Job summary
Are you looking for the chance to work creatively to meet the diverse needs of service users with severe and enduring mental health problems? Do you like working alongside different disciplines? Do you want to work in a multi-cultural environment?
If so, please come and join us. We are excited to offer an Assistant Psychologist (Band 4) Full-time ( hours) post within our Integrated Community Care and Recovery (ICCR) Services based at Northcroft CMHT. This is a fixed term contract for 20 months.
We offer good opportunities for 1:1 client work, group work, working with the MDT and research and audit. You will be part of a well-established, supportive and friendly psychology team. You will have the opportunity to learn about how different teams work and how we develop services within our hub and across the Trust. The post holder will also have the opportunity to receive 1:1 clinical supervision from a Clinical or Counselling Psychologist. This post may involve some remote working from home and will also involve periodic travel to other Trust bases.
We are looking to recruit a psychology graduate who has relevant clinical experience and is interested and passionate about working with people who have severe and enduring mental health problems.
Main duties of the job
The post is based within the Integrated Community Care and Recovery (ICCR) Services of the Trust. The post holders will have the opportunity to work closely with Psychology and Psychological Services colleagues based in a number of geographical areas and within new integrated team structures that provide a service for people who have complex interpersonal and emotional difficulties. This includes presentations of depression, anxiety, PTSD, trauma, personality disorder diagnoses, psychosis, and dual diagnoses, some of whom present a challenge to services.
Successful applicants will have excellent opportunities to gain experience of multilevel service provision and to further develop support skills in clinical assessment, formulation and intervention as well as involvement in relevant auditing and evaluation of clinical services, working alongside qualified staff. There is an expectation that part of the job plans for all Assistant Practitioners will include supporting routine collection and reporting of evaluation data such as CORE.
Experience of working in teams is desirable as is any post-graduate training in psychological interventions. Given that the work is dispersed at a number of bases it is also desirable if applicants are car drivers.
The successful applicant will be part of friendly and supportive Psychological Services who are committed to developing its staff through clinical experience, training, supervision and research opportunities.
About us
Welcome to Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. Our 4000 clinical and support staff help us to improve mental health wellbeing and meet the needs of the 70,000 people we serve each year. We provide a range of mental healthcare services across Birmingham and Solihull, as well as specialised services nationally. We also offer medical, nursing and psychology training and are proud of our international reputation for both research and innovation.
Our population is culturally diverse, characterised in places by high levels of deprivation which create an increasing demand for our services and a necessity for us to make sure everyone can access the help they need. We are a team of compassionate, inclusive and committed people working together to provide excellent care to support our community. If you are looking for a place to belong, where you can make a real difference to people's lives, join our team where our warm welcome is waiting for you.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For further information about the main responsibilities please view the attached job description and person specification.
We highly recommend you submit your application as soon as possible, this post may close earlier than the indicated closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received.
Person Specification
Training and Qualifications
Essential
1. An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology
2. Entitlement to graduate membership of the BritishPsychological Society.
Desirable
3. Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology and/or research
Experience
Essential
4. Experience of work with people with mental health problems or disabilities, or other relevant problems or disabilities ( learning disabilities, organic impairment).
Desirable
5. Paid work in a setting providing direct care
6. Experience of working with people with serious mental illness ( schizophrenia)
7. Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team.
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
8. High level interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to work and effectively communicate complex or sensitive information in highly emotive and emotionally charged settings involving conflict and significant personal distress.
9. An awareness and understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems and disabilities and of contemporary issues in the field.
Desirable
10. Experience of collecting research data, including questionnaire design and interviewing.
Personal
Essential
11. An ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines.
12. Under the day-to-day direction of a qualified psychologist, has ability to work independently, reliably, consistently and with initiative (seeking guidance when necessary).
Desirable
13. Under the day-to-day direction of a qualified psychologist, has ability to work independently, reliably, consistently and with initiative (seeking guidance when necessary).
Other
Essential
14. An ability to accept and use supervision appropriately and effectively.
Desirable
15. A desire to explore a career in professional psychology