Principal Clinical Psychologist

Division: Women & Children

Care Group: Children

Band: 8b

Salary: �58,972 - �68,525 per annum/pro rata

Interview date: Wednesday 18th October 2023

We are recruiting for a Principal Clinical Psychologist who shares our ambition and vision to deliver the Best of Care by the Best People and has the drive to take us forward, by ensuring that the Trust continues to be the first choice for patients and our staff.

Main duties of the job

Our values areBold,Every Person Counts,Sharing and Open andTogether. It is important that you understand and to refer to our values when completing your application and always reflect our values throughout your employment with the Trust.

We are committed to endorsing diversity, multiculturalism, and inclusion our policies / procedures ensure that all applicants are treated fairly at every stage of the recruitment process.

To contribute to our exciting future and become part of our team, apply today.

About us

Here at Medway, we pride ourselves on working together as one to ensure that our shared vision of Better, Best, Brilliant is achieved. Our culture and values are what drives the Trust and is the heartbeat of who we are as an organisation.

Our Trust is a great choice for people who want to develop their career in an ambitious environment.

Would you like to work flexibly? In the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important life is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement which will not mean sacrificing time for personal interests or family commitments. We aim to support you to work flexibly in a way that will suit you and us.

All of our substantive & fixed term employees can enjoy a range of staff benefits, a gym, an active health and wellbeing programme, an on-site nursery and a cycle to work scheme.

We are taking positive action to ensure that we can attract, recruit and retain the best talent and would welcome more applicants from under - represented groups to support the Trusts commitment to a diverse, inclusive and an employer of choice workforce.

All staff at Medway comply the Trust's and the Kent and Medway Safeguarding Board's policies on safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Parents and infants supported by the Neonatal Unit experience a variety of challenges which directly affects their mental health and wellbeing during their baby(ies) neonatal stay and onward journey. This can influence the development of their wellbeing and relationship.

Issues can include:

• complications of pregnancy leading to the need for increased monitoring and/or premature birth
• feelings of grief associated with early birth of their baby, complex medical needs and/or the loss of a normal pregnancy experience
• Previous experience of a neonatal stay or neonatal loss
• Birth trauma
• Congenital anomalies
• Diagnosis of a life limiting condition or a deterioration in their babys condition leading to a redirection to comfort/palliative care
• Separation and an altered parenting role interrupting normal parent/infant attachment

The post holder will lead, set up, develop and deliver a specialist psychological therapies service for parents, infants and families supported by Oliver Fisher Neonatal Unit of Medway NHS Foundation Trust. The post holder will provide highly specialist psychological assessment and intervention to parents, infants and families offer advice and consultation on the emotional wellbeing of family and infants to non-psychological professionals contribute to decisions about treatment options considering highly complex factors which impact the baby and their family.

The post holder will also:

Work within the context of a multi-disciplinary team and enhance its capacity to assess and meet the emotional needs of families within a family integrated model of care.

Facilitate understanding across teams about the nature of the neonatal family experience.

Provide support for neonatal staff to strengthen resilience and wellbeing to enable communication across and within teams. To work within and support a framework of psychological safety and compassion focused practice.

Manage, supervise and support the work of junior psychological professionals.

Utilise professional and clinical leadership skills for research, audit, evaluation, policy and service development.

Contribute to the development of the NICUs operational policies and services with regards the emotional wellbeing of parents and infants.

Work with the Neonatal Operational Delivery Network Psychology Lead to support service development for units with links to Oliver Fisher Neonatal Unit.

Work autonomously within codes of conduct and professional guidelines (BPS & HCPC for psychologists ACP for C& A Psychotherapists) and under the guidance of senior psychological professionals.

Develop and agree service outcomes with clinical and professional leads. To work with the Neonatal ODN Lead for Psychological Professionals on how best they are achieved.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Entry-level Qualification in Applied Psychology (professional Doctorate or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level additional training) that has been accredited and accepted by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) for the purposes of professional registration.

Knowledge

Essential

• High level knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies relevant to the psychological care and wellbeing of neonatal families.
• Knowledge of supervision models to support junior psychological practitioners and clinical staff working in specialist area

Experience

Essential

• Assessed experience of working as a qualified psychological practitioner psychologist for a minimum of 4 years (with at least 2 years at a highly specialist level) utilising at least 2 therapeutic models.
• Experience of working clinically with individuals, groups and the systems around them to support psychological wellbeing as a senior psychological practitioner.
• Experience of working with couples and carers. Experience of working with parents and infants where the parent has complex mental health difficulties. Experience of working with trauma and bereavement

Skills

Essential

• Highly developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
• Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings
• Experience of working within a multicultural framework. Skills in working with diversity. Ability/skills in working through interpreters.

Values Based Question

Essential

• Give an example of a time where you have demonstrated a 'can do' attitude (including the situation you were in) and the outcome

Employer details

Employer name

Medway NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Oliver Fisher Neonatal Unit. Medway Maritime Hospital

Windmill Road

Gillingham

ME7 5NY

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

275-2309-PCP-CPCAP-01