Job summary
We are looking for a dedicated, enthusiastic and compassionate assistant psychologist to work in our friendly multidisciplinary team and support the delivery of a mental health and therapy service to children, young people and families in Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale, based with CAMHS at Birch Hill Hospital.
Our team includes a range of disciplines including psychologists,mental health practitioners, psychological therapists, speech and language and occupational therapists, psychiatrists and youth workers.
We are passionate about supporting staff wellbeing and development and offer a range of opportunities for our team to continue to develop, including high quality supervision, reflective group discussions and psychological therapies training days. We will support your career development by agreeing a collaborative development plan and supporting you to develop your knowledge and skills.
Main duties of the job
You will be working alongside the clinical psychologists in the team to support the delivery of an evidence based, empathic and effective service. This post specifically supports our neurodevelopmental assessment pathways, and work can include
1. Supporting mental health and psychological assessments and care plans using a range of psychological models
2. Completing cognitive assessments, writing accessible reports and offering support to case managers to feedback the findings
3. Completing detailed developmental histories with families/ parents, and being trained in the delivery of QB testing
4. Contributing to the delivery of group offers and of post-diagnostic workshops for parents
5. Supporting evidence-based practice and service delivery by completing literature and research reviews
6. Supporting the development, implementation and evaluation of service improvement projects
7. Creating and updating therapeutic and information resources
8. Contributing to teamwork through reflective practice, team meetings, peer supervision and training
9. Completing clinical observations to inform assessments and formulations
About us
We are proud to provide high quality mental health and learning disability services, both inpatient and in the community across five boroughs of Greater Manchester - Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport and Tameside and Glossop.
Our vision is for a happier and more hopeful life for everyone in our communities and our staff work hard to deliver the very best care for the people who use our services. We're really proud of our #PennineCarePeople and do everything we can to make sure we're a great place to work.
All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership are encouraged to apply for this post. We would also encourage applications from individuals with a lived experience of mental illness, either individually or as a carer.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see job description and person specification. We would be happy to discuss the job role in more detail or answer any questions.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential
10. An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology. Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society
Desirable
11. Undergraduate research relevant to Child Psychology
12. Further postgraduate training in relevant areas of psychology and / or mental health
Experience
Essential
13. Experience as a Psychology Assistant
Desirable
14. Experience using micro computers for data analysis, especially SPSS for Windows
Knowledge
Essential
15. An understanding of the difficulties of children with neurodevelopmental conditions and / or mental health problems and the needs of their carers
16. An understanding of psychology applied to health care
17. Knowledge of child development
Desirable
18. Evidence of ability to design and evaluate research projects relevant to Clinical Psychology
Skills and Abilities
Essential
19. High level of communication skills (written and verbal)
20. Ability to communicate sensitive information to patients, carers and colleagues in a way that addresses psychological resistance
21. Ability to devise observational measures
22. An ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines. An ability to interact with children with mental health problems / disabilities and their families
23. Ability to accept and use supervision appropriately and effectively
Desirable
24. High Standard of report writing
25. An interest in working with children with mental health problems / disabilities and their families
26. A desire to explore a career in Clinical Psychology
Work Related Circumstances
Essential
27. Use of a car or access to a means of mobility to travel across the Trust footprint in line with service needs