Assistant Psychologist

Job overview

We are looking for an experienced Assistant Psychologist to join the Department of Clinical Neuropsychology at the Oxford Centre for Enablement (OCE). The Clinical Neuropsychology service is part of the Trust wide Psychological medicine service. You will support the work of the Clinical Neuropsychology department in the Neurorehabilitation service at the OCE, working with adults with acquired brain injury and a wide range of long-term and complex neurological conditions, their families and carers. You will be carrying out neuropsychological assessments and delivering individual interventions and group work.

Main duties of the job

You will be working with in-patients, with opportunities to work with out-patients and families. You will also contribute to staff teaching and training, departmental and service development projects, research and clinical audit as opportunities arise. You will receive regular supervision and opportunities for CPD. We are seeking applications from people who have prior paid experience as an Assistant Psychologist in a neuropsychological setting (as such it is essential that you are proficient in administering and scoring a wide range of neuropsychological assessments). This post will offer you the opportunity to expand your existing experience of neuropsychological assessment with the chance to be involved in the supervised design and implementation of a range of Neurorehabilitation interventions. You will be organised, enthusiastic, hardworking and efficient; you will be able to work independently (with supervision) but also enjoy working within a team. You will also have good organisational and administrative skills alongside your clinical experience. You will have a honours degree in Psychology (2:1 or above) and be eligible for graduate membership of the BPS.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE POST:

To support and enhance the professional psychological care of clients within the service, their families and carers, across all sectors of care; providing psychological / neuropsychological assessment and neurorehabilitation / psychological interventions under the supervision of a qualified professional clinical psychologist, working independently and with initiative according to a plan agreed with a qualified clinical psychologist and within the overall framework of departmental and occupational guidelines and the OCE team’s policies and procedures. To support the department in undertaking clinically and service related administration, clinical audits, collection of statistics, development of audit and/or research projects, teaching and project work. To participate in clinical supervision at agreed intervals to plan and assess results.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT

The working environment is a specialist NHS service for people with acquired brain injury and a wide range of long term and complex neurological conditions. This environment involves frequent exposure to emotionally demanding situations. There is also possible exposure to aggressive and disinhibited behaviour. Working in this environment requires intense concentration and excellent interpersonal skills.

KEY RESULT AREAS

Clinical:

• To undertake protocol based psychological assessments of clients applying psychological / neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members, including children and others involved in the client’s care. Assessments require in-depth knowledge of psychological and statistical principles and the characteristics of particular test administration procedures and their statistical properties, and to make detailed qualitative observations of test behaviours to inform qualified Clinical Psychologists judgements, within a context of clinical supervision by qualified clinical psychologists. As an integral part of neuropsychological assessment, to simultaneously exercise well-developed manual skills (i.e. accurate manipulation of a wide range of neuropsychological test materials, including physical materials, touch-screen computer tests), in which accuracy is important and it is often necessary to take account of interfering factors (such as patient distractibility, or level of comprehension).
• To provide a wide variety of neuropsychological / psychological interventions with individuals, families, carers and staff groups under clinical supervision.
• To assist and to take the lead in the coordination, running and evaluation of different therapeutic groups.

Teaching, training and supervision:

Service development:

• To attend meetings in which service developments are planned and discussed (e.g. OCE working parties / service related project groups) where appropriate and under supervision.

Research and service evaluation:

• To be involved in the design and implementation of departmental / OCE related audit and research projects.
• To undertake data collection, analysis, the production of reports and summaries, using IT and statistical programmes.
• To undertake searches of evidence-based literature and research to assist qualified clinical psychologists in evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members.
• To assist in the formulation and delivery of care plans involving the psychological treatment and/or management of a client’s problems, under the supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist, primarily in an in-patient setting and in an out-patient setting as required.
• To provide orientation to inpatients within the unit and contribute to the maintenance and continual improvement of the inpatient rehabilitative therapeutic environment.
• To work with other staff to assess both inpatients and outpatients and to review their care and needs in preparation for multi-disciplinary goal planning and reviews.
• To attend and to contribute to appropriate multidisciplinary goal planning and other meetings and to assist in the development of a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings where care takes place.
• To produce patient reports and summaries under supervision in a timely fashion and to maintain high record keeping standards.
• To communicate effectively, empathically and clearly with patients, families and carers regarding neuropsychological and psychological matters which will regularly be complicated (such as explanation of neuropsychological principles or abilities and disabilities), and will often be in an emotive atmosphere (such as communicating with patients with life-threatening conditions, traumatic experiences or psychological disorders), and which may require managing difficulties in understanding (such as cognitive deficits), or overcoming communication difficulties with patients, family or carers who are hostile, antagonistic, highly anxious, displaying risk behaviours or acutely mentally unwell etc.
• In carrying out the duties of the post, to exercise high levels of mental concentration for prolonged periods (for example in neuropsychological assessments of up to 4+ hours), which can involve significant emotional concentration (for example in working with people/families/carers with life-threatening conditions , or in significant psychological distress), while sitting in a constrained position for extended periods, and also to make use of well-developed manual skills (in for example, manipulation of test materials, as well as keyboard skills, and operation of electronic equipment).
• In carrying out the duties of the post, to cope with and manage challenging behaviour occasionally, including verbal abuse and risk of physical aggression (for example from patients with frontal lobe impairment, people with learning disability or chronic and enduring mental illness).
• In common with all clinical and assistant psychologists, to receive regular clinical supervision in accordance with professional practice guidelines.
• To gain wider experience of professional psychology within the NHS over and above that provided within the principal service area where the post holder is employed.
• To develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties.
• To contribute to the training and support of other staff in psychological care and to provide teaching to the wider community under supervision.
• To attend courses and training sessions that will benefit professional development.
• To assist in the design and implementation of service development projects within the service as required.

Administrative:

• To be responsible for maintaining stocks of neuropsychological test materials and ordering/re-ordering test materials and resources as necessary.
• To plan, organise and prioritise own caseload and other responsibilities and liaise as necessary with other colleagues.
• To contribute as appropriate in service/departmental policy implementation and development (by for example commenting on issues and discussing changes).
• To observe personal duty of care in relation to equipment and resources, such as computer, data projection and audio visual equipment, and psychometric test materials.
• To support the work of the inpatient and outpatient neuropsychology departments via completion of clinical and service indicated administration as required and under supervision of qualified clinical psychologists.

General:

• To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in Trust Statutory and Mandatory training, internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the post holder’s professional and team/operational manager(s).
• To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing in accordance with professional codes of practice of the British Psychological Society and Trust policies and procedures.
• To prepare test materials and visual aids as required.
• To perform other duties of a similar kind appropriate to the grade, which may be required from time to time by their Psychology Manager.

To be noted:

• This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, and the postholder may be required to undertake other duties which fall within the grade of the job, in discussion with the manager.
• This job description will be reviewed regularly in the light of changing service requirements and any such changes will be discussed with the post holder.
• The post holder is expected to comply with all relevant Trust policies, procedures and guidelines, including those relating to Equal Opportunities, Health and Safety and Confidentiality of Information.

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.