An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Band 7 Clinical Psychologist or Specialist Practitioner Psychologist to work as part of the neuropsychology service within the Mid Yorkshire NHS Teaching Trust. This is a fixed term post for 12 months, full-time though we will consider applications for part time hours. This is the result of funding obtained through Stroke Quality Improvement for Rehabilitation (SQuIRe) catalyst funding, improving psychological care within the Stroke pathway in Wakefield, Calderdale and Kirklees which started in January 2024. Depending on interest and experience, we anticipate most of the work will be within our general neuropsychology department, with additional opportunities to work into the new project. The posts will provide an excellent opportunity to develop specialist skills in working with people with neurological conditions.
We welcome applications from enthusiastic, highly motivated and resourceful individuals with strong skills in delivering psychological therapy and in working effectively within multi-disciplinary teams.
The successful candidate will work as part of a friendly and supportive team, with embedded admin support. The department comprises clinical psychologists, counsellors, and specialist psychotherapists working into a range of specialties including Neuropsychology, Spinal, Pain, Burns, Oncology and Palliative Care Services. We actively encourage and support supervision, CPD and service-related research.
Main duties of the job
In addition to this summary, please familiarise yourself with the full job description and person specification documents attached to this advert.
The postholder will provide specialist psychological assessment and treatment to clients within the neurosciences service, as well as provision of advice and consultation to professional colleagues. There will be opportunities to work across different settings including outpatient and work with multi-disciplinary teams. They will also contribute to service planning, audit and research processes.
The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust Psychological Services is a growing service, with an ethos of providing excellent opportunities for professional support and development. We actively encourage supervision, CPD and service-related research. We have good academic links to local DClinPsy courses, and regularly take trainees from across the region. Clinical supervision will be provided by senior psychology colleagues from within the team.
The service is based primarily from Pinderfields Hospital. We offer a flexible working approach and depending on service need there are likely to be opportunities to work from home.
About us
We are an acute trust caring for over half a million people in Wakefield and Kirklees. Our 10,000 staff work in patients' homes, the community, and our three hospitals in Pontefract, Dewsbury, and Pinderfields (Wakefield). We prioritise our people and values so we can deliver the best possible care to patients. Our team is friendly, passionate, and innovative, always seeking better ways to work.
We support work-life balance and foster a diverse, inclusive environment where everyone belongs. Our staff networks offer safe spaces to share ideas and concerns so we can increase awareness and appreciation of equality, diversity, and inclusion. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and especially encourage members of the LGBTQ+ community, ethnic minority groups, and people with disabilities or neurodivergence to apply, as they are currently underrepresented in the Trust.
If you value caring, high standards, improvement, and respect, join the MY team to make a difference every day.
Job responsibilities
To carry out specialised psychological assessments using a range of measures (interview, standardised questionnaires, rating scales, observation) of patients who have highly complex medical and psychological histories, in order to arrive at a formulation of need.
Where appropriate to the psychological profession, to provide specialist neuropsychological assessment of adults within the neurosciences service, utilising information from a broad range of standardised psychometric tests, case history and clinical interview and integrating it into a neuropsychological formulation of the client and the psychosocial environment drawing on a range of psychological and neuropsychological theoretical perspectives.
To formulate and implement specialist psychological intervention based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the client's presentation, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy.
To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings and service areas within the Trust.
To develop, implement and monitor specialised psychological interventions based on appraisal of possible treatment options and taking into account the complexity of need identified. This requires communication with a range of professionals to share complex, sensitive and confidential information.
To undertake work in outpatient, inpatient or community settings depending on the level of service need.
To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes.
To consult with and provide highly specialist psychological guidance to carers and families of the patient and allied health professionals who are directly involved in the care of patients.
To carry individual accountability for all clinical decisions and exercise responsibility and autonomy for the treatment and discharge of patients, ensuring appropriate assessment, formulation and treatment, communicating with the referral agent, members of the multidisciplinary team and others involved with the patient's care.
For further details of the role both the job description and person specification are attached in the supporting documents section.
Person Specification
Experience
* Experience of working with clients within an NHS setting conducting specialist assessments and interventions.
* Experience of working with patients with physical health conditions and conducting specialist assessments and interventions, across the full range of care settings.
* Experience of representing psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary care.
* Experience of teaching, training, and consultation.
* Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS and as required by the HCPC.
* Experience of working with people with neurological conditions.
* Experience of the application of clinical / health / neuro psychology in family, group and individual settings, and different cultural contexts.
* Experience of providing group-based psychological interventions.
Qualifications
* Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 2000) as accredited by the BPS and HCPC registration (or within months of achieving HCPC registration) as a Clinical Psychologist with Chartered Status. OR Specialist post graduate training to masters level or equivalent in a psychotherapeutic modality - including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, Systemic Therapy and Accreditation from a recognised Psychological Therapy body e.g. BAAT, BABCP, BACP, UKCP via:
* (a) Professional route; requiring previous mental health qualification e.g. Clin. Psych., RMN, Dip. SW. or (b) Where applicable, the KSA (knowledge, skills and attitude) route (e.g. with the BABCP).
* Undertaken post-qualification further training in a specialised area of psychological practice e.g. clinical supervision, neuropsychology, CBT, CAT, DBT, CFT, EMDR, group work, analytical therapy, systemic / family work etc.
* Training in Clinical Supervision.
Knowledge and Skills
* Doctoral (or relevant specialist clinical courses/training) level knowledge of applied psychology, including highly developed knowledge of psychometrics and appropriate psychological therapies.
* Knowledge of the theory and practice of psychological assessments and interventions.
* Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management.
* The ability to communicate effectively in both written and oral formats, highly complex and clinically sensitive information to patients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
* The ability to plan, organise and flexibly manage own caseload, adapting to the changing priorities of a complex organisational environment and coordinating the work of professional colleagues.
* Undertake complex multi-agency working and liaise with multiple systems.
* Knowledge of the theory and practice of highly specialised psychological therapies.
* Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
* Administer, score, and interpret neuropsychological tests competently.
* The ability to adapt creatively the evidence-base for interventions in mental health for clients with communication difficulties and or cognitive problems.
* The ability to provide effective teaching and training.
Personal Attributes
* The ability to work in accordance with The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust values and behaviours.
* The ability to work effectively in highly distressing and challenging circumstances.
* The ability to work flexibly and cooperatively as part of a team.
* The ability to use own initiative and make decisions independently.
* The ability to effectively engage groups of people to promote learning and self-reflection.
* Awareness of own limitations.
* Utilise appropriate clinical governance mechanisms within own work.
Other
* Enthusiasm for a broad range of psychological phenomena.
* The ability to work flexibly and with clinical autonomy in a multi-professional context and in an acute healthcare context.
* The ability to develop and use highly complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic settings.
* Keyboard and IT literacy skills for the purpose of writing complex psychological reports, letters, as well as clinical programmes, which form part of treatment.
* Interest in models of service delivery and an ability to articulate the value added by clinical psychology services within the context of clinical neuropsychology and the broader acute hospital trust.
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.
#J-18808-Ljbffr