Job summary

The post holder will work alongside an experienced and enthusiastic Community Mental Health Team and Memory Assessment Service and will be responsible for providing a high quality clinical psychological service to older people in one of the four Neighbourhood team bases, Sedgemoor, Mendip, South Somerset and Taunton and West Somerset*. There is a strong emphasis on working alongside CMHT and MAS staff to help develop formulations and support staff to implement psychologically informed interventions for older adults with both organic and functional difficulties. This post also involves delivering highly specialist psychological therapy and neuropsychological assessment.

This post is part of a well-established Older People's Clinical Psychology Service in Somerset which employs eight qualified Clinical Psychologists, six Assistant Psychologists and hosts five - six Trainee Clinical Psychologists each academic year.

The successful candidate will have an interest and enthusiasm for working with older people. They will be able to integrate information from a range of sources and provide practical and psychologically informed advice and support to staff, service users, their families, and carers.

These posts can also be configured for a newly qualified Clinical Psychologist as a Band 7 preceptorship.

*There are four posts being advertised, one for each of these Neighbourhood Team bases

Main duties of the job

The post holders will work with integrated Neighbourhood teams alongside experienced Community Mental Health Teams and Memory Assessment Services. They will be responsible for providing a high-quality clinical psychology service to older people, conducting specialist assessments, including neuropsychological assessments and rehabilitation, and providing psychological therapy and interventions. Clinical psychology services are valued for their work with colleagues, providing supervision and training.

This post is part of a well-established Older Person's Clinical Psychology service in Somerset which currently employs eight Clinical Psychologists, six Assistant Psychologists and hosts Trainee Clinical Psychologists from the Exeter Doctorate in Clinical Psychology each year.

We maintain good links with our clinical psychology colleagues across the Trust and there are excellent opportunities for career development. Ongoing specialist training is encouraged.

About us

As an organisation, the NHS offers a wide range of benefits including flexible working, pension contributions, market leading annual leave allowance, career progression and regular conversations, not to mention our Blue Light Card and NHS exclusive discounts.

The benefits of working in Somerset include the idyllic countryside, with our areas of outstanding beauty and stunning coastlines. You will get to enjoy these perks whilst still only being a stone's throw away from bustling city centres like Bristol, Bath and Exeter and only two hours away from London.

There are excellent educational facilities in the area and, when compared to other regions, house prices are reasonable. You will experience the best of both in Somerset, the countryside and the cosmopolitan - there is truly something for everyone!

Job description

Job responsibilities

To provide a consultancy service to CMHT, MAS and Inpatient Older Persons teams and to other professionals in the service, with regard to complex functional and organic assessments, and complex case formulation.

Responsible for providing autonomous and systematic clinical psychology service, highly specialised psychological therapy, neuropsychological assessment and rehabilitation for the most complex cases referred to the service.

To work with and support families and carers

To provide a consultancy service for the staff members of the CMHT, MAS, Day Hospital and other professionals, for complex case formulation.

To advise on the development of Day Hospital evidence based psychological programmes

To liaise with appropriate professionals and to contribute to multi-disciplinary case discussions and planning meetings

To be responsible for own caseload, work and interventions with even the most complex presentations and for interpretation of agreed guidelines and policies as an autonomous practitioner and to seek consultation and supervision appropriately from peers, the Head of Older Adult Psychology and Consultant Clinical Psychologists and Clinical Neuropsychologists

To contribute to strategic planning and proposing changes to the service to ensure and promote effective evidence based service delivery. To participate in relevant areas of research & evaluation and undertake service evaluation as agreed with Older Adult service management and / or supervise the research of others.

To provide specialist clinical supervision to practitioners, trainees in clinical psychology, assistant psychologists, and other professionals, as appropriate.

Key working relationships with the following:

• Head of Older Adult Psychology
• Head of Older Persons Mental Health Services
• Sedgemoor, Mendip, South Somerset or Taunton Neighbourhood CMHT and MAS
• Clinical Neuropsychologists in the Older Persons Service
• Other Clinical Psychologists contributing to the MAS
• Clinical Psychologists in Older Persons Psychology and other specialities

Person Specification

other

Essential

• Car driver with valid driving licence and insurance

qualifications and Training

Essential

• Doctorate Clinical Psychology or equivalent
• Registered with the HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist
• Eligible for Chartered Clinical Psychologist status

KNOWLEDGE

Essential

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialist psychological therapies, and their application and adaptation in Older Persons Psychology
• Specialist training in Neuropsychology in Dementia and neurodegenerative disorders in Older Adults
• Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology including complex multivariate analysis applicable to clinical psychology

Experience

Essential

• Clinical and audit work in Older Adults

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

184-CM5243634-A