Applied Psychologist

EAST LONDON NHS FOUNDATION TRUST; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare provider in City of Westminster is seeking a band 7 applied psychologist to enhance primary care. The role focuses on psychological assessments and improving access to services for local communities with a strong emphasis on collaboration with healthcare teams. Candidates should hold a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and be driven by a passion for inclusive service delivery. The position offers the opportunity to engage in reflective practice and training within a supportive team environment.

Benefits

Relocation support up to £10,000

Flexible working arrangements

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Strong links with multidisciplinary teams and clinical supervision required.
• Passion for inclusive working and co-producing services with local populations.
• Ability to implement evidence-based interventions.

Responsibilities

• Provide targeted care and early assessment to the population.
• Liaise with professionals to ensure continuity of care.
• Facilitate carer and service user involvement in care.

Skills

Clinical skills in mental health practice

Assessment and intervention

Consultation and reflective practice

Communication skills

Education

Doctorate in Clinical Psychology

Job description

There is an exciting opportunity for a band 7 applied psychologist in City & Hackney, working in the Woodberry Wetland Primary Care Network. The role acts as a bridge between primary care and secondary mental health providers, focusing services around local communities and connect healthcare teams, improving access for those who may traditionally have faced barriers. The post holder will be embedded as part of the Primary Care Network working across four GP practices. The role involves working alongside the MDT, closely linked to the community mental health team and psychology network in City & Hackney.

The successful post-holder will provide triage, assessment and interventions to service users under the care of GPs in Woodberry Wetlands. They will offer consultation and reflective practice to the staff within the GP surgeries, supporting formulation-driven, psychologically informed care. They will also have strong links with the MDT mental health teams within ELFT and clinical supervision will be offered by a senior psychologist within the community mental health psychology team.

City & Hackney is a vibrant, multicultural borough and the purpose of the role involves building on the strengths of the community to meet the needs of the population. The successful candidate will be passionate about inclusive working and co-producing services with our local populations.

1. Provide targeted care according to the needs of the population by supporting the PCN clinical strategy.
2. Work across Woodberry Wetlands neighbourhood to provide early assessment, treatment and improved access to appropriate care pathways and provide evidence-based interventions for people with mental health difficulties.
3. Liaise with other professionals to contribute to the establishment of continuity of care across services, including statutory and voluntary, and physical and mental health sectors.
4. Provide specialist consultation to the broader staff team within the primary care network on the management of case.
5. Offer teaching, training and reflective practice to the primary care network.
6. Maintain and develop strong links between the primary care network and ELFT community mental health teams.

• To be responsible for implementing sound clinical skills in mental health practice.
• To evaluate and make decisions about treatment and recovery plans taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental process that have shaped the individual, and the wider determinants of health and wellbeing, in conjunction with the team.

Clinical

• Provide skilled assessments of service users' emotional and psychological needs based on the understanding, interpretation and integration of complex data given by the service user and obtained from other sources.
• Develop robust psychological formulations with the service user.
• Implement time-limited psychological interventions based on the presentation and needs of the service users.
• Communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning assessment, formulation and treatment plans of service users under their care and to monitor progress together with team.
• Demonstrate clear knowledge of the 1983 Mental Health Act.
• Undertake frequent risk assessment and safety planning for service users.
• Provide advice and consultation to other professions re the management of cases, ensuring a formulation-driven, psychological approach.
• Offer reflective practice to the primary care network.
• Facilitate service user and carer involvement in ongoing development and evaluation, with a particular focus on developing co‑produced interventions.

Administration

• Maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry and outcome recording of sessions, report writing in accordance with professional codes of practice, policies and procedures and provide statistical returns in accordance with service requirements.
• Participate in the investigation of accidents, incidents or complaints in accordance with policy.

Management

• Carry out a range of clinical audits within the setting and necessary reporting back to managers on key performance indicators for the Mental Health Trust and the Local Authority in relation to the pilot project.
• Attend and engage in supervision and line management.

Professional Responsibilities

• Ensure professional registration is maintained at all times.
• Comply with professional requirements at all times.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes.
• Contribute to the development and articulation of best practice across the service, by continuing to develop the skills of a reflexive and reflective practitioner, taking part in regular professional supervision and appraisal and maintain an active engagement with current developments in the field mental health and related areas.
• Actively participate in the formulation, direction and development of policies and procedures relating to the service.

Teaching, Training, Research and Supervision

• Participate in teaching and act as mentor/role model to students of various disciplines.
• Assist and provide teaching and training to multidisciplinary professionals, Trust and Primary Care Network as appropriate.
• Offer supervision to junior colleagues e.g., assistant psychologist or clinical associate in psychology, as appropriate.

Making Things Better

Quality Improvement is a key part of our work to improve our services and refine how we do things. We have a global reputation for our quality improvement work and we don't stand still! So we offer a fantastic opportunity for our staff to learn, lead and contribute towards improving our services.

We launched our Five Year Strategy in April 2018, which identified four main strategic outcomes to improve: population health outcomes, experience of care, staff experience and improve value. This complements the NHS Long Term Strategy and sets out our direction of travel.

Our Community

We provide a wide range of community health and mental health inpatient services to children, young people, adults of working age, and older adults in The City of London, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Bedfordshire and Luton. We also provide psychological therapy services to the London Borough of Richmond, and provide Forensic services to the whole of North East London. We provide services in urban and rural settings, sometimes in our inpatient units, but mostly in the community close to where people live. Integrated care is key in making the best use of resources and providing effective care.

Aiming High

We were rated 'Outstanding' by the CQC in 2016, were proud to be rated 'Outstanding' again in 2018 and continue to be rated 'Outstanding' in 2021. We were named in the HSJ's Top 10 best places to work in healthcare and were voted Provider Trust of the Year in 2018.

Staff and Service Users United

We strive to ensure that staff feel valued by the Trust and as they are truly pivotal in delivering better outcomes for our patients and service users. Our aspiration is to help to make ELFT the best place to work. This Trust is clinician-led and provides the highest possible level of clinical expertise throughout its services. We pride ourselves on our service user involvement. A service user will be on your assessment centre and interview panel if you are invited to meet us.

We especially welcome people with lived experience of health difficulties, with insight and understanding of different backgrounds, cultures and lifestyles in our population as we believe that this will equip staff to deliver a high standard of care to our service users and patients.

Diversity

ELFT Is committed to being a diverse organisation and our workforce is reflective of the population and communities we serve. We believe that having colleagues with a range of backgrounds and life experiences enriches and adds value to the outcomes we have set out to achieve. Having partnered and endorsed by organisations who are representative and experts in various areas of equality and diversity, we can ensure we are meeting the pre-set standards all the way from recruitment stage throughout the career journey of our employees by being accessible, having fair inclusive practices and a host of staff networks to support, nurture and celebrate our valued staff in the workplace.

Other reasons to apply

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that's job share, part time or another flexible pattern.

As part of the relocation scheme we presently have, the Trust could support you with offering up to £10,000 for removal and associated expenses. This is subject to change and terms and conditions apply.

Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

ELFT has long been recognised as a centre of excellence for mental and health care, innovation and improvement. So it is a very exciting time for you to come and work for us. Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.