Clinical/Counselling Psychologist/ CBT Therapist

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. To provide assessments of clients referred to the team, based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources
2. To diagnose patients eating and related psychiatric problems
3. To formulate and implement plans for 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 based models for eating disorders
4. To be responsible for implementing interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across teams employed individually and in synthesis
5. 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.
6. To integrate (with the psychological formulation) an understanding of the medical aspects of the eating disorders and associated medical conditions
7. To liaise with other clinicians involved in the patients care, in order that appropriate physical checks and interventions are carried out to ensure the patients physical safety
8. To understand the role of relevant physical treatments (e.g. nutrition, pharmacology)
9. To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans
10. To provide psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients formulations, diagnoses and treatment plans
11. 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 serving the client group
12. To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients, and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management
13. To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care and to monitor progress during the course of both uni- and multi-disciplinary care
14. To act as care coordinator where appropriate, taking responsibility for initiating planning and review of care plans under CPA (to include clients, their carers, referring agents and others involved the network of care)

1. To attend Staff Group with other colleagues in the service
2. To provide professional and clinical supervision of junior colleagues and trainees, as appropriate
3. To contribute to the pre- and post-qualification teaching of other professionals, as appropriate
4. To provide advice, consultation and training to staff working with the client group across a range of agencies and settings, where appropriate
5. To undertake all mandatory training that is relevant to the post, including updates

1. To advise both service and professional management on those aspects of the service where psychological and/or organisational matters need addressing.

1. To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members
2. To undertake appropriate research/audit and provide research advice to other staff and clinical trainees undertaking research
3. To undertake project management, including complex audit and service evaluation, with colleagues within the service to help develop service provision
4. To familiarise themselves with, and to comply with, the Trusts requirements on research governance.

IT responsibilities (other than those used for research)

1. The post holder will input and maintain, appropriate computer and manual clinical records and statistical data and provide this to the Service Manager/Head of Speciality when necessary
2. The post holder will engage in relevant computer and IT training as required.

1. To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the postholders professional and service managers
2. To contribute to the development and articulation of evidence-based and evidence-generating psychological practice across the service, by continuing to develop the skills of a reflexive and reflective scientist practitioner, taking part in regular professional supervision and appraisal, and maintaining an active engagement with current developments
3. To maintain 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 relevant professional body and with Trust policies and procedures
4. To maintain up-to-date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific client group and mental health.

Person Specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential

• An upper second class honours degree or higher in a subject relevant to mental health and higher level postgraduate training in an applied clinical field that includes models of psychopathology and distinct psychological therapies.
• Clinical/Counselling Psychologist registered with the HCPC or CBT therapist- Must be fully or provisionally accredited with the BABCP or have completed a BABCP accredited high intensity CBT course or diploma programme.
• Clinical experience of delivering CBT and/or MANTRA or CAT in a relevant psychological post

Desirable

• Post-qualification training in CBT, CAT or MANTRA for eating disorders.
• ADOS trained
• MANTRA trained

Previous Experience

Essential

• Extensive experience of psychological assessment and evidence-based treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in patient settings.
• Substantial experience of working within a CBT and/or MANTRA or CAT framework with patients who present with problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity.
• Supervised experience of delivering evidence-based therapies for the eating disorders and common comorbid conditions.
• Experience of interdisciplinary working within the NHS.

Desirable

• Supervised experience of delivering other treatments for the eating disorders, including motivational work.
• Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
• Experience of the application of CBT in different cultural contexts.

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of the theoretical and evidence base for understanding, formulating and treating the eating disorders.
• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management, frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
• 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.
• Knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the field of mental health.

Desirable

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of CBT in specific difficult-to-treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc).
• High level knowledge of the theory and practice of cognitive-behavioural therapy.
• High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least one other specialised psychological therapy.
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
• Publication and presentation of clinical research in the field of the eating disorders or associated areas of mental health.

Attitudes, aptitudes, personal characteristics

Essential

• Maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.

Other

Essential

• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
• Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.

Desirable

• Personal experience (direct or indirect) of mental health problems.
• Experience of working within a multicultural framework.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Address

1 NIghtingale Place, London

London

SW10 9NG

Employer's website

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