Clinical Psychologist

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust; Widnes; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization in Widnes is seeking Clinical/Counselling Psychologists to provide psychological assessments and interventions for adults with learning disabilities. You will work within a multi-disciplinary team, participating in training and delivering high-quality patient care. The ideal candidate will hold a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and have experience in complex psychological issues. Flexible working arrangements are available.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Supportive multi-disciplinary teams

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience in providing psychological therapy for adults with learning disabilities.
• Ability to work within multi-disciplinary teams.
• Evidence of participation in training and supervision.

Responsibilities

• Provide psychological assessment and therapy for service users.
• Deliver and evaluate psychological interventions in complex cases.
• Support team members with training in psychological techniques.

Skills

Clinical assessment

Psychological intervention

Multi-disciplinary collaboration

Research skills

Training delivery

Complex problem solving

Education

Doctorate in Clinical Psychology

Job description

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust celebrates diversity and promotes equal opportunities; we are committed to challenging and eliminating racism and other forms of discrimination and advancing and promoting equality of opportunity in the provision of services and creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We believe that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect.

An exciting opportunity has arisen within our community team across Halton, for Clinical/Counselling Psychologists with an interest in supporting adults with learning disability.

The post holder will be required to work as part of our established and highly supportive multi-disciplinary community learning disability health teams. Core clinical functions include aspects of assessment, intervention, consultation, clinical team formulation, training, working with and across multidisciplinary teams and systems, and supporting our programme of audit and research.

Responsibilities

Clinical Responsibilities

The post holder will work within our Community Learning Disability Teams (CLDTs) providing appropriate psychological assessment and therapy for service users across the footprint. They will work as an integral part of the clinical MDT to deliver high quality psychological therapies within the specialised area of Learning Disabilities.

The post holder will work to provide assessment, formulation and, where appropriate, intervention to service users who present with complex mental health problems. Delivery of staff training and support for supporting teams/services regarding psychological principles is fundamental to this role.

The post holder will be responsible for the systematic provision of specialist psychological services for people suffering primarily from common and complex mental health problems. In particular, to provide services that meet the agreed service priorities consonant with the practitioner's experience and expertise. Such services include the development and implementation of specialist psychological assessment and intervention strategies, including clinical casework and the provision of consultancy work generally for the assurance of quality in the use of psychological methods by other team members.

• Highly specialist one-to-one clinical consultations
• Highly specialist psychological assessment including issues of risk
• Psychological interventions for individuals, families and groups, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses
• Decision making for and evaluating treatment options, taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group
• Exercising autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based intervention plans
• Staff consultation contributing directly to clients' formulation, diagnosis and intervention plan
• Staff consultation on the use of psychological techniques
• Staff supervision in the use of psychological techniques
• As part of multidisciplinary team working, to provide casework for people experiencing severe psychological difficulties and prioritise workload to address the more severe and complex presentations
• Supply services within the context of existing multi‑professional teamwork and negotiate appropriate professional relationships with statutory and voluntary agencies to ensure referral of appropriate casework and communicate highly complex clinical information
• Maintain the records of service in line with the information needs of the Trust
• Provide input to health, social care and community‑based services to enable best practice and service user choice in line with local service accessibility; this may include inpatient environments, specialist departments, general practices, health centres, local day centres, residential and nursing homes
• Manage frequent exposure to highly distressing and emotional circumstances, maintaining substantial mental effort through frequent and intense concentration

Managerial Responsibilities

• Support the formulation and implementation of clinical and operational practices and procedures as appropriate
• Support the implementation, monitoring and updating of an operational policy and philosophy for the clinical area
• Prioritise workload to ensure that skills are used to address the more severe and complex psychological presentations within this area of work
• Ensure awareness of the needs for service development and assist in the planning and advocacy of future service provision
• Ensure the principles of clinical governance are incorporated in service delivery by maintaining a high‑quality service based on agreed clinical standards
• Participate in managerial supervision and facilitate the supervision of other psychologists, psychological therapists, nurses, occupational therapists, psychiatrists, assistant psychologists and trainee clinical psychologists within the service
• Prepare for and implement training placements for clinical psychology trainees
• Obtain and maintain the appropriate professional training and licensing standards, including eligibility for chartered and licensed practice

Research and Audit Responsibilities

• Undertake appropriate service audits and assist the research and development agenda by proposing areas of study appropriate to advancing the nature of psychological work within this service specialty
• Undertake doctoral research projects with trainee clinical psychologists as required
• Perform regular audit and evaluation of the team's activity through derivation, collection and analysis of appropriate data
• Engage in audit, quality assurance programmes and research as directed

Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.