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Senior Clinical Psychologist

Employer
North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust
Location
Chesterton
Salary
£48,526 to £54,619 a year pro rota
Closing date
29 Mar 2023

View more

Profession
Psychologist, Community mental health nurse
Grade
Band 8A
Contract Type
Permanent
Hours
Part Time
Senior Clinical Psychologist in Neuropsychology Memory Clinic

Band 8A

Part-time 22.5 hrs

Develop the psychology role in the Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire memory clinics, with support from experienced consultant clinical neuropsychologists. The memory clinic team is well established, but the senior psychologist role is new, with opportunities for service development. The post-holder will also work in a general adult neuropsychology setting to gain experience of neuropsychological assessment, formulation and intervention to develop their portfolio for the qualification in clinical neuropsychology (QICN). The neuropsychology service is led by Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologists. There are opportunities for neuropsychological assessment, cognitive rehabilitation and psychological therapy, as well as CPD, research and teaching.

Funding is provided for the academic component of the QICN, with supervision from clinical neuropsychologists on the specialist register, to complete the practice component. Peer support is available from staff enrolled on the QICN, and there is a monthly neuropsychology supervision group.

Main duties of the job

This post offers an opportunity to develop expertise in older adult memory clinic assessment and formulation, as well as skills in specialist neuropsychological assessment, cognitive rehabilitation and psychological therapy with patients with a neurological condition or functional neurological disorder. Clinical input will include psychological and neuropsychological assessments with patients and their families or carers, joint assessments with colleagues within the MDT, and consultation work with MDT colleagues. The applicant should be an established Clinical Psychologist ideally with experience of working with people with acquired neurological conditions or dementia. The successful post holder will be based within 2 memory clinics (City and County memory clinics), and an outpatient Neuropsychology department, providing neuropsychological assessments, reports and evidence-based interventions, as well as linking in with medical and other colleagues. Applicants should have the ability to work closely with medical colleagues and members of various other disciplines.

About us

The post holder will benefit from a supportive team of colleagues, including Memory Clinic colleagues, and in the Bennett Centre from Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologists, Clinical Psychologists, Assistant Psychologists and Trainee Clinical Psychologists on placement. There is excellent administrative support. There is a wider network of colleagues within the Combined Healthcare NHS Trust.

This post offers great CPD and training opportunities, with excellent links with the University of Staffordshire Clinical Psychology training course. Stoke-on-Trent has excellent transport links and is easy to commute to from many areas. Parking is nearby and free for staff members. This is supported by a flexible working policy and the ability to work from home at times agreed with the service.

We would be delighted to discuss this opportunity with any interested candidates, and informal visits are welcomed. Please contact Gill Cooke or Dr Antonia Kirkby (Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologists) for further information on 01782 275188 or gill.cooke@combined.nhs.uk.

We also encourage potential applicants to speak to one of the psychologists in our team to gain an understanding of what we are really like to work with. Please contact Julie Lyons on 01782 275188 if you would like to arrange a call or meeting

Job description Job responsibilities

Job Summary:

Accountable for own professional practice in the delivery of highly specialist psychological care to clients with complex neurological conditions which may include challenging behaviours.

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 an integral part of the job and act as field supervisor to doctorate trainees.

To be proactive in continual service improvement within own area.

To work closely with members of the MDT to facilitate the achievement of clients goals.

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

To undertake the Academic Component of the Qualification in Clinical Neuropsychology (QiCN) with funding and support from the Neuropsychology Team

Key Duties/Responsibilities

Clinical:

Provides highly specialist psychological assessment of clients with highly complex 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 specialist advice to other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management.

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.

Facilitates decision-making by planning and mapping processes/interventions with members of the team to determine the most appropriate treatment modality or service for clients.

Communicates in a way which recognises difference and ensures that people feel included and their individual communication needs are met.

Communicates complex and sensitive information to clients during the course of psychological therapy where the atmosphere may be emotive, there may be barriers to understanding or the client may react in an antagonistic manner.

Shares information relating to psychological assessment and formulation with clients, carers and families in a responsive, empathic manner, taking into consideration the possible complexities of the familys circumstances and the highly sensitive nature of the information.

Communicates effectively with all professionals involved in the clients care including all members of the multidisciplinary team, general practitioners, Social Services, education providers, voluntary agencies, user/carer groups etc., to maximise the quality of service delivered to clients and their families and carers.

Analyses complex client information, derived 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 the client, family members and others involved in the clients care.

Adjusts and refines psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.

Evaluates and makes decisions about treatment options, taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.

The post holder may be required to undertake duties not specified in the job description, but which are commensurate with the role and/or band as required by service need.

The post holder may be required to work in locations other than those specified in the job description as required by service need.

The post holder may be required to work flexible hours as required by service need.

There may be a requirement to change the job description in light of developing service needs.

Teaching, Training and Supervision:

Organises own workload on a day to day basis, prioritising work as appropriate.

Allocates work to assistant, trainee and newly qualified psychologists.

Plans individual patient/client care and acts as care co-ordinator/lead practitioner, where appropriate. Monitors progress during the course of interventions.

Provides clinical supervision to less experienced psychology staff and other staff at times.

Provides pre and post-qualification teaching of psychology as appropriate.

Provides clinical placements and contributes to competency assessment for trainee psychologists, ensuring that trainees acquire the necessary skills and experience to contribute effectively to psychological practice.

Professionally oversees the clinical work of assistant, trainee and qualified psychologists including work allocation, checking record keeping and quality of care delivered and providing clinical guidance as required.

Participates in the recruitment and selection of assistant, trainee and qualified psychologists.

Responsible for ensuring that all staff within area of responsibility adhere to professional practice guidelines and that mechanisms are in place to ensure that performance standards are met.

Person Specification Essential & Desireable Essential
  • HCPC Registration
  • DClinPsy
  • Post Graduate Qualified Experience
Desirable
  • Training in additional Therapeutic Model or QICN
  • Worked with Older Adults or Neuropsychology


Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

232-STO-4877641

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