Practitioner Psychologist

Haringey GP Federation; Exeter; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A mental health service provider in Exeter is seeking a qualified Band 7 practitioner psychologist to join their innovative psychology team. The role involves providing psychological services to patients, conducting assessments, and delivering therapies in a secure clinical environment. The successful candidate will possess strong psychological skills and experience within multidisciplinary teams. Applications from trainees nearing qualification are also welcomed, promoting inclusive hiring practices.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Continuous professional development

Supportive team environment

Qualifications

• Experience in providing psychological assessment and therapy for severe mental health issues.
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team and foster reflective practice.
• Knowledge of secure services in the NHS.

Responsibilities

• Provide psychological services to patients at Langdon Hospital.
• Conduct clinical supervision and consultation for the integrated mental health team.
• Plan and prioritize workload effectively to meet patient care demands.

Skills

Psychological assessment

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Education

Qualified Forensic Clinical or Counselling Psychologist

Tools

Psychological therapy techniques

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen within theInpatient Psychology Service at Langdon Hospital, for an appropriatelyqualified Band 7 practitioner psychologist. A trainee who is due to qualifywithin 6 months of the application will also be considered. You will work aspart of an innovative psychology team, which provides specialist psychologicalwork to patients at Langdon Hospital, with the opportunity to work across thedirectorate.

The role will sit within a multi- disciplinary team on one of the 5 wards across the Medium and Low Secure estate.Forensic mental health settings provide an enviable clinical environment inwhich to pursue clinical interests and develop specialism in areas such as riskassessment, offence focused work, individual or group work, trauma, psychosis,personality and relational difficulties, as well as cognitive and developmentaldifficulties. The work can involve arange of assessment and therapeutic approaches, modalities and timeframes.

Main duties of the job

• Providing a Psychologyservice to peoplewho are residentat Langdon Hospital.
• Providing local clinical leadership,co-ordination and supervision fortrainees and volunteers employed by or attached to the psychologyservice, under the general direction and supervision of the Professional Lead
• Carrying a specialist caseload ofclients, and providing advice and consultancy to patients, carers and professionals.
• To provide clinical supervision andconsultation to the wider multi-disciplinary teams in the locality as part ofintegrated mental health team working.
• The post holder will be supported bysenior colleagues within their specialist field. The post holder will beexpected to make good use of the expertise of others within the service tofurther develop their clinical skills with this client group.
• To workautonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for thesystematic governance of psychological practice within the service / localteam.
• The post holderwill receive regular professional and clinical supervision in accordance toTrust policy and to Professional Practice Guidelines set out by the BritishPsychological Society or appropriate designated Professional Body. Observe,and abide by all relevant Professional Codes of Conduct and be fullyregistered with the Health Professions Council as a condition of employment.

About us

We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

Job responsibilities

Communication and working relationship skills

• Clients, family and carers: To communicate in a highly skilled and sensitive manner with clientswho may have specific difficulties in understand and/or communicating and whomay be hostile, antagonistic or highly emotionally disturbed.
• Multidisciplinary team colleagues: To work closely with colleagues in the multi-professional integratedmental health and wellbeing service on a day to day basis.
• Health & social care staff: Tocommunicate with a wide range of health & social care staff in hospital andin community settings in a highly skilled and sensitive manner, complex andsensitive information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatmentplans of clients under the services care. To provide support & guidance inthe application of psychological principles and techniques, and to fosterreflective practice.
• Senior managers & professional staff:To maintain and build good working relationships with senior professional staffand managers across Secure services and in DPT to foster a positive approach tothe integrated mental health and wellbeing service and to enable effectivenegotiation.

Analytical and Judgemental Skills

• To provide specialist clinical/counsellingpsychology/psychological therapy expertise and advice.
• To provide psychological therapies/other therapies, developingspecialist psychological formulations and assessments of clients, formulatingplans for their psychological treatment and implementing specialistpsychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups.
• To support the Professional Lead, General Manager, Practice andStrategic Development Leads as by undertaking service development andredesign projects and coordinating the resulting work within the team

Planning and Organisational Skills

• The service:To plan andprioritise own workload, balancing the demands of patient care, support andguidance of carers and professionals and service research and developmentactivities.
• To contribute to the planning and organising ofthe psychology and therapy services within the locality area and tocontribute to the development and improvement of provision of psychologicalservices within services to best meet the organisations strategy andpriorities.
• The multidisciplinary service:To provide psychology/therapy knowledge to the multiprofessionalplanning, development and marketing of mental health and wellbeing services.

Responsibility for patient care, treatment andtherapy

• Assessment & intervention:Tomake highly skilled evaluations and decisions about assessment, treatmentand discharge, including the management of risk. To formulate plans forpsychological treatment and implementing specialist psychologicalinterventions for individuals, carers, families and groups and todemonstrate awareness of diversity issues.
• Consultation& guidance: To provide advice, guidance andconsultation on psychological aspects of patient care to colleagues, otherservice providers, patients, supporters and families.
• Responsibilityfor policy and service development implementation
• The post holder is accountable for their own professional actions,acting within Trust policies and procedures and Professional PracticeGuidelines.
• Policy & service: To support proposed changes for policy and forservice development.

Responsibility for finance, equipment and other resources

• The post holder is accountable for their own professional actions,acting within Devon Partnership NHS Trust policies and procedures andProfessional Practice Guidelines.
• To interpret and develop policies andprocedures for the provision of psychology services.
• Provide clinical leadership in the continual development andprovision of excellence across the service.
• Carry out duties in relation to local, regional and nationalinitiatives in developing services.
• Work alongside other clinicians in theteam and within other appropriate agencies, as well as with service users,families and carers, to initiate and implement service developments.
• Responsible for identifying and proposing strategic serviceimprovements.
• Contribute to operational planning and advise senior colleagueson those aspects of the service that may need addressing at a strategic level.
• Involvement in the development of local systems and process thatensure the implementation of Trust policies.
• Contribute to clinical governance arrangements in order toensure the quality of the service provided; this will include ensuringperformance targets are met to provide high quality care.
• Hold responsibility for implementing clear systems for effectiverecruitment, professional appraisal and for facilitating the highestperformance of the team, with responsibility for systematic governance of theclinical practice of the team and implementation of the organisationsclinical governance agenda.

Responsibility for Human Resources

• Ensure care is provided inthe most cost-effective and high quality manner and identify unmet needs.
• Responsible for the safeuse and security of any equipment used in accordance with all relevant Trustpolicies and procedures
• Exercise responsibilityfor managing resources available to the service, both in terms of staff andmaterials employed in assessment and treatment through the care pathway
• Authorise staff travelexpenses, and payments for equipment and other resources within thedesignated service.

Responsibility for information resources andadmin duties

• To maintain accurate records, compliantwith Trust Practice Standards.
• To be responsible for using an emailaccount to generate, monitor, and respond to the e-mail traffic by which theTrust conducts much of its internal communication.

Freedom to Act

• The post holder is accountable for their own professional actions,acting within Trust policies and procedures and Professional PracticeGuidelines
• To work autonomouslywithin clinical professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for thegovernance of psychological practice within the locality/specialty.Interpretation of professional and Trustguidelines, andimplementing policies in conjunction with peers, Head of Profession andGeneral Manager.
• To provide specialist psychological expertise and adviceguidanceand consultation on psychological aspects of patient care to colleagues,other service providers, patients, supporters and families.

Other specific Tasks Required

• To ensure all clinical care and treatment provided bypsychologists/therapists is carried out under appropriate supervision andleadership
• To ensure that all relevant staff groups continuously update theskills and techniques relevant to their clinical work.

Person Specification

Knowledge and skills

• Knowledge and familiarity of secure services; and of the services in the NHS where psychology and psychological therapies is commonly applied.
• An understanding of providing psychological therapy for service users presenting with severe and complex mental health problems.
• Excellent verbal, nonverbal and written communication skills
• Ability to integrate complex data; make highly skilled evaluations and decisions; and take a long term perspective.
• Proven organisational, planning and time management skills
• Ability to work independently and use initiative within a service consisting of a network of teams.
• Ability to work as a member of a clinical team.
• Ability to tolerate ambiguity, and maintain own morale and motivation in challenging service delivery contexts.

Experience

• Experience, and/or training in diversity awareness and social inequality
• Experience of working under supervision in adult mental health contexts
• Experience of working in a multi disciplinary team
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across a wide range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in patient settings.
• Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision
• Experience of working in a forensic setting

Qualifications

• Qualified Forensic Clinical or Counselling Psychologist (D.Clin.Psychol. or equivalent) and eligible for Chartered Psychologist Status in the British Psychological Society and Registered with HCPC.
• Further training or experience in clinical specialism
• Further training in related area
• Further training in at least one (other) psychological therapy
• IT Skills

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.