Senior Practitioner Psychologist

We are looking for an enthusiastic and committed HCPC registered Senior Practitioner Psychologist to join our Inclusion Health Homeless Service serving Greater Manchester.The post holder will join the two other Senior Practitioner Psychologists in the team will be supported by a Principal Clinical Psychologist and the other members of the multidisciplinary team including Dual Diagnosis Practitioners and a Consultant Psychiatrist.

The Inclusion Health Homeless (IHHT) provides a dedicated service for individuals across Greater Manchester region who present with suspected mental health concerns and who are not currently being supported by or engaging with mainstream mental health services. We are a multi-disciplinary team committed to working in a trauma-informed way with people who are homeless, at risk of homelessness or under the Housing First programme.

The IHHT delivers a time limited assertive engagement model of care. We aim to work collaboratively to enable and empower individuals, involving them in the development of their care, treating them with dignity and respect, and ensuring that their care aligns to their wishes wherever possible. The IHHT team forms part of the overarching GMMH Homeless Hub, which also includes the Manchester Mental Health Homeless Team and the Rough Sleeper Drug and Alcohol Team.

The Senior Practitioner Psychologist post is full time 37.5 hours per week.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will form part of the GMMH Homeless Hub in providing a psychologically aware and trauma informed service, working according to the principals of Psychologically Informed Environments (PIE) and trauma-informed approaches. This will include indirect and direct working with clients; training and supporting staff teams and evaluation

You will provide highly specialist psychological assessments, risk assessment and time limited interventions with clients with complex needs and often co-occurring substance use. Clients who are referred to the service have often either found it hard to engage with, or benefit from, other mental health services, and may be homeless or reside in temporary accommodations or hostel settings.

You will work as an effective member of the multidisciplinary team, participating in clinical team meetings.

You willprovide clinical supervision, training and reflective practice to mental health and non-mental health workers including frontline staff working within homelessness and housing services.

You will provide clinical consultations for multidisciplinary team professionals.

You will contribute to the service delivery and target objectives/priorities of the GMMH Homeless Hub, in agreement with the team leads / operational manager.

You will adhere to local safeguarding protocols to safeguard children and vulnerable adults

Person specification

education / qualifications

Essential

• Professional qualification in Clinical or Counselling or Forensic Psychology at doctoral level (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS. Eligibility to be a chartered Clinical/Counselling/ Forensic Psychologist. Registration with HCPC

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with a wide variety of service users with complex needs, including clients who have experienced complex trauma
• Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team.
• Experience of providing consultations to other professionals and non-professional groups.
• Previous experience of delivering time-limited psychological interventions to clients with complex mental health problems.

Desirable

• Training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological relevance (e.g. staff training, research methodology, and / or other fields of applied psychology)
• Experience of working with homeless clients/services.
• Experience of providing supervision/reflective practice

Experience of working with clients who use drugs and / or alcohol.

Experience of providing training

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to clients with complex, severe and enduring mental health problems and of mental health legislation.
• Knowledge and understanding of mental health, and homeless services

Desirable

• Knowledge of Psychologically Informed Environments framework and / or trauma-informed services.

About the employer

Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) Foundation Trust employs over 7000 members of staff, who deliver services from more than 122 locations.

We provide inpatient and community-based mental health care for people living in Bolton, the city of Manchester, Salford,Trafford and the borough of Wigan, and a wide range of specialist mental health and substance misuse services across Greater Manchester, the north west of England and beyond.

Greater Manchester is one of the world's most innovative, original and exciting places to live and work. From the beauty of the surrounding countryside to the heart of the vibrant inner city with great shopping, entertainment and dining options.

Wherever you go you will experience a great northern welcome with people famed for their warmth, humour and generosity.

Our people enjoy their work, have opportunities to learn and develop their skills and are encouraged to generate new ideas that improve care for our service users.