Senior Clinical / Counselling Psychologist

Job overview

The Children and Young People’s (CYPS) Directorate in Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is offering an exciting opportunity for a Band 8a Clinical or Counselling Psychologist to join the well-established multi-disciplinary North West Community Team for Children and Young People. The CYPS Community Teams are part of Mindworks Surrey, an alliance of NHS, national and local voluntary sector organisations providing mental health services to children in Surrey using the THRIVE approach. The North West Community Team is based in Chertsey; the post requires some travel to other bases in Surrey according to the needs of children and young people.

This post will be suitable for a passionate and highly motivated psychologist interested in ensuring excellent psychological care is accessible for children and young people with complex mental health needs from diverse backgrounds, through delivering direct therapeutic interventions, providing supervision to psychology staff, and providing consultations to the MDT and other services. This is a permanent part time (22.5 hours) post. Applications are invited from qualified Clinical, or Counselling Psychologists registered with the HCPC. Being BABCP accredited and/or trained in EMDR will be an advantage.

Main duties of the job

The post-holder will be part of a multi-disciplinary team delivering high-quality, specialist interventions for children and young people experiencing complex, chronic and/or severe mental health difficulties. The post-holder will be expected to provide highly-specialist psychological assessments, including using psychometric tools. They will provide evidence-based psychological interventions and will be highly skilled in the use of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and at least one other psychological therapy. They will provide high-quality. clinical supervision to psychology professionals. They will provide expert consultation to the multi-disciplinary team and other services.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of clinical work and care. To maintain high standards of care in all areas of practice in accordance with the HCPC Code of Conduct, professional guidelines and Trust Policies and Procedures.

To act within the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act (2005). To be aware of and implement Safeguarding Adult and Child Protection Policies, Procedures and legislation.

To carry out comprehensive psychological and cognitive assessments and formulation, plan implement and evaluate delivery of psychology interventions and consultations to support people with specific and complex needs.

To actively involve people in developing and agreeing their own care plan, to act as an advocate and ensure that there is proper regard for their dignity, choice, self-esteem, racial, cultural, sexual and religious needs and preferences.

To work creatively to adapt verbal and written communication to meet the needs of people who use our services.

To undertake comprehensive risk assessments and develop effective risk management plans for people with complex needs.

To establish and maintain effective partnerships and relationships with colleagues, other agencies , people who use services and their carers and support staff.

To conduct and lead on clinical audit, quality assurance and research, maintaining current knowledge of research findings and development within specific care group.

To develop and provide a range of specialist teaching/training packages which can be delivered to a range of multi-disciplinary audiences.

To positively contribute to divisional and team developments in relation to all aspects of psychology practice.

To lead on the supervision and Individual Performance Review/Appraisal of assistant psychologists as required.

To contribute to the development and implementation of appropriate policies, protocols and care pathways.

To contribute to initiatives to ensure that the diverse needs of people within the care group are addressed within local services and future developments.

To act as practice assessor/supervisor/teacher in teaching, facilitating and supporting pre-registration students and junior personnel and to participate in the audit of educational placements.

To research national best practice and enable services to benchmark practice against nationally recognised standards - in partnership with people who use our services and their carers.

Assist in appropriate e staff recruitment and induction and contribute to the wider strategic plans regarding psychology recruitment.