Consultant Clinical Psychologist (multiple disciplines) - UAE

Job overview

Please note that this role requires a Bachelors and Doctorate in Psychology as well as HCPC registration in order to obtain a license to practice in the UAE. Only the candidates that meet this criteria will be shortlisted.

Main duties of the job

Job Purpose

• To demonstrate clinical excellence in a specialist area and carry a highly specialist clinical caseload.
• To have responsibility for the professional leadership, supervision and line management of psychologists and assistant psychologists within the relevant CAG.
• To devise, develop, and implement policies and lead service developments as required for the CAG as appropriate.
• To consider the training needs of psychology staff to ensure professional development and delivery of up-to-date practices.
• To be responsible to the Clinical Director for the monitoring and implementation of clinical and professional standards in the practice of applied psychology and psychotherapy in the service and for the systematic and effective provision of professional and clinical supervision.
• To be responsible for the clinical governance, quality and appropriateness of the work of psychologists in the CAG.
• To have a leadership role as part of the CAG’s management team, ensuring service plans, developments and pathways are psychologically informed.
• To work as an autonomous professional within DOH, BPS and HCPC guidelines and Maudsley Health codes of conduct, and guided by principles and policies or procedures, and interpret these and be responsible for their implementation.
• To manage the placements of interns as required.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To review and recommend the plan of delivery for psychological care.
• To plan and organise the integrated delivery of care with other agencies and service providers and ensure coordination of psychology services with other services where possible.
• To provide a highly specialist psychology service to patients.
• To provide clinical assessments drawing on advanced specialist theoretical and practical knowledge of a wide range of psychological procedures and evidence-based practices.
• To provide psychological formulations, drawing on advanced specialist theoretical knowledge and experience of working with patients with difficulties in relation to their mental health.
• To develop, implement and lead individualised and specialist psychological therapy interventions as appropriate.
• To provide culturally appropriate psychological interventions with relevant patient age group.
• To assess and monitor risk and develop appropriate risk management plans.
• To act as a care coordinator taking responsibility for initiating planning and reviewing care plans, ensuring evidence-based practice is used whenever possible.
• To ensure that all services provided are acceptable and accessible to the diverse communities who use the service.
• To work collaboratively with the Clinical Director and Service Director and other senior staff to plan and deliver joint services that are integrated around the needs of patients.
• To co-ordinate (and chair) clinical team meetings as requested, to ensure effective functioning.
• To ensure the effective working of the team or service and a psychologically informed framework for the service.
• To be sensitive in challenging any discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.
• To advise other members of the service on specialist psychological care of clients.
• To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals concerned with clients in order to develop and review care plans.
• To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other team members.
• Working alongside Clinical Director, to be responsible for developing, interpreting and implementing policies and service development strategies for the defined area and within own clinical practice.
• To ensure the consultation and engagement of service users in planning and delivering services which meet the needs of local communities.
• To participate in, or lead when appropriate, implementation of initiatives (e.g. national guidelines), through membership of committees and/or working parties, as agreed with Clinical Director.
• To be responsible for implementing Clinical Governance initiatives within the CAG psychology service.
• To take a lead role in ensuring that services offered to clients are of high quality and are managed efficiently, according to the overall requirements of the clinic.
• To lead on, or contribute to, the development of bids and business cases to develop the service as appropriate and requested.
• To make recommendations about psychology resources in the CAG.
• To identify required materials and equipment and to order through the identified system.
• To provide leadership to clinical psychologists and assistant psychologists in the CAG.
• To ensure appropriate systems are in place for the clinical and professional supervision of Clinical Psychologists.
• To advise on the recruitment of psychology staff and contribute via interviewing as part of a convened interview panel.
• To work collaboratively with the Clinical Director to ensure appraisals, personal development plans and job plans for psychologists are embedded.
• To role model and advise on the management of psychology staff.
• To provide professional and clinical supervision to clinical psychologists, assistant psychologists and psychologists in training.
• To deputise to other senior staff, when appropriate.
• To contribute to ensuring the service works as efficiently as possible.
• To provide consultancy, clinical supervision, teaching and training to multidisciplinary colleagues regarding psychological issues, assessment and therapy.
• To contribute to teaching and training as part of Maudsley Health Hospital’s commitment to providing high-quality training within the region.
• To support the planning, organization and delivery of teaching and training plans for clinical psychologists.
• To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base by maintaining an active awareness of current developments in psychology and by implementing the knowledge gained in practice.
• To manage the development of specialist clinical placements for interns as and when required.
• To ensure that all information generated by own work is recorded as required by policies and local procedures.
• To ensure a good standard of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional guidelines, including electronic data entry where possible.
• To ensure the planning, initiation and completion of research, service evaluation and audits relevant to the role and service, as agreed by the Maudsley Health Hospital SMT and Academic Director.
• To provide expertise in a specialist research area.
• To initiate and implement the development of outcome measurement and assessment and assist other staff in the implementation of same.
• To regularly monitor and evaluate evidence-based practice and the effectiveness of clinical assessments and interventions.
• To receive regular clinical and professional supervision according to HCPC and BPS guidelines.
• To ensure own Continuing Professional Development in line with DOH, BPS and Personal Development Plan requirements and the HCPC ‘Standards for Continuing Professional Development’.
• To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.
• To comply with the HCPC ‘Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics’ and ‘Standards of Proficiency’, and ensure professional development in line with these.
• To meet and maintain licensing requirements in country of origin, as well as in the UAE.
• To adhere to the BPS’s Professional Practice Guidelines and relevant local policies and procedures.
• To ensure that all psychology staff for whom the post-holder has leadership or management responsibility, maintain professional standards and continuing professional development.
• To travel to community or home visits and professional meetings, or to other healthcare premises, as appropriate when required.
• To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the client group and follow policies relating to its management.
• To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations such as challenging behaviour and to support others involved in such situations.
• To work flexibly which will include offering a late clinic and weekend working (likely to be once weekly) within the overall Job Plan, to ensure the service is accessible for patients.