Principal Psychologist

NHS; Slough; On-site; GBP 66,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Slough seeks an experienced clinical/counselling psychologist. You will supervise a multidisciplinary team and provide exceptional care as part of community mental health services. The role offers opportunities for professional development and collaboration with primary care colleagues. Competitive salary and inclusive working environment guaranteed.

Benefits

Flexible working options

27 days' annual leave

Excellent career development opportunities

Cycle to Work scheme

Access to wellbeing tools

Discounts at retailers

Generous maternity and paternity leave

Free parking at Trust sites

Qualifications

• Must be a registered Clinical/Counselling Psychologist with HCPC.
• Significant experience at a highly specialist level.
• Training in clinical supervision for trainees and staff.

Responsibilities

• Provide highly specialist psychological services to users with severe mental health issues.
• Supervise multidisciplinary teams and lead community initiatives.
• Collaborate with GPs and primary care colleagues.

Skills

Clinical supervision

Psychological assessment

Communication

Team leadership

Education

Doctoral qualification in clinical or counselling psychology

Accreditation with HCPC

Tools

MS Office

RiO

Job description

This is an exceptional and exciting opportunity for an experienced clinical/counselling psychologist who would be interested in gaining additional invaluable skills and experience working across mental health services in both primary and secondary care.

As the successful postholder, you will be working within the Community Mental Health Team in Slough and wider Berkshire. You will be supervising and managing staff, as well as offering your expertise to a wider multidisciplinary community mental health team.

This post also offers a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of the development of the Mental Health Integrated Community Service (MHICS). This is part of the Trust's Community Mental Health Transformation initiative aimed at bridging the gap between primary and secondary care and involves working closely with GPs and primary care colleagues.

This exciting role offers an excellent opportunity for a career development, and we would welcome passionate and dynamic candidates, keen to progress in their careers.

Main duties of the job

You will work as a valued member of theSloughMental HealthService,as well as the trustPsychological Therapieswider team, andyou will provide a highly specialist psychological service to users presenting with severe/complex mental health difficulties requiring multiple interventions, complex/intensive risk management plans and high levels of multiagency work.

You willinitiate, lead, supervise, and contribute to the multidisciplinary teams within the locality and wider Trust services.

Youwill contribute to the Trust's Community Mental Health Transformation initiative aimed at bridging the gap between primary and secondary care, which includes working closely with GPs and primary care colleagues.

You will be reliable and knowledgeable,andyou will have great IT skills and be familiar with various systems and software packages.

You will need access to your owncar andbe able to travel independently across Berkshire.

About us

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:

• Caring for and about you is our top priority
• Committed to providing good quality, safe services
• Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:

• Flexible working options to support work-life balance
• 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
• Excellent learning and career development opportunities
• 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
• Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
• Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
• Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
• Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
• Free parking across Trust sites

Job responsibilities

The must haves for you to be considered for this role:

• A doctoral qualification in clinical or counselling psychology and Registered Practitioner Clinical/Counselling Psychologist with the Health and Care Professional Council (HCPC).
• Clinical supervision training for psychological therapy trainees and qualified staff
• Significant experience working as a qualified clinical/counselling psychologist, including demonstrable post qualification experience at a highly specialist level in the related specialisms.
• An enhanced DBS check.

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.

Were committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

We have identified that this is a role where we have underrepresentation of ethnically diverse colleagues. As part of our commitment to inclusion and Unity Against Racism we offer guaranteed interviews to candidates who meet the essential criteria and identify as: Asian or Asian British, Black or Black British, Mixed and Other Ethnic Groups.

We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please dont hesitate to call: Natasha Berthollier on 01753 690950 or email: [e-mail]

Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications/Training

• Post graduate doctorate in clinical or counselling psychology (or equivalent for those who trained prior to 1996 or for those who completed their training overseas)
• Accreditation with Health Care Professional Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist (Clinical/Counselling) (Eligibility for) Chartered Membership of British Psychological Society (BPS)
• Clinical supervision training for doctorate psychology trainees (BPS Registered course) and other qualified clinicians
• Post qualification specialist training to an accreditable level in at least two areas of psychological practice directly related to the clinical requirements of this post Accreditations to reflect post qualification training (e.g., BABCP, UKCP, ACAT, SRCN)
• Proven ability in teaching and formal training in professional/clinical supervision

Continuous Professional Development

• Evidence of substantial post-qualification training and expert knowledge in psychological models and therapeutic approaches with an evidence base within the area of specialism
• Commitment to continuing professional development as recommended by the relevant accrediting body

Previous Experience

• Significant experience working as a qualified specialist practitioner in the profession, including demonstrable post qualification experience at a highly specialist level in the area of specialism
• Significant experience of working in evidence-based ways with services users (and their carers/families) presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the range of settings, 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 dealing with highly distressing or emotional circumstances, such as serious mental illness, child and sexual abuse, exploitation, and complex family dynamics
• Experience of teaching and providing professional and clinical supervision, as well as experience of developing, delivering and leading training programmes
• Experience of service evaluation and implementing change from a national and local health or social care change agenda that impacts across services and professions
• Experience of working with, and addressing issues of diversity and equality, including experience of working with diversity, multiculturalism and equality of access to services

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Able to manage a demanding and complex caseload and support colleagues to do so
• Well-developed skills and ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to service users, their families, carers, and other professional colleagues, both within and outside the NHS
• Detailed and advanced knowledge of a range of evidence-based assessments and therapeutic interventions within designated clinical area, and the ability to lead the provision of these
• Exceptional interpersonal and highly effective communication skills with the ability to support, engage and lead patients, clinicians and other stakeholder groups in change, development, and improvement
• Advanced IT skills and the ability to navigate various systems and software packages (such as RiO, Outlook, databases, MS office/Teams, and the internet)

Additional Requirements

• Demonstrates a consistent ability to sensitively respond to people's needs, particularly with reference to all aspects of diversity
• Able to work flexibly around working patterns as required
• Able to travel independently between locations to fulfil the requirements and duties of the position

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.

£66,653 to £77,094 a yearper annum, pro rata (inc. of HCAS)