Clinical Psychologist/Psychology Practitioner

North Bedfordshire Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) Clinical Psychologist/Practitioner Psychologist.

Job description

As a Trust and in our local service we are working hard to support staff well-being and address inequalities (for our service users and ourselves). We are doing our best to encourage open dialogues about difficult topics and ensure that the Trust values are evident in how we deliver our service and work together.

This post is based in Bedford, Bedfordshire, close to the M1 and easily reached by rail and car from North London, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire. The clinic also has the added benefit of free parking and all clinicians are supported by very dedicated and efficient administrative staff. Whilst some of the work is based in the clinic, access to a car is essential as some travel will be required to undertake outreach support at home or other CAMHS/ multi-agency sites.

Person specification

Education/ Qualification/ Training

Essential

• Minimum: First degree in Psychology (BSc). Three year Postgraduate Doctorate in Clinical or Counselling Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the HPC, covering all care groups
• Training in at least two therapeutic approaches and basic neuropsychological training.
• Clinical supervision training for Doctoral trainees.
• Registration with HCPC

Desirable

• Leadership/Management training.
• Post qualification training in Eating Disorders; Complex Mental health presentations in adolescence and / or CBT with children and adolescents
• Post qualification training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.

Experience

Essential

• Work as a qualified Clinical Psychologist for a minimum of two years including relevant experience - working with young people with psychosis and emerging personality disorder. Emergency assessments and crisis intervention work.
• Experience of providing care coordination
• Experience of providing a direct clinical service, including specialist assessment, psychological formulation of problems and intervention (minimum 500 hours supervised practice), offering interventions in an individual al, family-based or group-based formats.
• Relevant experience with young people and their families/ carers and wider professional network with severe and complex adolescent mental health difficulties
• Experience of participating in Quality Improvement, audit, evaluation and research activities
• Additional relevant clinical and / or managerial knowledge and skills acquired through formal training, long or short courses, formal supervision (individual and/or group), structured self study or experience (or a combination of these) to an appropriate level approved by the Head of Psychology and demonstrated by certification, documented supervision logs, management appraisal documentation and/or assessment at interview. This will include supervision training and a minimum of 500 hours of supervised clinical practice.

Knowledge & Skills

Essential

• Able to provide a highly specialist clinical service, including specialist assessments, formulation and therapy from at least two therapeutic modalities.
• Able to supervise trainee and assistant psychologists and members of other staff groups.
• Able to design and deliver teaching/training programmes to a range of staff groups.
• Knowledge of the Children's Act, Mental Health Act, CPA legislation and national treatment guidelines

Communication & Relationship skills: Able to provide & receive highly complex, sensitive or contentious information in a highly emotive and sometimes hostile atmosphere, in a range of relationships and settings including emergencies. Able to use highly specialist skills of empathy to overcome barriers to understanding and acceptance.

Analytical & judgemental skills: Able to draw upon a broad theoretical knowledge base in the analysis of highly complex facts or situations to arrive at appropriate formulations. Able to compare and select from a range of treatment options, based on a contextualised formulation.

Planning and organisational skills: Able to plan, organise and prioritise own workload.

Research & Guidance: Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis. Up to date knowledge of psychological research and national guidance relevant to the client groups. Knowledge of legislation and its implications for clinical practice with the client groups.

About the employer

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.

ELFT has long been recognised as a centre of excellence for mental and health care, innovation and improvement. So it is a very exciting time for you to come and work for us. Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving 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.