Job summary
This is a fantastic opportunity for an enthusiastic and dynamic Clinical Psychologist to help lead our acquired brain injury pathway within our inpatient Level 1 Neuro-rehabilitation unit.
You will provide specialist assessment and rehabilitation to adults who have suffered an acquired brain injury and who have a primary mental health diagnosis or who have changes to their mental health as a result of their acquired brain injury. The Lishman Unit provides in-depth, multidisciplinary assessments and rehabilitation interventions using a team goal setting approach.
Opportunities are also available for you to enhance neuropsychological expertise by undertaking further professional development and work in other parts of the neuropsychiatry service.
You will work with an already established multidisciplinary team who are highly specialised and dedicated to the service users they work with. The upcoming move to the Maudsley Hospital site (May, 2023) will provide lots of opportunities for you to collaborate with the team and will be a perfect platform to demonstrate leadership qualities. The role involves regular contact with the Ward Manager and Consultant Psychiatrist to help ensure you feel confident and supported in your role, in addition to a Trust-wide Staff Support Service and networks to help you connect with others within SLaM.
Main duties of the job
- To contribute to the provision of highly specialised assessment and intervention on the Lishman Unit, including specialist assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes.
- The post is suitable for a qualified neuropsychologist with some post-qualification experience in the field of clinical neuropsychology.
- 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 a highly specialist psychology service to service users with brain injury and primary mental health diagnosis.
- To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate, functioning as a lead specialist in rehabilitation of individuals with brain injury and primary mental health diagnosis.
- The post holder will also initiate specific service development projects with the support and advice of the Service Manager and other relevant senior members of the team.
- To work as an autonomous professional within BPS and HCPC guidelines and codes of conduct, guided by principles and policies or procedures of the service, taking responsibility for interpreting policies within defined parameters.
- To undertake service evaluation, audit and clinical research.
- To agree outcomes/results with clinical/professional leads and to decide how they are best achieved
About us
The Lishman unit is a national specialist unit taking referrals from across the country. The ward is a 15-bedded unit where we manage the psychiatric complications of neurological and neurosurgical disorders, including epilepsy, Parkinson's, memory disorders, brain tumours and functional neurological disorders (FND) among others. The ward team is made up of nurses, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists, social workers, rehab assistants and health care assistants.
About the location:
We are currently based at the Bethlem Royal Hospital, Monks Orchard Road, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 3BX. However, the unit will be re-locating to the brand new Douglas Bennett House at the main Maudsley Hospital site at Denmark Hill, inner London, in May 2023. This state-of-the-art facility has been co-designed by service users, carers, clinicians and specialist architects working together to create a modern and much-improved environment for service users and staff. See the below website for further details:
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details relating to this post.
- To provide highly specialist neuropsychological assessments, formulations and interventions for clients at the Lishman Unit, including clients referred for specialist neurocognitive assessment, and providing individually tailored psychological interventions aimed at reducing distress or disability associated with cognitive impairment.
- To provide culturally appropriate psychological interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.
- To assess, monitor and document risk management plans
- To ensure that all services provided are acceptable and accessible to the diverse communities who access the service, by obtaining service user feedback.
- To act as keyworker, taking responsibility for ensuring timely and coherent implementation of rehabilitation goals, a point of contact for service users, and leading on liaison with family, and post-discharge services.
- To work with the leads/managers of Lishman Unit, Neuropsychiatry pathway to plan and deliver services that are integrated around the needs of service users.
- To contribute to the effective working of the team or service and to a psychologically informed framework for the service.
- To participate in ensuring the team or services ability to deliver accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.
- To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.
- To advise other members of the MDT on specialist psychological care of clients.
- To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals concerned with clients in order to develop and review care plans. Ensuring care plans are collaboratively agreed.
- To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details relating to this post.
- To provide highly specialist neuropsychological assessments, formulations and interventions for clients at the Lishman Unit, including clients referred for specialist neurocognitive assessment, and providing individually tailored psychological interventions aimed at reducing distress or disability associated with cognitive impairment.
- To provide culturally appropriate psychological interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.
- To assess, monitor and document risk management plans
- To ensure that all services provided are acceptable and accessible to the diverse communities who access the service, by obtaining service user feedback.
- To act as keyworker, taking responsibility for ensuring timely and coherent implementation of rehabilitation goals, a point of contact for service users, and leading on liaison with family, and post-discharge services.
- To work with the leads/managers of Lishman Unit, Neuropsychiatry pathway to plan and deliver services that are integrated around the needs of service users.
- To contribute to the effective working of the team or service and to a psychologically informed framework for the service.
- To participate in ensuring the team or services ability to deliver accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.
- To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.
- To advise other members of the MDT on specialist psychological care of clients.
- To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals concerned with clients in order to develop and review care plans. Ensuring care plans are collaboratively agreed.
- To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members.
Person Specification
Qualifications & Professional Registration
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.
- Completed training course in clinical supervision
- Registered with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist, and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC
Desirable
- Post-doctoral level training in clinical neuropsychology as recognised by the BPS
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies for clients presenting with psychological distress or impairments in day to day functioning associated with acquired brain damage or cognitive decline
- Knowledge of neuroanatomy, brain-behaviour relationships and the impact of neurological disease or brain insult on individual functioning
- Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base e for the relevant treatment including the use of memory aids
- Advanced knowledge of neuropsychological assessment and clinical psychometrics
Experience
Essential
- Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in adult neuropsychology
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature following acquired brain damage or cognitive decline
- 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
Desirable
- Experience of undertaking cognitive rehabilitation
- Experience of working in a multidisciplinary neurorehabilitation service
- Experience of undertaking psychological therapy with patients with functional neurological disorders (e.g. psychogenic amnesia, functional visual loss)
Skills
Essential
- To deliver psychological therapy across cultural and other differences
- To select and administer specialist psychological assessments, interpreting and integrating complex data that requires analysis, interpretation and comparison, drawn from several sources, on which expert opinion may differ
- To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences and hostility to or rejection of information
- To plan and schedule assessment and interventions for individual clients and groups and carers, and to organise meetings such as CPAs and case reviews
Abilities
Essential
- Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate
- Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings
- Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions, and to deal with unexpected interruptions or changes during these
Person Specification
Qualifications & Professional Registration
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.
- Completed training course in clinical supervision
- Registered with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist, and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC
Desirable
- Post-doctoral level training in clinical neuropsychology as recognised by the BPS
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies for clients presenting with psychological distress or impairments in day to day functioning associated with acquired brain damage or cognitive decline
- Knowledge of neuroanatomy, brain-behaviour relationships and the impact of neurological disease or brain insult on individual functioning
- Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base e for the relevant treatment including the use of memory aids
- Advanced knowledge of neuropsychological assessment and clinical psychometrics
Experience
Essential
- Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in adult neuropsychology
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature following acquired brain damage or cognitive decline
- 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
Desirable
- Experience of undertaking cognitive rehabilitation
- Experience of working in a multidisciplinary neurorehabilitation service
- Experience of undertaking psychological therapy with patients with functional neurological disorders (e.g. psychogenic amnesia, functional visual loss)
Skills
Essential
- To deliver psychological therapy across cultural and other differences
- To select and administer specialist psychological assessments, interpreting and integrating complex data that requires analysis, interpretation and comparison, drawn from several sources, on which expert opinion may differ
- To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences and hostility to or rejection of information
- To plan and schedule assessment and interventions for individual clients and groups and carers, and to organise meetings such as CPAs and case reviews
Abilities
Essential
- Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate
- Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings
- Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions, and to deal with unexpected interruptions or changes during these
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).
Employer details
Employer name
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Lishman Unit
Bethlem Royal Hospital, Monks Orchard Road,
Beckenham
BR3 3BX
Employer's website
https://www.slam.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
