Specialist Clinical Psychologist

Job overview

The service will provide specialist assessment, formulation, therapeutic interventions (directly to individuals or through consultation) to a small number of autistic people with complex needs under the care of an existing SWLSTG service. The service supports autistic adults, without a co-occurring intellectual disability.

As a multi-disciplinary, community-based service, it works in partnership with other SWLSTG teams to support autistic people and their families/carers. A person-centred approach to care will be adopted, focusing upon maximising a person’s quality of life and supporting people to live in their local community supported by local services.

The aim of the service is to reduce reliance on inpatient mental health care and improve the skills of SWLSTG clinicians in working with autistic adults. The service will be focused on interventions that:

• Prevent crisis and associated presentations to Accident and Emergency departments and liaison and diversion services.
• Prevent unnecessary hospital admission and reduce length of stay in inpatient services.
• Improve the understanding and skills of SWLSTG clinicians in working therapeutically with autistic adults.

Main duties of the job

To be responsible for providing a specialist clinical psychology service to autistic adults with complex needs which places them at risk of an admission in the context of the Transforming Care Agenda, within a multidisciplinary team.

To provide specialist psychological assessment, formulation and intervention to clients and their care teams. This will involve undertaking direct assessment and intervention with the client or indirect assessment, monitoring and intervention with staff or carers. To offer psychological consultation, advice and expertise to non-psychologist colleagues and to care staff or family carers.

Work independently as an autonomous practitioner, taking full responsibility and accountability for complex clinical decisions. Practice within professional, safeguarding, team, and Trust guidelines, policies, and procedures, while adhering to British Psychological Society and Health and Care Professions Council standards, including requirements for ongoing clinical supervision.

The post holder will be required to contribute to the effective running of the Adult Autism Intensive Support Team, delivering, or advising on the delivery of, high quality care and ensuring consistently high standards of practice. They will be required to contribute to effective multidisciplinary team working ensuring that care is delivered in a holistic way which involves service users and carers.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To provide specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to the team. This is to include appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a range of sources including psychological and neurological tests, clinical questionnaires, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interview with clients, staff, family members and others involved in the client’s care, all in the context of multi-disciplinary working.

To formulate, implement and evaluate plans for the specialised psychological intervention and/or management of a client’s problems, based upon a thorough holistic assessment. The formulation should include consideration of the client’s presenting difficulties, personal, social and developmental history, strengths and needs, environmental factors, intellectual ability and level of social support and independence. To consider, evaluate and decide upon a range of interventions and theoretical models across the full range of care settings, including consideration of evidence of efficacy, and to decide upon the most appropriate intervention in liaison with the client or staff or carer.

To provide expertise, consultation and specialist advice to professional colleagues on the psychological assessment and treatment of autistic people and to promote a psychological perspective of their needs. To provide access, advice and consultation on psychological knowledge, research and research methods to other professionals in the team.

To undertake risk assessment and risk management for relevant individual clients and to provide both general and specialist advice for psychologists and other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and management.

To provide professional and clinical supervision to trainee clinical psychologists and to assistant psychologists working in the service and to ensure that such supervision is available, effective and appropriate always. To provide research supervision to trainee clinical psychologists as needed.

To be responsible for developing a responsive, accessible, acceptable and effective psychology service for clients, their carers and families.

To support the development, evaluation and monitoring of the team’s operational policies and services, through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit.

To be proficient in the use of IT for word processing, email, intranet and client management systems (such as RIO). To use email forums to liaise, build networks, communicate and share good practice with other psychologists and professionals.

To demonstrate highly developed communication and interpersonal skills and can provide and receive complex information in difficult, challenging and emotive situations.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in job applications

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Please remember, your application is your opportunity to tell us about your skills, experience and motivation for the role. We encourage applicants to complete their application and supporting statement in their own words wherever possible. We recognise that AI tools can be helpful in supporting accessibility, and for improving spelling, grammar and structure.

Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content can become generic and fail to accurately reflect an applicant's individual experience. Applications that clearly demonstrate your own voice, reflections and experiences are often the most effective and help us better understand your suitability for the role.

Please be aware that information provided in your application and supporting statement may be explored further during the selection process. It is important that all applications accurately represent your own knowledge, skills and experience.