Job summary
Hillingdon Older People's Mental Health Services are looking for a highly motivated and innovative HCPC registered Senior Clinical / Counselling Psychologists working across two service areas: our Memory Service and Oak Tree Ward, our Older Adult acute mental health unit. Our well-established service works with people presenting with mental health needs, cognitive impairment, and often, also living with physical health needs and frailty. We deliver services in a range of settings, including people's homes, care settings, and our acute inpatient ward.
In addition to the delivery of clinical services, there will be opportunities to work with service users, carers, other teams, and partners to support service improvement and development work.
If looking to progress their career in a supportive and structured learning environment, we welcome applications from current 3rd year trainee clinical psychologists and registered psychologists as a band 7 for a preceptorship role to 8a.
The preceptorship process has a set of individualised skill, knowledge, and experience competencies, developed based on an applicant's level of experience. We anticipate that applicants at band 7 will move to 8a in one to two years, based on previous experience and completion of the agreed competencies.
We are also open to applications from HCPC registered psychologists looking for part-time roles in either the Memory Service or Oak Tree Ward.
Main duties of the job
To provide a highly specialist psychology service to people accessing Hillingdon OPMH services, including specialist assessment, treatment, planning, implementation, and monitoring of outcomes.
To contribute to enabling other staff, service users, and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by creating a psychologically safe environment.
To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate, functioning as a lead specialist in the mental health care of older people and those living with dementia.
To undertake service evaluation, audit, and research.
To work autonomously within BPS and HCPC guidelines, taking responsibility for interpreting policies within defined parameters.
To agree outcomes/results with clinical/professional lead and decide how they are best achieved.
About us
In addition to working with a great service user population in a great location, you will be joining an active CNWL wide community of psychological professionals. We offer great opportunities for development, learning, and training. We are keen to work with you to identify your individual professional development needs and goals and support access to the resources needed to achieve these. We also have a great network of psychological professionals working in older adult services, with more specific specialty-based developmental opportunities and forums. For those interested in leadership roles, we offer support to develop and hone your skills in this area.
In addition to these developmental opportunities, you will have access to high-quality supervision, a generous annual leave allowance, and a generous NHS pension. We offer a relocation package (subject to eligibility assessment) and flexible working options, including bank assignments for most roles. See attached Staff Reward and Wellbeing Handbook detailing our benefits, discounts, and wellbeing initiatives for staff.
Job responsibilities
IN ADDITION TO THESE KEY HIGHLIGHTS, PLEASE REFER TO JD / PS DOCUMENT FOR FULL DETAILS
To provide highly specialist psychological assessments, formulations, and interventions for clients in the Hillingdon OPMH service, which serves people with mental health needs and significant comorbid physical health needs and frailty; experiencing issues related to ageing, later life, and end of life; and people of any age living with dementia.
To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans.
To contribute to the effective working of the team or service and to a psychologically informed framework for the service.
To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.
To be responsible for the allocation and/or clinical supervision of the work of more junior psychologists with support from a senior psychologist.
To implement policies and procedures in own area of work and propose improvements or beneficial changes.
To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a senior psychologist according to HCPC and Trust guidelines.
To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.
To comply with the HCPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics, and Standards of Proficiency, ensuring professional development in line with these.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
* Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent that has been accepted by the HCPC for professional registration.
* Additional training in a specialised area of psychological practice (e.g., a specific therapy approach, working with the mental health needs of older people, dementia care) through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), or a combination of specialist short courses, or an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice-based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma.
* Registered with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist, and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC.
* Completed training course in clinical supervision.
Experience
Essential
* Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in the field of the mental health of older people and dementia care.
* Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature as presenting in later life.
* Experience of supervising assistant and trainee psychologists having completed the relevant training.
* Post-qualification experience that supports working with and addressing issues of diversity within local communities.
Desirable
* Experience working in acute mental health inpatient settings.
* Experience working with service users living in care homes and care home systems and teams.
Knowledge
Essential
* Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological assessments and interventions for older people.
* Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment of complex mental health needs in later life and dementia.
* Advanced knowledge of psychological assessment and clinical psychometrics in the context of later life and the assessment of dementia.
* Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities.
* Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care.
Skills
Essential
* To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers, and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory and emotional difficulties, cultural differences, and hostility to or rejection of information.
* To deliver psychological therapy across cultural and other differences.
* To select and administer specialist psychological assessments, interpreting and integrating complex data that require analysis, interpretation, and comparison, drawn from several sources.
* To plan and schedule assessment and interventions for individual clients and groups and carers, and for meetings such as care planning and case reviews.
Desirable
* Understanding of particular needs of older adults.
Abilities
Essential
* Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.
* Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate.
* Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour.
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