Job description

Job responsibilities

MAIN DUTIES

Team Leadership

• To assist the team manager in ensuring that we deliver a high quality trauma-informed service for PMHT, and are achieving effective operational performance in accordance with the objectives of the children, young people and families we serve, the paediatricians who refer them and the CAMHS / Children and Young Peoples Integrated Care Service Unit (CYP ICSU)
• To ensure that services are developed and provided by the service that are of the highest standard in terms of fair access, equality of opportunity and that uphold anti-discriminatory practice
• To provide professional/ clinical supervision and line management to PMHT staff, as required by the Team Manager
• To ensure (supported by the team manager and clinical lead) that practice within the team is evidence based, person centred, meets relevant standards, is appropriate, timely, effective, safe and follows agreed professional practice
• To support the management of referrals into the service, ensuring that work which is accepted into the service meets with the eligibility criteria and that other referrals are re-directed to other appropriate agencies
• To provide work as an effective team member, supporting colleagues, and offering guidance where needed from the discipline of psychology. Supporting the wider MDT in the same way.
• To establish and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues, children and young people, parents and other key stakeholders
• To attend regular meetings, training, reflective practice and team building with the goal of promoting a working environment that is transparent, safe, honest, supportive and solution focussed and support others to do so also
• To ensure the appropriate and accurate use of the Whittington client information data base systems.
• To contribute to the ongoing development of Service-User participation and ensuring the voices of young people and parents/carers are involved in the development and shaping of the PMHT.
• To support other Team Management duties as required.

Clinical

• To rapidly engage children, young people and families in assessments of psychological need and access, interpret and integrate complex data from a variety of sources to robustly analyse risk and formulate plans (including risk management plans) to reduce the distress of children, young people and families and increase their safety.
• Communicate these plans effectively to a range of professionals and liaise with networks to ensure that children, young people and families get their needs met.
• Provide short term, immediate advice to other professions on how to meet individuals needs, reduce distress and increase safety. Communicate and advocate for any identified longer term needs to be met, thinking creatively about overcoming barriers to access where these exist.
• Ensuring (alongside the team manager and lead clinician) that the team only accepts referrals that meet the eligibility criteria and that other referrals are re-directed to other appropriate agencies
• Understand the wide provision in The NCL boroughs and use this information for accurate signposting of children, young people and families
• Evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account highly complex individual formulations co-created with children, young people and their families, and taking into account the reason for referral, the goals of the patient, their treatment journey to date and evidence-based practice guidelines.
• Provide specialist expertise, advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to children and young people formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan
• Contribute directly and indirectly to a framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all children, young people and families seen by PMHT.
• Be well practiced in using psychological measures and risk assessment tools. Be able to undertake cognitive and neurodevelopmental assessments.
• Communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of children, young people and families under your care.

Person Specification

Education / Qualifications

Essential

• Post-graduate/ doctoral level qualification in Clinical or Counselling Psychology
• Membership of HCPC

Desirable

• Qualification in CBT

Skills & Abilities

Essential

• Skills in facilitating client's participation in use of routine outcome measures.
• Skills in effective communication, orally and in writing, of complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS,
• Skills in assessment of risk, in relation to mental health and safeguarding issues
• Experience of supporting other professionals in mental health risk management
• Skills in working across agencies in relation to risk and to managing issues of confidentiality and information sharing.
• Ability to maintain appropriate clinical records and in use of electronic recording systems
• Ability to supervise other clinicians, assistants and trainees in their work
• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management for a paediatric population
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
• The ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems.

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• Post qualification experience working in a CAMHS setting.
• Knowledge and experience of the theory and practice of specialised psychological approaches for specific problems encountered in paediatric mental health and neonatal care (e.g. traumatic reactions, bereavement, adherence difficulties, preparation for medical treatment).
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group (eg with regard to child protection and consent to treatment)
• Experience delivering clinical work in paediatric setting,
• 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
• Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts
• Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by your professional body

Desirable

• Experience working with bereaved parents
• Experience of working with families of children with chronic conditions
• Experience of working in an intensive care setting as a psychologist
• Knowledge of a number of medical conditions and the impact of their treatment on quality of life
• Experience offering consultation and support to other professionals in a paediatric context
• Formal training in supervision of other psychologists

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website .

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants .

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website .

Employer details

Employer name

Whittington Hospital NHS Trust

Address

Whittington Hospital

Magdala Avenue

London

N19 5NF