Job overview
We are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic Band 8a (0.9 WTE) for a permanent post, working with children and teenagers who have cancer and with their families. This is an exciting opportunity to join an experienced multi-disciplinary medical and nursing oncology unit, where leadership, innovation, research, teaching and training are strongly encouraged. The psychology service provides a comprehensive assessment, consultation and support service both internally and externally to the Unit. The role encompasses both clinical and neuro psychological work. This is a very well-established psychology team, with excellent professional and compassionate staff, very well supported by our efficient and caring administration team within a cancer Centre of Excellence.
Main duties of the job
·To contribute to the systematic provision of a high-quality specialist clinical psychology service to paediatric oncology patients and to their families, within the working context of the paediatric psychosocial team and within the wider context of the Multi-Disciplinary Team.
·To work autonomously within professional guidelines.
·To utilise research skills for audit, policy and service development and research.
·To propose and implement policy changes within the paediatric oncology clinical psychology service.
·To provide specialist advice and consultation on patients’ psychological care to non-psychologist colleagues
·To work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of the psychological practice within the service.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
In conjunction with the Consultant Paediatric Psychologist, other team members and the wider paediatric multi-disciplinary psychosocial team, contribute to the delivery of a comprehensive clinical psychology service for children and young people with cancer, and their families
Providing specialist psychological assessments of children and adolescents with cancer and their families, based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex psychological data from a variety of sources.
To formulate and implement plans (or facilitate appropriate external referral) for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of the patient’s or any member of their family’s mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual or theoretical framework of the patient’s difficulties, and employing methods of proven therapeutic efficacy for intervention.
To be responsible for implementing and coordinating a range of highly specialised psychological and neuropsychological assessments and interventions for individuals, couples, families and groups based upon appropriate psychological models.
To manage own caseload
To receive regular clinical professional supervision from a senior clinical psychologist and, where appropriate, other senior professional colleagues.
To provide clinical training placements for trainee clinical psychologists, ensuring those trainees acquire the necessary skills, competencies and experience to contribute effectively to good mental health care and to contribute to the assessment and evaluation of such competencies
To provide professional and clinical supervision for Trainee Clinical Psychologists and Band 7 psychologists
To develop supervision skills in Band 7 psychologists supervising junior staff members To provide clinical supervision and staff support to members of the Paediatric MDT
Person specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. Post-Graduate Doctoral level training in Clinical Psychology (or it’s equivalent for those trained abroad or prior to 1996), accredited by the BPS
2. HCPC registration as a Clinical Psychologist
Desirable criteria
3. Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of clinical practice, and attendance at specialist short courses
4. Evidence of ongoing professional development
Experience
Essential criteria
5. Experience of working as a qualified clinical psychologist for a minimum of 2 years, including at least 1 year post qualification experience in paediatrics
6. Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the lifespan and presenting with the full range of clinical severity. Able to maintain a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems
7. An understanding of the impact of serious ill health on children, young people and their families
8. Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for patients’ psychological care and treatment, both as a professionally qualified clinician and within a multi-disciplinary team
9. Experience of teaching and training and clinical supervision
10. Theoretical and practical knowledge of neuropsychology
11. Experience of supervising qualified psychologists, trainee clinical psychologists and/or assistant psychologists
12. Experience of conducting research, audits or service evaluations in a clinical setting
Desirable criteria
13. Experience of working collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams within a hospital setting, and the ability to form good working relationships
14. Experience of working with children and young people with cancer
15. Significant experience in neuropsychological testing
16. Experience of supervising multi-disciplinary staff
17. Active participation in clinical psychology SIGs or other cross-service forums
Skills Abilities/knowledge
Desirable criteria
18. Well-developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapy for use in physical health settings, and in difficult to treat groups
19. Knowledge of legislation and implications for clinical practice
20. Knowledge of the theory and practice of highly specialised psychological therapies and assessment methodologies
The Royal Marsden values diversity and is committed to the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority groups. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates with disabilities.
As a Disability Confident Employer, we are working to create a workplace that enables all staff to reach their full potential. We are committed to this because we know that greater diversity and inclusion will lead to an even greater positive impact for the people we serve.
Due to the high volumes of applications we receive, we reserve the right to close any adverts before the published closing date once we have received a sufficient number of applications. We advise you to submit your application as early as possible to prevent disappointment.
Flu Vaccination – What We Expect of our Staff
At The Royal Marsden we have an immune compromised patient population who we must protect as much as we can against the flu virus. Each year, seasonal flu affects thousands of people in the UK. Occurring mainly in winter, it is an infectious respiratory disease capable of producing symptoms ranging from those similar to a common cold, through to very severe or even fatal disease.
The wellbeing of our staff and patients is of the upmost importance to us, and it is the expectation of The Royal Marsden that all patient-facing staff have an annual flu vaccination, provided free of charge by the Trust.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.