Principal Clinical Neuropsychologist

Job overview

Principal Clinical Psychologist in Neuropsychology/Neuropsychologist in Neuro-Oncology

Band 8B; 0.8 WTE (30 Hours per Week) Permanent (other hours possible)

Due to expansion of our Awake Craniotomy service at the University Hospital of North Midlands (a Centre of Excellence in Neuro-Oncology, doing doing awake surgery for 10 years), we are seeking a Principal Clinical Psychologist/Neuropsychologist to be trained as part of the team providing awake craniotomies to patients with a brain tumour.

The post-holder would provide neuropsychological and psychological expertise pre-, intra- and post-operatively to patients undergoing an awake craniotomy for a brain tumour; and psychological and neuropsychological assessment, formulation, therapy and rehabilitation for patients with cognitive, emotional and behavioural difficulties relating to a brain tumour. If not already completed, this is an ideal post for someone who would like to complete the supervised practice component of the Qualification in Clinical Neuropsychology (QiCN). Applicants should have completed the Academic component of the QiCN. Those who have not yet completed the training could be considered for a Senior Clinical psychologist or preceptorship (8A to 8B) role.

The Neuropsychology service in Stoke-on-Trent is a large team, including several Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologists, Principal and Senior Clinical Psychologists and Assistant Psychologists working in various specialties.

Main duties of the job

To work autonomously in undertaking highly specialised identification, assessment and management of patients with neurological/neuro-oncology conditions including the rehabilitation and psychological  treatment of those conditions. The post holder will be required to provide consultation in relation to the most complex clients, where assessing and managing risk will be a high priority.

To utilise highly specialist neuropsychological skills to develop case formulations that provide detailed psychological and neuropsychological understanding of the patient’s presentation, symptoms and related management issues taking into account different theoretical models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that will inform safe and effective future care and management.

To make highly skilled decisions in advising staff in the development of evidence-based management plans for patients with a neuropsychological and/or neurobehavioural need and to sensitively monitor the efficacy of the management plans through regular consultations with staff, patients and carers adjusting and refining psychological formulations and maintaining a number of different provisional hypotheses.

To utilise highly specialist psychological and neuropsychological skills to contribute to risk assessment, psychological formulation and treatment of complex patients, placing particular demands on the post-holder’s professional judgements, decision-making and clinical skills.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

CLINICAL: 1. To implement a range of psychological interventions, both therapeutic and psycho-educational, for patients and  their families, using evidence-based interventions and best practice guidelines. This will include:

Cognitive assessments where the patient’s presentation suggests change to cognitive functioning. To refer  on for more specialist neuropsychological assessments where this is indicated.

Assessments for delirium and advice on how to manage the presentations

To provide individual and family support to patients struggling with psychological distress related to their  injuries, condition, pain, delayed respiratory wean.

To provide evidence-based interventions for trauma, such as EMDR and/or CBT.

To offer a family therapy/systemic approach when required.

To show expertise, familiarity and comfort in working with a range of psychological presentations, as well  as flexibility in adapting clinical practice to suit the service and patient requirements.

Any other clinical areas of ITU psychology which require psychological intervention.

2. To provide clinical leadership to junior psychologists working in ACCU to ensure the provision of a high quality psychological assessment, formulation and interventions to patients with complex co-morbid physical and mental health conditions as a result of being in intensive care.

3. The service aims to support patients and their families presenting with difficulties, such as: depression, anxiety, trauma, delirium, pain, delayed respiratory wean and other psychological issues whether as a consequence of the event that led to the need for intensive care or the care process itself.

4. To make onward referrals to appropriate teams within UHNM e.g. major trauma pathway, Mental Health Liaison, Drug & alcohol liaison services.

5. To work collaboratively with the ACCU MDT design and deliver appropriate psychological provision as part of the MDT rehabilitation agenda and projects.

6. Responsible for the highly specialist psychological assessment and care-planning of clients with highly complex and contentious comorbid physical and mental health conditions based on the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of data from a variety of sources.

7. Responsible for recognising the potential for or signs of client harm, abuse or neglect, including poor clinical  practice, reporting all such concerns and taking all reasonable steps to protect the client. Responsible for  identifying and reporting concerns regarding the safeguarding of children who may be at risk.

8. Undertakes complex risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and provides highly specialist advice to other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management and the high physical risks inherent in the client group.

9. Formulates plans for highly specialist psychological therapy and/or management of clients’ mental health conditions based upon an appropriate conceptual framework and evidence-based practice. Negotiates the implementation of care plans with the MDT, patients and/or their carers.

10. Undertakes highly skilled evaluations and assessments, formulates care plans and makes decisions about treatment options including supporting other clinical staff to create appropriate care plans and decision making where referral on is appropriate, including liaising with other services to ensure timely handover.

11. Provides highly specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other staff including external to the teams contributing directly to client’s diagnosis, formulation and intervention plan.

12. Leads decision-making by planning and mapping processes / interventions with members of the team to determine the most appropriate treatment modality or service for clients including allocation of casework to therapists and care planning via line management of staff.

13. Meet frequently with and develop community referral pathways within the local area, including IAPT/ clinical health psychology, CMHT - to ensure a smooth and client-centred pathway for service users to receive intervention from the appropriate level of staff.

14. To provide expert consultation about the psychological care of the client group to staff within and outside of the Trust as required.

15. Analyses highly complex client information, derived 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 the client, family members and others involved in the client’s care.

16. Adjusts and refines psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.

17. Evaluates and makes decisions about treatment options, taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.

18. Assesses, diagnoses and makes clinical judgements involving a range of highly complex factors in the context of inadequate or unavailable information, equivocal research/evidence or where expert opinion differs (e.g. conflict between medical and psychological models).

19. The post holder may be required to work in locations other than those specified in the job description as required by service need.