Job summary
The Sussex Health and Care Partnership have developed a Sussex-wide clinical assessment model for patients with post COVID symptoms which launched in January 2021 as the Post Covid Assessment Service . The initial remit of the service was to assess patients still experiencing symptoms 12 weeks after initial COVID infection to identify their ongoing care and support needs. The existing community providers were identified as the lead providers; Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust in West Sussex, Brighton & Hove, and High Weald, Lewes, Havens; and East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust in the rest of East Sussex, working collaboratively with wider system partners and stakeholders, and with shared strategic oversight and clinical leadership at SHCP.
Following publication of the NHS Long COVID Plan and the announcement of additional funding in June 2021, the system has developed a fully staffed Long COVID service plan to enhance the service offer, covering the whole pathway from primary and community to specialist care. This included enhancing the remit of PCAS to provide support as well as assessment, with additional clinical expertise, so that it became the Post COVID Assessment and Support Service (PCASS). PCASS includes the community rehabilitation and treatment pathways which focus on fatigue management, cognition, and vocational rehabilitation. Some of the treatment and rehabilitation pathways will be delivered within PCASS.
Main duties of the job
The post-holder will:
a) Provide psychology input and support in PCASS. This will include oversight and development of the ongoing rehabilitation pathway.
b) Work autonomously as a clinician within the PCASS; providing psychological assessment and treatment to patients with psychological and cognitive problems arising from factors associated with Post COVID-19 Syndrome, and other long term or 'unexplained' conditions.
c) Ensure a comprehensive assessment which may include psychological and neuro-psychological tests (where appropriate within professional competency), self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with patients.
d) Formulate and devise psychological treatment plans, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the patient's problems, and employ methods based upon evidence of efficacy.
e) Adjust and refine psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
f) Provide reports and communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans for patients.
About us
We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex. Our 6,000 staff serve a population of 1.3 million providing essential medical, nursing, and therapeutic care to adults and children.
Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community, helping people plan, manage, adapt to changes in their health, supporting avoidable hospital admissions and reducing hospital stay times.
We have opportunities for everyone across our wide variety of services including medical, clinical, support and corporate services.
Why work for us?
- Positive 2023 NHS Staff Survey results, scoring highly in compassionate culture & leadership, and staff wellbeing support
- Variety of working environments across the community, in patients' homes, within our community hospitals and bases across the county
- Supportive flexible working patterns such as: part time, flexi time, annualised hours, and flexi retirement options
- Excellent training and development opportunities
- Research opportunities
- Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove and Brighton
- Thriving BAME, Disability and Wellbeing, LGBT+ and Religion and Belief staff networks
- Level 3 accredited Disability Confident Leader, committed to creating inclusive workplaces
- Veteran Aware Trust, achieving accreditation from Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA)
- Located in stunning Sussex, with easy access to the South Downs and the coast
- Access to a wide range of benefits and discounts for NHS staff
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post-holder will:
a) Contribute to the development of outcomes from psychological treatments.
b) Contribute to the development and articulation of best practice in psychology within the service area, taking part in regular professional supervision and appraisal and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the field of clinical psychology and related disciplines.
c) Assess and treat own specialist caseload of clients and maintain associated records.
d) Provide, develop and manage treatment interventions, including both individual and group work.
e) Provide specialist advice to other professions and provide psychological consultation to non-psychology professionals.
f) Supervise B7 Psychologists, assistant psychologists and other members of the MDT as appropriate.
g) Provide psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals, to assist in the formulation, diagnosis and treatment of patients.
h) Treat each patient and their support network with dignity and respect taking into account their cultural differences and needs within the service.
i) Interpret and integrate complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and self-report measures.
j) Receive regular clinical professional supervision from a senior clinical psychologist and, where appropriate, other senior professional colleagues.
k) Provide regular clinical supervision to Assistant Psychologists and Band 7 psychologists working within the service.
l) Ensure the development and maintenance of the highest personal standards of practice, maintaining MaST requirements and through active participation in internal and external CPD training.
m) Maintain an up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues of relevance to the service and patient group.n) Maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry and recording.
o) Exercise professional self-governance in accordance with professional codes of practice of the HCPC.
p) Use psychological clinical skills applicable to the assessment of patients with a Post COVID-19 diagnosis or other long term or unexplained conditions.
q)Write concise, accurate and readily understood reports that communicate the findings of psychological assessments to the MDT.
r) Work under changing and pressurised clinical timetables across ESHT and SCFT provider trusts and to be organised in their management of their clinical timetable.
s) Provide comprehensive assessment of patients to assist the MDT in diagnosis, problem formulation and the planning of rehabilitation programmes.
t) Function as a key therapist to ensure active co-ordination and management of the therapeutic programme to achieve the agreed rehabilitation goals.
u) Support and educate patients around Post COVID-19 Syndrome.
v) Be responsible for planning and prioritising their own clinical caseload.
w)Participate in audit, policy and service development projects as required.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Psychological Profession registration with appropriate body: HCPC, BABCP, BACP or UKCPl
- Evidence of relevant postgraduate courses / CPD and reflective practice relevant to clinical speciality.
- Evidence of a range of clinical competencies appropriate for the role
- Evidence of leadership education / development or a willingness to undertake this
Experience
Essential
- Substantial relevant post-doctoral experience covering a broad range of settings
- Experience of undertaking assessment and treatment with a wide variety of presenting problems with knowledge and understanding of secondary care mental health services.
- Experience of multidisciplinary working in physical health setting
- Experience of supervising junior staff, assistants and students in the context of psychological therapy services
- Experience of independently managing a large clinical caseload, both 1:1 and group
- Experience of working with complex cases, and skill in liaising with other key stakeholders, including secondary care mental health services, and other physical health services including community and specialist medical services.
- Experience of delivering quality improvement, innovation and productivity
Desirable
- Experience working with patients with long term conditions
Skills and knowledge
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management.
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of highly specialised psychological therapies and assessment methodologies relevant to psychology.
- Ability to assess, plan, implement and evaluate evidence-based care for individuals with complex needs.
- Autonomous and reflective worker, as well as co-operative team working and awareness of the roles of other professionals
- Promotes choice and independence in undertaking patient care
- Knowledge of national policies and procedures, clinical governance, clinical audit and risk management relevant to the clinical setting
Other skills
Essential
- Excellent IT skills
- Ability to work at home and in an office setting as service needs require.
- Travel between sites.
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
Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Horsham hospital or Brighton General Hospital
Horsham / Brighton
RH12 2DR