This post offers an exciting opportunity within Adult Learning Disability Services. We are seeking to appoint a Principal ClinicalPsychologist within the Durham & Darlington locality with a responsibility for leading on Trauma Informed Care. The community multidisciplinary integrated teams within these localities offer specialist health services to adults with a learning disability, their families and carers. The teams also work closely with statutory agencies and others who provide services to people with a learning disability. There is also an inpatient service at Lanchester Road Hospital.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will have a key role in service development with a focus upon formulation and trauma informed care. An initial emphasis will be to lead on developing trauma informed formulation as an integral part of the core pathway to improve the patient journey through our service. In the clinical aspect of the role, the post-holder would also be involved in supporting the MDT with highly complex cases and will lead on both formulation and developing and implementing multi-disciplinary care plans. As this is a new post, further development of it will be negotiated between the post holder, Locality Lead and the senior leadership team.

The role will also involve providing specialist psychological assessments as well as a therapeutic and consultative service in relation to adults with learning disabilities, their families and carers, with a clear expectation of providing direct input across the Community services as required and appropriate. Providing training, consultation and clinical supervision to other team members and external care providers in regard to patients is an important element of the role. There is also an expectation that the post holder will offer core placements to Trainee Clinical Psychologists.

About us

Applicants should have extensive experience in working within Learning Disability services and show strong patient-centred values. The post holders will be expected to demonstrate excellent skills in fostering working relationships. It is expected that the successful candidate will also be able to adopt a dynamic and responsive approach when working across the service and with multi-agencies and demonstrate a commitment to improving the quality of life and emotional wellbeing of our service-users. Opportunities to develop special interests will be encouraged.

Applicants will be required to have post-graduate training (doctoral level equivalent) in clinical / counselling / forensic psychology (or its equivalent prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS and be registered in as a Practitioner Psychologist with the HCPC.

Psychologists provide key leadership roles within the Trust. To support this we have developed leadership profiles for each psychology band and the profile card associated with this post is attached on NHS Jobs. You can find more information about the NHS Leadership Academy's Healthcare Leadership Model and the profiles at their website. We encourage you to look at these resources as they will play a part in the interview process.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The post holder will provide clinical supervision as key part of the role. The post holder will take a lead on developing formulations with clients and their families. Further to this, this job will involve the organisation of psychological resources, training and support the development of psychologically informed intervention plans. The delivery of psychological therapy and interventions is also a component of the role. Collective leadership is established within the team and as part of this the post holder will have leadership responsibilities across the Durham & Darlington Adult Learning Disability Services.

Psychology has a strong and rapidly developing reputation within Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust for supporting organisational change, developing psychologically minded staff groups, and embedding research and outcome measures, within recovery and person centred care philosophies. The post holder will be expected to play a role in supporting the continued development of these factors within this team and the wider directorate.

The Service is keen to develop close links with all other psychology specialisms across the Trust and there are also strong links to the local Teesside Doctorate in Clinical Psychology Programme with the specialty providing academic and clinical experience components. There are excellent opportunities for peer support/ supervision, CPD, teaching/ training, research and audit.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Post-graduate training (doctoral level equivalent) in clinical / counselling / forensic psychology (or its equivalent prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS.
• HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist
• Post doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice
• Trained in clinical supervision and the supervision of doctoral trainees
• Trained in care co-ordination
• Evidence of continuing professional development

Experience

Essential

• Working as a qualified applied psychologist within the designated service including a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and a range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings.
• Exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care as a care co-ordinator and leader of a multidisciplinary team.
• Liaison and joint working with statutory, voluntary and private sector agencies
• Teaching, training, clinical supervision and field supervisor for doctoral theses
• Research and development
• Active participation in quality and service improvement initiatives.

Knowledge and skills

Essential

• Evidence- based practice relevant to mental health need, resiliency and wellbeing
• Providing effective training, teaching and supervision
• Undertake complex multiagency working and liaise with multiple systems
• Utilise psychometric tests competently
• Identify, provide and promote appropriate interventions / means of support for carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and challenging behaviours.
• Utilise appropriate clinical governance mechanisms within own work.
• Adapt creatively the evidence base for interventions in mental health for clients with communication difficulties / learning disabilities
• Risk assessment and management
• Quality Improvement systems

Employer details

Employer name

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Lanchester Road Hospital

Lanchester Road

Durham

DH1 5RD

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

346-DDL-016-23-B