T3 Weight management Psychologist- Band 8a

This is an existing opportunity to join a new team providing a new, high-quality specialist multidisciplinary Tier 3 weight management programme for adults in Croydon. The team will comprise dietitians, physiotherapist, dietetic assistant, service coordinator and administrator. You will be an integral part of developing this new programme, which will aim to reflect the lifestyle and culture of Croydon's communities and provide an equitable service to all participants irrespective of age, identity, socioeconomic status, disability, health needs, or ethnic or cultural background.

You will contribute to, and develop, policy and treatment pathways for people who need to change lifestyle behaviours in order to facilitate weight loss, provide a highly specialist clinical psychology service to support people who have severe and complex obesity to lose weight and make sustainable changes.

The programme will be flexible and led by patient choice, As such, group and 1-1 sessions will be provided form a range of community venues across the borough, as well as remotely, e.g. via MS Teams.

While based within Nutrition and Dietetics, professional supervision from a senior psychologist will be provided for this role.

(advertised as 2 years fixed-term contract, initially and is under review with the possibility of a rolling contract).

Main duties of the job

The post holder will provide highly specialist tailored psychological support for persons with obesity who have complex medical comorbidities and needs and are residents of the borough of Croydon. The post holder will:

• Have in-depth knowledge and understanding of scope and practice within NICE guidelines for weight management, its tiered approach and partnership with community and public health based initiatives in the borough of Croydon.
• Be an integral part of a high quality specialist multidisciplinary Tier 3 weight management programme for adults registered with a Croydon GP, which understands the lifestyle and culture of Croydon's communities.
• Contribute to, and develop policy and treatment pathways for patients who need to change lifestyle behaviours in order to facilitate weight loss.
• Provide a highly specialist clinical psychology service to support people who have severe and complex obesity to lose weight and make sustainable changes.
• Provide an equitable service to all participants irrespective of age, identity, socioeconomic status, disability, health needs, or ethnic or cultural background.

Interview date: TBC

About us

Croydon Health Services NHS Trust provide hospital and community services from a number of community and specialist clinics throughout Croydon. The Trust was formed on 1st August 2010 through the integration of Croydon Community Health Services and Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust. Around 4,100 staff provide services for a population of over 360,000 people who are relatively young with a high level of ethnic diversity.

Our main hospital site, Croydon University Hospital is one of the busiest in London. We're also leading the way in providing more healthcare outside hospitals at clinics, specialist centres and in people's homes. Our experienced district nursing teams, Allied Health Professionals and community matrons look after people of all ages across Croydon and our Children's Hospital at Home cares for children with long-term conditions without them having to come to hospital.

Across the NHS everyone is working hard to meet growing demand and we're no exception. But with the right people on board, we are rising to this challenge, putting our people in the driving seat, encouraging innovation and transforming our services to give local people the quality of care they deserve. Croydon Health Services puts a great deal of importance on education and training throughout the careers of all of our staff. As well as offering access to a range of core skills training and professional development.

Job description

Job responsibilities

***Please see the attached supporting document which contains more information about the role in the job description and person specification***

Person Specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential

• Good honours degree in Psychology.
• Eligibility for Graduate membership of BPS
• Post-graduate doctorate in Clinical Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996 or those in lateral transfer as accredited by the B.P.S).
• The post holder must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist
• Evidence of CPD and supervision

Knowldege and Experience

Essential

• Extensive knowledge of a range of psychological therapies and models
• Extensive knowledge of psychological issues related to physical health
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across a broad range of health psychology settings
• Experience of delivering psychological advice to patient groups
• A minimum of twelve months post qualification experience and/or substantial relevant pre-qualification experience
• Extensive experience of using both conventional (e.g., CBT) and innovative therapies
• Understanding of team dynamics and experience of working within a multi-disciplinary team
• Specialist up-to-date knowledge across all current issues in obesity and its co morbidities
• Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team.
• Experience of undertaking audit
• Awareness and understanding of research, appraisal and analysis and interpretation of statistics
• Awareness and understanding of current NHS issues, including stands, initiatives, NSF, NICE, CQC Patient and Public Involvement
• Experience of working with patients from a wide variety of cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds.

Desirable

• Experience of involvement in patient and public engagement activities
• Experience of telephone and virtual consultations
• Knowledge and understanding of Tier 4 services and link between Tier 3 and Tier 4 services.
• Experience of providing consultation, supervision and training to psychology and other health care staff.
• Experience using EMIS system

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Psychological therapy skills
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with people from a variety of backgrounds e.g., via advocacy/interpreters
• Ability to work with individuals and groups to support them in understanding information to enable them to self-manage their condition
• Ability to communicate complex medical conditions in a sensitive and easily understandable language
• Ability to present complex information to large groups of staff or patients
• Ability to provide highly specialised advice concerning the care of patients to other non -psychology colleagues.
• Ability to make judgements in complex clinical situations through assessment, analysis and interpretation of information and deciding on appropriate action from a range of options
• Awareness of, and ability to assess and manage risk.
• Keyboard skills - data inputting, word processing, internet
• Ability to fulfil travel requirements for the post
• Ability to prioritise own workload and meet deadlines

Desirable

• Assessment and therapeutic skills related to complex, severe and enduring psychological problems experienced by adults with learning disability and/or autism
• Teaching and training skills

Other Requirements

Essential

• Able to move supplies when needed and to bend, reach and sit for prolonged periods
• Able to travel independently
• Able to work occasionally at evenings and weekends
• Confident Self-motivated
• Able to maintain effective working relationships with relevant colleagues
• Flexible, adaptable and creative
• Able to set priorities and meet deadlines in spite of repeated interruptions
• Able to reflect and appraise own performance
• Able to deal with distressed client's relatives and staff
• Able to organise complex information

Desirable

• Full clean UK driving license and access to own transport

Employer details

Employer name

Croydon University Hospital NHS Trust

Address

Croydon

530 London Road, Thornton Heath

Croydon

CR7 7YE

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

199-4772222-FM-NP-C