Job summary
Interviews will be held on 28 August 2024.
We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated Principal Clinical/Counselling Psychologist to join the Berkshire Traumatic Stress Service senior leadership team. The postholder will be responsible for the development, management evaluation and delivery of a specialist Trauma Service, supporting people with PTSD/C-PTSD.
You will be part of a dedicated, dynamic and friendly team of psychologists and psychological therapists committed to providing the best care for traumatised individuals.
The service has a generous CPD time allowance and you will particularly have the opportunity to develop your knowledge/skills in Trauma Focussed CBT, EMDR and Compassion Focussed Therapy. Clinician self-care is paramount and we pride ourselves on offering excellent support to carry out clinical duties including peer supervision, individual supervision as well as specialist supervisions and reflective practice sessions.
You will be based at Erlegh House on the University of Reading. The location has plenty of car parking, access to green spaces, local shops.
We offer a hybrid model of delivery including face to face and online working from our well resourced clinic space or from home, when appropriate.
This post is for 22.5 hours a week.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will:
- Provide clinical leadership and contribute to the clinical delivery of evidence-based treatment within the Service by providing specialist and expert assessment, formulation and treatment of individuals experiencing PTSD or C-PTSD.
- Contribute to the clinical management of the service, including managing service waiting lists, staff capacity and management/development of specific treatment pathways.
- Contribute to the clinical supervision and line management of qualified psychologists and psychological therapists.
- Provide consultation regarding complexity and risk management to junior members of the team.
- Contribute to the development and provision of training regarding working with PTSD and C-PTSD to other NHS services and mental health professionals.
- Work autonomously within professional guidelines and will engage in appropriate research activities for audit and service evaluation.
About us
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire.
We value diversity and are proud to be a Stonewall Top 100 Employer.We work hard to create an inclusive environment where you'll be supported by friendly and professional colleagues to flourish.
Our values at Berkshire Healthcare:
- Caring for and about you is our top priority
- Committed to providing good quality, safe services
- Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions
We welcome people who share these values to come and work for us.
Benefits of working for us include:
- Flexible working options to support work-life balance
- 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
- Generous NHS pension scheme
- Excellent learning and career development opportunities
- 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
- Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
- Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
- Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
- Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
- Free parking across Trust sites
If you share our values and would like to come and work for us, please submit your application as soon as possible as we'll occasionally close roles early that have a high number of applications.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The "must haves" for this role:
- Holder of an HCPC regulated Clinical/Counselling Psychology doctorate qualification
- Considerable experience of assessing/treating PTSD and C-PTSD within NICE-recommended therapy modalities
- Experience of supervising and managing qualified psychologists
- Management/leadership experience
For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification. We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted. For further application tips see the help with your application document attached once you click apply.
If you're someone who shares our passion for excellence and care, you belong at Berkshire Healthcare!
We have identified that this is a role where we have under representation of ethnically diverse colleagues. As part of our commitment to inclusion and Unity Against Racism we offer guaranteed interviews to candidates who meet the essential criteria and identify as: Asian or Asian British, Black or Black British, Mixed and Other Ethnic Groups.
We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don't hesitate to call: Martha Nicholson on 0118 904 7111 or email: martha.nicholson@berkshire.nhs.uk who'll be delighted to help.
We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants where required.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The "must haves" for this role:
- Holder of an HCPC regulated Clinical/Counselling Psychology doctorate qualification
- Considerable experience of assessing/treating PTSD and C-PTSD within NICE-recommended therapy modalities
- Experience of supervising and managing qualified psychologists
- Management/leadership experience
For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification. We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted. For further application tips see the help with your application document attached once you click apply.
If you're someone who shares our passion for excellence and care, you belong at Berkshire Healthcare!
We have identified that this is a role where we have under representation of ethnically diverse colleagues. As part of our commitment to inclusion and Unity Against Racism we offer guaranteed interviews to candidates who meet the essential criteria and identify as: Asian or Asian British, Black or Black British, Mixed and Other Ethnic Groups.
We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don't hesitate to call: Martha Nicholson on 0118 904 7111 or email: martha.nicholson@berkshire.nhs.uk who'll be delighted to help.
We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants where required.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential
- Post graduate doctoral qualification in clinical or counselling psychology (or equivalent for those who trained prior to 1996 or for those who completed their training overseas) which provides eligibility for Chartered Membership of the BPS (British Psychological Society).
- Registered and accredited with Health Care Professional Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist
- Additional accreditations (or working towards these) to reflect post qualification specialist training (e.g., BABCP, UKCP, BPS).
- Proven ability in teaching and formal training in professional/clinical supervision.
Continuous Professional Development
Essential
- Evidence of substantial post-doctoral training, experience and expert knowledge in psychological models and therapeutic approaches in the assessment and treatment of PTSD/C-PTSD.
- Evidence of post qualification or specialist training to accreditable level in at least two areas of psychological practice directly related to the clinical requirements of this post and clinical supervision.
- Clinical supervision training for psychological therapy trainees and qualified staff.
Experience
Essential
- Significant experience working as a qualified clinical/counselling psychologist, including demonstrable post qualification experience at a highly specialist level in the treatment of PTSD/C-PTSD.
- Significant experience of working in evidence-based ways with traumatised people including those with PTSD/C-PTSD.
- Significant experience of working with service users (and their carers/ families) presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the range of care settings, 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 dealing with highly distressing or emotional circumstances, such as serious mental illness, child and sexual abuse, exploitation, and complex family dynamics.
- Experience of providing professional/clinical supervision and line-management to qualified members of staff.
- Experience of teaching and experience of developing and leading the delivery of training programmes.
- Experience of leading service evaluation and implementing change from a national and local health or social care change agenda that impacts across services and professions.
- Experience of working with, and addressing issues of diversity, including experience of working with diversity, multiculturalism and equality of access to services
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Detailed and advanced knowledge of assessment and a range of evidence-based therapeutic interventions for PTSD/C-PTSD.
- Experience of other models of trauma-focussed therapy including EMDR, NET and/or compassion-focussed therapy.
- Able to manage a demanding and complex caseload while supporting junior colleagues.
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to service users, their families, carers, and other professional colleagues, both within and outside the NHS.
- Exceptional interpersonal and highly effective communication skills with the ability to support, engage and lead patients, clinicians and other stakeholder groups in change, development, and improvement.
- Advanced IT skills and the ability to navigate various systems and software packages (such as RiO, Outlook, databases, MS office/Teams, and the internet).
Additional requirements
Essential
- Demonstrates the ability to respond to people's needs sensitively, particularly with reference to all aspects of diversity.
- Able to work flexibly as required, to work in-person from base and to travel independently between locations to fulfil the requirements and duties of the position.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential
- Post graduate doctoral qualification in clinical or counselling psychology (or equivalent for those who trained prior to 1996 or for those who completed their training overseas) which provides eligibility for Chartered Membership of the BPS (British Psychological Society).
- Registered and accredited with Health Care Professional Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist
- Additional accreditations (or working towards these) to reflect post qualification specialist training (e.g., BABCP, UKCP, BPS).
- Proven ability in teaching and formal training in professional/clinical supervision.
Continuous Professional Development
Essential
- Evidence of substantial post-doctoral training, experience and expert knowledge in psychological models and therapeutic approaches in the assessment and treatment of PTSD/C-PTSD.
- Evidence of post qualification or specialist training to accreditable level in at least two areas of psychological practice directly related to the clinical requirements of this post and clinical supervision.
- Clinical supervision training for psychological therapy trainees and qualified staff.
Experience
Essential
- Significant experience working as a qualified clinical/counselling psychologist, including demonstrable post qualification experience at a highly specialist level in the treatment of PTSD/C-PTSD.
- Significant experience of working in evidence-based ways with traumatised people including those with PTSD/C-PTSD.
- Significant experience of working with service users (and their carers/ families) presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the range of care settings, 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 dealing with highly distressing or emotional circumstances, such as serious mental illness, child and sexual abuse, exploitation, and complex family dynamics.
- Experience of providing professional/clinical supervision and line-management to qualified members of staff.
- Experience of teaching and experience of developing and leading the delivery of training programmes.
- Experience of leading service evaluation and implementing change from a national and local health or social care change agenda that impacts across services and professions.
- Experience of working with, and addressing issues of diversity, including experience of working with diversity, multiculturalism and equality of access to services
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Detailed and advanced knowledge of assessment and a range of evidence-based therapeutic interventions for PTSD/C-PTSD.
- Experience of other models of trauma-focussed therapy including EMDR, NET and/or compassion-focussed therapy.
- Able to manage a demanding and complex caseload while supporting junior colleagues.
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to service users, their families, carers, and other professional colleagues, both within and outside the NHS.
- Exceptional interpersonal and highly effective communication skills with the ability to support, engage and lead patients, clinicians and other stakeholder groups in change, development, and improvement.
- Advanced IT skills and the ability to navigate various systems and software packages (such as RiO, Outlook, databases, MS office/Teams, and the internet).
Additional requirements
Essential
- Demonstrates the ability to respond to people's needs sensitively, particularly with reference to all aspects of diversity.
- Able to work flexibly as required, to work in-person from base and to travel independently between locations to fulfil the requirements and duties of the position.
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).
