The post is responsible for the provision of specialist psychological input to the Bedfordshire and Luton Adult Community Eating Disorder Service. This includes provision of psychological assessments, psychological formulations and delivery of psychological interventions to service users and their friends and families, and developing treatment plans and consulting to other members of the eating disorder service, and other statutory and third sector organisations involved in the service user’s care plan. The post holder will be involved in supporting service users and facilitating continuity of care before and following inpatient admissions. In addition, the post holder will contribute to service development initiatives and audit. Service users seen by the post holder will include people experiencing severe or complex eating disorders, and may present with high levels of physical and psychiatric risk and with high levels of distress. The post holder will work autonomously within professional guidelines. Assessments and interventions will be delivered at a variety of sites across the County of Bedfordshire and Luton and the post holder will be expected to travel and provide clinics and attend clinical and service meetings throughout the County.
• Provide specialist psychological assessments, based on the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources (including psychological tests, measures/rating scales, direct and indirect observation and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and involved others).
• Formulate and implement plans for the formal specialist psychological treatment and/or management of mental health problems across a range of care settings, using theoretical knowledge and evidence base to analyse, interpret and compare complex information in order to design specialist programmes of treatment for individuals, groups and families tailored to individual need.
• Provide expertise and psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other multidisciplinary professionals contributing directly to service users’ formulation, diagnosis and service planning. Ensure that multidisciplinary colleagues have access to a psychologically based framework for understanding the care of service users.
• Undertake risk assessment and management and to provide specialist advice on psychological and eating disorder related aspects of risk assessment and management.
• Share team responsibility to triage and screen appropriateness of referrals to the eating disorder team.
• Provide and receive highly complex, sensitive, distressing and emotional information in relation to health issues where there are often barriers to acceptance.
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Clinical
• Provide specialist psychological assessments, based on the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources (including psychological tests, measures/rating scales, direct and indirect observation and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and involved others).
• Formulate and implement plans for the formal specialist psychological treatment and/or management of mental health problems across a range of care settings, using theoretical knowledge and evidence base to analyse, interpret and compare complex information in order to design specialist programmes of treatment for individuals, groups and families tailored to individual need.
• Provide expertise and psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other multidisciplinary professionals contributing directly to service users’ formulation, diagnosis and service planning. Ensure that multidisciplinary colleagues have access to a psychologically based framework for understanding the care of service users.
• Undertake risk assessment and management and to provide specialist advice on psychological and eating disorder related aspects of risk assessment and management.
• Share team responsibility to triage and screen appropriateness of referrals to the eating disorder team.
• Provide and receive highly complex, sensitive, distressing and emotional information in relation to health issues where there are often barriers to acceptance.
• Improve access and reduce inequality through offering a service mindful of the needs of individuals and families from a wide range of racial, cultural, sexual, religious and social backgrounds and to develop with colleagues innovative ways of communicating and working across language and cultural barriers.
• Develop working relationships with relevant statutory, voluntary and community groups and organisations. Provide expert consultation about the psychological care of the service user group to external staff and organisations.
• Record, monitor and report on clinical work and communicating complex clinical information to a variety of recipients, e.g. service users, families and carers, other professionals, formal panels and statutory and voluntary organisations, orally, in writing and/or electronically.
• Comply with governance systems in place for the provision and monitoring of clinical and professional supervision of qualified and unqualified psychological practitioners across the directorate.
• Ensure practice within relevant guidelines for professional practice (BPS/HCPC/BABCP etc).
• Ensure the development, maintenance and development of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes.
Administration
• Agree work/caseload levels with team manager and professional lead, and manage own workload to meet expected activity levels.
• Participate in clinical supervision, appraisal and development planning, identifying and agreeing training needs.
• Maintain up to date knowledge of relevant legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to the provision of services.
• Support service development and quality improvement initiatives within the directorate, in line with directorate priorities and in response to identified local need.
• Attend regular service meetings to develop and maintain high standards of professional knowledge and practice in services.
• Attend multidisciplinary team meetings related to service governance and development as required.
Management
· Agree work/caseload levels with team manager and professional lead, and manage own workload to meet expected activity levels.
· Participate in clinical supervision, appraisal and development planning, identifying and agreeing training needs.
· Maintain up to date knowledge of relevant legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to the provision of services.
· Attend regular service meetings to develop and maintain high standards of professional knowledge and practice in services.
· Attend multidisciplinary team meetings related to service governance and development as required.
Human Resources
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with post-holder’s professional and team/operational manager(s).
To keep abreast of developments in psychological assessment and
treatment of people with mental health difficulties through self -directed reading, attendance at CPD events, and through own supervision.
• Develop knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and
issues in relation to adult and older adult mental health.
• Undergo regular performance appraisal and review.
• Receive regular clinical professional supervision from a qualified
Psychologist in accordance with good practice guidance from the
BPS.
• To contribute to the development of colleagues’ understanding of psychological aspects of care through informal and formal discussion/presentation.
• Undertake mandatory training in line with Trust requirements.
Performance and Quality
• Support service development and quality improvement initiatives within the directorate, in line with directorate priorities and in response to identified local need.
• Support systems for evaluation, monitoring and development of the directorate’s psychological services to ensure services are delivered in line with Trust policies, national guidance and evidence based practice.
• Support and contribute to service related and/or academic research within the team.
• Provide accurate and timely clinical information as required and input into Trust electronic record systems.
• Use information technology in line with Trust and NHS information governance requirements, and maintain up to date knowledge of systems and governance requirements.
• Collate and report on information across service area using information systems to a high standard.
Financial and Physical Resources
• Contribute to the responsible management of equipment and resources required for the ongoing provision of a high standard of psychological service to the directorate.
This advert closes on Sunday 27 Apr 2025