Job summary
We are recruiting for an experienced clinical or counselling psychologist for this Band 8a role!
We welcome applications from CBT therapists (with appropriate additional training)
The role will support the provision of psychological services in the South West Hertfordshire Adult Community Mental Health Services.
Come and join our friendly team based at Colne House, Watford!
We work across the South-West Quadrant.
Here's what our staff say about working in the team:
"It's a privilege to help people make the changes they want to see in their lives. I get to see about three people each day, on site, and I love my job." (LP, Counselling Psychologist, South West ACMHS)
To arrange a chat or informal visit, please do not hesitate to contact Dr Vanessa Cowle, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, 07974 071937
Interviews will be held on 5th January 2024
Main duties of the job
The successful candidate will:
- offer a range of direct and indirect evidence-based interventions with adults presenting to secondary care mental health services
- work with adults experiencing a range of severe and complex difficulties, including complex anxiety and depression, PTSD, OCD, personality disorders and psychosis
- play an important role in the day to day running of local psychology provision
- provide supervision to Band 7 and trainee psychologists, overseeing referrals and the waiting list
- provide support to MDT colleagues
- play a part in assessment of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) in adults, undertaking additional training if required.
In return, we can offer you:
- leadership and management training
- 5% on top of basic salary high cost allowance supplement (max £2,011 per annum)
- 27 days holiday rising to 33 days (depending on NHS Trust service) plus bank holidays (pro rata where applicable)
- One of the UK's best pension schemes
- Free Pilates lessons
- Wellbeing services including mindfulness and yoga
- Flexible working
- Special leave for family and personal reasons
- NHS Car Lease Scheme
- Employee Assistance Programme
About us
We are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from theCare Quality Commission
Our family of over 3500 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:
Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To undertake specialist psychological assessment and treatment of adults with complex mental health difficulties including specialist ASD assessment
To provide expertise in a specialist clinical or research area and to offer advice and consultation on clients psychological care to other members of the teams in relation to the area of expertise
To work closely with the local psychologist teams, and the range of psychological therapy colleagues within the service setting
To work effectively as a member of multi-disciplinary teams
To work autonomously within professional practice guidelines and Trust policies and procedures
To propose and implement policy and service development, undertake research, service evaluation and audit for own team/service and to contribute to the training of clinical/counselling psychologists and others
To ensure that systems are in place and working effectively for the clinical and professional supervision and support of trainee psychologists, more junior psychologists and other staff within the services for which the post-holder has designated professional / supervisory responsibility
For a more indepth person and job description please read the attached before applying
Job description
Job responsibilities
To undertake specialist psychological assessment and treatment of adults with complex mental health difficulties including specialist ASD assessment
To provide expertise in a specialist clinical or research area and to offer advice and consultation on clients psychological care to other members of the teams in relation to the area of expertise
To work closely with the local psychologist teams, and the range of psychological therapy colleagues within the service setting
To work effectively as a member of multi-disciplinary teams
To work autonomously within professional practice guidelines and Trust policies and procedures
To propose and implement policy and service development, undertake research, service evaluation and audit for own team/service and to contribute to the training of clinical/counselling psychologists and others
To ensure that systems are in place and working effectively for the clinical and professional supervision and support of trainee psychologists, more junior psychologists and other staff within the services for which the post-holder has designated professional / supervisory responsibility
For a more indepth person and job description please read the attached before applying
Person Specification
Knowledge
Essential
- Post-graduate doctorate in clinical psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, or fully completed training as a Counselling Psychologist.
- Extensive post-registration experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment with clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature.
- Full registration with Health Professions Council
- Experience in neuropsychological assessment .
Desirable
- Training in use of ASD assessment tools such as ADOS/ADIR or similar
- Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice including CBT.
Experience
Essential
- Assessed experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of adults of working age with a wide range of presentations of varying severity.
- Experience of working with moderate to severe mental health problems, including: medically unexplained symptoms, physical health problems, and personality difficulties.
- Demonstrate further specialist clinical experience and training, through a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision of working as a clinical / counseling psychologist over a minimum of 18 months, or an agreed alternative
- Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for client's psychological care and treatment.
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision, including supervision of clinical psychology trainee(s).
- Experience working within a multi - disciplinary therapy service.
- Doctoral level knowledge of clinical psychology including highly developed knowledge of older age psychology, models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology.
- Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology.
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management with clients with complex problems, including specialised psychological interventions for difficult to treat groups (eg multiple mental health and/or physical health problems). Ability to demonstrate an area of special interest/skill in assessment, therapeutic intervention or research/evaluation
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS and HCPC.
- Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively and well, orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, caress and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups
- Able to plan own workload; and coordinate with other relevant staff in the delivery of clinical service
- Able to work at a high level of professional autonomy and responsibility, in a collaborative multi-disciplinary environment and also as a lone worker in circumstances where there may be exposure to verbal and sometimes physical aggression.
- Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practiced within the field of clinical // counseling psychology.
- Knowledge of relevant legislation and its implications for clinical practice in relation to older people
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Well -developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. dual diagnoses, people with co -morbid conditions: physical health, social complexity, psychologically complex histories)
- Skilled in appropriate and up to date disengagement techniques.
Desirable
- Experience of having published in either peer reviewed academic or professional journals and/or books
- Good presentation and teaching skills and ability to use multi -media materials for formal presentations to large groups.
Person Specification
Knowledge
Essential
- Post-graduate doctorate in clinical psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, or fully completed training as a Counselling Psychologist.
- Extensive post-registration experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment with clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature.
- Full registration with Health Professions Council
- Experience in neuropsychological assessment .
Desirable
- Training in use of ASD assessment tools such as ADOS/ADIR or similar
- Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice including CBT.
Experience
Essential
- Assessed experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of adults of working age with a wide range of presentations of varying severity.
- Experience of working with moderate to severe mental health problems, including: medically unexplained symptoms, physical health problems, and personality difficulties.
- Demonstrate further specialist clinical experience and training, through a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision of working as a clinical / counseling psychologist over a minimum of 18 months, or an agreed alternative
- Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for client's psychological care and treatment.
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision, including supervision of clinical psychology trainee(s).
- Experience working within a multi - disciplinary therapy service.
- Doctoral level knowledge of clinical psychology including highly developed knowledge of older age psychology, models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology.
- Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology.
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management with clients with complex problems, including specialised psychological interventions for difficult to treat groups (eg multiple mental health and/or physical health problems). Ability to demonstrate an area of special interest/skill in assessment, therapeutic intervention or research/evaluation
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS and HCPC.
- Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively and well, orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, caress and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups
- Able to plan own workload; and coordinate with other relevant staff in the delivery of clinical service
- Able to work at a high level of professional autonomy and responsibility, in a collaborative multi-disciplinary environment and also as a lone worker in circumstances where there may be exposure to verbal and sometimes physical aggression.
- Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practiced within the field of clinical // counseling psychology.
- Knowledge of relevant legislation and its implications for clinical practice in relation to older people
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Well -developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. dual diagnoses, people with co -morbid conditions: physical health, social complexity, psychologically complex histories)
- Skilled in appropriate and up to date disengagement techniques.
Desirable
- Experience of having published in either peer reviewed academic or professional journals and/or books
- Good presentation and teaching skills and ability to use multi -media materials for formal presentations to large groups.
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).
