Job summary
PALMS (Positive behaviour, Autism, Learning disability, Mental health Service) is evolving and we want to welcome additional clinicians to be part of our vibrant and multidisciplinary team which includes Clinical Psychologists, Positive Behaviour Analysts, Systemic Therapists, Learning Disability Nurses, Psychiatrists, Mental Health Practitioners, Speech and Language Therapists and Outreach Workers.
With the continued evolution of PALMS we are seeking to appoint an Assistant PALMS Practitioner who is motivated and forward thinking who can work flexibly and is committed to supporting CYP and their families across Hertfordshire and the full PALMS' team
The PALMS team is friendly, cohesive and proactive. We value feedback and empower all team members to contribute to the continuous development of the service and welcome innovation and change.
Main duties of the job
The ideal candidate will be:
- Passionate about and have a desire to contribute to change in a vibrant NHS team
- Dedicated to supporting CYP with autism and/or learning disability and their families.
- Collaborative in their approach to work with families, networks, and others services
- Able to work both in a team environment and autonomously
- Able to maintain a high degree of professionalism when working in settings where there is a highly emotive atmosphere.
- Flexible in their approach and have resilience under pressure
About us
PALMS works across Hertfordshire providing a specialist multi-disciplinary approach. PALMS is a CAMHS commissioned service which offers individually tailored support for children and young people (CYP), aged 0-18 who have a global learning disability and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder, helping families to manage challenging behaviour, toileting, feeding and sleeping concerns which have not benefited from community interventions and/or to support mental health needs which cannot be met with reasonable adjustment by other CAMHS services. Interventions include workshops, intervention groups, individual therapy, parent as therapist sessions, and a family clinic. PALMS aims to keep children and young people with their families thereby improving outcomes for all family members. PALMS predominantly applies narrative, systemic, positive behaviour, and bio-psycho social models adhering to the STOMP / STAMP and Transforming Care Agendas.
Job description
Job responsibilities
PALMS principally deliver a flexible service according to need and personal circumstances, in a planned way. For example, for a full-time worker this equates to flexibly working 37.5 across the working week. PALMS are open to flexible working and therefore part time / job share would be considered, working a minimum of 0.6 WTE.
We are committed to supporting flexible working options for staff, wherever possible, and welcome discussions on flexible working patterns to support our staff to maintain a healthy work life balance.
We can offer you:
- Regular clinical and professional supervision including opportunities to meet as a team including peer reflection and Intervision
- Regular appraisal, personal development planning and opportunities for continuing professional development. This includes specific support with regards to fulfilling the PALMS role.
- Opportunities to work closely with a multi-disciplinary team and learn from other evidence based frameworks and approaches.
- Opportunities to connect with local and national networks
- Involvement in providing training.
Interviews will be run either in person at one of our bases or using Microsoft Teams, full details and instructions will be provided to successful candidates.
Int23
Job description
Job responsibilities
PALMS principally deliver a flexible service according to need and personal circumstances, in a planned way. For example, for a full-time worker this equates to flexibly working 37.5 across the working week. PALMS are open to flexible working and therefore part time / job share would be considered, working a minimum of 0.6 WTE.
We are committed to supporting flexible working options for staff, wherever possible, and welcome discussions on flexible working patterns to support our staff to maintain a healthy work life balance.
We can offer you:
- Regular clinical and professional supervision including opportunities to meet as a team including peer reflection and Intervision
- Regular appraisal, personal development planning and opportunities for continuing professional development. This includes specific support with regards to fulfilling the PALMS role.
- Opportunities to work closely with a multi-disciplinary team and learn from other evidence based frameworks and approaches.
- Opportunities to connect with local and national networks
- Involvement in providing training.
Interviews will be run either in person at one of our bases or using Microsoft Teams, full details and instructions will be provided to successful candidates.
Int23
Person Specification
Other Specifications
Essential
- oWillingness to uphold the Trust's values
- oEligible to live and work in the UK
- oStaff are required to hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car to use with business insurance (unless the member of staff has a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).
Training & Qualifications
Essential
- oGraduate in Psychology with a focus on Developmental Disabilities. Or Equivalent OR oBTEC qualification in Positive Behaviour Support (advanced certificate) with
- oExperience of working with children/young people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities and / or an autistic spectrum disorder.
Desirable
- oFurther training in relevant areas of Applied Behaviour Analysis, autism, Learning Disability and mental health.
Experience
Essential
- oExperience of working with parents/carers and supporting them to implement strategies and skills teaching programs.
- oExperience of working with individuals who are non-verbal or who have significant communication difficulties.
- oExperience of participating in assessment.
- oExperience of working with children/young people who display challenging behaviour.
- oExperience of working with children/young people who experience mental health concerns.
- oExperience of teaching skills to children/young people with Learning Disability and/or autism spectrum disorder
- oImplementation of positive behaviour support plans.
Desirable
- oExperience of multi-disciplinary team working.
- oExperience of behaviour data collection.
- oExperience of service quality monitoring.
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- oAn understanding of the impact of Learning Disability, Autism and mental health difficulties and challenging behaviour on family life.
- oAbility to empower parents/carers and to gradually fade out the need for direct support
- oHigh level of communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive, abusive or hostile.
- oAbility to communicate sensitive information to service users, carers and colleagues
- oAbility to work as a member of a team and effectively communicate with the team.
- oAn awareness and appreciation of Positive Behavioural Support.
- oPractical computing skills including the use of databases and spreadsheets.
Desirable
- oKnowledge of alternative communication techniques.
- oCo-facilitation and/or support of group interventions.
Personal Abilities
Essential
- oA passion in, and commitment to, working with children who have a learning disability and/or an autism spectrum disorder and/or mental health difficulties.
- oValues that match positive behaviour practices.
- oPositive interpersonal skills
- oAn ability to interact with children who have a learning disability and/or an autism spectrum disorder and mental health difficulties and their families.
- oAn ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines.
- oAbility to establish and maintain professional relationships
- oAn ability to work effectively in a range of direct care settings with families, carers and staff.
- oGood organisational skills and an ability to manage their own workload
- oAbility to work independently, reliably and consistently
- oAbility to work flexibly and willingness to work early mornings, evenings and weekends.
- oCapable of using initiative and maintaining professional boundaries.
- oAbility to recognise own strengths and also to recognise when need support from a colleague
- oAbility to concentrate for prolonged periods
- oAbility to use supervision appropriately and effectively.
- oAbility to work as part of a 'virtual team'.
- oAbility to work with children & young people where behaviours which challenge can occur
- oAbility to think clearly and express self.
Person Specification
Other Specifications
Essential
- oWillingness to uphold the Trust's values
- oEligible to live and work in the UK
- oStaff are required to hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car to use with business insurance (unless the member of staff has a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).
Training & Qualifications
Essential
- oGraduate in Psychology with a focus on Developmental Disabilities. Or Equivalent OR oBTEC qualification in Positive Behaviour Support (advanced certificate) with
- oExperience of working with children/young people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities and / or an autistic spectrum disorder.
Desirable
- oFurther training in relevant areas of Applied Behaviour Analysis, autism, Learning Disability and mental health.
Experience
Essential
- oExperience of working with parents/carers and supporting them to implement strategies and skills teaching programs.
- oExperience of working with individuals who are non-verbal or who have significant communication difficulties.
- oExperience of participating in assessment.
- oExperience of working with children/young people who display challenging behaviour.
- oExperience of working with children/young people who experience mental health concerns.
- oExperience of teaching skills to children/young people with Learning Disability and/or autism spectrum disorder
- oImplementation of positive behaviour support plans.
Desirable
- oExperience of multi-disciplinary team working.
- oExperience of behaviour data collection.
- oExperience of service quality monitoring.
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- oAn understanding of the impact of Learning Disability, Autism and mental health difficulties and challenging behaviour on family life.
- oAbility to empower parents/carers and to gradually fade out the need for direct support
- oHigh level of communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive, abusive or hostile.
- oAbility to communicate sensitive information to service users, carers and colleagues
- oAbility to work as a member of a team and effectively communicate with the team.
- oAn awareness and appreciation of Positive Behavioural Support.
- oPractical computing skills including the use of databases and spreadsheets.
Desirable
- oKnowledge of alternative communication techniques.
- oCo-facilitation and/or support of group interventions.
Personal Abilities
Essential
- oA passion in, and commitment to, working with children who have a learning disability and/or an autism spectrum disorder and/or mental health difficulties.
- oValues that match positive behaviour practices.
- oPositive interpersonal skills
- oAn ability to interact with children who have a learning disability and/or an autism spectrum disorder and mental health difficulties and their families.
- oAn ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines.
- oAbility to establish and maintain professional relationships
- oAn ability to work effectively in a range of direct care settings with families, carers and staff.
- oGood organisational skills and an ability to manage their own workload
- oAbility to work independently, reliably and consistently
- oAbility to work flexibly and willingness to work early mornings, evenings and weekends.
- oCapable of using initiative and maintaining professional boundaries.
- oAbility to recognise own strengths and also to recognise when need support from a colleague
- oAbility to concentrate for prolonged periods
- oAbility to use supervision appropriately and effectively.
- oAbility to work as part of a 'virtual team'.
- oAbility to work with children & young people where behaviours which challenge can occur
- oAbility to think clearly and express self.
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).
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).
