Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

KR 1 Clinical and Client Care

To provide highly specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions for clients in RWCDAS including specialist mental health and substance use interventions at levels expected of a psychologist who has achieved the equivalent of a PG Diploma-worth of post-qualification specialist development.

To provide culturally appropriate psychological interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.

To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans.

To act as lead practitioner taking responsibility for initiating planning and reviewing care plans, CPA co-ordination and meetings.

KR 2 Contributing to team or service clinical functioning

To contribute to the effective working of RWCDAS and to a psychologically informed framework for the service.

To contribute to the services delivery of accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.

To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.

To advise other members of the service on specialist psychological care and good substance use practice with clients.

To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals concerned with clients in order to develop and review care plans.

To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members.

KR 3 Policy and service development

To implement policies and procedures in own area of work, and to propose improvements or beneficial changes.

To contribute to service development through undertaking and participating in appropriate projects.

To contribute to the consultation and engagement of service users in planning and delivering services which meet the needs of local communities.

KR 4 Care or management of resources

To take care of, and use carefully, the Trusts equipment and physical resources.

To ensure that the post-holder has sufficient resources by estimating future needs and requesting or ordering supplies as needed.

KR 5 Management and supervision

To be responsible for the allocation and/or clinical supervision of the work of more junior psychologists with support from a more senior psychologist.

To supervise trainee applied psychologists within own area of specialism.

To contribute to the appraisal of more junior psychologists, as appropriate.

To contribute to the recruitment of more junior psychologists, as appropriate.

To provide supervision for the psychological work of other multi-disciplinary staff as appropriate.

KR 6 Teaching and Training

To undertake regular teaching and training of pre and post- qualification psychologists and specialised training to other professions as appropriate.

To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within RWCDAS by maintaining an active awareness of current developments in psychology, substance use and dual interventions and by implementing knowledge gained in practice.

To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles.

KR 7 Record-keeping and Information Governance

To ensure that all information generated by own work is recorded as required by Trust policies and local procedures.

To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry.

KR 8 Research and development

To initiate, undertake, support and supervise regular complex service evaluation and audits.

To initiate and carry out appropriate research

To provide expertise in a specialist research area which will contribute to RWCDAS.

To initiate and implement the development of outcome measurement and assessment and assist other staff in the implementation of same.

KR 9 Maintaining professional standards and continuing professional development

To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior psychologist according to HCPC and Trust guidelines.

To ensure own Continuing Professional Development in line with BPS and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements and the HCPC Standards for Continuing Professional Development.

To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.

To comply with the HCPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics and Standards of Proficiency, and ensure professional development in line with these.

To adhere to the BPSs Professional Practice Guidelines and Trust policies and procedures.

KR10 General

To travel to sites and services across Richmond and Wandsworth as appropriate and across the Trust when required.

To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the client group and follow trust policies relating to its management.

To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations; challenging behaviour from patients as well as disclosure of distressing life events and to support others involved in such situations

To work flexibly within the job plan to fulfil the needs of the service.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Doctorate in Clinical Psychology or equivalent; counselling psychologist: MSc and PG Diploma in Counselling Psychology that has been accepted by the HCPC for purposes of professional registration.
• Additional training in a specialised area of psychological practice relevant to addictions through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses, or an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice-based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma.
• Completed training course in clinical supervision.
• Registered with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist, and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC.

Desirable

• Training in Motivational Interviewing and CBT for Addictions.

Experience

Essential

• Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in Addictions.
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature associated with mental health and co-occurring substance misuse.
• Experience of supervising assistant and trainee psychologists having completed the relevant training.
• Post-qualification experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities.
• Experience of carrying out post-doctoral research, audit or service evaluation projects.

Desirable

• Experience of working in a specialist addictions service or in a role with a specific focus on working with clients with co-occurring mental health and substance use issues.

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological assessments and interventions for people with mental health problems and substance use issues.
• Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment for people with co-occurring mental health and substance use issues.
• Advanced knowledge of psychological assessment and clinical psychometrics for people with mental health and substance use issues.
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities.
• Doctoral level knowledge of psychological research methodology and complex statistical analysis.
• Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care.

Desirable

• Knowledge of policy and commissioning structures for people with co-occurring mental health and substance use issues.

Skills

Essential

• To deliver psychological therapy across cultural and other differences.
• To select and administer specialist psychological assessments, interpreting and integrating complex data that require analysis, interpretation and comparison, drawn from several sources.
• To communicate skillfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences and hostility to or rejection of information.
• To plan and schedule assessment and interventions for individual clients and groups and carers, and for meetings such as CPAs and case reviews
• To plan allocation of tasks to Band 7 and assistant psychologists.
• To be skilled in the administration of psychometric and neuropsychological tests, including those that require complex manipulation of test materials.
• Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups
• Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data.

Desirable

• Skills in training staff in substance use specific interventions.

Skills

Essential

• Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate.
• Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings
• Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions, and to deal with unexpected interruptions or changes during these
• Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour
• Ability to manage verbal aggression and hostility directed at self.

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

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Wandsworth Community Drug and Alcohol Service

St. John’s Therapy Centre,162 St John’s Hill

London

SW11 1SW

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