Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist - Neurodiversity Pathway

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust; Edgware; On-site; GBP 56,000 - 71,000; Full time

Job summary

Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist (Band 8a) for the Autism and Social Communication Assessment pathway. Based at Edgware Hospital, you will assess children aged 0-6 for possible autism using ADOS-2, interview families and liaise with schools, shaping outcomes with the MDT.

You will supervise two band 5 assistants, contribute to service development, and work within a multi-agency framework to ensure holistic, family-centred care.

Qualifications

• Experience in autism assessment and diagnosis in children 0-6.
• ADOs-2 trained and experienced in MDT neurodevelopmental clinics.
• Experience supervising junior staff in psychology.

Responsibilities

• Assess children aged 0-6 for autism using ADOS-2 or other tools.
• Interview parents/carers; liaise with schools.
• Formulate outcomes with the MDT and provide post-diagnostic reports.
• Provide supervision to band 5 Assistant Psychologists.
• Contribute to service improvement and safeguarding activities.

Skills

Autism assessment

ADOS-2

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Clinical supervision

Education

Doctorate in Clinical Psychology

Tools

ADOS-2 tools

Job description

Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist - Neurodiversity Pathway

Company:

Company: Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

A Vacancy at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.

We are excited to offer this full-time position of Band 8a Clinical Psychologist in our new Autism and Social Communication Assessment pathway. This post is based at Edgware Hospital in Barnet.

We are looking for an experienced Clinical Psychologist with considerable prior experience in autism assessment and diagnosis in children 0-6. Candidates will be ADOS-2 trained and have significant experience in multidisciplinary neurodevelopmental assessment clinics, working with paediatricians, SLTs, OTs, psychologists and other clinicians.

This is a new multidisciplinary team which is designed to provide a needs-led, family-centred approach to assessment and diagnosis for children aged 0-6 with neurodivergent needs in Barnet.

We have a strong commitment to supervision, CPD and joint working with a range of other agencies and professionals.

We would consider offering flexible working hours, job sharing or part-time working.

The successful candidate will assess children aged 0-6 for possible autism using the ADOS-2 and/or other appropriate assessment tools, interview parents/carers, liaise with schools, and formulate with other members of the MDT to consider the correct outcome for the child. You will give families feedback about the outcome of assessments, discuss post-diagnostic support, and write high-quality clinical reports.

The post-holder will also provide clinical supervision to two band 5 Assistant Psychologists in the service. You will contribute to service improvement, audit and research. You will also be involved in triaging incoming referrals and helping oversee cases with safeguarding or risk elements.

The position requires you to work flexibly within an interdisciplinary framework, engaging with various professionals in a multidisciplinary and multi-agency environment. This includes collaboration with community providers, speech and language therapists (SLTs), occupational therapists (OTs), other psychologists, paediatricians, physiotherapists, and other allied health professionals, as well as Experts by Experience (parents/families of neurodivergent children). The aim is to provide a holistic approach in communicating and sharing advice, information and plans to all relevant parties and family.

The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s biggest and most innovative trusts. Across three main hospitals, our dedicated army of staff care for over 1.6 million patients, treat more than 200,000 in A&E, deliver over 8,000 babies and carry out more than 17 million tests.

Our size, scale and influence offer you unrivaled career opportunities and a forward-thinking approach to working that works around your lifestyle. From flexible hours and generous benefits, to next level training, we make it easier to take your career to the top.

For more information please follow link https://www.royalfreelondonjobs.co.uk/

The post holder will work as part of the Team for the Assessment of Autism and Social Communication (TAASC) team for children aged 0-6 in Barnet. This is a multidisciplinary team which is designed to provide a needs-led, family-centred approach for children aged 0-6 with neurodivergent learning needs.

The successful candidate will assess children aged 0-6 for possible autism using the ADOS-2 and/or other appropriate assessment tools, interview parents/carers, liaise with schools, and formulate with other members of the MDT to consider the correct outcome for the child. You will give families feedback about the outcome of assessments, discuss post-diagnostic support, and write high-quality clinical reports.

The role involves supervision and line management of two band 5 Assistant Psychologists within the team, leading practice, providing specialist support to children and families, liaising with other professionals, and demonstrating a neuro-affirmative attitude to differences such as autism and ADHD.

The post-holder will work closely with Health, Education, Social services and Voluntary services, Community Paediatricians, Therapists, Children with disabilities team, Health Visitors, School nurses, GPs, Educational Psychologists, Early Years Advisors and particularly families. The aim is to provide a holistic approach in communicating and sharing advice, information and plans to all relevant parties and family.

The post holder will lead psychology provision within the service and contribute psychological skills and expertise to the team, helping to foster a culture of reflective practice in the team.

The post holder will contribute to triaging/screening incoming referrals, helping schedule clinics, managing risk and safeguarding issues, and helping to improve various aspects of the service.

Supervision of junior staff and students is a key component of the role, ensuring their development and professional growth.

The role also involves contributing to the planning, coordination, delivery, and evaluation of the effectiveness of the pathway. Additionally, you will participate in service improvement initiatives and contribute to quality enhancement efforts within the team.

In all the work that you do, you will be expected to represent the role of clinical psychology, to colleagues, professionals and families, to ensure that the support offered within the team truly represents the multidisciplinary expertise represented.

The post holder will be responsible for ensuring that all aspects of service provision adhere to relevant performance standards, including safety, effectiveness, and efficiency. This includes monitoring the quality-of-service delivery, achieving developmental targets, and supporting ongoing service development within the TAASC.

£55,524 - £62,652 per annum pro rata inclusive of HCAS

£63,665 - £70,887 per annum, pro rat inclusive of HCAS