Job summary
Are you passionate about working with older people with both dementia and complex mental health conditions on an inpatient setting? Are you enthusiastic about working as part of a supportive, effective, and forward-thinking ward team? Do you want to be an integral member of an experienced older person's psychological therapies team consisting of Clinical Psychologists, Trainee Clinical Psychologists, Clinical Associate Psychologists and Trainee Clinical Associate Psychologists?
We are looking to recruit a Clinical Psychologist at Band 8a, with real enthusiasm to work across both the Older People's Mental Health (OPMH) organic inpatient service, Elmwood Ward (, and the functional mental health inpatient service, Beechwood Ward (, at Parklands Hospital. Elmwood Ward provides care to older people with organic conditions such as dementia and behaviour that challenges, and aims to provide an integrated service, supporting their families and the associated care systems. The ward provides a dementia-friendly environment, keeping patients at the heart of the service. The staff team are dedicated to excellent service delivery and base their work on the Newcastle Model.
Main duties of the job
Clinical Psychologist (Principal) Older Peoples' Mental Health inpatient service, Beechwood Ward (functional) and Elmwood Ward (organic), Parklands Hospital
To work as an autonomous, independent practitioner responsible for own work and intervention and for the interpretation of agreed guidelines and policies in providing a highly specialist Psychological Therapies Service. To continue the implementation of a psychological therapies service to OPMH patients on an organic inpatient unit (Elmwood Ward), and to provide psychological input onto a mental health inpatient unit (Beechwood Ward). To undertake complex assessments and consultancy, providing expert advice to Psychological Services colleagues and the wider clinical multi-professional team. To provide specialist treatment for complex cases and plan and prioritise own clinical workload. This includes the assessment and treatment of the behavioural and psychological symptoms of people with dementia. To comment and propose change to policy or service development within the area psychological service and team. To provide specialist supervision for trainee psychologists and to provide psychological guidance and supervision for multidisciplinary clinical colleagues. To undertake research and development and develop and encourage a research culture within the wider clinical team. To utilise research skills for audit, policy and service development and research.
About us
Southern Health is one of the largest NHS Foundation Trusts in the UK, specialising in mental health and learning disabilities, as well as offering physical health community-based services.
With a workforce of more than 7000 and a footprint that spans more than 200 sites across Hampshire, we're committed to providing the best possible healthcare, reaching a range of diverse communities, whilst placing patients and staff at the forefront of all our endeavours.
We are currently working closely with other NHS Trusts to combine all our collective community, mental health, and learning disability services, with the plan to create a new larger, more integrated and accessible organisation.
The transformation will happen in stages; Hampshire CAMHS, part of Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust joined Southern Health in February 2024, with Isle of Wight NHS Trust mental health and community services transitioning across in May 2024. The final combination of Southern Health and Solent NHS Trust services is expected in late 2024, when our new organisation, to be known as Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, will be formed.
Our new Trust will continue to cater to the unique needs of different communities, making healthcare across the county more accessible, as well as offering staff more opportunities for career development, training and partnership working.
Join us as we embark on this exciting journey to shape the future of healthcare in Hampshire.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached.
We are happy to talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
1. DClinPsy or DCounsPsy including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the BPS.
2. HCPC Registration
Desirable
3. Pre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
Experience
Essential
4. In depth experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in patient settings.
5. In depth experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
6. Demonstrate further specialist training/experience through having received a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision of working as an applied psychologist.
7. Experience of working within a Community Mental Health Team or inpatient service within the NHS.
Desirable
8. Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
9. Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
10. Experience of older peoples mental health
11. Experience of working with people with behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia or other presentations.
12. Experience of working with carers.
Additional Criteria
Essential
13. Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
14. Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
15. Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
16. Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
17. Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
18. Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
19. Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
20. Demonstrate an understanding of, and a commitment to the principles of recovery, choice and personalisation.
21. An ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines.
22. An ability to interact with compassionately people with severe mental health problems and organic conditions and their families/carers.
23. Ability to work independently, reliably and consistently with work agreed and managed at regular intervals.
24. Ability to undertake the duties and demands of the post. A satisfactory sickness record over the previous 2 years (subject to the need to act with fairness and equality of opportunity, particularly where the sickness is related to a disability and/or pregnancy).
Desirable
25. Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat in dementia and neurodegenerative conditions.
26. High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
27. Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
28. Experience of working within a multicultural framework.
29. Full driving licence and access to vehicle for work purposes.
30. An interest in working with older people with severe mental health problems and people living with dementia.