Clinical Psychologist in Neuropsychology
Hobbs Rehabilitation at Laverstock Care Centre is expanding its service, and we are looking to recruit a Clinical Psychologist to work full time in our residential neurological rehabilitation team. The successful candidate will work alongside an experienced Clinical Neuropsychologist and contribute to neuropsychological rehabilitation alongside a dynamic and friendly team of allied health professionals and a Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine. There will be additional scope to develop skills in outpatient neurological rehabilitation at our base in Winchester.
Main duties of the job
To work as an autonomous practitioner within HCPC and BPS guidelines, within the Neuropsychology service at Hobbs Rehabilitation at Laverstock Care Centre in Salisbury alongside the neuropsychology lead there, and at the Hobbs outpatient facility at Winchester. To be responsible for psychological aspects of neurological rehabilitation including specialist neuropsychological assessment and intervention. To work with clients with complex health, social and psychological needs, their therapists and other stakeholders (e.g. funders, case managers etc). To ensure the systematic provision of a high-quality Clinical Psychology service to clients referred to the Neuropsychology service. To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate to Assistant Psychologists. To contribute to service evaluation, audit and occasional teaching.
Job responsibilities
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
To provide complex psychological assessment and therapy, at the same time offering advice and consultation on clients' psychological care to non-psychologist colleagues and to other non-professional carers whilst working autonomously within professional guidelines. To gather and integrate complex data and information in order to deliver specialist psychological interventions in a range of formats (1:1, couple, family and group interventions).
To utilise research skills in order to contribute to audit, policy and service development and research within areas specified by Hobbs Rehabilitation, undertaking agreed personal research and development that fits within the ethos of the company. To evaluate outcomes and develop individual interventions accordingly.
To work as an autonomous practitioner in an intensive residential rehabilitation service, outpatient services and occasionally in peoples' homes. To be individually accountable for all clinical decisions within professional guidelines whilst consulting appropriately with peers and receiving clinical supervision as per British Psychological Society and HCPC guidelines.
To provide supervision within the department, for example, to any Assistant Psychologists and/or Student Psychologists as required.
To contribute to developing, delivering and evaluating formal and informal teaching and training given to healthcare staff in psychological skills to enhance the efficiency and dissemination of psychological knowledge and practice.
CUSTOMER CARE FOR CLIENTS
Clinical:
To conduct specialist clinical psychology assessments of clients with complex needs who are referred to the neuropsychology service.
Assessments will be based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a wide variety of sources including neuropsychological tests, psychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect observation and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in their care.
To provide expert formulations and highly specialised psychological treatments for clients diagnosed with adult-acquired neurological conditions with complex difficulties. Additionally, to offer specialist formulation and intervention to clients with mild traumatic brain injury/Post-Concussion Syndrome and Functional Neurological Disorders.
To be responsible for implementing a wide range of psychological interventions for individuals and groups and when appropriate, family members, choosing from a range of treatment options or expert opinions, using clinical judgement and knowledge of evidence-based approaches to plan, implement and evaluate treatments. To provide tailored interventions to meet the needs of those affected by neuropsychological difficulties.
In making such decisions theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors will be considered (such as medical, psychological, historical, and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family, or group).
To develop, deliver and systematically evaluate the psychological care provided to patients with neurological conditions. To provide highly specialised advice concerning the care and treatment of clients and those around them (e.g. families and other professionals).
To provide highly specialist neuropsychological assessment to aid diagnosis and inform rehabilitation. To use highly specialised test equipment to achieve this. To adopt an evidence-based rationale for test selection and administer tests across domains including of pre-morbid functioning, perception, intelligence, memory, language and executive functioning.
To contribute to ensuring that clients receive well co-coordinated care, through liaison with other staff, attendance at relevant team meetings, and relevant meetings involving outside agencies.
To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and provide general advice to other professionals working with the individual on psychological aspects of risk management and assessment.
To participate in professional development and maintain appropriate levels of registration/accreditation.
To use clinical/professional supervision offered appropriately (e.g. preparing an agenda, preparing clinical cases for discussion, actively participating in the setting of dates for supervision etc. bringing reports and other written work to the supervisor if help/advice is required).
To contribute and adhere to a job plan as required.
COMMUNICATION
Professional Practice
To contribute to the development, maintenance, and dissemination of the highest professional standards of practice through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes.
To contribute to the development and articulation of best practice in neuropsychology within the service area and contribute across the service by exercising the skills of a reflexive and reflective scientist-practitioner, taking part in regular professional supervision, appraisal and training, and being actively engaged with current developments in the fields of clinical health psychology, neuropsychology and related disciplines.
To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping, including electronic data entry as necessary; recording, report-writing and responsible exercise of professional self-governance in accordance with professional codes of practice of the British Psychological Society, HCPC, and Hobbs Rehabilitation policies and procedures.
PLANNING AND ORGANISATION
Policy and Service Development:
Advising both the service and professional management on those aspects of the service where psychological matters need addressing.
To contribute to judgments on service and policy developments after analysing and comparing a range of options and proposing changes to policy or service on the basis on this.
To contribute to the wider organizational policy and intervention in accordance with Hobbs values and vision.
Research and Development Activity
To contribute to practice-based research using validated questionnaires and service evaluation of clinical outcomes using qualitative and quantitative methods (e.g. evaluating own clinical outcomes and efficacy of psychological care provision) using reflective scientist practitioner skills. To approach all work as single case research utilising theory, evidence-based literature, and research to support evidence-based practice.
To contribute to complex audit for clinical activities; interpreting and analysing routine clinical outcome audit as required.
BUDGETARY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
STAFF MANAGEMENT
To cover some line management responsibilities for the Assistant Psychologist (service lead leave etc).
TEACHING, TRAINING AND RESEARCH RESPONSIBILITIES
To provide advice and consultancy to other staff in relation to psychological aspects of their work, and to offer formal teaching and training on topics related to psychological concepts and skills, particularly where this would enhance the availability or quality of client services.
To undertake occasional formal and informal teaching within Hobbs centres and in the community with the purpose of encouraging and supporting the development of psychological approaches to treatment and enhancing client recovery and to contribute to other staff training initiatives within the organisation as appropriate.
To maintain and develop skills in professional pre and post graduate teaching, training and clinical supervision.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This job description is designed to assist post holders with understanding what is expected of them in their role. Hobbs Rehabilitation Directors in consultation with the Head of Psychology at Hobbs may ask the post-holder to undertake other duties, as required, which are not necessarily specified on the job description, but which are commensurate with the grade of the post.
The job description itself may be amended from time to time in consultation with the post holder, within the scope and general level of responsibility attached to the post.
All post holders must take responsibility to ensure that they are aware of and adhere to all Hobbs policies, procedures and guidelines relating to their employment regardless of their position within the organisation.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
* Registered as an Applied Psychology Practitioner member of the HCPC.
* Post-doctoral training in additional specialised area of psychological practice, preferably neuropsychology or health psychology
* Completion of supervisor training so job holder is able to supervise trainee clinical psychologists undertaking doctoral training
* Completed or currently undertaking the Qualification in Clinical Neuropsychology (QiCN) BPS
Other specific requirements
* Ability to work alone in a care home setting, to assess and manage any risk associated with this with support.
* Ability to sit frequently for long periods of time requiring intense concentration, typically for one to three hours during assessments/clinical work or writing in-depth complex reports, e.g. at a computer.
* To be responsible for organizing the use and return of appropriate resources (e.g. test equipment) for patient assessment and care planning.
* To ensure adherence to organisational policy regarding medical notes.
* Ability to carry test equipment/other work materials and manoeuvre clients appropriately in wheelchairs always observing individualised manual handling guidelines.
Skills and abilities
* Ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism and cope with highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse or other distressing histories, emotional/behavioural difficulties and disturbances.
* Experience of exercising clinical responsibility for service users psychological care and treatment and for professional actions within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan.
* Skills in applying theory and evidenced based psychological approaches and interventions for the care of people with physical health problems.
* Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment and clinical neuropsychological assessment, frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration and in restricted positions for long periods of time.
* Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing. This will include communicating highly technical, complex and clinically sensitive information to service users, their families, carers and other professional colleagues.
* Ability to work flexibly and under pressure while delivering high quality work with well-developed skills in planning, organising and prioritising clinical work according to the needs of oneself, others and unpredictable events.
* Ability to make decisions based on rapidly changing information, taking into account service users emotional state and factors contributing to clinical risk and an understanding of the need to seek guidance from senior colleagues when appropriate. Including the ability to contain and work with organisational stress and ability to hold the stress of others.
* Ability to identify, promote and/or provide appropriate means of support for close relatives, carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and behaviours that challenge.
* Knowledge of clinical standards in record keeping and integrity with regards to managing sensitive and/or confidential information shared by service users, close relatives and staff.
* Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of data gathered for research purposes.
* Ability to be compassionate, flexible, sensitive and committed with an enthusiasm for multi-disciplinary working and a thoughtful approach to developing psychological services within this context.
* Ability to recognise the extent and limitations of ones own knowledge and skills, and to seek appropriate guidance where necessary.
* Car driver with full UK licence and access to a car.
* Skills in applying theory and evidenced based psychological approaches/interventions to neuropsychological rehabilitation.
Experience
* Knowledge of theory and application of psychological approaches and interventions for people with physical health problems.
* Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment and intervention, frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
* Foundation skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
* Knowledge of legislation in relation to people with mental health, acquired brain injury and neurological conditions.
* Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex statistical analysis as practiced within the field of Clinical Psychology.
* Knowledge of the use clinical governance to support and maintain good clinical practice.
* Aware of the needs of individuals from diverse social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and experience of applying psychological practice within this context.
* Experience of multidisciplinary working with adults presenting with acquired neurological disorders and presenting problems that reflect the whole life span, full range of clinical severity and full range of care settings including inpatient, outpatient, community and residential care settings.
* Experience of working independently as an autonomous clinician in and accordance with professional, service and organisational policies, with an appropriate level of clinical and organisational supervision.
* Experience of facilitating staff teaching and training.
* Knowledge or experience of the theory and practice of neuropsychological rehabilitation including ways of working with people with complex disability in an acute setting.
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.
£46,000 to £53,000 a year depending on experience.
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