Job summary
We are looking for an enthusiastic and experienced psychologist with a passion for working with people with psychosis and their families. Someone with good leadership skills who is able to work effectively in a MDT and advocate for people with psychosis to access psychological therapy. The person needs to understand the diverse population of Croydon and want to work alongside community agencies to improve the services we offer.
The postholder will join a dynamic community psychosis psychological therapy pathway within Croydon (including early intervention, community treatment teams and the primary care service) and will be encouraged to have a particular area of interest/expertise to lead on. Currently we are developing EMDR as an additional therapy offer for psychosis, as well as providing Open Dialogue informed network meetings across teams. We would hope that the postholder would have knowledge of these approaches and we would look for training opportunities in the future, as needed.
The postholder will take a lead for the psychosis psychological therapists within the community treatment teams (CMHTs) and will be supported by the consultant psychology lead for the wider pathway.
Main duties of the job
The main purpose of the post will be to provide, develop and ensure the systematic provision of evidence-based psychological therapy for people experiencing psychosis within the community treatment teams. The postholder should have advanced skills in CBT for psychosis, as well as skills in other therapeutic approaches and family intervention. They should have experience in working with psychosis in the community and experience supervising other psychological therapists in their practice.
The postholder will work within an MDT, providing consultation, training, developing groups and liaising with other P&P staff linked to the team. They will also take a leadership role for the community treatment teams, providing supervision for the psychosis psychologists in the other two locality teams. They will be responsible for overseeing the provision of psychological therapy for psychosis across these teams and be expected to implement service development initiatives to support this pathway.
About us
The role will be based in one of the locality treatment teams based at Jeannette Wallace House in central Croydon.
These teams are newly formed as part of the transformation and will welcome and value psychological input around working with people with psychosis.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To develop, co-ordinate and ensure the systematic provision of a psychology service to the Psychosis Pathway in the Croydon Community Treatment Teams and personally provide highly specialist clinical input.
- To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.
- To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate, functioning as a lead specialist in the psychosis pathway in the Croydon Community Treatment Teams.
- To ensure that systems are in place and working effectively for the clinical and professional supervision and support of other psychologists within the psychosis pathway in the Croydon Community Treatment Teams.
- To undertake service evaluation, audit, research and policy development.
- To work as an autonomous professional within BPS and HCPC guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by principles and policies or procedures of the service, taking responsibility for interpreting policies within defined parameters.
- To agree outcomes/results with clinical/professional lead and to decide how they are best achieved.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To develop, co-ordinate and ensure the systematic provision of a psychology service to the Psychosis Pathway in the Croydon Community Treatment Teams and personally provide highly specialist clinical input.
- To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.
- To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate, functioning as a lead specialist in the psychosis pathway in the Croydon Community Treatment Teams.
- To ensure that systems are in place and working effectively for the clinical and professional supervision and support of other psychologists within the psychosis pathway in the Croydon Community Treatment Teams.
- To undertake service evaluation, audit, research and policy development.
- To work as an autonomous professional within BPS and HCPC guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by principles and policies or procedures of the service, taking responsibility for interpreting policies within defined parameters.
- To agree outcomes/results with clinical/professional lead and to decide how they are best achieved.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level additional training) that has been accepted by the HCPC for purposes of professional registration. (A/I)
- Additional training in a specialised area of psychological practice through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses, or an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice-based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma (e.g. PGDip in CBT for psychosis).
- HCPC Registration as a practitioner psychologist
- Clinical supervisor training
Desirable
- Postgraduate diploma or certificate in CBT for psychosis
- Family Interventions training eg BFT, FIp, systemic or Open Dialogue
- EMDR
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with psychosis in a community setting
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in psychosis services
- Experience of supervising assistant and trainee psychologists having completed the relevant training
- Post-qualification experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities
- Experience of providing teaching and training to psychologists or other professional groups
- Experience of proposing and implementing service development projects within own service area.
Desirable
- Experience of developing therapy groups within the community
Knowledge
Essential
- Advanced theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment of psychosis.
Skills
Essential
- To deliver psychological therapy across cultural and other differences.
- Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups
Abilities
Essential
- Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.
- oAbility to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level additional training) that has been accepted by the HCPC for purposes of professional registration. (A/I)
- Additional training in a specialised area of psychological practice through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses, or an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice-based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma (e.g. PGDip in CBT for psychosis).
- HCPC Registration as a practitioner psychologist
- Clinical supervisor training
Desirable
- Postgraduate diploma or certificate in CBT for psychosis
- Family Interventions training eg BFT, FIp, systemic or Open Dialogue
- EMDR
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with psychosis in a community setting
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in psychosis services
- Experience of supervising assistant and trainee psychologists having completed the relevant training
- Post-qualification experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities
- Experience of providing teaching and training to psychologists or other professional groups
- Experience of proposing and implementing service development projects within own service area.
Desirable
- Experience of developing therapy groups within the community
Knowledge
Essential
- Advanced theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment of psychosis.
Skills
Essential
- To deliver psychological therapy across cultural and other differences.
- Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups
Abilities
Essential
- Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.
- oAbility to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate.
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).
