Devon Partnership NHS Trust

Principal Practitioner Psychologist

This job is now closed

Job summary

This post offers a fantastic opportunity for a highly motivated HCPC-registered Clinical or Counselling Psychologist to join an established Psychology Service for Functional Neurological Disorder. This is part of a wider Clinical Health and Neuropsychology department, which works across the mental health and acute physical healthcare systems. This role would suit a candidate with experience in clinical health and/or mental health services.

The post holder will deliver assessment, consultation and psychological intervention for people with a diagnosis of FND. They may be involved in supervision, training and teaching to clinicians from a range of professional backgrounds and will contribute to the FND multidisciplinary team, which oversees the wider FND pathway. The post-holder will be clinically supervised and line-managed from within the Clinical Health & Neuropsychology department, becoming part of an enthusiastic, creative and energetic team that delivers services across hospital specialties and is involved in research and professional development at a national level.

This is an opportunity to join an innovative service, which has contributed to the developing clinical field of FND over the last decade. The service have been involved in establishing professional networks within the NHS, providing training and CPD to colleagues across the UK, and contributing to the development of national professional guidelines for psychological practice in FND.

Main duties of the job

We are a small team of experienced psychologists who work with people that have neurological health problems, which are not being directly caused by physical damage or disease in the body or brain.

The principal purpose of the job is to improve the psychological health & wellbeing of people with functional neurological disorders. The main duties will include psychological assessment, consultation, supervision and intervention. This will involve delivering psychological therapy, contributing to MDT work, and supporting the clinical lead with service developments.

About us

About Devon Partnership Trust

We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

Date posted

03 October 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£50,952 to £57,349 a year pro rata (15 Hours per week)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Flexible working

Reference number

C9369-23-0716

Job locations

1 Church Lane

Heavitree

Exeter

EX2 5DY

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

The principal purpose of the job is to improve the psychological health & wellbeing of people within the post holders specialist field of practice.

The roles main tasks are:

To ensure the systematic provision of a high quality psychological service to patients seen within the FND Psychology Service as a key component of commissioned Clinical Health Psychology & Neuropsychology Services.
Providing clinical leadership, and supervision for staff, trainees and volunteers employed by or attached to the Clinical Health Psychology & Neuropsychology Services.
Taking a leadership role in the Clinical Health Psychology & Neuropsychology Services by supporting the Service Manager and Professional Lead for the service in representing psychology.
Contributing to the FND MDT
Carrying a specialist caseload of patients, and providing advice and consultancy to patients and professionals.
Contributing to the management of the Clinical Health Psychology & Neuropsychology Services.
To work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice within professional and DPT guidelines as a specialist member of staff.
As directed by the Practice and Strategic Development Leads embed practice-based evidence and evidence based practice across service area. This will include implementing and collating data from service outcome measures to support key performance indicators and to demonstrate the impact of the service, as well as working with people using the service to ensure their involvement in service design and evaluation.
The post holder will work collaboratively to ensure a whole systems integrated approach to service delivery and development, and will support wider Integrated Psychological Medicine (IPMS) developments. All staff within the CHNP services will be responsible for ensuring involvement and experience, social inclusion and race equality agendas inform and support their work.
To support the professional and managerial leads in the Clinical Health Psychology and Neuropsychology (CHNP) services by undertaking service development and (re)design projects and coordinating the resulting work within the relevant teams, proposing and implementing pathway developments and policy changes within this domain and taking a lead in locality service design.

Duties and Responsibilities

Communication and Working Relationship Skills

Clients, family and carers: To communicate in a highly skilled and sensitive manner with clients who may have specific difficulties in understand and/or communicating and who may be hostile, antagonistic or highly emotionally disturbed.

Multidisciplinary team colleagues: To work closely with colleagues from both Devon Partnership Trust and the Acute Trust in the multi-professional integrated mental health/physical health and wellbeing service on a day to day basis

Health & social care staff: To communicate with a wide range of health & social care staff in hospital and in community settings in a highly skilled and sensitive manner, complex and sensitive information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under the services care. To provide support & guidance in the application of psychological principles and techniques, and to foster reflective practice.

Senior managers & professional staff: To maintain and build good working relationships with senior professional staff and managers across the Trust and the Acute Trust and to foster a positive approach to the integrated mental health and wellbeing service and to enable effective negotiation.

Analytical and Judgemental Skills

To provide specialist clinical/counselling psychology expertise and advice.

To provide psychological therapies, developing specialist psychological formulations and assessments of clients, formulating plans for their psychological treatment and implementing specialist psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups. Proficiency in in both individual and group therapy approaches is desirable.

To support the Professional Head, General Manager, Practice and Strategic Development Leads and Professional Leads by undertaking service development and redesign projects and coordinating the resulting work within the team.

To provide complex assessment of specialist conditions

Planning and Organisational Skills

The psychology service: To plan and organise own work within the service setting and to contribute to the development and improvement of provision of psychological services within the commissioned integrated mental health and wellbeing service to best meet the organisations strategy and priorities.

The multidisciplinary service: To provide psychology/therapy supervision to the multi-professional planning, development and marketing of mental health and wellbeing services

Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment and Therapy

Assessment & intervention: To provide expert psychological therapies, developing specialist psychological formulations and assessments of clients, formulating plans for their psychological treatment and implementing specialist psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, and to demonstrate awareness of diversity issues.

Consultation & guidance: To provide advice, guidance and consultation on psychological aspects of patient care to colleagues, other service providers, patients, supporters and families

Responsibility for Policy and Service Development Implementation

The post holder is accountable for their own professional actions, acting within Trust policies and procedures and Professional Practice Guidelines.

Policy & service: To implement policies and procedures for the provision of psychology and therapy services within own service and other services within the Trust.

R & D: To support the R&D activities of the Clinical Health and Neuropsychology Department (CHNP).

Responsibility for Finance, Equipment and Other Resources

To be responsible for the safe keeping of equipment under own use.

Responsibility for Human Resources, e.g. Supervision, Training, HR Advice and Management

Leadership & supervision: To lead and professionally supervise less experienced psychology/therapy staff, trainees and volunteers.

To provide placement responsibilities for trainee staff.

To contribute to the provision of therapy supervision for non-psychology/therapy staff providing psychological therapies within other Trust teams.

To support placements for trainee staff in line with professional guidelines

Responsibility for Information Resources and Administrative Duties

To maintain accurate records, compliant with Trust Practice Standards.

To be responsible for using an email account to generate, monitor, and respond to the e-mail traffic by which the Trust conducts much of its internal communication.

Responsibility for Research and Development

To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice in individual work within the CHNP.

To conduct project work including specific areas of audit, research or service evaluation

As a clinician to be responsible for collecting clinical practice and outcome data that contributes to building practice based evidence and service evaluation. To participate in service audits and relevant research projects.

Freedom to Act

The post holder is accountable for their own professional actions, acting within Trust policies and procedures and Professional Practice Guidelines

To work autonomously within clinical professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the governance of psychological practice within the locality/specialty. Interpretation of professional and Trust guidelines, and implementing policies in conjunction with peers, Head of Profession and General Manager.

To provide expert and specialist clinical psychology expertise and advice guidance and consultation on psychological aspects of patient care to colleagues, other service providers, patients, supporters and families.

Any Other Specific Tasks Required

To ensure all clinical care and treatment provided by psychologists/psychotherapists/therapists is carried out under appropriate supervision and leadership.

To ensure that all relevant staff groups continuously update the skills and techniques relevant to their clinical work

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

The principal purpose of the job is to improve the psychological health & wellbeing of people within the post holders specialist field of practice.

The roles main tasks are:

To ensure the systematic provision of a high quality psychological service to patients seen within the FND Psychology Service as a key component of commissioned Clinical Health Psychology & Neuropsychology Services.
Providing clinical leadership, and supervision for staff, trainees and volunteers employed by or attached to the Clinical Health Psychology & Neuropsychology Services.
Taking a leadership role in the Clinical Health Psychology & Neuropsychology Services by supporting the Service Manager and Professional Lead for the service in representing psychology.
Contributing to the FND MDT
Carrying a specialist caseload of patients, and providing advice and consultancy to patients and professionals.
Contributing to the management of the Clinical Health Psychology & Neuropsychology Services.
To work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice within professional and DPT guidelines as a specialist member of staff.
As directed by the Practice and Strategic Development Leads embed practice-based evidence and evidence based practice across service area. This will include implementing and collating data from service outcome measures to support key performance indicators and to demonstrate the impact of the service, as well as working with people using the service to ensure their involvement in service design and evaluation.
The post holder will work collaboratively to ensure a whole systems integrated approach to service delivery and development, and will support wider Integrated Psychological Medicine (IPMS) developments. All staff within the CHNP services will be responsible for ensuring involvement and experience, social inclusion and race equality agendas inform and support their work.
To support the professional and managerial leads in the Clinical Health Psychology and Neuropsychology (CHNP) services by undertaking service development and (re)design projects and coordinating the resulting work within the relevant teams, proposing and implementing pathway developments and policy changes within this domain and taking a lead in locality service design.