Practitioner Psychologist in Paediatrics (Gastro)

NHS; London; On-site; GBP 61,000 - 69,000; Full time

Job summary

An opportunity exists for a Highly Specialist Practitioner Psychologist in Paediatrics at a leading NHS Foundation Trust. The role involves providing integrated psychological care for children with medical needs, ensuring quality service delivery, and contributing to a multidisciplinary team. Candidates should possess a Professional Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and relevant experience. This position offers a competitive salary and the chance to work in a supportive environment dedicated to innovative care.

Qualifications

• Registered with HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist.
• Experience working with children with chronic illness.

Responsibilities

• Provide a comprehensive clinical psychology service to children and families.
• Conduct assessments, treatment planning, and monitoring of outcomes.
• Contribute to service evaluation and research.

Skills

Clinical Psychology

Assessment

Communication

Teamwork

Education

Professional Doctorate in Clinical Psychology

Training in Clinical Supervision

Job description

Go back King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Practitioner Psychologist in Paediatrics (Gastro)

The closing date is 01 June 2025

An opportunity has arisen for a Highly Specialist Practitioner Psychologists to join the Paediatric Psychology Team at King's College Hospital, inputting into the Gastro team.

The successful post holder will input into the delivery and operationalisation of an integrated model of psychological care for children and young people with medical needs. The post holder will provide specialist screening, assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes.

We are looking for enthusiastic, creative and flexible psychologists to become part of this innovative psychology team serving a diverse inner-city population with an unparalleled case mix. Specialist paediatric and clinical health psychology across all ages has a long tradition at King's College Hospital, and you will be joining a group of psychology and mental health professionals who are dedicated and supportive.

Applications from band 7 preceptorship role are also welcome.

Main duties of the job

To provide a comprehensive clinical psychology service to inpatient and outpatient children, young people and their families under the Paediatric Psychology and Gastro teams at King's College Hospital.

- To provide a specialist psychology service to paediatric psychology patients; assessment, formulation, evidence-based treatment and implementation and monitoring of outcomes.

- Together with senior colleagues, to ensure the systematic provision of a highly specialist psychology service, responsible for screening, assessing and monitoring development, cognition and associated learning and neurodevelopmental outcomes, and onwards referrals according to local pathways.

- Ensuring that psychological wellbeing is being considered in the planning and delivery of multidisciplinary care to all patients.

- To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.

- To provide clinical supervision and consultation to non-psychology colleagues as appropriate.

- To undertake and contribute to service evaluation, audit and research.

- To work as an autonomous professional within BPS and HCPC guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by the policies and procedures of the service, taking responsibility for own work including treatment and discharge decisions with support of clinical supervisor.

About us

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of £1 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and around 15,000 staff based across 5 main sites in South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local hospital services across its different sites, and specialist services from King's College Hospital (KCH) sites at Denmark Hill in Camberwell and at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) site in Bromley.

King's is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone's contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust's carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.

The trust-wide strategy Strong Roots, Global Reachis our Vision to be BOLD, Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. By being person-centred, digitally-enabled, and focused on sustainability, we can take Team King's to another level.

Job responsibilities

• To provide a highly specialist integrated psychology service to children and families under Gastro teams at Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust including specialist screening, assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes.
• To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.
• To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate, functioning as a lead specialist in the psychological aspects of the care and treatment of patients and their families and caring groups.
• To undertake service evaluation, audit, research and policy development.
• To work as an autonomous professional within BPS and HCPC guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by principles, policies and procedures of the employing organisation (Kings College Hospital), partner organisations (South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust) and Kings College London, taking responsibility for interpreting policies within defined parameters.
• To agree outcomes/results with clinical/professional lead and to decide how they are best achieved.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Professional Doctorate in Clinical Psychology that has been accepted by the HCPC for purposes of professional registration.
• Registered with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist, and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC.
• Additional training in a specialised area of psychological practice through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses, or an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice-based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma
• Completed training course in clinical supervision
• Competence and/or specialist training in models of assessment and practice for children with health conditions and their caring networks

Experience

• Experience of working with children with chronic illness and their families
• Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.
• Experience of psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature. oExperience of psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature.
• Experience of supervision of junior psychologists
• Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and / or lived experience.
• Experience of conducting research, service evaluation and/or clinical audit within a healthcare setting

Knowledge

• Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment.
• Knowledge of psychological assessment and clinical psychometrics, including cognitive assessments.
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities.
• Doctoral level knowledge of psychological research methodology and complex statistical analysis.
• Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care.

Skills

• To deliver psychological therapy across cultural and other differences.
• To select and administer specialist psychological assessments, interpreting and integrating complex data that require analysis, interpretation and comparison, drawn from several sources.
• Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour.
• To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences and hostility to or rejection of information.
• To plan and schedule assessment and interventions for individual clients and groups and carers, and for meetings such as MDT meetings and case reviews.
• To be skilled in the administration of psychometric, cognitive assessments and neuropsychological tests, including those that require complex manipulation of test materials.
• Well-developed ICT skills including entry and analysis of research data

Abilities

• Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate
• Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions, and to deal with unexpected interruptions or changes during these.
• Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour.
• Ability to manage verbal aggression and hostility directed at self

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.

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

£61,927 to £68,676 a yearPer annum pro rata including HCA