Are you looking to further develop your career within a supportive and innovative service? We are further developing our teams and improving our offer of psychological therapies for those with complex mental health difficulties. We are embedding new clinical pathways which puts us in a great position to support team members in pursuing specific areas of interest.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and highly motivated Principal Clinical Psychologist to join the Community Mental Health Directorate. This post is fixed term covering maternity leave for 12 months.

The first post will be based at the Sutherland Centre in Longton, and the second post will be based at the Lyme Brook Centre, Newcastle-under-Lyme with an opportunity to work across the directorate into clinical pathways of interest. The posts offer the opportunity to develop skills in leadership, supervision and service development, alongside Consultant Clinical Psychologists. You will be part of an integrated MDT, working closely with colleagues to deliver trauma informed pathways.

We are supportive of flexible working and blended office time with remote working.

Main duties of the job

To be accountable for own professional practice in the delivery of highly specialist psychological care to clients with highly complex mental health conditions or learning disabilities which include challenging behaviours and possible risk of physical aggression.

To be compassionate in meeting the needs of clients, their carers and families.

To provide clinical supervision and training to less experienced colleagues within the designated psychology service and to other members of the multidisciplinary team.

To undertake formal research as a major part of the job and act as field supervisor to doctorate trainees.

To be proactive in continual service improvement within own area.

To promote at all times a positive image of people with mental ill health or learning disabilities.

To promote at all times a positive image of the service and the wider Trust.

About us

NSCHT provides mental health and learning disability care to people predominantly living in the city of Stoke-on-Trent and in North Staffordshire. The NHS Trust is one of the main providers of mental healthservices in the West Midlands.

We currently work from both hospital and community-based premises, operating from approximately 30 sites to approximately 464,000 people of all ages and diverse backgrounds in Stoke-on-Trent and across North Staffordshire. Our main site is Harplands Hospital, which provides the setting for most of our inpatient units.

We provide services to people with a wide range of mental health and learning disability needs. Sometimes our service users need to spend time in hospital, but much more often we are able to provide care in community settings and in people's own homes.

We also provide specialist mental health services such as child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), substance misuse services and psychological therapies, plus a range of clinical and non-clinical services to support University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM).

Our teams pride themselves on compassion, team work and resilience. Our Trust is on an incredible journey of innovation and we'd like you to be part of it.

Job description

Job responsibilities

There are opportunities to further develop expertise in a range of psychological models as funded via NHSE, e.g. CAT, CBTp/pd, etc. Specialist supervision groups and interest groups in various models (CAT, CFT, EMDR) are also provided. There is excellent support for continuing professional development, additional peer supervision and participation in quality innovations, research, and audit. We have strong links with the local Clinical Psychology Training course at Staffordshire University.

Provides highly specialist psychological assessment of clients with highly complex and contentious conditions based on the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of data from a variety of sources.

Responsible for recognising the potential for or signs of client harm, abuse or neglect, including poor clinical practice, reporting all such concerns and taking all reasonable steps to protect the client. Responsible for identifying and reporting concerns regarding the safeguarding of children who may be at risk.

Undertakes risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and provides highly specialist advice to other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management and the high physical risks inherent in the client group.

Formulates plans for highly specialist psychological therapy and/or management of clients mental health conditions based upon an appropriate conceptual framework and evidence-based practice. Negotiates the implementation of such plans with clients and/or their carers.

Implements a range of highly specialist psychological therapies for individual clients, carers, families and groups, adjusting and refining psychological formulations as required.

Undertakes highly skilled evaluations and makes decisions about treatment options.

Provides highly specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other staff contributing directly to clients diagnosis, formulation and intervention plan.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical / counselling psychology (or its equivalent prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, including models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.

Desirable

• Registration with BPS

Experience

Essential

• Substation experience of 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.

Desirable

• Project Management

Knowledge

Essential

• Doctoral level knowledge of evidence-based practice relevant to the role

Desirable

• Highly developed knowledge and skills in the care of difficult to treat groups e.g. dual diagnoses, additional disabilities or severely challenging behaviour

Employer details

Employer name

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare Trust

Address

The Sutherland Centre

Stoke on Trent

ST3 4LR

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

232-CMT-5989996