Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and motivated qualified clinical / counselling psychologist to work within the CNWL Inpatient Palliative Care Service, based at University College Hospital London. This is a well established symptom control and palliative care team. The palliative care team cares for adult patients throughout UCLH Hospitals (with a smaller paediatric cohort from age 12 years and up). There are approximately 2000 new referrals per year.
** Please note we would consider flexible working hours within this fixed term 6 month 0.6WTE contract. Or reducing to 0.4WTE over 9 months. Please call to discuss. **
Main duties of the job
This is a maternity cover within the hospital multidisciplinary team. The successful candidate will provide specialist clinical/counselling psychology service for patients and relatives that have been referred to the hospital palliative care service working in all areas of University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, in collaboration with other palliative care team members. You will have excellent communication skills in supporting patients with life limiting illnesses and their families, and liaising with members of the multi-disciplinary palliative care team and oncology psychologists based at UCLH and other involved healthcare professionals. Whilst the post will predominantly be direct clinical work with patients, the clinical supervision of other members of the multidisciplinary team will be a part of the role. A commitment to team working and working across organisational boundaries is essential. Being able to work creatively are essential.
The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.
About us
You will be part of a busy proactive and innovative inpatient team, whilst also working closely with UCLH colleagues, to provide excellent care to inpatients and relatives. There is a well-established clinical psychology structure within UCLH that you will be closely linked to, that would provide support and mentoring for the post holder. It is an inspiring and supportive place to work, with plenty of opportunities for education and training and personal development.
We are part of the CNWL Palliative Care Service, that also provides palliative care to the community area of Islington and South Camden.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The below is an outline of some of the main duties and responsibilities you will hold. For a full list of responsibilities, please refer to the attached Job Description.
Clinical
- To provide specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to clinical health psychology based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complexdata from a variety of sources including clients, family members and others involved in the clients care.
- To manage an individual caseload autonomously.
- To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals, carers, couples and families, drawing upon explanatory models.
- To provide specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.
- 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 multi-disciplinary care.
Teaching, training, and supervision
- To provide clinical supervision to other members of the wider MDT, as appropriate.
- To provide clinical placements for trainee clinical and / or counselling psychologists, ensuring that trainees acquire the necessary skills, competencies and experience to contribute effectively to good mental health care, and to contribute to the assessment and evaluation of such competencies. To contribute to the supervision of other qualified psychologists/psychotherapists/counsellors as appropriate. To continue to develop skills in the area of clinical supervision.
- To provide advice, consultation and training to staff working with the client group across a range of agencies and settings, where appropriate.
Research and service evaluation
- Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex multivariate data analysis as practiced within the field of clinical psychology/counselling psychology.
- To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other team members.
- To undertake project management and quality improvement projects, including audit and service evaluation, with colleagues within the service as necessary, to help develop service provision.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The below is an outline of some of the main duties and responsibilities you will hold. For a full list of responsibilities, please refer to the attached Job Description.
Clinical
- To provide specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to clinical health psychology based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complexdata from a variety of sources including clients, family members and others involved in the clients care.
- To manage an individual caseload autonomously.
- To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals, carers, couples and families, drawing upon explanatory models.
- To provide specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.
- 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 multi-disciplinary care.
Teaching, training, and supervision
- To provide clinical supervision to other members of the wider MDT, as appropriate.
- To provide clinical placements for trainee clinical and / or counselling psychologists, ensuring that trainees acquire the necessary skills, competencies and experience to contribute effectively to good mental health care, and to contribute to the assessment and evaluation of such competencies. To contribute to the supervision of other qualified psychologists/psychotherapists/counsellors as appropriate. To continue to develop skills in the area of clinical supervision.
- To provide advice, consultation and training to staff working with the client group across a range of agencies and settings, where appropriate.
Research and service evaluation
- Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex multivariate data analysis as practiced within the field of clinical psychology/counselling psychology.
- To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other team members.
- To undertake project management and quality improvement projects, including audit and service evaluation, with colleagues within the service as necessary, to help develop service provision.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- oDoctoral level training in clinical psychology or counselling psychology
- oRegistered with the Health and care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist
Desirable
- oAdditional specialist training in systemic family therapy
Experience
Essential
- oExperience of assessment and treatment of people with common mental health problems, of varying severity and complexity, using evidence based psychological therapies
- oExperience of working at a highly specialist level with adults with a life-limiting condition with a range of complex psychological needs
- oExperience, skills and knowledge of supporting patients and their carer's and families including children of all ages.
- oExperience of exercising full clinical responsibility for patient's psychological care and treatment, working within an interdisciplinary care plan.
- oExtensive experience of supervised psychological practice in time limited NHS settings
- oExperience with routine outcome monitoring
- oExperience in establishing diagnosis/psychological formulation
- oExperience of providing psychological treatment for people who are socially disadvantaged
- oExperience of working with interpreters in direct contact
- oExperience of multiprofessional teamwork and of representing psychologically informed approaches within an MDT, showing respect for different approaches and a desire to work collaboratively and enhance team cohesion and support
Desirable
- oExperience of working both with couple and with families to facilitate psychological support
- oExperience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts
- oExperience of teaching, training and/or supervision
- oExperience of working in palliative care in an acute hospital setting
Skills
Essential
- oSpecialist knowledge of developmental psychological theory and approaches to addressing psychological problems associated with physical health conditions and or mental health difficulties.
- oSkilled in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management.
- oSkills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups working in acute care
- oWell 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.
- oEvidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC
- oAbility to work effectively and efficiently and manage clinical caseloads in a safe and effective manner
- oAbility 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
- oAbility to work creatively, cooperatively, reliably and consistently both independently and in multidisciplinary settings
- oAdvanced skills in IT
- oAbility to undertake audit and evaluation
- oSkilled in teaching and training
Desirable
- oKnowledge of the academic literature concerning common psychological problems in this group of patients
Communication
Essential
- oExcellent communications skills required for working with people with life-limiting physical ill-health, their families and staff who work with them
- oExperience at presenting contentious information to patients and colleagues
- oWell-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to adults with mental health problems
- oExperience making presentations at Trust meetings
Desirable
- oExperience at presenting at conferences related to professional role
Personal and People Development
Essential
- oAbility to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
- oKnowledge and understanding of life limiting illness, loss and grief and their impact on individuals, families and their social networks
- oEnthusiastic about working directly with people with life-limiting physical health conditions, their families, partners and carers.
- oHighly motivated to provide person focused, support with good communication skills, psychological insight and a warm empathic manner
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- oDoctoral level training in clinical psychology or counselling psychology
- oRegistered with the Health and care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist
Desirable
- oAdditional specialist training in systemic family therapy
Experience
Essential
- oExperience of assessment and treatment of people with common mental health problems, of varying severity and complexity, using evidence based psychological therapies
- oExperience of working at a highly specialist level with adults with a life-limiting condition with a range of complex psychological needs
- oExperience, skills and knowledge of supporting patients and their carer's and families including children of all ages.
- oExperience of exercising full clinical responsibility for patient's psychological care and treatment, working within an interdisciplinary care plan.
- oExtensive experience of supervised psychological practice in time limited NHS settings
- oExperience with routine outcome monitoring
- oExperience in establishing diagnosis/psychological formulation
- oExperience of providing psychological treatment for people who are socially disadvantaged
- oExperience of working with interpreters in direct contact
- oExperience of multiprofessional teamwork and of representing psychologically informed approaches within an MDT, showing respect for different approaches and a desire to work collaboratively and enhance team cohesion and support
Desirable
- oExperience of working both with couple and with families to facilitate psychological support
- oExperience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts
- oExperience of teaching, training and/or supervision
- oExperience of working in palliative care in an acute hospital setting
Skills
Essential
- oSpecialist knowledge of developmental psychological theory and approaches to addressing psychological problems associated with physical health conditions and or mental health difficulties.
- oSkilled in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management.
- oSkills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups working in acute care
- oWell 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.
- oEvidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC
- oAbility to work effectively and efficiently and manage clinical caseloads in a safe and effective manner
- oAbility 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
- oAbility to work creatively, cooperatively, reliably and consistently both independently and in multidisciplinary settings
- oAdvanced skills in IT
- oAbility to undertake audit and evaluation
- oSkilled in teaching and training
Desirable
- oKnowledge of the academic literature concerning common psychological problems in this group of patients
Communication
Essential
- oExcellent communications skills required for working with people with life-limiting physical ill-health, their families and staff who work with them
- oExperience at presenting contentious information to patients and colleagues
- oWell-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to adults with mental health problems
- oExperience making presentations at Trust meetings
Desirable
- oExperience at presenting at conferences related to professional role
Personal and People Development
Essential
- oAbility to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
- oKnowledge and understanding of life limiting illness, loss and grief and their impact on individuals, families and their social networks
- oEnthusiastic about working directly with people with life-limiting physical health conditions, their families, partners and carers.
- oHighly motivated to provide person focused, support with good communication skills, psychological insight and a warm empathic manner
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).
