Clinical Psychologist- Neurodiversity Pathway

The Methodist Church in Britain; Greater London; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Supervision and CPD support

Flexible working hours

Job share or part-time option

Career development opportunities

Job summary

The Methodist Church in Britain is advertising a Band 8a clinical psychologist post within the Team for the Assessment of Autism and Social Communication (TAASC), serving children aged 0-6 with neurodivergent needs. The post holder assesses for autism using the ADOS-2, interviews families, and provides feedback while supervising two Band 5 Assistant Psychologists.

The role also covers triage, audit and service improvement, works alongside paediatricians and SLTs, and would consider job share or

Qualifications

• Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) required.
• Experience in multidisciplinary settings preferred.
• ADOS-2 trained or willing to train.

Responsibilities

• Assess children aged 0-6 for autism using ADOS-2 and other tools.
• Interview parents and carers; liaise with schools.
• Formulate assessment outcomes with the MDT.
• Provide feedback to families and discuss post-diagnostic support.
• Write high-quality clinical reports.
• Provide supervision to two Band 5 Assistant Psychologists.
• Lead psychology provision and represent clinicians to families.

Skills

Organising workload

Prioritising workload

Teamwork

Empathy

Communication

Risk management

Audit/Service improvement

Education

Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy)

Job description

This Band 8a clinical psychologist post sits in the Team for the Assessment of Autism and Social Communication (TAASC), serving children aged 0-6 with neurodivergent needs. The post holder assesses children for possible autism using the ADOS-2, interviews parents and carers, gives families feedback and supervises two band 5 Assistant Psychologists. The role also covers triage, audit and service improvement, works alongside paediatricians and SLTs, and would consider job share or part-time working. ADOS-2 training and two years as a clinical psychologist are essential.

What the job involves

• Assess children aged 0-6 for possible autism using the ADOS-2 and other appropriate tools
• Interview parents and carers and liaise with schools
• Formulate assessment outcomes with the multidisciplinary team
• Give families feedback on outcomes and discuss post-diagnostic support
• Write high-quality clinical reports
• Provide clinical supervision and line management to two band 5 Assistant Psychologists, and supervise other junior staff and students
• Lead psychology provision in the service, foster reflective practice and represent clinical psychology to colleagues and families
• Triage and screen incoming referrals and help schedule clinics
• Manage risk and safeguarding issues in cases
• Contribute to planning, delivery and evaluation of the pathway, including audit, research and service improvement
• Monitor service performance against safety, effectiveness and efficiency standards and developmental targets
• Work flexibly across health, education, social care and voluntary partners, and with Experts by Experience

What’s required

Qualifications

• Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy)

Registration & licences

• HCPC accreditation
• ADOS-2 trained

Experience

• Assessing children for autism, including with the ADOS-2
• Working within a multidisciplinary team
• Clinical supervision of Assistant Psychologists
• Managing risk and safeguarding issues
• Diagnostic conversations with parents and carers
• Minimum of 2 years working as a Clinical Psychologist

Skills & knowledge

• Organising, planning and prioritising own workload and caseload
• Sensitivity to the emotional needs of clients and carers, especially when giving distressing information
• Empathy with families where barriers to understanding exist, ensuring effective communication
• Proven ability to work as part of a team

Other

• Service evaluation and/or audit experience

Nice to have

• Experience supporting the operational management of therapy or diagnostic teams
• Experience using the ADI-R or 3Di
• Ability to speak a second language

What’s offered

• Supervision and CPD support
• Commitment to joint working with other agencies and professionals
• Flexible working hours, job share or part-time working considered
• Career training opportunities within a large trust