Our Vision is to provide the best mental health, learning disability, autism and community based services for the populations we serve.
As an integrated mental health, learning disability and community Trust, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including:
1. Primary and secondary mental health care for children and adults including specialist inpatient child and adolescent mental health provision, perinatal mental health, forensic services including low and medium secure care.
2. Specialist community support for children and adults with learning disabilities and autism, including intensive support.
3. Community physical health and well-being services for children and adults.
The Trust was first established in 2002 and employs approximately 7,000 staff who provide care from more than 400 sites. The organisation offers opportunities for medics, mental health and general nurses, allied health professionals, psychology, administration and clerical staff, apprentices and volunteers.
Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust supports flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, home/remote working, and flexi-time.
For more information visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT.
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Band 4 Assistant Psychologist to join the Central and West Adult Mental Health Inpatient Team at the Scarisbrick Unit, Ormskirk. The Scarisbrick Unit comprises of an 18 bed mixed-sex acute ward, along with a 4 bed male psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU). The Inpatient unit provides care for people with complex mental health needs in the least restrictive and safest way. The aim of inpatient admission is to provide a service which can offer a whole pathway of support locally, identified in both national plans and clinical guidance, which would include an inpatient service offer that is matched against the identified need of LSCFT population.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for a suitably qualified and experienced individual with a genuine interest and desire of working with this client group. You should have good verbal and written communication skills, be able to co-work effectively with colleagues and enjoy working in a busy multi-disciplinary team. The successful applicant will support assisting the qualified psychologist in enhancing the delivery of psychological care provided within the inpatient unit that meets LSCFT Trust objectives, national strategic and policy guidelines and user and carer needs and expectations.
The role involves the administration, scoring and report writing of psychometric assessments, standardised risk assessments, clinical formulation, support/consultation to staff and individual and group interventions.
You will be a strong team player, confident, motivated and well organised. You will have a good understanding of the role of therapeutic boundaries and the importance of multi-disciplinary working. Patience and commitment are essential, but above all you'll be someone with a genuine desire to help others at a point of crisis. We are looking for someone with a good degree in Psychology (BPS accredited) and preferably previous experience within an Assistant Psychologist role.
Working for our organisation
Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including secondary mental health care across this area. Specialist provision comprises inpatient child and adolescent mental health services, perinatal mental health and forensic services including low and medium secure care.
The Trust also provides a range of physical health and well-being services in the community alongside a range of partners in the Lancashire, Cumbria and Sefton area.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For further information about the role, please see the attached recruitment pack which includes a detailed job description and person specification, or visit our website via Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS FT.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
* An honours degree in psychology. Eligibility for graduate membership of BPS
Experience
Essential criteria
* Experience of working with clients with complex and enduring needs
Knowledge
Essential criteria
* Ability to communicate complex and sensitive information effectively in both oral and written formats, and in environments which are highly emotive and stressful.
* Commitment and ability to work with clients where there may be significant clinical, service, and system barriers to engagement.
* Ability to work independently and using own initiative on a day-to- day basis.
* Ability to organise and prioritise workloads within competing demands and goals, identified with psychological lead.
* Ability to work effectively in multi-disciplinary and agency services and teams.
* Computer literacy including skills in statistical packages, databases, and spreadsheets and in undertaking literature searches.
* Understanding of clinical, personal, and professional challenges of working in institutional settings and with risk-related needs.
Other
Essential criteria
* Willingness and ability to engage in breakaway and/or physical interventions and restraining training.
* Current driving licence or the means to transport self to visit clients and/or attend relevant service meetings.
* Commitment to promoting clients' rights and collaborative user involvement practices.
* Consent to full CRB check.
* Ability to establish clear personal and professional boundaries.
* Commitment to utilising supervision and to engaging in independent reflective practice.
* Demonstrable skills in coping with stressful environments and workloads.
Please note that further communication from Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCft) will normally be to the email address given on the application form. You should also ensure that email addresses and telephone numbers are provided for your referees, to enable LSCft to contact them.
Please be aware the use of artificial intelligence (AI) when submitting an application is monitored and if you have used AI to generate an application, you are required to declare this on your application form. AI-generated content may lack specificity and fail to address key criteria outlined in the job description. Personalisation is essential when submitting an application form to convey your skills, knowledge, and experiences effectively.
Please ensure that you read the person specification attached below as your application will be measured against this document. Applications from job share partners are welcome and other forms of flexible working will be considered for all posts.
For all posts which require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check please be aware of the Disclosure and Barring Service Code of Practice, a copy of which is available by logging on to the DBS website. If the post is subject to DBS disclosure, a charge will be made to the successful candidate(s).
You are advised to consider applying for LSCft vacancies as soon as possible as in some instances vacancies are closed as soon as a sufficient number of applications have been received. If you are not invited to interview within three weeks of the closing date then please assume that on this occasion you have been unsuccessful, as it is not possible to contact all unsuccessful candidates.
LSCft is committed to celebrating difference as an asset and we know that recruiting talent from diverse backgrounds helps to create a more flexible, creative and effective workforce. We actively challenge discrimination and welcome applications from people regardless of age, disability (particularly those with experience of accessing or caring for someone who has accessed mental health or learning disability services), ethnicity, gender, religion or belief or sexual orientation. Our goal is for the Trust to be truly representative of the communities we serve so we are particularly keen to receive applications from people in under-represented groups. If there is anything you'd like to discuss in relation to your application then please ask.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Application numbers
This vacancy may close early if it receives a high number of applications. You are therefore advised to consider applying for this vacancy as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Documents to download
* JD/PS (PDF, 456.4KB)
* NHS Staff Benefits - 2023 (PDF, 556.9KB)
* We Do More at LSCFT (PDF, 654.2KB)
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