Job summary
Clinical Psychologist Band 7/8a
COPE is a longstanding, interdisciplinary pain management service. The team provides expert multidisciplinary assessment and management service for people with persistent pain for whom underlying treatable causes have been investigated and treated where appropriate. Patients referred to the service often present with complex medical and psychological problems and have often had a difficult journey in healthcare. We are looking for an committed applied psychologist to join the team and help us continue to maintain and develop this well established service. The role will involve group and individual work, training and supervision.
We will consider applications for those looking for a Band 7 role
Main duties of the job
To be responsible, with the consultant clinical psychologist, for providing high quality, specialist applied psychology input to COPE. This will include providing highly specialist psychological assessment and therapy including interdisciplinary group and individual pain management programmes, offering advice and consultation on psychological aspects of Pain Management to other health professionals and supporting other clinical team members who provide care based on psychological theories and principles. Where appropriate, the post holder will exercise autonomous professional responsibility for clinical decisions, working within professional guidelines and the team's policies and procedures. The post holder will be expected to utilise their knowledge of evidence based psychological interventions and research skills to identify and implement audit, research and service development projects. The post holder will also be involved in the training and continuing professional development of clinical psychologists and other health professionals.
About us
St George's, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group cares for a population of four million people in South West London and North East sites include St George's Hospital, one of 11 major trauma centres in the UK and the largest healthcare provider and major teaching hospital in the area; St Helier Hospital, home to the South West Thames Renal and Transplantation Unit and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children; and Epsom Hospital, home to the South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SWLEOC).
After years of collaboration, our two Trusts became a hospitals group in 2021. While remaining as two separate Trusts, being a hospitals group will help us to collaborate more closely on research, and the development, education, and training of our 17,000-strong workforce.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the attached supporting job description and person specification document which contains more information about the role and requirements. Please ensure your application refers to the job description and person specification.
The recruiting team reserve the right to close this advertisement early once applications reach maximum limit.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
1. Doctoral level qualification in applied psychology (Clinical, Counselling or Health)
2. HCPC registered
Desirable
3. Relevant post-doctoral training
Experience
Essential
4. Post-qualification assessed experience as applied psychologist with a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision
5. Experience of working with a wide range of clinical presentations including co-morbid physical and mental health conditions and chronic pain across a range of clinical severity and care settings
6. Experience of teaching, training and professional supervision
7. Ability to work well with other team members and enhance team dynamics
8. Ability to work autonomously in situations requiring careful clinical judgement.
Desirable
9. Experience of working in a chronic pain service
knowledge and skills
Essential
10. Highly skilled in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management with individuals, couples, families and groups
11. Knowledge of theory and practice in relation to the psychology of adjustment to illness, role of distress in interfering with treatment and recovery, adherence to and decision-making about treatment, and lifestyle changes to improve and maintain health.
12. Highly developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
Desirable
13. Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of applying psychological models to chronic pain