Assistant Psychologist

Devon Partnership NHS Trust

The closing date is 07 October 2024

Job summary

To work within a Team that uses Peer Supported Open Dialogue.

The purpose of the role is to increase Torbay's group intervention programme. The post holder will help to plan, organise, co-facilitate and audit a range of psychologically informed groups. The role may also cover other aspects of care; providing psychological assessment and interventions under the supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist, working independently according to a plan agreed with a qualified psychologist and within the overall policy framework.

This will be achieved by:

  1. Working with Multi Disciplinary Team including Psychology and Psychological Therapies to plan, organise, co-facilitate and audit a range of psychologically informed groups.
  2. Playing a key role in gathering, analysing, recording and reporting on both therapeutic outcomes as well as service users experience of therapy.
  3. Communicate with team manager, professional leads and other managers to ensure the smooth running of the research service.
  4. The post holder will be supported by a clinical psychologist/ colleagues within the specialism and will be expected to make good use of the expertise of others within the service..
  5. To work within professional guidelines and DPT procedures and protocols.
  6. The post holder will receive regular professional and clinical supervision in accordance to Trust policy and to Professional Practice Guidelines set out by the British Psychological Society or appropriate designated Professional Body.

Main duties of the job

Communication and Working Relationship Skills

  • Team colleagues: To work closely with colleagues in the running or support of the short term group intervention programme on a day to day basis.
  • Senior managers & professional staff: To maintain and build good working relationships with senior professional staff and managers in the core team and PPT and to enable effective negotiation.
  • Clients, family and carers: To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner with clients who may have specific difficulties in understand and/or communicating and who may be distressed.

Analytical and Judgemental Skills

  • Solid analytic and judgement skills will be necessary relative to the need to carry out research into patient experience and therapeutic effectiveness.

Planning and Organisational Skills

  • To plan and prioritise own workload with the help of management supervision.

Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment and Therapy

  • Consultation & guidance: To provide valuable feedback to individual clinicians and to P&PT management concerning patient experience of services as well as therapeutic outcomes.

Responsibility for Information Resources and Administrative Duties

  • To maintain accurate records

Freedom to Act

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

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

25 September 2024

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£25,147 to £27,596 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

C9369-24-0784

Job locations

Chadwell Centre

Torquay Road

Paignton

Devon

TQ32DW


Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

The main purpose of the role is to provide Assistant Psychology support to increase Torbays group intervention programme. The successful candidates will work with the Core Teams MDT including PPT to plan, organise, co-facilitate and audit a range of psychologically informed groups. The role may also cover other aspects of care; providing psychological assessment and psychological interventions under the supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist, working independently according to a plan agreed with a qualified clinical psychologist and within the overall framework of the teams policies and procedures. To assist in clinically related administration, teaching and project work.

This will be achieved in this post by:

1. Working with MDT including PPT to plan, organise, co-facilitate and audit a range of psychologically informed groups.

2. Playing a key role in gathering, analysing, recording and reporting on both therapeutic outcomes as well as service users experience of therapy.

3. Communicate with team manager, professional leads and other managers to ensure the smooth running of the research service.

4. The post holder will be supported by a clinical psychologist/ colleagues within the specialism. The post holder will be expected to make good use of the expertise of others within the service to further develop their research and communication skills.

5. To work within professional guidelines and DPT procedures and protocols.

6. The post holder will receive regular professional and clinical supervision in accordance to Trust policy and to Professional Practice Guidelines set out by the British Psychological Society or appropriate designated Professional Body.

Duties and Responsibilities

Communication and Working Relationship Skills

  • Team colleagues: To work closely with colleagues in the running or support of the short term group intervention programme on a day to day basis.
  • Senior managers & professional staff: To maintain and build good working relationships with senior professional staff and managers in the core team and PPT and to enable effective negotiation.
  • Clients, family and carers: To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner with clients who may have specific difficulties in understand and/or communicating and who may be distressed.

Analytical and Judgemental Skills

  • Solid analytic and judgement skills will be necessary relative to the need to carry out research into patient experience and therapeutic effectiveness.

Planning and Organisational Skills

  • To plan and prioritise own workload with the help of management supervision.

Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment and Therapy

  • Consultation & guidance: To provide valuable feedback to individual clinicians and to P&PT management concerning patient experience of services as well as therapeutic outcomes.

Responsibility for Policy and Service Development Implementation

  • Policy & service To follow policy guidance in own role and to comment on proposed policy changes and service developments.

Responsibility for Finance, Equipment and Other Resources

  • Careful use of equipment

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

  • To assist the work of less experienced assistants &/or trainees as required.

Responsibility for Information Resources and Administrative Duties

  • To maintain accurate records
  • To be responsible for the management and maintenance of a database.
  • 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

  • R & D: To undertake service-relevant research as indicated above and development activity agreed within the service.

Freedom to Act

  • The post holder is accountable for their own professional actions, acting within Trust policies and procedures and Professional Practice Guidelines.
  • In a supervised context, to work within clinical professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the governance of practice.

Any Other Specific Tasks Required

  • To ensure that all psychologists continuously update the skills and techniques relevant to their clinical work.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

The main purpose of the role is to provide Assistant Psychology support to increase Torbays group intervention programme. The successful candidates will work with the Core Teams MDT including PPT to plan, organise, co-facilitate and audit a range of psychologically informed groups. The role may also cover other aspects of care; providing psychological assessment and psychological interventions under the supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist, working independently according to a plan agreed with a qualified clinical psychologist and within the overall framework of the teams policies and procedures. To assist in clinically related administration, teaching and project work.

This will be achieved in this post by:

1. Working with MDT including PPT to plan, organise, co-facilitate and audit a range of psychologically informed groups.

2. Playing a key role in gathering, analysing, recording and reporting on both therapeutic outcomes as well as service users experience of therapy.

3. Communicate with team manager, professional leads and other managers to ensure the smooth running of the research service.

4. The post holder will be supported by a clinical psychologist/ colleagues within the specialism. The post holder will be expected to make good use of the expertise of others within the service to further develop their research and communication skills.

5. To work within professional guidelines and DPT procedures and protocols.

6. The post holder will receive regular professional and clinical supervision in accordance to Trust policy and to Professional Practice Guidelines set out by the British Psychological Society or appropriate designated Professional Body.

Duties and Responsibilities

Communication and Working Relationship Skills

  • Team colleagues: To work closely with colleagues in the running or support of the short term group intervention programme on a day to day basis.
  • Senior managers & professional staff: To maintain and build good working relationships with senior professional staff and managers in the core team and PPT and to enable effective negotiation.
  • Clients, family and carers: To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner with clients who may have specific difficulties in understand and/or communicating and who may be distressed.

Analytical and Judgemental Skills

  • Solid analytic and judgement skills will be necessary relative to the need to carry out research into patient experience and therapeutic effectiveness.

Planning and Organisational Skills

  • To plan and prioritise own workload with the help of management supervision.

Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment and Therapy

  • Consultation & guidance: To provide valuable feedback to individual clinicians and to P&PT management concerning patient experience of services as well as therapeutic outcomes.

Responsibility for Policy and Service Development Implementation

  • Policy & service To follow policy guidance in own role and to comment on proposed policy changes and service developments.

Responsibility for Finance, Equipment and Other Resources

  • Careful use of equipment

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

  • To assist the work of less experienced assistants &/or trainees as required.

Responsibility for Information Resources and Administrative Duties

  • To maintain accurate records
  • To be responsible for the management and maintenance of a database.
  • 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

  • R & D: To undertake service-relevant research as indicated above and development activity agreed within the service.

Freedom to Act

  • The post holder is accountable for their own professional actions, acting within Trust policies and procedures and Professional Practice Guidelines.
  • In a supervised context, to work within clinical professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the governance of practice.

Any Other Specific Tasks Required

  • To ensure that all psychologists continuously update the skills and techniques relevant to their clinical work.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • BA or BSc in either Psychology, or modular studies or related fields
  • IT Skills.

Desirable

  • BA or BSc in Psychology eligible recognised by the British Psychological Society.

Experience

Desirable

  • Clinical placement and/or supervised practice.
  • Further training in applied / clinical psychology interventions.
  • Knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.

Experience

Essential

  • Experience, and/or training in diversity awareness and social inequality.

Desirable

  • Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of people who use services across a wide range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in patient settings.
  • Experience gained during supervised training of working in applied psychology.
  • Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.

Skills & Abilities

Essential

  • Communication and Working Relationship Skills:
  • Excellent verbal, nonverbal and written communication skills.
  • Analytical & Judgement Skills:
  • Ability to integrate complex data; make highly skilled evaluations and decisions.
  • Planning & Organisational Skills:
  • Organisation and time management skills
  • Other:
  • Ability to work independently within defined occupational procedures and use initiative within a community based service Ability to work as a member of a clinical team.
  • Ability to tolerate ambiguity, and maintain own morale and motivation in challenging service delivery contexts.

Desirable

  • Planning & Organisational Skills:
  • Project management
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • BA or BSc in either Psychology, or modular studies or related fields
  • IT Skills.

Desirable

  • BA or BSc in Psychology eligible recognised by the British Psychological Society.

Experience

Desirable

  • Clinical placement and/or supervised practice.
  • Further training in applied / clinical psychology interventions.
  • Knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.

Experience

Essential

  • Experience, and/or training in diversity awareness and social inequality.

Desirable

  • Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of people who use services across a wide range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in patient settings.
  • Experience gained during supervised training of working in applied psychology.
  • Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.

Skills & Abilities

Essential

  • Communication and Working Relationship Skills:
  • Excellent verbal, nonverbal and written communication skills.
  • Analytical & Judgement Skills:
  • Ability to integrate complex data; make highly skilled evaluations and decisions.
  • Planning & Organisational Skills:
  • Organisation and time management skills
  • Other:
  • Ability to work independently within defined occupational procedures and use initiative within a community based service Ability to work as a member of a clinical team.
  • Ability to tolerate ambiguity, and maintain own morale and motivation in challenging service delivery contexts.

Desirable

  • Planning & Organisational Skills:
  • Project management

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Devon Partnership NHS Trust

Address

Chadwell Centre

Torquay Road

Paignton

Devon

TQ32DW


Employer's website

https://www.dpt.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Devon Partnership NHS Trust

Address

Chadwell Centre

Torquay Road

Paignton

Devon

TQ32DW


Employer's website

https://www.dpt.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


For questions about the job, contact:

Locality Practice Lead

Robin Scoville

robin.scoville@nhs.net

Date posted

25 September 2024

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£25,147 to £27,596 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

C9369-24-0784

Job locations

Chadwell Centre

Torquay Road

Paignton

Devon

TQ32DW


Supporting documents

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