Job summary
Are you passionate about Trauma-informed care?
We are seeking to recruit a passionate and innovative Senior Clinical Psychologist to work within a newly developed trauma-informed services in partnership with Gateshead City Council. We would also consider applicants at Band 7 level who may not meet 8a criteria but would be willing to be employed within a preceptorship framework.
We hope to attract practitioners with significant experience of delivering trauma-informed care to children and young people.
The team will include senior psychologists and psychological therapists, advanced practitioners, speech and language therapists, assistant psychology and Peer Support workers, who will be employed by Cumbria Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Trust and seconded into Gateshead City Council.
Main duties of the job
The service has been developed in line with the following six principles proposed by NHS England as part of the Integrated Care Framework;
1. Every Interaction Matters: There is a focus first on building and supporting positive collaborative relationships.
2. Children and Young People and the relationships they experience are at the centre of all care they receive through genuine co-production.
3. Those spending most time with young people are the primary facilitators of change.
4. Positively influencing the day-to-day care is the basis of any intervention and primary focus of support.
5. All behaviour is understandable in context; there is a focus on developing an understanding of each CYP's behaviour and needs based on their story.
6. There is a commitment by all to build and sustain trauma-informed organisations.
About us
We aim to attract and retain a diverse, talented and committed workforce, who are caring and compassionate, and therefore able to meet the demands of the modern NHS now and in the future. In return we can offer a dynamic working environment in which to build a career.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder will take role in providing a service for children and young people with complex trauma, who may be considered to present high risk to themselves, high risk to others or are highly vulnerable within external relationships. As part of a wider team, the successful candidate will offer consultations, assessments and formulation to professionals and carers working with children and young people to support the principles of the Integrated Care Framework.
In order to support the council and the wider system to become trauma-informed, the post-holder will be required to support in the development of training programmes and embed reflective practice to support staff to understand the impact of working with trauma on practice and decision making.
Further to this, it is expected that all practitioners employed within the team will work alongside those professionals or carers who spend the most time with the child or young person, to develop an understanding of their needs, challenges and strengths to support trauma recovery.
This is a newly commissioned service, that began in March 2023 and is part of a national NHS England 2-year pilot to deliver extended services for children and young people with complex trauma. We would welcome applicants with experience of research and audit to support the evaluation of this service.
Please find attached job description for full details.
Advertising date : 27th August 2024
Closing date : 10th September 2024
We welcome your application.
Interviews to be held on the 19th of September.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
7. Doctoral level training in clinical psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and Neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the HCPC and British Psychological Society.
8. An Honours Degree in Psychology recognised for graduate membership of the British Psychological Society (BPS).
Desirable
9. Additional qualification in at least one therapeutic model, evidence-based for use with this client group
Skills
Essential
10. Highly developed skills to communicate effectively, orally and in writing complex and highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to service users, their families, carers and professionals within and outside the NHS, including reports for courts and case conferences.
11. Specialist skills and competency in at least two evidence based psychological therapies relevant to the pathway.
12. Skills in providing consultation to professional and non-professional groups.
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
13. Evidence of substantial post qualification competence, incorporating significant experience working within area of practice at a senior level.
14. Experience of working therapeutically with children and young people with complex and enduring mental health problems who may be considered high risk, high harm or high vulnerability.
15. Substantial post qualification experience of specialist model specific assessment, formulation and treatment of children and young people.
16. Experience of audit and related activities.
17. Formal training in clinical supervision of trainee clinical psychologists and other staff.
18. Demonstrate further specialist training and experience through having received a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision of working as a clinical psychologist over a minimum of 18 months or an alternative agreed by the Associate Psychological Services Director.
Role specific requirements
Essential
19. Ability to teach and train others in trauma-informed practice, using a variety of complex multi-media materials for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
20. Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure of highly emotive behaviour.