Job summary
We are looking for a Clinical Psychologist, who is keen to take on the challenges of working in a diverse borough with complex presentations. Candidates should have an interest in working with people with severe and enduring mental health difficulties and high comorbidity, with clients from a range of religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds. The post holder will be expected to work alongside other Psychologists, including a Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist who will also provide supervision.
The successful candidate will be part of a vibrant multi-disciplinary team operating out of our community office based in Bethnal Green with an equal focus on providing input to the locality inpatient wards at Tower Hamlets Centre for Mental Health at Mile End Hospital. The post holder will work alongside the teams 8a Psychologist providing assessment and empirically informed, but necessarily flexible, therapy to service users. In collaboration with more senior staff, the successful candidate will contribute to staff training and provide psychological advice (informal, ad hoc, and formal consultation) to other staff, support family members and liaise with primary and secondary care providers and various other statutory and non-statutory agencies involved in service users care.
Main duties of the job
Due to significant changes to services currently taking place as part of the transformation programme in adult mental health, there are exciting opportunities to contribute to the design and delivery of new models of working in psychological therapies. Working closely with psychologists from neighbouring localities, experts by experience and multi-disciplinary colleagues, the post-holder will have the opportunity to co-produce and facilitate cross-borough therapy groups that meet the needs of the local population. Tower Hamlets adult inpatient services are developing our services using a trauma-informed care model. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to contribute to the co-production and delivery of a new comprehensive trauma-informed staff-training programme. They will also work closely with colleagues from psychology and other therapeutic disciplines to develop and expand the inpatient therapies group programme.
We are seeking someone who values and enjoys multi-disciplinary team working, co-production, indirect psychological interventions, and who is able to work collaboratively across different agencies. We welcome innovations and a readiness to try out new ideas as part of our commitment to continuous improvement and the development of our staff.
About us
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Kindly refer to the job description and person specification that is attached to the vacancy profile.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Kindly refer to the job description and person specification that is attached to the vacancy profile.
Person Specification
Education/ Qualification/ Training
Essential
- Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalence (statement of equivalence (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996)) and able to demonstrate eligibility for BPS CPsychol (Chartered Psychologist)
- Or Doctorate in Counselling Psychology and able to demonstrate eligibility for BPS CPsychol (Chartered Psychologist)
- HCPC registration
- BPS accredited degree in psychology or equivalent
Desirable
- (Post one years qualification) Clinical supervision training for doctoral psychology trainees
- Further training in a therapeutic modality relevant to severe and enduring mental health
Experience
Essential
- At least two years experience of work in the NHS.
- Work with at least three client groups.
- Work within at least two therapeutic modalities.
- Experience of working in a multidisciplinary mental health setting.
- Some experience of teaching, training and supervision.
- Experience of planning and exercising clinical responsibility for service users' psychological care and treatment within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan.
- Work in a multi-cultural setting, including working with interpreters.
Desirable
- Placement experience within severe and enduring mental health provision.
- Experience of developing and delivering specialist training programmes.
- Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management, including the use of theoretical models to analyse information and to develop formulations upon which to base choice of treatment.
- Skills in the effective communication of highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to a wide variety of recipients in a range of settings within and outside the NHS, including the ability to produce comprehensive and coherent letters, reports and associated documentation.
- Well developed communication skills at overcoming barriers to understanding and acceptance.
- Skills in working in multidisciplinary settings.
- Skills in providing advice and consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Working knowledge of the practices and approaches of other key disciplines, professions and agencies involved in the care and management network, including medical, employment, social, educational and criminal justice systems.
- Doctoral-level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex, multivariate data analysis as practised within the field of clinical psychology.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation mental health.
- Evidence of CPD as recommended by BPS.
- Competence in advanced IT packages including keyboard skills.
- Ability to provide a culturally-competent and non-stigmatising service including an awareness of the potential impact of discrimination and disadvantage on mental health.
- Ability to support and co-ordinate the work of psychology colleagues within the team/service.
- Ability to co-ordinate the recording and reporting of clinical information as required.
Desirable
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult - to - treat groups (e.g. complex needs, self-harm, personality disorder psychosis, dual diagnosis, persons with additional disabilities etc).
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies - preferably CBT and one other.
- Knowledge of the academic literature of the specialism.
Person Specification
Education/ Qualification/ Training
Essential
- Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalence (statement of equivalence (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996)) and able to demonstrate eligibility for BPS CPsychol (Chartered Psychologist)
- Or Doctorate in Counselling Psychology and able to demonstrate eligibility for BPS CPsychol (Chartered Psychologist)
- HCPC registration
- BPS accredited degree in psychology or equivalent
Desirable
- (Post one years qualification) Clinical supervision training for doctoral psychology trainees
- Further training in a therapeutic modality relevant to severe and enduring mental health
Experience
Essential
- At least two years experience of work in the NHS.
- Work with at least three client groups.
- Work within at least two therapeutic modalities.
- Experience of working in a multidisciplinary mental health setting.
- Some experience of teaching, training and supervision.
- Experience of planning and exercising clinical responsibility for service users' psychological care and treatment within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan.
- Work in a multi-cultural setting, including working with interpreters.
Desirable
- Placement experience within severe and enduring mental health provision.
- Experience of developing and delivering specialist training programmes.
- Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management, including the use of theoretical models to analyse information and to develop formulations upon which to base choice of treatment.
- Skills in the effective communication of highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to a wide variety of recipients in a range of settings within and outside the NHS, including the ability to produce comprehensive and coherent letters, reports and associated documentation.
- Well developed communication skills at overcoming barriers to understanding and acceptance.
- Skills in working in multidisciplinary settings.
- Skills in providing advice and consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Working knowledge of the practices and approaches of other key disciplines, professions and agencies involved in the care and management network, including medical, employment, social, educational and criminal justice systems.
- Doctoral-level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex, multivariate data analysis as practised within the field of clinical psychology.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation mental health.
- Evidence of CPD as recommended by BPS.
- Competence in advanced IT packages including keyboard skills.
- Ability to provide a culturally-competent and non-stigmatising service including an awareness of the potential impact of discrimination and disadvantage on mental health.
- Ability to support and co-ordinate the work of psychology colleagues within the team/service.
- Ability to co-ordinate the recording and reporting of clinical information as required.
Desirable
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult - to - treat groups (e.g. complex needs, self-harm, personality disorder psychosis, dual diagnosis, persons with additional disabilities etc).
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies - preferably CBT and one other.
- Knowledge of the academic literature of the specialism.
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).
