Senior Clinical/Counselling Psychologist - EIP & ARMS

Job overview

We are delighted to invite applications for a maternity leave cover post across two EIP teams in South Essex.  This is for 12 months from November 2024 – November 2025.

The EIP teams, are friendly multi-disciplinary teams working in the community of South Essex (including Southend, Basildon & Thurrock) providing evidence based services in innovative ways to people experiencing a first episode of psychosis.  The teams are separate but closely connected. There are a number of psychological services staff in the teams who enjoy: the clinical work; the team work; the autonomy; and also the career development opportunities.

We have links across 5 EIP teams in Essex and with new ARMS services recently developed across the county.  We also meet regularly with our psychological services colleagues working in these teams, across the Trust, to maintain links, develop services and share learning and innovation.

As a specialist mental health service, EIP is based on NICE-recommended interventions which include comprehensive assessment and psychological interventions for psychosis or co-existing mental health problems (e.g. depression, anxiety, emerging personality disorder, substance misuse). These activities are often supported with family interventions, carer support, recovery/care coordination, social prescribing, education/employment support, physical health checks and (within EIP) medical input. The Psychologists are an integral part of the EIP multi-disciplinary teams.

Main duties of the job

• Provide psychological assessments of service users, utilising information from health, social care, education and employment contacts, as well as direct contact with the service user and their carers.
• Where indicated to utilise complex data 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 clients, family members and others involved in the client's care. The post-holder will also be responsible for the safe use of any equipment used during assessments (e.g. test batteries).
• To formulate and implement plans for psychological treatment and/ or management of the service user’s mental health problems based on appropriate conceptual frameworks and employing methods of efficacy.
• To be responsible for delivering evidenced-based psychological interventions.
• To be responsible for planning, setting up and delivering evidence-based group psychological interventions.
• To work in partnership with services users, carers, ARMS and EIP teams, wider health and social care services, community assets and statutory and voluntary sector services.
• To promote family/carer understanding and support for service users’ recovery and assist them in regaining and maintaining their place in the community.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For further information or an informal chat please contact one of the Principal Clinical Psychologists: Dr Sarah Pennington ([email protected]); or Dr Alison Fell Consultant Clinical Psychologist & ACD ([email protected]).

Please also refer to the Job Description or Person Specification for a detailed list of responsibilities.