Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologist - Fatigue Services

NHS; Dunstable; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

A health service provider in Dunstable seeks a Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologist to join their Fatigue Services team. The post offers the chance to work with patients affected by Chronic Fatigue and Post Covid symptoms, providing a variety of psychological assessments and interventions within a multidisciplinary team. Ideal candidates should hold a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and have relevant experience in healthcare settings. Competitive salary and CPD opportunities are provided.

Qualifications

• Minimum two years post-qualification experience with physical health conditions.
• Experience with individual and group therapy.
• Experience in MDT working and supervision.

Responsibilities

• Provide psychological assessment and intervention for fatigue patients.
• Communicate complex information to the MDT.
• Train professional colleagues in fatigue services.

Skills

Psychological models expertise

Experience in long-term conditions

Skills in psychometric assessment

Complex intervention methods

Education

Postgraduate Doctorate in Clinical/Counselling Psychology

HCPC registered

Post qualification training in health psychology

Job description

Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologist - Fatigue Services

Newly qualified psychologists are encouraged to apply and could be appointed on a Band 7 development post, working towards requirements for a Band Ba. We would welcome your inquiries.

A fantastic opportunity has arisen for a Clinical/Counselling Psychologist looking to contribute and develop specialist skills and knowledge in the area of Chronic Fatigue. The post holder will work within the well-established Bedfordshire Chronic Fatigue Service (CFS) and the newer Post Covid Fatigue Service (PCFS) working alongside other professional, including OT, Physio and Psychology. The service provides specialist MDT assessment and treatment for patients whose main symptom is moderate/severe fatigue and those with more complex presentations. The post offers a varied role, with both direct patient work and systems working through the provision of training, consultation and supervision. This post offers an individual opportunity to join an effective and creative team. The service professionals are active contributors to national special interest networks and working on developing the evidence base in Fatigue treatment.

The services operates within Bedfordshire Community Health Services. The role would have a based at Mountbatten House in Dunstable, whilst also working into established clinics across the county. The CFS/PCFS services sit within a broader vibrant team of other clinical health psychologists/therapists working across the county. ELFT is committed to providing CPD opportunities to maintain and develop specialist expertise, and broader career development through opportunities such as training in Quality Improvement and Leadership.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be responsible for providing specialist clinical psychological assessment & therapy services as an integral member of the multi-disciplinary Fatigue Service working across the Bedfordshire Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Service and the Bedfordshire, Luton & Milton Keynes (BLMK) Post Covid Fatigue Service. These services sit within the wider Clinical Health Psychology Service.

The post holder will provide specialist psychological assessment and psychological interventions for working age clients, whose principle symptom is fatigue associated to Post Covid/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome health difficulties.

The post holder will provide advice, guidance and consultation on clients' psychological care to non-psychology colleagues, carers and family. The ideal candidate will also have experience working in long term conditions, and working with cognitive and neuropsychology assessments. The service works in collaboration with a range of other Trust services, specialist teams, in particular the Post Covid Assessment Clinic (BLMK), GP's, Talking Therapies, voluntary selector services and community health service teams.

The post holder will utilise research and audit skills for monitoring and evaluating individual and group psychological interventions, assist policy development and service development.

The post holder will work autonomously within HCPC, BABCP professional guidelines and the overall framework of the Trust's policies and procedures.

About us

Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

Job responsibilities

To provide specialist psychological assessment and intervention to patients referred into the Fatigue services. Ideally having additional and specific skills in neuropsychological assessment.

To deliver psychological interventions in varied formats from 1:1 to group interventions.

To communicate in a sensitive and skilled manner, complex information including assessment, formulation, and treatment plans of clients under the care of the MDT and to monitor progress during the course of treatment both individually and within the services.

To provide consultation and psychologically informed thinking, resource and formulation to non-psychology colleagues within the Specialist MDT and across the wider fatigue pathway.

To build and maintain excellent working relationships and communication with all relevant stakeholders within the fatigue pathway across BLMK, and be a champion for fatigue services.

To provide training to professional colleagues working within the wider fatigue community.

To provide clinical supervision to junior psychological therapists where required, Clinical or Counselling Doctorate trainees, Assistant psychologist and other members of the MDT to ensure provision of psychologically informed thinking and interventions.

To manage agreed outcome data for psychology and the service

To lead and work closely with the service Lead to operationalise and deliver service developments in line with emerging evidence base and literature.

To demonstrate the trust values in all aspects of clinical work and to represent psychology and fatigue services to the highest professional level.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Postgraduate Doctorate in Clinical/Counselling Psychology
• HCPC registered
• High level knowledge and skill in two additional psychological models
• Post qualification training in health psychology

Experience

• Min two years post-qualification experience of working with people with physical health conditions
• Experience of working with a wide variety of patient groups across different settings
• Experience of individual and group working
• Experience of MDT working
• Experience of teaching, training and supervision
• Highly developed skills in complex methods of assessment and intervention
• Experience of service development
• Experience of working with pain or fatigue patients
• Skills in psychometric assessment and reporting

Other

• Effective at managing highly distressing emotion
• Ability to recognise, contain and work with organizational and personal stress
• Ability to work independently and part of a team

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.

£55,690 to £62,682 a yearper annum, pro rata