Job summary
The Clinical Associate in Psychology (CAP) apprenticeship role is designed to deliver psychological assessments, formulations and interventions which are informed by research and evaluation. CAPs work closely with our psychological therapists within teams who supervise and are accountable for the CAPs work.
We are seeking four apprentices to train as CAPs within the Community Mental Health Teams in Lewisham. The apprenticeship programme is a structured programme of learning leading to the award of an MSc Clinical Associate in Psychology from University College London (UCL). Applicants should have the right to work in the UK without restrictions and have lived in the UK for at least 3 years. The training programme is focused on adults with complex mental health difficulties and the training role and future qualified role is within the clinical context of adults with complex psychological difficulties. The training involves a combination of work-based learning, personal study, academic learning, research and assessment. The full fees of the course will be paid. The post is a fixed-term post at band 5 for the duration of the training (approximately 18 months). Following successful completion and passing of the programme, apprentices will eligible to apply for qualified band 6 CAPs roles which will be available within the teams.
Please note that applications cannot be registered at another university (for either part time or full time study) whilst completing the CAPs course.
Main duties of the job
The role will be influenced by your experience. We envisage it will incorporate:
- Working closely with multi-disciplinary team colleagues to promote psychological interventions to service users
- Taking part in the screening and assessment of clients referred for psychological interventions.
- Delivering a range of psychological interventions to service users in a variety of formats - including individual, group and family interventions.
- Monitoring the impact of the interventions we offer, using a range of methods including outcome measures.
- Co-developing group interventions and being actively involved in their delivery and evaluation.
- Supporting qualified psychological therapists with operational aspects of the psychology service.
- Connecting with local third sector and other organisations in order to provide holistic care for service users.
- Ensuring that interventions on offer are culturally accessible and acceptable to the population we serve.
The post-holder must have experience of working with service users experiencing mental health problems and have the skills and abilities needed to form effective and safe therapeutic relationships. They should have excellent written and verbal communication skills. The post-holder will work with people from a range of differing cultural backgrounds and ages, using interpreters when necessary, and should be committed to providing an accessible and acceptable culturally appropriate service to all clients.
About us
These newly created posts will be based in Lewisham's community mental health teams, and will be based either at Speedwell Mental Health Centre (SE8 4AT) or Churchdown Mental Health Centre (BR1 5PS). Each team is multidisciplinary, and made up of a range of different professions, including care coordinators, psychiatrists and psychological therapists. The teams support individuals living in Lewisham with mental health difficulties who require a holistic care package to support their recovery. Each of the posts will be supervised by a senior psychological therapist, as well as being able to access support from both the wider psychology team and the Trust to facilitate the transition to becoming a therapist. We are passionate about developing a workforce which is committed to strengthening clinical skills alongside cultural, contextual and community knowledge, in order to best meet the needs of our local population. We particularly invite applications from individuals from marginalised communities.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Our aim is for individuals in the CAPs roles to be able to use a range of skills to integrate psychological and psychosocial interventions into a holistic care package for clients. We welcome practitioners who can reflect on their own experiences as well as the experiences of people using our services to promote, plan and deliver useful and w interventions. There will be the opportunity to develop novel and innovative ways of working to ensure we are offering an accessible and acceptable service. Creativity, confidence, and the ability to make meaningful connections with both service users and staff are all warmly welcomed.
Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details of the role.
Note: This advert may close early if a high number of applications is received.
We look forward to receiving your application.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Our aim is for individuals in the CAPs roles to be able to use a range of skills to integrate psychological and psychosocial interventions into a holistic care package for clients. We welcome practitioners who can reflect on their own experiences as well as the experiences of people using our services to promote, plan and deliver useful and w interventions. There will be the opportunity to develop novel and innovative ways of working to ensure we are offering an accessible and acceptable service. Creativity, confidence, and the ability to make meaningful connections with both service users and staff are all warmly welcomed.
Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details of the role.
Note: This advert may close early if a high number of applications is received.
We look forward to receiving your application.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- An approved qualification in psychology conferring eligibility for graduate basis for registration with the British Psychological Society, (Class 2.2 with significant experience, or higher)
- English & Maths - Level 2 or equivalent
- Attendance at specialist short courses relevant to the post
Experience
Essential
- Experience of paid work supporting people experiencing mental health difficulties e.g in the NHS or outreach work, or local engagement work (e.g. youth worker, mentoring, peer support etc.), experience of working in voluntary sector, working in community groups.
- Previous work experience in multi-cultural settings.
- Experience in effectively managing exposure to distressing/highly emotional circumstances.
- Conducting service-related research, and/or audit, evaluation or research.
- Experience in creating and managing databases.
Desirable
- Experience in making services easier to engage with or other issues that can challenge a service.
- Experience of working with interpreters
- Having previously worked with people with complex/severe mental health needs
- Conducting service-related research
- Lived experience of mental health issues or psychological problems as a service user, family member or carer
Knowledge / Skills
Essential
- Basic understanding of mental health issues and approaches to treatment and intervention
- Graduate level knowledge of research design and methodology
- Up to date knowledge of psychological research and national guidance relevant to the client group.
- Awareness of the potential impact of discrimination & disadvantage on mental health
- Ability to draw upon a specific theoretical knowledge base in the analysis of facts or situations to arrive at appropriate formulations, under clinical supervision
- Basic understanding of how adverse experiences and environment impact on mental health and well-being
- Awareness of racial diversity issues and factors affecting access to mental health care.
- Ability to use supervision appropriately and effectively.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, especially communicating mental health related information to clients and carers
- Good understanding and ability to apply functional analysis to presenting problems - including their development and maintenance.
Desirable
- Contain and work with organisational stress and able to hold the stress of others.
Operational
Essential
- Awareness of diversity of cultural norms, and being able to respond to this appropriately.
- Being able to work flexibly across local environments, including using public transport, shared hot desk offices, and remote homeworking.
- Use IT packages - word processing, e-mail and internet,
- Plan, organise and prioritise own workload.
- Able to sustain frequent concentration; and prolonged concentration, in client sessions and other work.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- An approved qualification in psychology conferring eligibility for graduate basis for registration with the British Psychological Society, (Class 2.2 with significant experience, or higher)
- English & Maths - Level 2 or equivalent
- Attendance at specialist short courses relevant to the post
Experience
Essential
- Experience of paid work supporting people experiencing mental health difficulties e.g in the NHS or outreach work, or local engagement work (e.g. youth worker, mentoring, peer support etc.), experience of working in voluntary sector, working in community groups.
- Previous work experience in multi-cultural settings.
- Experience in effectively managing exposure to distressing/highly emotional circumstances.
- Conducting service-related research, and/or audit, evaluation or research.
- Experience in creating and managing databases.
Desirable
- Experience in making services easier to engage with or other issues that can challenge a service.
- Experience of working with interpreters
- Having previously worked with people with complex/severe mental health needs
- Conducting service-related research
- Lived experience of mental health issues or psychological problems as a service user, family member or carer
Knowledge / Skills
Essential
- Basic understanding of mental health issues and approaches to treatment and intervention
- Graduate level knowledge of research design and methodology
- Up to date knowledge of psychological research and national guidance relevant to the client group.
- Awareness of the potential impact of discrimination & disadvantage on mental health
- Ability to draw upon a specific theoretical knowledge base in the analysis of facts or situations to arrive at appropriate formulations, under clinical supervision
- Basic understanding of how adverse experiences and environment impact on mental health and well-being
- Awareness of racial diversity issues and factors affecting access to mental health care.
- Ability to use supervision appropriately and effectively.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, especially communicating mental health related information to clients and carers
- Good understanding and ability to apply functional analysis to presenting problems - including their development and maintenance.
Desirable
- Contain and work with organisational stress and able to hold the stress of others.
Operational
Essential
- Awareness of diversity of cultural norms, and being able to respond to this appropriately.
- Being able to work flexibly across local environments, including using public transport, shared hot desk offices, and remote homeworking.
- Use IT packages - word processing, e-mail and internet,
- Plan, organise and prioritise own workload.
- Able to sustain frequent concentration; and prolonged concentration, in client sessions and other work.
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
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).
Employer details
Employer name
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Lewisham Community Mental Health Teams
Speedwell CMHT (SE8 4AT) or Churchdown CMHT (BR1 5PS)
London
SE8 4AT
Employer's website
https://www.slam.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
