Job summary
We are seeking to recruit a passionate, experienced, and knowledgeable Principal Practitioner Psychologist to join our well-established integrated multi-agency service between East Sussex County Council (ESCC) - Children Services and Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (SPFT).
This role aims to offer psychological assessments and bespoke interventions to children who are involved in Child Protection services and Court Proceedings.
You will be joining the friendly, supportive, and creative multidisciplinary SWIFT Childrens Assessment and Treatment (SWIFT CAT) team, which is part of a multi-agency service. This team is dedicated to providing a high-quality service which complements the work done by ESCC Childrens Services through liaison and partnership working with other key agencies. Our core business includes assessing children's mental health, including attention to risk management and care planning, and working with families as well as the wider systems that support them
Main duties of the job
This post is part of the SWIFT CAT team, which offers assessments and interventions to children who live in complex high-risk families. This is a multidisciplinary child assessment and treatment team contributing to the mental health service offered to children by SWIFT.
Working alongside colleagues as part of the integrated multi-disciplinary services at SWIFT you will be responsible for offering specialist clinical assessment and delivering specialist interventions, including those for trauma to children with mental health difficulties.
This varied and challenging role will involve working with families to enhance outcomes for children subject to Child Protection Plans and Court Proceedings.
An informal discussion is strongly recommended.
About us
SWIFT Specialist Family Services (SWIFT) is a well-established integrated multi-agency service between ESCC Childrens Services and SPFT.
SWIFT provides assessments and interventions to families involved with ESCC child protection and safeguarding services, including those in court proceedings. Particularly when the parent(s) own difficulties are impacting on their ability to parent. For example, substance misuse, mental health, sexual risk, domestic abuse, and learning disability.
The service is led by the local authority with a multi-disciplinary management team and consists of practitioners from a variety of backgrounds, including social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health nurses and family workers.
This post is part of SWIFT CAT, which offers assessments and interventions to children who live in these complex high-risk families. This is a multidisciplinary child assessment and treatment team contributing to the mental health service offered to children by SWIFT.
Job description
Job responsibilities
In order to be a successful Principal Psychologist Practitioner in our team you will be:
- Registered with HCPC via a core professional qualification
- Applications are welcomed from Clinical Psychologists.
- Experienced working within a mental health setting with Children and Young People.
- Post-qualification band 8a experience (or equivalent) needed.
- Have access to own transport.
- Part-time hours can be considered Minimum 22.5 hrs per week.
- To provide specialist assessment and intervention, which will be delivered in the multi-agency setting including for the Family Courts.
- To hold a caseload and attend relevant MDT meetings.
- To contribute to and facilitate evidence-based assessments and interventions.
- To contribute to the maintenance and development of the service
- To regularly share and supervise trainees on training placements, and junior staff as appropriate.
An expectation that you keep abreast of current research and theory in your field.
Job description
Job responsibilities
In order to be a successful Principal Psychologist Practitioner in our team you will be:
- Registered with HCPC via a core professional qualification
- Applications are welcomed from Clinical Psychologists.
- Experienced working within a mental health setting with Children and Young People.
- Post-qualification band 8a experience (or equivalent) needed.
- Have access to own transport.
- Part-time hours can be considered Minimum 22.5 hrs per week.
- To provide specialist assessment and intervention, which will be delivered in the multi-agency setting including for the Family Courts.
- To hold a caseload and attend relevant MDT meetings.
- To contribute to and facilitate evidence-based assessments and interventions.
- To contribute to the maintenance and development of the service
- To regularly share and supervise trainees on training placements, and junior staff as appropriate.
An expectation that you keep abreast of current research and theory in your field.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Post-graduate doctoral level training in applied psychology [or its equivalent for those trained prior to 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
- Professionally registered as a Practitioner Psychologist with the Health Professions Council (HCPC)
Knowledge/Experience
Essential
- Significant assessed experience of working as a qualified psychologist
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, primary care, in-patient and residential care settings severity 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 clients' psychological care and treatment, both as a professionally qualified care coordinator and also within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan
- Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group
- Well-developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of highly specialised psychological therapies and assessment methodologies.
- Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC
- Formal training in supervision of other psychologists.
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Post-graduate doctoral level training in applied psychology [or its equivalent for those trained prior to 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
- Professionally registered as a Practitioner Psychologist with the Health Professions Council (HCPC)
Knowledge/Experience
Essential
- Significant assessed experience of working as a qualified psychologist
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, primary care, in-patient and residential care settings severity 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 clients' psychological care and treatment, both as a professionally qualified care coordinator and also within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan
- Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group
- Well-developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of highly specialised psychological therapies and assessment methodologies.
- Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC
- Formal training in supervision of other psychologists.
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
