Are you looking to join a service which prioritises psychologically informed and innovative approaches, with an emphasis on collaboration and coproduction? A service where the workforce prioritises service users driven by a combination of mental health professionals and people with lived experience working side by side?
CREST is an award winning (National Service User Awards 2023; Positive Practice in Mental Health awards 2024) and recently award-shortlisted (Nursing Times 2024 awards category - 'Best Recruitment Experience') regional community mental health service. Hosted by LYPFT on behalf of the West Yorkshire Integrated Care System (ICS), supporting individuals from the five places across West Yorkshire: Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield. CREST delivers new ways of working for people placed out of area (OOA) in locked settings, often termed "complex rehabilitation", across the country, to support them to be effectively repatriated from inpatient settings and forge new lives in less restricted environments. The aim is to empower people to define, build and live meaningful, independent, and satisfying lives nearer to home. Recurring feedback from evaluation with service users/families, providers and other stakeholders is that people working with the programme "feel
included", "clear on the plan" and appreciative of "commitment", "transparency" and "coproduction"., As an assistant psychologist with existing expertise drawn from previous assistant psychologist practice or work in psychological settings, you would be working alongside a growing team of psychological practitioners, a full MDT and peer recovery workforce. Co-working with people who hold lived experience is embedded in our service. You will support and enhance the clinical work and research activities of CREST.
Under supervision, you would contribute to the psychological delivery of the service, to help develop a team-based and psychologically informed understanding of the service users' needs, through a variety of methods, including clinical interventions, training, research and development. This will involve embedding trauma informed practice directly with service users and team members. You would expand your knowledge about Trust and region-wide ICS clinical and systemic practices. As CREST is a relatively young and developing service, you would have the opportunity to take a role in aspects of service development and evaluation, supporting the team delivered effective approaches utilising both best practice and cutting-edge innovation to deliver the highest quality care.
CREST is looking for a highly motivated and compassionate Band 5 Assistant Psychologist. The post holder will build upon their existing experience to support and enhance the psychological care offered within CREST. The post holder will support individuals whose difficulties are often described as 'complex' and may have traditionally been understood through diagnoses such as psychosis, bipolar disorder, personality disorder and complex trauma. Under supervision of registered psychologists, the post holder will contribute to the psychological delivery of the service, through a range of clinical care activities, including completion of detailed histories, multidisciplinary discussions, and contribution to assessment, formulation and care plans. There will be opportunities to work directly with service users in the appropriate setting, including joint working with members of the MDT, to scaffold and model low level psychological interventions.
The post holder will assist in clinically relevant administrative tasks. There may be opportunities to support the conduct of audits, collection of statistics/data, development of evaluation and/or research projects, teaching and project work. All work will be carried out within the overall framework of the team's policies and procedures.
The post holder will receive regular clinical supervision and management supervision in line with professional and Trust guidance, as well as attending team reflective practice. The post holder will have an annual appraisal and be supported to engage in CPD in line with their appraisal goals and objectives. The post holder will be responsible for maintaining associated records of clinical and research activity.
CREST is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and to creating a supportive workplace. The post holder will work with people from different cultural backgrounds and experiences and should be committed to equal opportunities.
We are passionate about supporting teams and services to be psychologically informed, maximising therapeutic potential and proportionate risk management. The successful applicant will have a keen interest of working within an MDT environment and adapting interventions for people with complex, diverse needs, and who may pose a risk of harm to themselves or others, including individuals with offence histories. They will share the team's service-user-centred approach, promoting collaborative formulation and risk assessment, accounting for links between trauma, distress and behaviours of concern. They will have a strong commitment to promoting recovery and supporting service users develop and work towards values-based goals to improve their quality of life.
As the role is regionwide, there would be combined direct and remote working to optimise both clinical delivery and staff wellbeing, following an induction period in the service. Flexible working hours can be considered in line with Trust processes.
As this is a regional service, there is a requirement for the post-holder to be able to drive to visit service users in a range of settings, including their own homes, supported living and inpatient settings as required. If the successful candidate is currently working towards their driving license, the post will be offered on a fixed term contract for 12 months initially.
Conversations about the post and CREST are welcomed, and you are invited to contact the people listed in this advert.
Please note, to support applicants demonstrate how they meet the criteria outlined in the job description and person specification in their supporting statement, this vacancy will NOT close early irrespective of the number of applications received.
We recruit people based on their values and believe that their lived experience is an advantage. We seek out potential, not perfection, and this means that together we are as diverse as the communities we care for.
Simply put, when we employ caring people who act with integrity and have the right skills, we can give those with mental health challenges, learning disabilities and neurodiversity high-quality care and support to live fulfilling lives, and make our staff feel purposeful, happy and valued., The Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT) is the main provider of Mental Health and Learning Disability services in Leeds. We also provide specialist inpatient services in York and some highly specialised services across the country. As a teaching trust with strong links to local universities, we are a centre of excellence for teaching, research and development.
There are many benefits of working for LYPFT including fantastic employee wellbeing support, 27 - 33 days annual leave, flexible working and remote working arrangements, the NHS Pension Scheme, coaching, support and opportunities for career development and training and education support alongside a range of exclusive discounts and payment schemes including for cars, extra leave days and more NHS Discount Offers.
We also have an incredible bank department, offering variety of roles in nursing, allied health professions, healthcare support worker and administration clerical. Permanent employees are automatically added to bank.
Applicants should be aware that for any individual who requires a visa to work in the UK, the Trust provides sponsorship for registered healthcare practitioner roles only. This is an essential requirement of the role, and the Trust is unable to offer you a role if you are unable to meet Trust requirements for sponsorship and Home Office requirements for a visa., LYPFT is committed to upholding its' statutory responsibilities in relation to safeguarding adults and children. Please refer to job description for further information.
Patient Safety is a priority at LYPFT with a focus on system-based improvement and creating opportunities for learning. We will ensure compassionate engagement with all those involved in an incident and all incidents are met with a proportionate response.
LYPFT is a member of the Disability Confident scheme and is committed to providing a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process.
As part of the Trust's commitment to its Gold Standard Armed Forces Covenant status, members of the Armed Forces Community are entitled to a guaranteed interview subject to meeting the role criteria.
We welcome applicants with lived experience of providing unpaid care and/or support to a family member or friend with a disability, health condition, frailty, mental health problem, addiction or other health needs.
Please note that the Trust reserves the right to close the vacancy before the closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received. It is in the candidates best interest to apply as soon as possible.
In view of Home Office Immigration Regulations all applicants must state their current immigration status, including expiry dates.
In submitting an application form, you authorise Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the ESR IAT process should you be appointed to the post.
In submitting an application for a role please ensure that you only declare qualifications that are relevant to the role itself. We reserve the right to check all declared qualifications on an application form, whether they are directly relevant to the role or not.
If you have not received any further communication from us within four weeks you are asked to assume that your application has been unsuccessful. If you should have any queries regarding progress with your application form please contact us.
Please note: The Trust does not offer reimbursement of interview expenses.