The Stockport Psychological Medicine in Primary Care Service is a specialist MDT team working with people whose high use of healthcare services is atypical for the health conditions they experience. Patients often present with complex co-morbid physical and mental health conditions or psychological distress. Patients may have accessed a range of services in the past and been unable to engage or make progress with their condition. Physical health conditions include long term health conditions as well as persistent physical symptoms. Psychological presentations include complex trauma and emotional and relational needs, enduring depression and anxiety.

Applicants for the post should have demonstrable experience of working therapeutically with complex mental health presentations, and an interest in working with people with physical health conditions. They should be committed to MDT working and be able to lead others effectively to deliver psychologically informed care. An awareness of the challenges of working with complex mental health conditions and commitment to compassionate leadership of colleagues is essential for this role.

Main duties of the job

The post holder is responsible for leading psychologically informed care in the team. They will work closely with psychiatry (and medical psychotherapy) colleagues, a preceptorship psychologist and Mental Health Liaison. Practitioners, the role leads delivery of psychologically informed care. Supporting patient assessment and review, working closely with practitioners, leads and supports skill development. The role promotes reflective practice and manages challenge in working with this complex patient group. Development of the skills of the band 7 psychologist is also a critical part of the work. The post holder carries a small case load of 2 to 3 therapy patients but primarily informs psychological care provided by the practitioners in the team through formal su

About us

We are proud to provide high quality mental health and learning disability services, both inpatient and in the community across five boroughs of Greater Manchester - Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport and Tameside and Glossop.

Our vision is for a happier and more hopeful life for everyone in our communities and our staff work hard to deliver the very best care for the people who use our services. We're really proud of our#PennineCarePeopleand do everything we can to make sure we're a great place to work.

All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership are encouraged to apply for this post. We would also encourage applications from individuals with a lived experience of mental illness, either individually or as a carer.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Integrating highly specialist assessments into a psychological specialistformulation for service users of complex and challenging co-morbid physical and mental ill health using a range of psychological theoretical perspectives.

The post holder will work with Liaison Practitioners and the MDT to develop specialist and highly complex psychological treatmentplans or management, for patients with complex co-occurring physical and mental ill health.

The post holder will, through joint assessment and review, supervision, MDT discussion and formulation support the delivery of psychologically informed care by Liaison Mental Health Practitioners. They will maintain a small therapy caseload of 2-3 cases.

Working with consultant psychiatry, team manager and the other psychologist in the team, the postholder will on an ongoing basis consider the development needs of the team, working with others to ensure referral and treatment protocols are well governed, that learning needs in the team are identified and supported.

The post holder will be responsible for the supervision and skills development of the other psychologist in the team.

Along with the team manager and lead psychiatrist, the post holder will form a pathway of leadership by linking in with leads meetings within Psychological Medicine and any relevant borough or trust strategic meetings. With colleagues across psychological medicine services, they will support wider staff development through the Psychological Medicine Network.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential

• Post graduate doctorate qualification in clinical psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical, psychometrics, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the BPS, or a statement of equivalence
• Additional further training and qualifications in a range of therapeutic models (e.g. CBT, CAT, psycho-analytic therapies)
• Extensive experience or specific training in supervision (including trainee clinical psychologists and other professionals within the MDT)
• Current registration with Health Professions Council or Professional registration body.

Desirable

• Accredited membership of an appropriate psychological therapy professional body e.g.
• BABCP accreditation
• Successful completion of post-qualification training in a therapeutic modality (e.g. CBT, CAT) in addition to core training
• Additional further training in the use of specific psychometric and/or neuropsychological assessment tools.

Experience

Essential

• Proven experience working as a Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist.
• Substantial experience of receiving supervision
• Post qualification experience of psychological assessment, intervention and management working with a wide range of clinical presentations. These should include complex longterm co-morbid physical health conditions and / or complex mental health conditions. Experience in undertaking line management of psychological therapies staff
• Experience of supervising psychological therapists (including trainees) and nonpsychology staff.
• Experience working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and full range of settings including community, inpatients and acute care settings
• Experience working within multi-disciplinary services in physical and mental health pathways
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for psychological care and treatment as an autonomous practitioner with complex and challenging service users within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan.

Desirable

• Training and CPD relating to working therapeutically in physical health
• Experience of representing psychology within the context of multidisciplinary care.
• Experience in developing research and development programmes within psychological therapy services
• Experience in teaching and training (trainees, psychological therapists, nonpsychology staff).
• Experience of providing group supervision to psychological therapists and / or non-psychology staff
• Experience of the application of psychological therapy in diverse cultural and ethnic contexts.

Knowledge

Essential

• Well-developed theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of clinical and health psychology including specific difficult to treat groups
• High level knowledge and experience of research design and methodology, including multivariate data analysis.
• Highly computer literate, knowledge of software packages
• Knowledge of contemporary legislation relating to the delivery of mental health and psychological services and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management.
• Knowledge of professional issues in psychology and psychological therapies.
• Knowledge and experience of the application of clinical governance and risk management policies and procedures for the maintenance and improvement of psychological services

Desirable

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of highly specialised psychological therapies and assessment methodologies.

Skills and abilities

Essential

• Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical and clinically sensitive information to service users, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
• Highly developed skills and experience of working with complex, sensitive or contentious information.
• Ability to communicate effectively in a highly emotive, antagonistic or hostile atmosphere and to overcome barriers to acceptance and / or engagement
• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
• Highly developed skills in providing consultation to other professionals including medical staff and non-professional groups.
• High level skills in providing complex clinical and professional supervision including medical staff
• Keyboard skills and skills in using word-processing, e mail and internet software.
• Ability to work independently on a day to day basis and use own initiative.
• Ability to work towards agreed goals, reviewed regularly in management supervision
• Evidence of continual professional development as recommended by the appropriate professional body.
• Commitment to quality improvement in psychological services through multiprofessional evaluation and audit of psychological services
• Ability to engage a range of professional and nonprofessional groups in cooperative working
• To provide supervision, with a high degree of expertise, to other clinical staff working with health patients
• Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and ability to 'hold' the stress of others
• Ability to sit in constrained position for client therapy and for computer work
• Ability to manage frequent periods of prolonged concentration in service users' sessions, meetings and during computing tasks.
• Ability to move equipment (including casefiles, selfhelp materials, audio-visual equipment) between office base and other work settings
• Ability to manage and work therapeutically with (distressed and potentially aggressive) patients in isolated settings (including domiciliary visits) without other team members being nearby and in accordance with the Trust Lone Worker Policy
• Ability to work to professional guidelines

Desirable

• Record of having published research / reviewed academic, or professional journals and / or books

Work Related Circumstances

Essential

• Use of a car or access to a means of mobility to travel across the Trust footprint in line with service needs
• Willing to carry out all duties and responsibilities of the post in accordance with the Trust's Equal Opportunities and Equality and Diversity policies
• Appointments to regulated and controlled activities require an enhanced DBS disclosure.

Employer details

Employer name

Pennine Care NHS FT

Address

Hollins House Stockport

Stockport

SK6 6BA

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

311-O574-24