Clinical/Counselling Psychologist

Job summary

We have an excellent opportunity for a Clinical/Counselling to join our well-established Cancer Psychological Support (CaPS) team at St George's Hospital, as part of our wider Department of Clinical Neuropsychology and Clinical Health Psychology.

The post provides specialist assessment and intervention (group and individual) for patients affected by cancer and their families/carers. The range of work is diverse, covering outpatient and inpatient settings, joint-working with multidisciplinary colleagues, teaching/training and supervisory opportunities within and outside of clinical/counselling psychology.

We are looking for someone who is passionate about supporting those affected by cancer and keen to contribute to innovative service development. We will favour candidates who have some previous experience in cancer and / or physical health settings / medical teams but we would be willing to provide in-house training if an applicant has good transferable skills and experience. We would encourage applications from trainees / newly qualified clinical psychologists.

Main duties of the job

You will work as part of a multidisciplinary team, alongside a Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Clinical Psychologists (band 7 to 8b), a Systemic Family Therapist and a Consultant Liaison Psychiatrist. As well as direct inpatient and outpatient work, you will provide indirect teaching, training and consultation, liaising closely with medical, nursing and AHP colleagues within Cancer Services to deliver a highly integrated service. You will also liaise with other community organisations in physical, mental and social care to ensure safe and effective care for patients under the care of St George's Hospital.

We have a wide variety of service development projects involving patients with lived experience, looking at ways to improve delivery and access to psychological care across the cancer pathway.

The post holder will be provided with regular supervision and support from a senior psychological therapist. Peer supervision sessions are also arranged on a regular basis with other experienced clinical / counselling psychologists across Clinical Health Psychology. The Department of Clinical Neuropsychology and Clinical Health Psychology is committed to continuing professional development and career progression. The Department also has excellent links with St George's Hospital Medical School and the University of Surrey and actively supports research.

About us

With nearly 9,000 dedicated staff caring for patients around the clock, they are the largest healthcare provider in southwest London. St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust serves a population of 1.3 million across southwest London. A large number of services, such as cardiothoracic medicine and surgery, cancer, neurosciences and renal transplantation, also cover significant populations from Surrey and Sussex, totalling around 3.5 million people.

Job description

Job responsibilities

For further information please see attached supporting documentation which contains more information about the role. You can also contact Dr Jo Ashcroft, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and CaPS Team Lead (Tel: 020 8725 0461; email jo.ashcroft@stgeorges.nhs.uk)

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical/counselling psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.

Desirable

• Pre/post-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training, health psychology and/or other fields of applied psychology.

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, primary care, in-patient and residential care settings.
• Experience of psychological work with people with physical health problems.

Desirable

• Experience of representing psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary care.
• Experience of assessing and treating clients across the full range of care settings.
• Experience of psychological work with people with physical health problems, life-limiting illness and specifically cancer.
• Experience of working in acute hospital-based settings.
• Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.

Skills

Essential

• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management.
• Well 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.

Desirable

• Ability to engage people in psychological work who are experiencing complex biopsychosocial problems.

Knowledge

Essential

• Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practised within the field of clinical psychology.
• An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with physical health problems.
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.

Desirable

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of highly specialised psychological therapies and assessment methodologies.
• An understanding of the specific needs and difficulties of people with cancer.

Other

Essential

• Ability to identify, provide and promote appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations.
• 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.

Desirable

• Experience of working within a multicultural framework.
• Experience of service development, audit, project work and research.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of 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.
UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see.

Employer details

Employer name

St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Address

Phoenix Centre (St George's Hospital) but may include other sites

St George's Hospital

London

SW17 0QT

Employer's website