Principal Clinical Psychologist (Learning Disabilities)

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

Clinical and Client Care

To develop, co-ordinate and ensure the systematic provision of a highly specialist MDT service.

To provide and lead a highly specialist psychological and behavioural support service to the Southwark Intensive Support Team in the Mental Health in Learning Disability Service.

To provide highly specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions for adults with learning disabilities at levels expected of a psychological practitioner who has achieved the equivalent of a PG Diploma-worth of post-qualification specialist development.

To provide culturally appropriate psychological interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.

To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans.

To provide culturally appropriate psychological or psychotherapeutic interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.

To provide reports, including relevant formulation, opinion and interventions, in order to inform referrers and, where appropriate, service users and their families.

To select and deliver evidence-based specialist therapeutic interventions, drawing from a spectrum of ideas and models, monitoring outcome and modifying and adapting interventions as necessary, based on the highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, couple, family or group.

To promote psychological support for carers, families and networks of referred clients.

To act as carer co-ordinator taking responsibility for overseeing multi agency care plans.

Responsibilities for team or service clinical functioning

To co-ordinate (and chair) meetings for Southwark IST to ensure effective functioning and review, when appropriate.

To take a lead in ensuring a psychologically and psychotherapeutically informed framework for the Southwark IST

To take a lead in developing the team or services delivery of 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 service 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.

To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members.

To liaise with the service/s MDT and other professionals.

Policy and service development

To implement policies and procedures in own area of work.

To identify any aspects of Southwark IST which could be improved and propose changes to practices or procedures that affect Southwark IST and may also affect other services.

To initiate and implement service development projects, as agreed with clinical/professional lead

To participate in the ongoing implementation of new initiatives (e.g. national guidelines) across IST, MHLD and relevant services.

To lead the consultation and engagement of service users in planning and delivering services which meet the needs of local communities.

Care or management of resources

To take care of, and use carefully, the Trusts equipment and physical resources.

To ensure that the post-holder has sufficient resources by estimating future needs and requesting or ordering supplies as needed.

To ensure the cleanliness and safe functioning and use of equipment that will be used by clients or other persons.

To monitor and advise clients on the safe use of materials and processes.

To ensure adequate confidential and safe storage for artefacts produced during the therapy process in line with professional guidelines.

To be responsible for obtaining, storing and maintaining all necessary materials and equipment for the provision of therapy in work setting within budgetary constraints.

To hold a delegated budget for / take responsibility for purchasing supplies or equipment (if required).

Management and supervision

To provide clinical leadership to more junior psychological practitioners and other professionals, as appropriate.

To be responsible for the allocation and/or clinical supervision of the work of more junior psychological practitioners.

To supervise trainees within own area of specialism having completed the relevant training.

To contribute to the appraisal of more junior psychological therapists as appropriate.

To contribute to the recruitment of more junior psychological practitioners as appropriate.

To provide professional and clinical supervision to more junior psychological practitioners, trainees and honoraries for all aspects of their work.

To provide management supervision to less senior psychological practitioners.

To provide supervision for the psychological work of other multi-disciplinary staff as appropriate.

Teaching and Training

To undertake occasional teaching and training of pre and post-qualification psychological practitioners and specialised training to other professions as appropriate.

To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within the service by maintaining an active awareness of current developments in psychology and by implementing knowledge gained in practice.

To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles.

Record-keeping and Information Governance

To ensure that all information generated by own work is recorded as required by Trust policies and local procedures.

To ensure the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry, in those parts of the service for which the post-holder has leadership responsibility.

Research and development

To initiate, undertake, support and supervise regular complex service evaluation and audits

To initiate/carry out appropriate research.

To complete quarterly reviews of clinical data and outcomes for presentation to stakeholders.

To initiate and implement the development of outcome measurement and assessment and assist other staff in the implementation of same.

Maintaining professional standards and continuing professional development

To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior psychological practitioners according to professional and Trust guidelines.

To maintain own Continuing Professional Development in line with registration body and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements and the professional Standards for Continuing Professional Development.

To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.

To comply with registration body Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics/Standards of Proficiency.

General

To travel to home visits, other clinical sites and teams as appropriate and across the Trust when required.

To travel to out of borough placements when necessary.

To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the client group, and follow trust policies relating to its management.

To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations such as adults with learning disabilities who may display behaviour that challenges, and to support others involved in such situations.

To work flexibly which may include offering some regular commitment to late clinics within the overall Job Plan.

To work closely with Corporate Psychology and Psychotherapy to ensure consistent and timely delivery of staff support within their area across all disciplines. Contributing to the development of the staff support offer in line with relevant quality improvement projects.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• oTo have undertaken a recognised qualification in one of the core mental health professions, e.g. psychiatric nursing, clinical psychology, medicine, social work and occupational therapy OR to have equivalent relevant experience and demonstrable competence to work in the mental health field in the NHS. oEntry-level qualification in applied psychological therapy/mental health/social welfare profession or equivalent and demonstrable practice in this field (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level/supervised practice/additional training) that has been accepted for the purposes of professional registration. (A/I) (for a job requiring specific professional qualification(s), change this point to specify the required qualification(s)). For Psychologists: . 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) (for a job requiring specific professional qualification(s), change this point to specify the required qualification(s): Clinical psychologist: Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent; Counselling psychologist: MSc and PG Diploma in Counselling Psychology; Forensic psychologist: MSc in Forensic Psychology plus completion of the British Psychological Society's Qualification in Forensic Psychology Stage 2) For Family / Systemic Psychotherapists: Post-graduate qualification in relevant mental health/social welfare profession and demonstrable practice in this field (A/I) PLUS Masters level qualification in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy or equivalent qualification, accredited by UKCP (A/I) For Psychotherapists: Entry-level qualification in Psychotherapy that has been accepted by the UKCP/BABCP (specify which, according to nature of post) for purposes of professional registration. (A/I) (for a job requiring specific professional qualification(s), change this point to specifythe required qualification(s). For Arts Therapists: Masters Degree (or equivalent) in Arts Therapy or Dance Movement Therapy. (or specify Art Therapy, Music Therapy, Dramatherapy or Dance Movement Therapy) oAdditional training beyond entry-level qualification in a specialised area of psychological practice (specify options required by the post) through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses and/an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice-based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by a registered body and/or an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma or higher. (A/I/R) oCompleted training course in clinical supervision and/or accredited to supervised qualified psychological practitioners in relevant discipline. (A/I/R) oRegistered with professional body as appropriate to discipline HCPC/UKCP/BABCP/xxx(A/I) oEvidence of continuing professional development as required by the professional body. (A/I)

Experience

Essential

• Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in learning disabilities
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in learning disabilities
• Experience of supervising assistants and trainees having completed the relevant training.
• Post-qualification experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities.

Knowledge

Essential

• Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment of mental health difficulties and behaviour that challenges for adults with learning disabilities
• Advanced knowledge of the theory of psychological therapy and its therapeutic application
• Associated awareness of assessment and clinical psychometrics.
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities.

Skills

Essential

• 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 for meetings such as CPA and case reviews where appropriate).
• Administration of psychometric and neuropsychological tests, including those that require complex manipulation of test materials.
• To plan allocation of tasks to assistants/trainees as appropriates.

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

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Clinical Treatment Centre (CTC), The Maudsley Hospital

Denmark Hill

London

SE5 8AZ

Employer's website

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