Job summary
Band 8b Principal Clinical/Counselling Psychologist in Adult Mental Health Inpatient Services, Prospect Park Hospital, Reading - 37.5 hours / 1.0 WTE (can be fewer hours than this and 30 hours as a minimum)
Are you a Clinical or Counselling Psychologist seeking a role where you can shape practice and bring psychological thinking to the heart of inpatient care? If so, we'd love to hear from you.
We're looking for a Principal Clinical or Counselling Psychologist to join and help lead our Psychological Therapies team within the adult mental health inpatient service at Prospect Park Hospital. This is a key role for a reflective and relational leader who is passionate about embedding psychologically-informed approaches across systems of care.
You'll work alongside a supportive and skilled team of psychological professionals, under the clinical leadership of a Consultant Clinical Psychologist. The post offers a stimulating blend of leadership, clinical work, supervision and consultation. You will be the lead in the team for the pathway for those service users who do or might meet criteria for a diagnosis of EUPD.
There are opportunities for flexible working patterns which would include face to face clinical work as well as home working.
Main duties of the job
This is a varied and meaningful role, offering opportunities for influence and development at multiple levels. You will:
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Offer direct clinical work, including assessment, formulation and psychological intervention for people with a range of complex needs, often in the context of significant distress and systemic challenges. Services users are likely to have been given multiple diagnoses, including psychosis, emotional dysregulation and suicidality often in the context of complex trauma, neurodivergence and substance dependence
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Provide psychological leadership within the inpatient service, including taking the lead on our pathway for individuals who meet criteria for a diagnosis of EUPD. Part of this lead role you will regularly chair professionals' meetings as well as liaison meetings with community services for those service users who meet the criteria for a diagnosis of EUPD
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Act as lead Psychologist to one or two inpatient wards through providing direct clinical work, regular consultation, team formulation, reflective spaces and teaching
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. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.
Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:
- Caring for and about you is our top priority
- Committed to providing good quality, safe services
- Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions
Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the 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
Job description
Job responsibilities
The must haves for this role:
- Values team-based working and is confident in using psychological ideas to support staff, through consultation, supervision, and training.
- Has experience in offering leadership in clinical settings and is interested in contributing to service development through a psychological lens.
- Has a strong grounding in psychological formulation and therapeutic models, and is experienced in working with adults experiencing complex mental health difficulties.
- Brings a calm, thoughtful and boundaried approach to working in emotionally demanding contexts, with an awareness of personal and systemic dynamics.
- Is motivated to work creatively and compassionately, bringing psychological understanding to complex situations in ways that support staff, patients, and families.
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.
Were committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.
We have identified that this is a role where we have underrepresentation 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 other questions you might have. Please dont hesitate to email Dr Catherine Evans-Jones on catherine.evansjones@berkshire.nhs.uk wholl be delighted to help.
Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The must haves for this role:
- Values team-based working and is confident in using psychological ideas to support staff, through consultation, supervision, and training.
- Has experience in offering leadership in clinical settings and is interested in contributing to service development through a psychological lens.
- Has a strong grounding in psychological formulation and therapeutic models, and is experienced in working with adults experiencing complex mental health difficulties.
- Brings a calm, thoughtful and boundaried approach to working in emotionally demanding contexts, with an awareness of personal and systemic dynamics.
- Is motivated to work creatively and compassionately, bringing psychological understanding to complex situations in ways that support staff, patients, and families.
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.
Were committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.
We have identified that this is a role where we have underrepresentation 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 other questions you might have. Please dont hesitate to email Dr Catherine Evans-Jones on catherine.evansjones@berkshire.nhs.uk wholl be delighted to help.
Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential
- Post graduate doctorate in clinical or counselling psychology (or equivalent for those who trained prior to 1996 or for those who completed their training overseas)
- Accreditation with Health Care Professional Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist (Clinical/Counselling) (Eligibility for) Chartered Membership of British Psychological Society (BPS)
- Clinical supervision training for doctorate psychology trainees (BPS Registered course) and other qualified clinicians.
- Post qualification specialist training to accreditable level in at least two areas of psychological practice directly related to the clinical requirements of this post Accreditations to reflect post qualification training (e.g., BABCP, UKCP, ACAT, SRCN).
- Proven ability in teaching and formal training in professional/clinical supervision.
Continuous Professional Development
Essential
- Evidence of substantial post-qualification training and expert knowledge in psychological models and therapeutic approaches with an evidence base within the area of specialism.
- Commitment to continuing professional development as recommended by the relevant accrediting body.
Experience
Essential
- Significant experience working as a qualified specialist practitioner in the profession, including demonstrable post qualification experience at a highly specialist level in the area of specialism.
- Significant experience of working in evidence-based ways with services users (and their carers/families) presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the range of 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 teaching and providing professional and clinical supervision, as well as experience of developing, delivering and leading training programmes.
- Experience of 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 and equality, including experience of working with diversity, multiculturalism and equality of access to services
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Able to manage a demanding and complex caseload and support colleagues to do so.
- Well-developed skills and ability to communicate effectively, both 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.
- Detailed and advanced knowledge of a range of evidence-based assessments and therapeutic interventions within designated clinical area, and the ability to lead the provision of these.
- 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 a consistent ability to sensitively respond to people's needs, particularly with reference to all aspects of diversity.
- Able to work flexibly around working patterns as required
- Able to travel independently between locations to fulfil the requirements and duties of the position.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential
- Post graduate doctorate in clinical or counselling psychology (or equivalent for those who trained prior to 1996 or for those who completed their training overseas)
- Accreditation with Health Care Professional Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist (Clinical/Counselling) (Eligibility for) Chartered Membership of British Psychological Society (BPS)
- Clinical supervision training for doctorate psychology trainees (BPS Registered course) and other qualified clinicians.
- Post qualification specialist training to accreditable level in at least two areas of psychological practice directly related to the clinical requirements of this post Accreditations to reflect post qualification training (e.g., BABCP, UKCP, ACAT, SRCN).
- Proven ability in teaching and formal training in professional/clinical supervision.
Continuous Professional Development
Essential
- Evidence of substantial post-qualification training and expert knowledge in psychological models and therapeutic approaches with an evidence base within the area of specialism.
- Commitment to continuing professional development as recommended by the relevant accrediting body.
Experience
Essential
- Significant experience working as a qualified specialist practitioner in the profession, including demonstrable post qualification experience at a highly specialist level in the area of specialism.
- Significant experience of working in evidence-based ways with services users (and their carers/families) presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the range of 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 teaching and providing professional and clinical supervision, as well as experience of developing, delivering and leading training programmes.
- Experience of 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 and equality, including experience of working with diversity, multiculturalism and equality of access to services
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Able to manage a demanding and complex caseload and support colleagues to do so.
- Well-developed skills and ability to communicate effectively, both 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.
- Detailed and advanced knowledge of a range of evidence-based assessments and therapeutic interventions within designated clinical area, and the ability to lead the provision of these.
- 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 a consistent ability to sensitively respond to people's needs, particularly with reference to all aspects of diversity.
- Able to work flexibly around working patterns as required
- Able 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).
