowledge & Understanding
Essential
- Works within guidelines, works independently, refers problems of formulation and intervention to clinical supervisor.
- Knowledge of systemic approaches and how they contribute to formulation methods in CAMHS.
- Updates client, research records, writes reports
- Follows departmental policies, comments on proposals.
- Knowledge of forensic approaches to assessment, formulation and intervention in forensic CAMHS.
Physical Requirements
Essential
- The ability to travel independently across the East of England region.
- Light physical effort for short periods/ sitting in constrained position for assessment and therapy sessions.
- Verbal abuse, hostility/ risk of physical aggression.
Other
Essential
- Must hold and work in line with Trust PRIDE Values.
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).
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).
