The role sits within the Intensive Support Team providing a qualified clinical psychology service to clients of the specialty providing specialist psychological assessment and therapy at the same time as offering advice and consultation on clients' psychological care to non-psychologist colleagues and to other, non-professional carers, working autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the teams' policies and procedures. To utilise research skills for audit, policy and service development and research within the area served by the team/service.

The Intensive Support Team delivers specialist multi-disciplinary healthcare assessment and treatment services locally for individuals (fourteen years and over) who have a learning disability with / or presenting with a mental health difficulties and/or severe challenging behaviour. The service provided is person-centred. We provide this through direct intense support, joint working with other teams (e.g. Community Team for Adults with Learning Disabilities Community Mental Health Teams Community Team for Children with Learning DIsabilities) and/or through offering consultation to other professionals involved.

Main duties of the job

To provide specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to the team 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 client's care.

To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a client's psychological problems including developmental background, long term personality adaptations, interpersonal patterns of relating, service and diagnostic issues. These plans will be based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the client's problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings.

To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based care plans.

About us

The post holder will work as part of the Learning Disability Intensive Support Team within a multi-disciplinary framework, providing specialist Clinical Psychology Service input into the assessment, formulation and intervention process for individuals who present with behaviour that challenges and / or mental health issues. The post-holder will provide clinical leadership and evidence-based working in partnership within the IST, wider Learning Disability Service and external services to ensure a seamless pathway for service users.

NHFT is an integrated primary care and mental health Trust, providing physical, mental health and specialty services in both hospital settings and out in the community. Because we put the person at the centre of all we do, we focus on delivering care that is as easy to access as possible. This means many of our services can be provided at home, work or in schools. We also provide health services to various prisons and detention centres in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

Job description

Job responsibilities

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.

For further information on the advertised role, please refer to the job description located under the Supporting Documents heading. The full person specification can be accessed under the About You Section of the document.

Person Specification

Education and Training

Essential

• Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.

Desirable

• Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS.

Experience

Essential

• Extensive experience of working in a LD community setting with people experiencing complex presenting difficulties.
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in-patient settings.

Desirable

• Experience of working with a broad range of psychological and psychiatric problems within a core professional role.
• Advanced knowledge of psychological models of complex mental health presentations, and up-to-date techniques and treatment protocols relevant to psychological therapy with these groups.
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Address

Newland House

Campbell Square

Northampton

NN1 3EB

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

270-TE144-MH