Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.
The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for three consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.
Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Practitioner Psychologist/ Psychological Therapist to join the NELFT Clinical Health Psychological Services (CHPS). This is a senior WTE split role that involves working across two services for adults and their families. 1) Long Term Conditions (LTC) Psychology Service in Barking & Dagenham, and 2) CHPS in Waltham Forest.
The post holder will be required to be an autonomous practitioner and to have expertise in managing referrals, triaging patients and signposting referrals/ sitting on a panel to consider referrals with other mental health services in Waltham Forest and in Barking and Dagenham, such as Talking Therapies, Mental Health and Wellness Teams and other relevant secondary mental health services, and psychiatric liaison services/voluntary services. A solid and robust understanding and knowledge of mental health presentations and clinical risk is hence essential, as is the ability to offer consultation and advice to non-psychology staff in risk assessment, and clinical health presentations. The postholder will offer a clinical psychology perspective on cases, which will include neuropsychological assessments and interventions when required.
Main duties of the job
To provide a specialist psychological therapy assessment and treatment service for patients with LTC, carers and their families, who are referred with complex mental health difficulties in relation to their physical health. Delivering at least 2-3 high quality specialist clinical interventions in line with national guidance1. To provide comprehensive mental health needs and risk assessments of referred patients and carers. To be an active and integrated member of the LTC multi-disciplinary team, .4. To sit on a panel with other B&D mental health services to triage psychological referrals in lines with the stepped-care To be a key member of the broader NELFT Clinical Health Psychological Service, and to provide specialised training and consultation to other professionals working across different tiers of service and within the wider NELFT service provide supervision to newly qualified and trainee clinical/counselling psychologists, psychotherapists, assistant psychologists and/or staff or students as To take responsibility for the analysis and reporting on key performance targets (KPS’s), as set in the SLA with NHSE, taking appropriate action in collaboration with the Operational Lead for Clinical Health Psychological Services and the Community Lead Psychologist leading CHPS.
Working for our organisation
Starting with NELFT
NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop-in sessions focusing on engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.
Probationary Period
This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).
High-Cost Area Supplement
This post also attracts payment for High-Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (minimum payment of £4,551 and a maximum payment of £5,735 per annum pro rata).
Use of AI
Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role and working at North East London NHS Foundation Trust. We encourage you to refer closely to this when completing your application.
We welcome your application even if you do not meet all the criteria listed in the person specification. Any development needs to help you succeed in the role, can be discussed at the interview stage.
NELFT is dedicated to the on-going improvement of services across the lifespan and recognise the importance of research, evaluation and development in this process. Due to the recent and on-going expansion of the Clinical Health Psychological Service (CHPS), there are also excellent opportunities for joint working, supervision and CPD, while working with highly skilled psychology colleagues specialising in long term physical health conditions.
The post holder will work as an autonomous professional within HCPC and BPS guidelines and Codes of Conduct, guided by principles and policies or procedures of the service, taking responsibility for interpreting policies, within defined parameters. They will agree outcomes with the Psychological Professional Lead for CHPS and the CHPS Community Teams Lead in B&D Psychological Services.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. HCPC Registered Practitioner Psychologist/ UK Registration as a psychotherapist/counsellor, eg UKCP, BABCP, BACP registered
Desirable criteria
2. Additional specialist training in advanced therapy skills, such as CBT, mindfulness, group, couples and family interventions
Person specification
Essential criteria
3. Experience of delivering psychological therapy to a wide variety of client groups and presenting problems, reflecting the full range of clinical severity, across a range of care settings, including outpatient, community, and in patient settings, within the NHS
4. Commitment to working collaboratively in a multi-professional team
5. High level knowledge of clinical risk, and how to effectively assess, manage and communicate risk information, at times within crisis situations in a community setting.
6. Knowledge and ability to work with long-term health conditions
7. Up to date knowledge of NHS legislation, NICE Guidelines, and key developments in the field of Clinical Health Psychological Services
Desirable criteria
8. Experience of, or interest in, working with appearance-related distress, body image disturbances
9. Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies as applied to specific difficult to reach groups (such as: personality disorder or people with severe physical disabilities or learning disabilities).
10. Experience in working with carers and families in terms of carers support
11. Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the fields of clinical and counselling psychology.
12. Experience in delivering CBT interventions, specifically applied to Long Term Conditions
Knowledge
Essential criteria
13. An awareness of NHS Plan, NSF and clinical governance priorities
Desirable criteria
14. Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the fields of clinical and counselling psychology.
Experience
Essential criteria
15. Experience of delivering psychological therapy in physical health services
Desirable criteria
16. Experience in delivering CBT interventions, specifically applied to Long Term Conditions
Benefits
We believe in bringing your authentic and best self to work, in order to deliver the best care to our patients. We are committed to supporting our employees holistically. Here is a snapshot of what is on offer at NELFT:
17. A long-standing and award-winning approach to equality and diversity with supportive networks for ethnic minority staff, staff with disabilities or long term/chronic conditions and LGBT staff.
18. A commitment to supporting colleagues to achieve a work life balance, through flexible working opportunities and our effortsto support our working parents and carers. This has resulted in us being recognised as a ‘Top 10 Family Friendly Employer’ from the Working Families Charity.
19. Proactive health and wellbeing support, including access to our employee assistance programme, staff psychological support, individual wellbeing conversations and a network of health and wellbeing ambassadors.
20. Detailed information about our wellbeing and benefits offer can be found in this link.
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s a job share, part time hours or another flexible pattern.