Principal Practitioner Psychologist

Job overview

We are delighted to invite applications for a Principal Practitioner Psychologist to join Aspen ward, our female adult acute inpatient ward in Oldham. This is a part-time Band 8b role for a skilled and compassionate psychologist (Clinical, Counselling, or Forensic) who is motivated by multidisciplinary working and committed to delivering high-quality, evidence-based psychological care within a dynamic and supportive team.

This post forms a key part of substantial new investment in our female acute wards and will contribute to the continued development and strengthening of our female model of care. As part of our improvement journey, our female acute wards are committed to creating a safe, respectful and gender- and trauma- informed environment where women - and the staff supporting them - feel valued, heard and supported. Our approach emphasises dignity, choice and collaboration, with a clear focus on purposeful and therapeutic admissions.

We are also advertising 0.5WTE band 8b vacancy on our female ward, Norbury, Stepping Hill Hospital. Applicants may choose to work part-time on Aspen, or combine roles to work full-time across both Norbury and Aspen. Applicants wishing to work across both wards are required to apply for both vacancies.

Main duties of the job

As outlined in the job description, the main duties include:

• To provide clinical leadership and direction in the continual development and provision of a high quality specialist psychology service within the adult acute inpatient service, embedding trauma and gender informed care into the female ward
• To support with the transformation of acute inpatient care, in line with national direction
• To  hold a clinical caseload undertaking evidence-based psychological assessment, formulation, and intervention (individual and/or group). This may include a range of difficulties at the point of crisis including experiences of psychosis, depression and/or Complex Emotional and Relational Needs (CERN)
• To provide specialist psychological support, consultation and guidance to other professionals contributing directly to the assessment, formulation and intervention plan
• To ensure the team have access to a psychologically-based framework for understanding and providing care to service users, through the provision of advice, consultation and dissemination of psychological research and theory
• To undertake risk assessment and risk management and provide general advice to other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and management
• To support colleagues through the provision of supervision, reflective practice and post-incident reflective spaces
• To contribute to audit, policy/service development and research. To propose and implement policy changes within the areas served

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For a more detailed overview of the roles job description and main responsibilities, please see the attached job description and personal specification.