Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist

Job description

Job responsibilities

KEY RESULT AREAS

Clinical Care:

1. To provide a highly specialist Neuropsychology service including supervision or junior staff.
2. To receive and communicate highly complex, sensitive or contentious information as the result of the referral, assessment and therapy processing of clients with neurological conditions and psychological disturbance.
3. To provide expert neuropsychological and rehabilitation assessments of clients, based on the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the clients care. Clinical work may require intense concentration over prolonged periods in a potentially constrained position and will frequently involve working with highly distressed clients.
4. As a clinical leader, to work within MDTs formulating plans for the management of clients problems based on an appropriate conceptual framework, and employing methods based on evidence-based efficacy across the full range of care settings; to be responsible for implementing a range of highly specialist neuropsychological and psychological interventions adjusting and refining formulations drawing on different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
5. To make highly skilled evaluations about treatment options such as elective surgery in conjunction with the MDT taking into account theoretical and therapeutic models, psychometric data and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes.
6. To exercise full responsibility and autonomy where appropriate for the treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed as a neuropsychologically-based standard care plan, communicating with relevant others on a regular basis.
7. To provide expert and specialist neuropsychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals.
8. To administer a range of highly specialised neuropsychological and psychometric tests assessing cognitive functions and emotional wellbeing; setting up and manipulating materials involving fine motor dexterity; conducting prolonged observations of clients abilities, emotional state and behaviour during neuropsychological examinations with commensurate recording, documentation and appropriate dissemination of clinical findings and opinion.
9. To undertake risk assessment and risk management and to provide specialist advice and consultation on risk to colleagues and other relevant agencies as appropriate.
10. To conduct assessments regarding clients capacity and ability to consent to assessment, treatment and other personal and legal matters arising.
11. To act as care coordinator where appropriate, ensuring the provision of a tailored package of care in liaison with others involved in the patients management, monitoring progress and coordinating as required.
12. To communicate in a highly skilled and sensitive manner information concerning assessment and treatment of patients as required; and to manage highly distressing and emotive situations and disclosures in the course of working both with an individual case load, and with employees of the OUH, as a psychologically skilled member of the Trust.
13. To provide expertise and advice to facilitate and promote the effective and appropriate provision of a psychological and psychosocial perspective in the care of patients to staff within and agencies outside the Trust.

Clinical Leadership and Management:

1. To line manage neuropsychologists as appropriate, in liaison with the clinical team, or ensure appropriate designated professional line management of qualified, research and assistant psychologists and placement students, including workload allocation, recruitment, continuing professional development, discipline and performance management, and annual appraisal and career development.
2. To adapt Trust information systems to generate valid information on activity levels, service capacity and individual staff.
3. To ensure the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry and recording, in line with The British Psychological Society and Trust policies and procedures.
4. To ensure the development, maintenance and articulation of best practice in clinical psychology both within the Trust and across the local health-care community.

Clinical Governance

The post-holder will participate in all clinical governance activities, including information governance, confidentiality and clinical audit, clinical effectiveness, risk management and quality improvement activities as required by the Trust, and external accrediting bodies

Personal and Professional Development

The post-holder will be required to keep themselves fully up-to-date with their relevant area of practice and to be able to demonstrate this to the satisfaction of the Trust. Professional or study leave will be granted at the discretion of the Trust, in line with the prevailing Terms and Conditions of Service, to support appropriate study, post qualification training activities, relevant CPD courses and other appropriate personal development needs. The post-holder will be required to maintain registration with the Health Care Professions Council and The British Psychological Societys Division of Neuropsychology.

General Professional Issues

The post-holder will be required to work within the Trust's management policies and procedures, both statutory and internal, accepting that the resources available to the Trust are finite and that all changes in clinical practice or workload, or developments requiring additional resources, must have prior agreement with the Trust. The post-holder will undertake the administrative duties associated with the care of their patients.

The management of risk is the responsibility of everyone and will be achieved within a progressive, honest and open environment. Staff will be provided with the necessary education, training and support to enable them to meet this responsibility. Staff members are required to be up to date with all Statutory and Mandatory training as defined by the Law and Trust policies respectively.

Staff members are required to be conversant with relevant IT systems in use within the Trust including, but not limited to, digital transcription, Electronic Patient Record (EPR), PACS and theatre systems. Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is at an advanced stage in the roll-out of its Electronic Patient Record and a working knowledge of the system is a pre-requisite for employment within the Trust. Post-holders must maintain and regularly access a Trust email account. Appropriate training will be provided.

The post holder is responsible for ensuring that all duties and responsibilities of this post are carried out in compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, Statutory Regulations and Trust Policies and Procedures. This will be supported by the provision of training and specialist advice where required.

Infection Control

Infection Control is everyones responsibility. All staff, both clinical and non clinical, are required to adhere to the Trusts Infection Prevention and Control Policies and make every effort to maintain high standards of infection control at all times thereby reducing the burden of Healthcare Associated Infections.

Equality and Diversity

The OUH values equality and diversity in employment and in the services we provide. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity in employment and will keep under review our policies and procedures to ensure that the job-related needs of all staff working in the Trust are recognised.

The Trust will aim to ensure that all job applicants, employees or clients are treated fairly and valued equally regardless of sex, marital status, domestic circumstances, age, race, colour, disablement, ethnic or national origin, social background or employment status, sexual orientation, religion, beliefs, HIV status, gender reassignment, political affiliation or trade union membership. Selection for training and development and promotion will be based on the individuals ability to meet the requirements of the job.

The post holder should be aware of the responsibility placed on employees under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and is responsible for helping to ensure that the Trust complies with the Act when handling or dealing with any information relating to Trust activity.

Patient and Public Involvement

The Trust is committed to, and has a statutory duty to involve service users, carers and the public in the work of the organisation. We consider that patient and public involvement is the responsibility of every individual working for our Trust. All staff members have a responsibility to listen to the views of patients and to contribute to service improvements based on patient feedback. You will be expected to support the Trust with this through your working practice.

Serious Incidents

All staff must report incidents and near misses so that the Trust can reduce the risk of harm by investigating and incorporating risk reducing measures to safe guard patients, visitors and staff, in accordance with the Trust Incident Reporting Policy.

Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults

The Trust is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults throughout the organisation. As a member of the Trust there is a duty to assist in protecting patients and their families from anyform of harm when they are vulnerable.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS or a statement of equivalency in Clinical Psychology awarded by the BPS.
• Full HCPC registration and license to practice as a clinical psychologist.
• The BPS Qualification in Clinical Neuropsychology (QiCN) / other relevant formal postdoctoral training / research in clinical neuropsychology

Desirable

• Higher degree and/or previous or current good clinical research practice training.
• Eligible to be on the BPS Register of Applied Psychology Practice Supervisors (RAPPS).
• Registered supervisor for the Qualification of Clinical Neuropsychology (QiCN).

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.

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

Oxford University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

John Radcliffe Hospital

Headley Way

Oxford

OX3 9DU

Employer's website

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