Psychologist - Band 7 or Band 8a

Integrated Care System; Bristol; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading mental health charity in the UK seeks a dedicated professional to join their psychology team, focusing on trauma-informed care for clients facing multiple disadvantages. This role involves supporting staff, developing training, and engaging in system change initiatives, all aimed at enhancing the wellbeing of both clients and staff.

Qualifications

• Experience working with severe and multiple disadvantages.
• Experience in trauma-informed and attachment frameworks.
• Experience in NHS secondary care mental health services.

Responsibilities

• Support staff in developing trauma-informed understandings of service users.
• Facilitate reflective practice and team formulation sessions.
• Guide staff on support planning and outcome setting.

Skills

Trauma-informed formulation

Interpersonal dynamics

Adaptability

Relational approaches

Job description

Commissioned since 2019 by Somerset Council, Step Together is an innovative service that offers a psychological, adversity and trauma (PAT) informed approach to those rough sleeping/at risk of homelessness with multiple disadvantage and complex needs (mental health, forensic history, substance use). We advocate for system change, creatively thinking with other agencies to develop innovative ways to overcome barriers to engagement, turning these into opportunities to steer positive trauma-informed system change.

Main duties of the job

The successful applicant will have an interest in relationally oriented approaches, interpersonal dynamics and understanding the impact of adversity/trauma. Skills in trauma-informed formulation, an ability to inspire learning in others and support the wellbeing of staff through reflective contexts are essential. There will be investment in your professional development through training and robust clinical supervision and you will become part of the growing psychology team with other psychologists, developing training and leading system change across Second Step and beyond. If you have the drive, adaptability, and open-mindedness to hold the hope and compassion for clients that other services have struggled to effectively work alongside, believing that recovery and growth are always possible, then we welcome hearing from you.

About us

Second Step is a leading mental health charity in the South-West offering housing, support and hope to thousands of people with mental health and other needs. We promote wellbeing by supporting people and communities to build brighter futures. We value relationships and making sense of what has happened to those accessing our services, rather than labelling what is wrong with them.

Job responsibilities

Support staff to develop PAT informed understandings of service users with multiple and complex needs (drawing upon various frameworks in particular: power-threat-meaning, attachment and trauma informed theories and other frameworks as required including: CBT, Solution-Focused, Critical Time Interventions, Restorative Approaches and Strengths-Based practice)Provide accessible reflective contexts (team formulation, reflective practice and 1-1 supervision spaces) to non-psychologist staff (termed recovery coaches) to embed PAT informed learningBe involved in the continual evaluation and development of these reflective contexts to facilitate self-reflection of the impact of the work on staff with an aim to enhance staff wellbeing and our culture of collective care.Be involved in and facilitate team formulation sessions as appropriate to develop formulations that consider individuals context and intersectionality, including reflecting on equality, diversity and inclusion, as part of everyday practiceProvide PAT informed guidance to staff around support planning, outcome star/goal setting, safety and inclusion planning

Person Specification

Experience

• Experience of working with people with severe and multiple disadvantage including a range of adult mental health problems and/or substance misuse, forensic histories and homelessness
• Experience of formulating different ways of adapting and surviving using trauma informed and attachment frameworks
• Experience of evaluation and audit
• Experience of working in NHS secondary care mental health services
• Experience of working in non-NHS settings
• Experience of relational approaches to therapy e.g. psychodynamic models.
• Experience of providing reflective practice
• Experience of influencing the networks of support around individuals and creating system change
• Experience of creating and delivering psychological and trauma informed training to different audiences

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.