Job summary
We have an exciting opportunity for a band 7 Clinical/ Counselling Psychologist.
I'm Melanie, I am the Consultant Clinical Psychologist for the Psychological Skills service (PSS). I helped to set up the service 3 years ago, I feel very passionate about the service and how it promotes a trauma informed approach to thinking about service users and in delivering therapy. In the team we have a range of psychological professionals including counselling psychologists, CBT therapists, CAPs and assistant psychologists. I really value everyone's contribution to the development of the service.
PSS are looking for an energetic, compassionate and flexible Psychologist who wants to work within an exciting new team. We would like someone who is interested in understanding more about the effects of complex trauma and spreading that message.
PSS is a new service that was developed to bridge the gap between primary and secondary care. We deliver different levels of individual therapy and group therapy and draw from a range of models including; CBT, CBTp, ACT, CFT, schema and EMDR. All our service users get a trauma informed formulation. We encourage service development and take therapy breaks twice a year to focus on improving what we do. We support ongoing training and provide weekly and individual supervision.
https://www.cpft.nhs.uk/the-psychological-skills-service-/
Main duties of the job
You will work alongside psychological professionals within the Central team and across the wider team who work county wide.
You will carry out trauma informed psychological formulations with service users to understand what therapy can help with their difficulties and what they are ready for.
You will deliver a range of therapeutic groups that draw on trauma stabilisation, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), schema therapy, Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Compassion Focussed Therapy (CFT).
You will also supervise Clinical Associates in Psychology, Assistant Psychologists, and support workers. There will be opportunities to develop other group and individual interventions / pathways and to be involved in service evaluation. Longer term, there are opportunities to support the development of an evidence based psychological treatment pathway for people living with the consequences of multiple and repeated traumas (e.g. EMDR/ trauma focused CBT).
Please note for this role you will be required to travel independently around the county meeting strict time deadlines. You will need to hold a full UK driving licence* and have use of a vehicle. You cannot usepublic transport for this role as this is not a reliable form of transport and will not allow you to meet service needs. Please confirm in your application that you meet the specified criteria.
*DVLA have a number ofreciprocalarrangements with overseas countries, for further information please visit the DVLA website
About us
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health & social care organisation dedicated to providing high quality care with compassion to improve the health & wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting & empowering them to lead a fulfilling life.
Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services not only via inpatient and primary care setting but also with the community. These services include Children, Adult & Older Peoples mental & physical health, Forensic & Specialist mental health, Learning Disabilities, Primary Care & Liaison psychiatry, Substance misuse, Social care, Research & Development.
To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high calibre candidates that share our vision & values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including disabled people & members of our ethnic minorities & LGBTQ+ communities.
Relocation package available (conditions apply).
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities
- To provide psychological assessments of clients referred to the psychology service within the Psychological skills service based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the clients care.
- To develop psychological formulations of presenting problems or situations that integrate information from assessments within a coherent framework that draws upon psychological theory and evidence and which incorporates interpersonal, societal, cultural and biological factors
- To develop and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a clients mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings
- To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across teams, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
- To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family, carers or group.
- To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients, and manage and maintain a caseload in line with service guidelines and under the overall co-ordination of the Lead Psychologists.
- To provide specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.
- To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings and agencies serving the client group
- To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management in line with Trust and inter-agency policies and procedures
- To communicate, in a skilled and sensitive manner, to clients, family carers and others as appropriate, information that may be contentious or highly distressing concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential
- Doctorate level training in clinical or applied psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical, psychometrics, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the BPS, or a BPS Statement of Equivalence.
Desirable
- Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis
Experience
Essential
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment, formulation and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings.
- Experience of working with people with complex and severe mental health problems
- 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.
- Proven ability to communicate clearly in difficult and complex situations.
- Ability to meet agreed/ specified service targets
- Experience of service evaluation/audits
Desirable
- Experience of working with clients with cognitive/ learning difficulties
- Experience supervising others
- Experience of completing risk assessments
Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, psychological formulation, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration. This requires the use of highly developed analytical and judgement skills.
- Skills in individual and group work and in programme planning
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance, including regular supervision, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
Desirable
- Ability to deliver at least two specialised psychological therapies
Other
Essential
- Ability to exercise appropriate levels of self care and monitor own state, recognising when it is necessary to take active steps to maintain fitness to practice
- Able to travel independently
Knowledge and understanding
Essential
- An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental distress and an ability to think compassionately about the lived experience of mental illness
- Good understanding of other professionals' theoretical perspectives of the adult group.
Other
Essential
- Ability to travel independently
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.
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
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Peterborough Town Hall
17 Bridge Street
Peterborough
PE1 1HJ