Principal Clinical Psychologist

Principal CAMHS Clinical Psychologist Hounslow (0.6WTE)

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced and innovative CAMHS psychologist to join the Adolescent team in Hounslow CAMHS. The role offers the chance to combine clinical work within a friendly multidisciplinary team with supporting the Consultant Clinical Psychologist with leadership and supervision within the team and across Hounslow CAMHS.

The adolescent team works with young people who are 14 years and over where there are concerns about risk as well as emotional difficulties and their families/carers. A variety of interventions are offered within the team and across the service, for which specialist supervision groups are available.

Psychologists currently working at highly specialist level, and looking to move to an 8b role are very welcome to apply, and the post would be equally suitable for somebody with experience working at 8b level already, but who wishes to take on a new challenge. You will receive regular supervision and line management from the Consultant Clinical Psychologist based in Hounslow. There is a strong network and regular meetings of senior CAMHS psychologists across the three boroughs (Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith and Fulham), of which you would be a part. There are excellent opportunities for professional development.

Main duties of the job

You will offer a high-quality clinical psychology service to young people, families and carers within the child and family team, and liaise effectively with other CAMHS colleagues and others in the network supporting the young person. You will also enable colleagues to do similarly across the whole of Hounslow CAMHS through high-quality supervision. The leadership aspect of the role is both within psychology (supporting the Consultant Psychologist) and Hounslow CAMHS and we are looking for someone who shares a compassionate approach to leadership.

The needs of young people and families will be at the centre of thinking about the service, and you will work together with service users and colleagues to ensure that the service best meets the needs of its population. Hounslow is a culturally diverse borough and you will be involved in ensuring that the service is accessible and effective.

Job responsibilities

The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Doctoral level training in clinical / counselling psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the British Psychological Society.
• Professional registration with the Health Care Professionals Council (HCPC).
• Post-qualification training in supervision / specialist application of formal therapy models.
• Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.
• Training in CBT.

Experience

• Substantial experience working as a qualified clinical psychologist, including experience working at highly specialist level.
• Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity and across the age range of 0-18, including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
• Experience of assessment and intervention with individuals with neurodevelopmental difficulties.
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment, both as a professionally qualified care coordinator and also within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan.
• Experience of teaching and training.
• Experience of multi-agency working.
• Significant experience of delivering professional, clinical and management supervision to psychologists.
• Experience of and commitment to service development.
• Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.

Knowledge & Skills

• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
• Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or 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.
• Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practised within the clinical fields of psychology.
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
• Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the HCPC.
• High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
• Knowledge of application of therapeutic models to children who have special educational needs and neurodevelopmental conditions.
• Knowledge and skills in specialist psychological assessment and treatment of specific groups (e.g. looked after children, learning disabilities, neurodevelopmental disorders, adolescent mental health, trauma, anxiety and mood disorders).

Other Requirements

• Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
• Commitment to provide support to children, their families/carers and linked professionals and maintain high levels of aspiration for the population referred to the service.
• Commitment to working flexibly and collaboratively with team colleagues and to support innovative ways of working.
• To approach clients with empathy and adaptability and to be open to development of new approaches to work with clients.
• Experience of working within a multicultural framework.

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.

£67,950 to £78,028 a yearpa annum including 15% HCAS