An exciting opportunity has arisen for a newly qualified or experienced Clinical/Counselling Psychologist to work on the Older Adult wards in the Older Adults Mental Health Inpatients Psychology Team at Prospect Park Hospital in Reading. This role would suit a candidate who is keen to apply a broad range of psychological skills, which would include consultation, formulation, behavioural support, neuropsychological assessment, therapeutic interventions, and contribution to service development.
We welcome applications for this band 7/8a Clinical/Counselling Psychologist role. There are opportunities for flexible working patterns which would include face-to-face clinical work as well as home working. We are also flexible in accommodating requests for part-time working days.
The post holder will be able to progress from band 7 to band 8a once they demonstrate that they meet the competencies specified for Band 8a level.
Main duties of the job
* Work on allocated wards - predominantly older adults. Offer psychological consultation to community and hospital staff (e.g. team formulation, teaching sessions, joint working, supervision and staff support groups).
* Clinical work with service users and carers involving assessment (including neuropsychological assessments and behavioural support assessments), formulation and interventions with varied and complex mental health and cognitive presentations.
* Contribute to service improvement initiatives in a ward/community team, as well as contributing to projects arising from the Inpatients Psychology Team.
About us
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.
Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:
* Caring for and about you is our top priority
* Committed to providing good quality, safe services
* Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions
Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:
* Flexible working options to support work-life balance
* 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
* Excellent learning and career development opportunities
* 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
* Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
* Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
* Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
* Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
* Free parking across Trust sites
Job responsibilities
The 5 "must haves" for you to be considered for this role:
1. Postgraduate doctoral qualification in Clinical or Counselling Psychology (or equivalent)
2. Experience working with adults and/or older adults with complex mental health problems, dementia or other disabilities and have excellent therapeutic and management skills.
3. Enjoy working in teams and providing psychological consultation, teaching and supervision.
4. Calm, confident and assertive in emotionally demanding situations, with the ability to set and maintain professional boundaries.
5. Self-motivated and confident, demonstrating initiative and determination to support clients and their families through creative engagement.
Inpatients Psychology Team overview
There are currently 14 Psychologists and an art therapist working across the hospital, supporting people experiencing a mental health crisis across seven wards: adult acute, older adult acute, older adult dementia and Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).
Job satisfaction can come from numerous areas in this diverse role. Under supervision of a Principal psychologist, you will take on a clinical caseload with older adults with complex mental health presentations and dementia. You will provide regular input to the multi-disciplinary team on your ward in the form of consultation, team formulation sessions, teaching and joint working. You will be part of the Inpatients Psychology team, supervise the Assistant Psychologist on your ward, and also receive peer support from the other ward Clinical/Counselling Psychologists. You will contribute to and/or lead on service development projects. This developmental post offers a fantastic opportunity for career development; if you demonstrate that you meet the competencies specified for band 8a, you will progress to band 8a.
The work of the Psychology team is highly valued by the staff, service users and carers at Prospect Park Hospital. A current member of the Psychology team said, "As a psychologist I have felt like a highly appreciated member of the team on the wards and my opinion is often requested."
There is also a supportive Psychology department across the hospital which offers opportunities for peer support, CPD and joint working. Currently, we have members working at both 8a and 8b levels which allows for career progression and continued service development. You will have an opportunity to contribute to the development of the team as it grows.
You will spend time working on the wards and also from home.
For further information about the role, please see the attached job description and person specification.
We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.
We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.
We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don't hesitate to call: Dr Claudia Kustner on 01189605257 or email: claudia.kustner@berkshire.nhs.uk who will be delighted to help.
Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications/Training for Clinical/Counselling Psychologist
* Postgraduate doctoral qualification in clinical or counselling psychology (or equivalent for those who trained prior to 1996 or for those who completed their training overseas) which provides eligibility for Chartered Membership of British Psychological Society (BPS)
* Registered and accredited with Health Care Professional Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist
Education/Qualifications/Training for All
* Additional training/ accreditations (or working towards these) to reflect post qualification interest/ specialism (e.g., Health Psychology, Neuropsychology, BABCP, UKCP, ACAT, BPS).
Continuous Professional Development
* Evidence of training and/or interest and knowledge in psychological models and therapeutic approaches relevant to the post.
* Commitment to continuing professional development as recommended by the relevant accrediting body.
Experience
* Experience of working in evidence-based ways with services users (and their carers/families) presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the range of settings, maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
* Experience of dealing with highly distressing or emotional circumstances, such as serious mental illness, child and sexual abuse, exploitation, and complex family dynamics
* Experience of working effectively in a multi-disciplinary team and multi-agency environment
* Experience of service development and carrying out clinical audit, evaluative research and applying the findings
* Experience of working with, and addressing issues of diversity, including experience of working with diversity, multiculturalism, and equality of access to service.
* Experience of delivering teaching and training to staff
* Experience of providing clinical supervision, mentoring, or providing structured guidance to other staff
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
* Demonstrable knowledge, skills and abilities in the practice of psychological/neuropsychological or psychotherapeutic assessment, formulation and intervention, relevant to the service area.
* Knowledge and understanding of service evaluation, audit and research and completing this in the NHS.
* Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, technical and/or sensitive information to service users, their carers/families and other professional colleagues, both within and outside the NHS
* Well-developed interpersonal skills, with the ability to support, influence and engage with clinicians, stakeholders and service users to create change and improvement
* The ability and skills to act as an advocate for the service, to engage and foster good professional relationships with all health professionals in promoting the good integration of this service with the wider health care system.
* Advanced IT skills and the ability to navigate various systems and software packages (such as RiO, Outlook, databases, MS office/Teams, One Consultation and the internet).
Additional Requirements
* Able to work flexibly around working patterns as required, and ability to travel independently between locations in Berkshire to fulfil the requirements and duties of the position
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Principle Clinical / Counselling Psychologist
£46,148 to £60,504 a year per annum, pro rata
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