Clinical/Counselling Psychologist – Active Together Programme
This is a very exciting opportunity for an experienced Clinical/Counselling Psychologist to support the development, implementation, continuous monitoring and improvement of the Active Together Programme. The post is available as a Band 7 development post, with progression to a Band 8a post within 12-24 months on satisfactory completion of competencies.
The overall purpose of this role is to lead, establish, deliver and sustain the success of the psychological element of the Active Together Programme at Airedale.
This role includes working under the guidance of the therapy operational manager for the Active Together Programme to take the service to full operational status, and with meeting Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
The clinical/counselling psychologist will also ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of the psychological service ensuring the delivery of evidence-based practice, better outcomes for patients and the development of services within the Trust.
The successful candidate will also be a part of the friendly and supportive wider Healthcare Psychology service, with opportunities for peer support, CPD and provision of clinical supervision.
Main duties of the job
The Active Together programme will run alongside the existing diagnostic and treatment pathways to ensure patients are optimally prepared for treatment and beyond. It aims to maximise resilience to treatment, improve longer term health, minimise side effects and empower patients to be partners in their healthcare.
This is a funded 5-year programme which will have staged implementation into all relevant cancer pathways. Patients will receive individual assessments and be triaged into a support pathway suitable to their needs. This may be delivered within locality or selected facilities closest to the patient's home or may be a self-management pathway.
The Post Holder will:
1. Support the implementation of the cancer prehabilitation services at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, in conjunction with the service manager.
2. Coordinate psychological input to patients referred into the Airedale NHS Foundation Trust Cancer Prehabilitation service.
3. Contribute to the development of an evidence-based psychological pathway for patients with a cancer diagnosis, with curative intent, across multiple cancer pathways.
4. Provide evidence-based advice, teaching and supervision to other members of the Active Together Service and the wider MDT.
5. Contribute to the development of guidelines, protocols and procedures that ensure patient safety.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Post-graduate Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (or equivalent for those trained before 1986) as accredited by the British Psychological Society.
* HCPC registered clinical or counselling psychologist.
* Further training in a specialised area of clinical practice through post-doctoral training or a combination of specialist short courses together with an evidence portfolio of supervised practice-based learning e.g. CBT, ACT, CFT, motivational interviewing etc.
* Member of relevant Professional special interest groups.
* Recent post graduate courses relevant to the Cancer/Cancer rehabilitation.
* Training in Leadership/Management.
* Completion of formal clinical supervisor training sufficient to be able to supervise doctoral trainees.
Experience
* Experience of multidisciplinary team working.
* Experienced in use of IT applications.
* Experience of multidisciplinary guideline development, implementation, and audit.
* Experience of clinical supervision both as supervisee and supervisor.
* Recent experience of teaching/training provision.
* Recent experience of leadership/management role.
* Experience of leading on Projects/service improvements.
* Experience in dealing with Human Resource issues such as recruitment and retention, performance management and sickness.
* Experience of setting up a service.
* Experience of managing other people including conducting annual reviews.
* Experience in working clinically in healthcare psychology, providing specialist psychological assessment and treatment of a wide range of presenting problems.
* Experience of Oncology and/or Palliative care work.
Knowledge
* Level of knowledge and clinical reasoning skills to support clinical practice in cancer care and rehabilitation.
* Knowledge of the principles of clinical governance, audit, and research.
* Knowledge, application, and analysis of standardised and non-standardised assessment tools.
* Knowledge of treatments and consequences of treatment related side effects on a person living with and beyond cancers.
* Knowledge of the roles of other professionals and the principles of partnership working with key stakeholders.
* Knowledge of the principles of student-centred learning and reflective practice.
* Knowledge of relevant national and local legislation relevant to cancer care and rehabilitation.
Skills
* Be able to utilise psychometric tests competently.
* Excellent communication and counselling skills including observation, listening, motivational interviewing, and empathy.
* Excellent planning and organisational skills and ability to facilitate these skills in others.
Personal Attributes
* Supportive, approachable, tactful, and diplomatic.
* Highly flexible to meet own and service needs and be open to new ideas.
* Always conducts self professionally and able to adapt approach to a range of situations.
Other
* Current UK driving license.
* Access to own transport.
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.
Therapy Manager of the Active Together Service
£46,148 to £60,504 a year pro rata per annum
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Part-time
Reference number
423-6903234
Job locations
Airedale NHS Foundation Trust
#J-18808-Ljbffr