Clinical/Counselling/Health Psychologist Pain Management

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading hospital in London seeks a Clinical Psychologist for the Pain Management Service. The role involves comprehensive assessments, multidisciplinary collaboration, and research contributions, ensuring high-quality care for patients experiencing chronic pain. Candidates must have a strong background in clinical psychology, effective communication skills, and the ability to work autonomously in a sensitive clinical environment.

Benefits

Continuous professional development opportunities

Supportive multidisciplinary team environment

Qualifications

• Post-graduate training in Clinical, Counselling or Health Psychology required.
• Registered as a Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council.
• Experience in physical health settings and psychological assessment.

Responsibilities

• Participate in multidisciplinary meetings and manage complex problems.
• Develop and deliver training for colleagues on psychological issues.
• Contribute to pain management service research and evaluations.

Skills

Knowledge of psychological therapies

Effective communication

Psychological assessment skills

Education

Post-graduate training in Clinical Psychology

Registered Practitioner Psychologist

Job description

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical

• To participate in multidisciplinary meetings and discussions and management of complex problems in patients with the Pain Management Service.
• To comprehensively assess and manage potential risk of suicide and harmful behaviour in patients within the Pain Management Service and to communicate management plans to relevant services.
• To be able to provide high quality often sensitive verbal and written information to patients and other professionals involved in their care.
• To input and maintain appropriate written and digital records inclusive of the Trusts electronic patient record.
• To maintain compliance with statutory and regulatory standards to ensure safe practice and highest standards of care.
• To maintain up to date knowledge of registration, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific client group and mental health.
• To participate in the maintenance of waiting lists and the Therapy Services programme of work.
• To participate in co-development of pain management services with people with lived experience of pain.

Training, Teaching, Supervision and Consultation

• To develop and deliver appropriate training and teaching sessions for psychological and multidisciplinary colleagues and other relevant services on a range of psychological and pain-related issues
• To be prepared to undertake training relevant to the development and delivery of your role as a psychologist within pain management
• To be prepared to provide supervision to assistant and trainee psychologists within the department
• To receive regular individual and/or group/modality specific supervision from psychological colleagues
• To provide appropriate psychologically informed consultation to multidisciplinary colleagues on a range of issues related to patients under their care
• To be available for psychologically informed consultation by colleagues via a range of mediums

Research and Evaluation

• To promote and disseminate relevant psychology and pain related research and evidenced based practice within appropriate meetings and forums within the multidisciplinary team and other relevant services
• To develop and contribute to the Pain Management Service's Research Profile via the publishing of posters, articles, studies in relevant journals and via attendance at relevant domestic and international conferences
• To provide research consultation and supervision to the wider multidisciplinary team
• To develop, maintain and present audits of outcome data within the Pain Therapy Pathways to inform iterative development of Therapy Interventions and best practice

PLEASE SEE JOB DESCRIPTION FOR FULL DUTIES OF THE POST

Person specification

Education and qualifications

Essential criteria

• Post-graduate training in Clinical, Counselling or Health Psychology
• Registered as a Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council

Desirable criteria

• Additional formal training or qualification relevant to Clinical Health Psychology
• Membership of relevant professional group or society e.g. BPS, ACP, British Pain Soc, IASP

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience of working in physical health settings
• Experience of psychological assessment, intervention and management working with a wide range of clinical presentations with complex, long-term co-morbid physical and mental health conditions including pain and maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems
• Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts
• Experience of representing psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary care

Desirable criteria

• Extensive experience over several years of working in clinical health psychology
• Experience of working in a pain management programme
• Experience of working with service user representatives

Skills and knowledge

Essential criteria

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialist psychological therapies (e.g. ACT, CBT, EMDR) with relevant client groups (e.g. people with long-term co-morbid physical and mental health problems, histories of trauma and abuse)
• Skilled in working with the above clients individually and within groups and managing group dynamics in the face of highly emotive and distressing difficulties
• Skilled in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management with individuals, couples, families and groups, frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
• Highly developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups
• Ability to identify, and employ, as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour
• Post-graduate level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practiced within the field of psychology

Desirable criteria

• Published peer-reviewed research and/or conference presentations within the field of clinical health psychology
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health
• Knowledge of the wider landscape involved in the management of chronic pain

Personal qualities

Essential criteria

• Ability to work autonomously in situations requiring careful clinical judgement
• Excellent planning, time management and organisational skills
• Excellent IT skills with a range of programmes and platforms

Important

• The closing date given is a guide only. There may be some occasions when we have to close a vacancy once sufficient applications have been received. You are therefore advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
• Please check your emails regularly as this is how we will communicate with you throughout the recruitment process.
• If you have not heard from us within 3 weeks after the closing date, we regret that this usually means your application was not successful.
• In submitting an application, you authorise the Trust to confirm any previous NHS service details via the Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process, should you be appointed to the post.
• During the recruitment process your identity documentation (ie passport, driving licence, visa etc) will be scanned using a device which recognises UV, infrared and machine-readable zone security features of the documents provided.
• Employment at the Trust is offered subject to successful completion of a six month probationary period.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

• Job Description and Person Specification (PDF, 944.2KB)
• FRF (PDF, 390.8KB)
• Guidance for applicants (PDF, 85.4KB)
• Policy Statement (PDF, 144.5KB)
• Staff Benefits and Wellbeing (PDF, 196.5KB)
• Recruitment Pack (PDF, 2.8MB)