Specialist Psychologist (Autism & Mental Health)

Integrated Care System; Sidcup; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A health care service provider in Sidcup is seeking a Specialist Psychologist to join their multidisciplinary team. The role involves conducting neurodevelopmental assessments and providing psychological guidance for Autistic adults with complex mental health needs. Ideal candidates will have extensive experience in Autism assessments and a doctoral level qualification in psychology. This is a full-time, one-year fixed-term contract.

Qualifications

• Experience working with adult clients with Autism and mental health difficulties.
• Experience in neurodevelopmental team and ASD diagnostic pathway.
• Experience completing ASD diagnostic assessments.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist neurodevelopmental assessments for Autistic adults.
• Conduct psychological assessments and provide diagnosis.
• Offer psychological guidance and consultation to professionals.

Skills

Autism diagnostic assessments

Psychological assessments

Complex mental health conditions

Education

Doctoral level training in clinical psychology or counselling psychology

HCPC registration

Post-qualification specialist training in Autism

Job description

An exciting opportunity to join the Oxleas Adult Autism Service as we seek to appoint a Specialist Psychologist to be part of our multidisciplinary team working with Autistic adults without Learning Disability and complex mental health conditions.

The service is responsible for neurodevelopmental assessments / diagnostic assessments of Autism Spectrum Disorder within the Trust for the three boroughs of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich.

The team led by Psychology brings together a variety of disciplines including Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Clinical Psychology.

The Oxeas Adult Autism Service is currently in a phase of development and expansion enabling increased multi-disciplinary working and evidence-based practice tailored to the needs of Autistic adults with complex mental health comorbidities. This is a very exciting opportunity to be part of a growing service aimed at reshaping how Autism is understood and supported within the mental health local services.

Previous experience in Autism diagnostic assessments alongside knowledge of use of specialist interview and assessment tools is highly desirable. A robust training program will be provided by the service.

The position is advertised as full time and 1 year fixed term contract

Main duties of the job

• To provide specialist neurodevelopmental assessments/Autism diagnostic assessments for Adults without a learning disability and complex mental health conditions and psychiatric comorbidities.
• To provide specialist psychological assessments, differential diagnosis and cognitive assessments when needed, of clients referred to the team based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the client's care.
• To provide highly specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients' formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan. Specifically for clients with neurodevelopmental conditions and to apply specialist knowledge about the ways they impact upon and interact with complex mental health conditions.

About us

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

• We're Kind
• We Listen
• We Care

Job responsibilities

For details about job description and main responsibilities please refer to the JD and person specification attached.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Doctoral level training in clinical psychology or counselling psychology
• Registration with the Health Professions Council - HCPC
• Desirable completion of further post- qualification specialist training in Autism

Experience

• Appropriate level of experience working with adult client group in Autism and comorbid mental health difficulties
• Experience of working within a neurodevelopmental team and/or an ASD diagnostic pathway
• Experience of completing ASD diagnostic assessments with adults or children

Knowledge

• Knowledge of aspects of diagnostic assessment considerations in adults with suspect ASD and complex mental health comorbidities

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.