Professional Lead for Psychological Therapies

Job responsibilities

To provide professional leadership for all psychological professionals working in the specified locality/service.

To be responsible, in collaboration with the General/Service Manager, for the provision, and development of psychological services for Specified care group/service in specified locality, ensuring the delivery of high-quality psychological services. To hold a specialist case load.

You will lead within the service on promoting clinical innovation and delivering continual development of Psychological practice based upon evidence and relevant research. You will have experience in working with young people presenting with trauma and have received further training in Trauma interventions. You will also be required to ensure excellence in clinical practice and that service delivery is based on NICE guidelines and other relevant documents and guidance.

There will also be a requirement to ensure all Psychological Professionals have mechanisms that enable them to comply with the Professional standards, ethics and regulation requirements.

You will support and advise managers in developing supervision for Psychological Professionals within East Sussex, and to act as a point of contact and resource on all professionally related issues.

You will be expected to work clinically to provide and deliver specialist advice and interventions for a caseload of young people with complex needs, and their families and to work closely with the Locality Manager and General Managers in order to deliver a person centred service, and provide expert advice to patients, carers and staff.

You will be supported by regular supervision from our 8D CAMHS Lead for Psychology Professions.

You will need a recognised Clinical Psychology qualification and registration and ideally have a teaching/supervisory qualification. You will need some leadership experience and to have experience of clinical practice in a CAMHS setting. Please refer to Job Description for more information

Criteria

Essential

• Post-graduate doctoral level training in applied psychology [or its equivalent for those trained before 1996 or outside the UK] as approved by the HCPC, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology,
• Post-graduate doctoral level training in a recognised psychological therapy [or equivalent postgraduate level qualification with further experience and/or training], leading to recognised professional accreditation in Systemic Family Therapy (AFT), Child Psychotherapy (ACP or UKCP), Art Therapy (HCPC), Play Therapy (BAPT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (BABCP), or Psychotherapeutic Counselling (BACP or UKCP).
• Pre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
• Accredited / registered with professional body / regulator as detailed above
• oDoctoral level knowledge of applied psychology and psychological therapy including highly developed knowledge of lifespan developmental psychology, models of psychopathology.
• oDoctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology
• oHighly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological practice
• oAssessed extensive experience of working as a qualified or registered Practioner psychologist, Psychotherapist or psychological therapist, including significant post-qualification experience within the Specific Care Group/Service.
• oDemonstrable knowledge of the theory and practice of leadership and management in mental health services
• oExtensive experience of providing successful clinical leadership within a multidisciplinary mental health provider context
• oHigh level knowledge of national policy frameworks and initiatives and the mental health economy within which the Trust services are provided
• oHighly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of highly specialised psychological practice
• oExperience of the successful professional management of psychotherapists, psychological therapists, Practioner psychologists and other psychological professionals
• Experience of successfully representing the psychological professions and/or services in local or regional policy forums, across services or at equivalent level.
• Experience of the application of applied psychology and psychological therapies in different cultural contexts and experience of working within a multicultural framework.
• Experience of multi-professional management of teams or services within the designated care group.
• Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, presenting with the full range of severity, across the full range of care settings including out-patient, community, primary-care, in-patient and residential care settings including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for service users' psychological care and treatment, both as a care co-ordinator and also within the context of a multi-disciplinary care plan.
• Evidence of significant expertise in clinical risk management
• Significant experience of teaching, training and providing professional/clinical supervision
• Knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to the specific client group and mental health
• Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC or relevant professional regulating body.
• Formal training in the supervision of other psychological staff
• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
• High level proven abilities in translating national policy and evidence regarding psychological practice into effective local action to improve services
• Ability to identify and prioritise appropriate areas for service improvement, and to design, plan and deliver these improvements
• High level proven ability to manage the delivery of a service or part of a service, balancing the priorities of quality, time and cost
• A high-level ability to communicate effectively at both a written and spoken level, complex, highly technical and clinically sensitive and contentious information to service users their families and carers and a wide range of lay and professional individuals within and outside the NHS.
• Skills in providing specialist psychological consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
• Skills in complex formulation. To provide an accurate overview and assessment of presenting problems to informal treatments by indentifying key targets for change.
• Skills in risk assessment and management.
• Knowledge of a broad range of psychological phenomena, an interest in models of service delivery, and an ability to articulate the value added by applied psychology and psychological therapy services within the context of multi-disciplinary mental health services.
• Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and to contribute to staff wellbeing.
• A commitment to initiate and lead the evaluation of services, for both multi-professional and uni-professional audit, and a wish to continue to develop expertise in the service area.
• Ability to demonstrate strategic leadership and management skills.
• Ability to identify, provide and promote appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and severely challenging behaviours.
• Ability to identify, and employ, as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
• Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic settings.
• Ability to articulate and interpret clearly the role of the profession of applied psychology based upon a good understanding of the framework of government and national professional policy.
• Experience of working within a multicultural framework
• Demonstrate support for the values and beliefs of the Care Group and those of the Trust
• Demonstrate an understanding of the practices of Human Rights in the delivery of this role
• Team working
• Ability to travel across sites
• Punctual and flexible across hours of work when required

Desirable

• Post-qualification training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice relevant to the specific Care Group/Service.
• oFurther training in leadership and management in mental health services
• High level of knowledge and skills in neuropsychology and evidence of further practice and/or training since qualification.
• Lived experience of mental health issues
• Record of having published in either peer reviewed or academic or professional journals and/or books.

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).