Leadership and Management: Lead and manage the psychology department, providing clinical and operational supervision to a team of psychologists, assistant psychologists, and psychology trainees. Ensure that the team is supported, motivated, and developed to achieve their professional goals and maintain high standards of care.
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Clinical Practice: Provide high-quality psychological assessments and interventions to patients with a range of mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, personality disorders, eating disorders, and trauma-related issues. Deliver evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and other psychological approaches.
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Team Collaboration: Work closely with multidisciplinary teams (MDTs), including psychiatrists, nurses, occupational therapists, and social workers, to ensure integrated care. Provide expert psychological advice and consultation to other staff members, promoting the psychological well-being of patients in all aspects of their care.
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Service Development: Lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of psychological services within the hospital. Identify and implement service innovations, ensuring that psychology services are responsive to patient needs and in line with evidence-based best practice.
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Clinical Supervision and Training: Provide supervision and mentorship to junior psychologists, assistant psychologists, and psychology trainees, ensuring they receive appropriate support and professional development opportunities. Deliver training to staff on psychological principles, interventions, and approaches.
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Audit and Research: Lead or contribute to clinical audits, research, and service evaluations to monitor the effectiveness and impact of psychological interventions. Ensure that data is collected and analyzed to improve services and patient outcomes.
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Patient Care: Maintain a focus on high-quality patient care, ensuring that interventions are individualized and culturally sensitive. Promote a trauma-informed approach to care, ensuring that psychological services are provided with the utmost respect for patient dignity and autonomy.
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Governance and Compliance: Ensure compliance with hospital policies, clinical guidelines, and relevant professional standards, including those set by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), British Psychological Society (BPS), and Care Quality Commission (CQC).
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Strategic Leadership: Contribute to the hospital’s overall strategy and development by providing leadership on psychological matters. Participate in hospital-wide initiatives and quality improvement projects, influencing policy and practice at a strategic level.
Qualifications and Skills:
* Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) or equivalent qualification.
* Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society (BPS).
* HCPC registration as a Clinical Psychologist.
* Significant post-qualification experience in clinical psychology, with expertise in delivering psychological therapies and assessments.
* Experience in a leadership or managerial role, with the ability to lead a team, provide supervision, and implement service developments.
* Strong knowledge of a range of psychological interventions, including CBT, DBT, ACT, and others relevant to adult and adolescent mental health settings.
* Excellent communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with both clinical and non-clinical staff.
* Knowledge of national mental health legislation, safeguarding procedures, and healthcare standards (e.g., CQC guidelines).
* A strong commitment to continuous professional development and maintaining high standards of practice.
Preferred:
* Experience in inpatient mental health settings or working with complex, high-risk patients.
* Additional training or specialization in areas such as trauma, eating disorders, addiction, or forensic psychology.
* Experience with psychological service evaluation, research, or audit activities.
* Familiarity with the Mental Health Act 1983/2007 and its application in clinical practice