Job Summary
We are looking for an enthusiastic Clinical or Counselling Psychologist. The post is within our Older Adult Inpatient Service, based at the Campus for Aging and Vitality, Newcastle upon Tyne.
The post is also open to candidates with experience meeting the Band 8a person specification. It is a fully supported development post open to candidates with less experience, with progression to the Band 8a role upon successful completion of a defined Preceptorship Programme. This is not an entitlement to band progression but will be based upon the successful achievement of a mutually agreed development plan as monitored by the candidate and their Psychology Lead.
It is expected that the development plan will be met at a minimum of 18 months of the successful candidate having been in a Band 7 role and a maximum of 3 years. This timescale will be dependent on the experience of the candidate and will be fully supported by the organisation in terms of supervision, relevant CPD, training and learning opportunities. In the event that the elements of the development plan are not fully achieved, as assessed by the relevant Psychology Lead within the pre-agreed timescale, the role will remain as a Band 7 and this outcome will be managed as part of the contract conditions agreed with the candidate at the outset.
Main Duties of the Job
The post will work into two older adult wards. Castleside is a 10 bedded ward for people with organic problems including dementia. The ward provides assessment and a range of treatments to service users and their families through a multi-disciplinary team. Akenside is our 10 bedded ward for older people with mental health problems arising from functional disorders such as depression, anxiety or psychosis. Care is provided by a multi-disciplinary team using a biopsychosocial model of understanding.
The post involves providing expertise in specialist psychological assessment, including cognitive assessments, formulation and brief psychological interventions. Provision of family and group work are also valued parts of the service. The role also involves supporting the multidisciplinary team through providing team supervision and training. Other elements include supporting the evaluation of the effectiveness of services. The post will be supported by a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and work alongside an Assistant Psychologist to provide the services required.
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.
The post holder will be part of a supportive psychology team which provides Acute, Rehabilitation, and Older Adult inpatient services for Newcastle and Gateshead. The team is part of a valued trust wide psychological service which has a range of regular meetings and support activities to ensure professional governance and to promote evidence based and innovative psychologically informed care.
Working in inpatient services offers excellent opportunities to develop a range of skills. These include skills in direct clinical work, as well as clinical leadership, service development, staff support, and training. The post holder will be supported to develop their skills in the required areas of work.
Job Responsibilities
The post involves providing specialist psychological assessment and formulation including neuropsychological assessment and using the Newcastle Model with service users and teams. The post holder will support the development of collaborative psychological formulations and deliver psychological interventions with service users and families, working as an integral part of the multi-disciplinary team. The post holder will help to provide support to multidisciplinary staff working with service users through supervision, team formulation, and contribute towards complex risk assessment and care planning, and provision of reflective practice sessions and training.
The post holder will contribute to the development and undertaking of service evaluation, enhancing the quality of care. We are looking for applicants who are able to work as part of a team, and also independently, with a high level of research and report writing skills. The post holder will be supported to develop their skills in the required areas of work, and provided with appropriate supervision from an experienced clinical psychologist.
Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential
* Doctoral level training in clinical or counselling psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and Neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the British Psychological Society and the HCPC. HCPC registered practitioner psychologist.
Desirable
* Pre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology. Additional training in specific therapeutic approaches.
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
* Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, primary care, and inpatient settings. Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course with presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity, including severe and enduring mental health problems, psychosis and personality disorder. This includes maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the possibility of physical abuse. Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex multivariable data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
Desirable
* Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision. Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts. Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
Skills and Competencies
Essential
* Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management. Skills in evidence based psychological interventions. Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinical sensitive information to clients, their family, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS. Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
Role/Team Specific Requirements
Essential
* Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multimedia materials for presentations within public, professional and academic settings. Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive behaviour.
Desirable
* Experience of working within a multicultural framework.
Personal Characteristics
Essential
* Effective interpersonal skills and ability to work well in multi-disciplinary/agency teams.
Additional Requirements
Essential
* Able to meet the mobility requirements of the post.
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship
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.
Employer Details
Employer Name
Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear (CNTW) NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Campus for Aging and Vitality,
Westgate Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE4 6BE #J-18808-Ljbffr