Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an 8a Clinical Psychologist (up to .8 fte) to play a key role in this new service developed in response to the crisis in Afghanistan. NHS England have commissioned this service as part of Operation Courage Warm Welcome, to be launched in June 2022. This service will support Afghanistan interpreters and military police who have worked alongside the British Armed Forces, and who are now based in the UK.
We are looking for an experienced clinical psychologist who demonstrates experience, knowledge, and commitment to their work, and who can use their leadership skills and initiative to assist with building a new service and contribute to evaluation of the service.
We welcome applicants with experience of working with psychological problems following trauma and forced migration, including applying evidence-based models of PTSD assessment and treatment with the help of interpreters.
Main duties of the job
The role will involve triaging and screening for all domains of need. It will also involve psychological assessment of people referred to the service, development of a comprehensive care plan, and linking with local third sector and NHS services. Individuals outside of London will be referral to local Operation Courage Services for assessment. This will involve close relationships with partners in different areas of the UK.
The post-holder will also have a small treatment caseload of people based in London where local trauma services are not available. This will involve trauma-informed psychological treatment, trauma-focused treatment for PTSD, and treatment for other mental health conditions.
They will be involved in supervision of a band 7 colleague, and contributing to data collection and evaluation of the service.
About us
The purpose of this new service is to provide an outreach and screening service for Afghan refugees who are veterans, have served in the military police, or worked as interpreters ,alongside British Armed Forces, many of whom will have experienced trauma. Additional issues may include adjustment issues, difficulties navigating systems, language barriers and stigma associated with mental health.
London Op Courage Services (led by Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust, C&I) will act as a central "portal" to triage Afghan refugees with military connections in London, South East, South West and South Central as part of an "Outreach and Screen" model. The C&I team, consisting of an Administrator, Asst Psychologist, Peer Worker and Psychologists will reach out to Primary Care teams, Local Authorities and organisations in London to identify Afghan refugees with military connections. Local Op Courage services outside of London will be expected to do the same in their areas. This will be an open-access service, accepting self-referrals or referrals from any professional across statutory and non-statutory organisations.
London Op Courage Services will act as the first point of contact for the Northern and Midlands Op Courage services and these referrals will be forwarded to a nominated point of contact in the Northern services.
The service will sit within the established London Op Courage service and co-located with the Traumatic Stress Clinic.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To provide a clinical psychology service to Operation Courage Warm Welcome service users. This will include triaging and screening referrals, completing detailed psychological assessments of mental health, risk and safeguarding concerns, and making a holistic assessment of wider psychosocial needs. It will involve making care plans that address both mental health and psychosocial needs and referral to local services, and providing evidence-based interventions where needed.
The role will involve supervising clinical and non clinical staff, and working closely with the 8b and 8c clinical psychology colleagues, Operation Courage staff, and partner organisations.
It will also involve data collection and analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of the service.
Please see attached Job Description for further information.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To provide a clinical psychology service to Operation Courage Warm Welcome service users. This will include triaging and screening referrals, completing detailed psychological assessments of mental health, risk and safeguarding concerns, and making a holistic assessment of wider psychosocial needs. It will involve making care plans that address both mental health and psychosocial needs and referral to local services, and providing evidence-based interventions where needed.
The role will involve supervising clinical and non clinical staff, and working closely with the 8b and 8c clinical psychology colleagues, Operation Courage staff, and partner organisations.
It will also involve data collection and analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of the service.
Please see attached Job Description for further information.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Post-graduate Qualification in clinical psychology that meets HCPC requirements to practice in the UK
Desirable
- Completion of further post-doctoral post-qualification specialist training including (1) In-house one-year CPD programme for newly qualified psychologists or equivalent and (2) Training in supervision of trainee clinical psychologists
Skills
Essential
- Skills in working with interpreters
- Skills in providing culturally sensitive evidence-based psychological interventions
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention, and management of PTSD to multiple events, and Complex PTSD
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and nonprofessional groups.
Knowledge
Essential
- Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health
- Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the Health Professions Council.
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised evidence based psychological therapies in the area of refugee trauma
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised evidence-based psychological therapies, one of which is relevant for the treatment of PTSD.
Desirable
- Knowledge of languages spoken by the client group (eg. Dari, Pashtu)
Experience
Essential
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including community, primary care, outpatient and inpatient settings.
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, including with acute and complex PTSD, across the whole life course and presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity.
- Experience of case management, MDT working and liaison.
- Completion of two years post-doctoral post-qualification supervised clinical experience with the client group of the post or a related client group
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology in diverse cultural contexts.
- Experience of working with refugees
Desirable
- Experience working with veterans or military
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Post-graduate Qualification in clinical psychology that meets HCPC requirements to practice in the UK
Desirable
- Completion of further post-doctoral post-qualification specialist training including (1) In-house one-year CPD programme for newly qualified psychologists or equivalent and (2) Training in supervision of trainee clinical psychologists
Skills
Essential
- Skills in working with interpreters
- Skills in providing culturally sensitive evidence-based psychological interventions
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention, and management of PTSD to multiple events, and Complex PTSD
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and nonprofessional groups.
Knowledge
Essential
- Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health
- Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the Health Professions Council.
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised evidence based psychological therapies in the area of refugee trauma
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised evidence-based psychological therapies, one of which is relevant for the treatment of PTSD.
Desirable
- Knowledge of languages spoken by the client group (eg. Dari, Pashtu)
Experience
Essential
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including community, primary care, outpatient and inpatient settings.
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, including with acute and complex PTSD, across the whole life course and presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity.
- Experience of case management, MDT working and liaison.
- Completion of two years post-doctoral post-qualification supervised clinical experience with the client group of the post or a related client group
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology in diverse cultural contexts.
- Experience of working with refugees
Desirable
- Experience working with veterans or military
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
