Specialist Practitioner Psychologist

Job overview

London’s major trauma system consists of four major trauma networks each with a Major Trauma Centre.  The system was the first of its kind in England; set up to give immediate specialist care to the most urgent, life-threatening cases and to save more lives.  The four major trauma centres in London are King’s College, Royal London, St George’s and St Mary’s hospitals.

A unique opportunity to become part of this exciting programme of work has arisen for a Highly Specialist Practitioner Psychologist within the MTC at King’s College Hospital.  The successful post holder will support the Principal Practitioner Psychologist in the delivery and operationalisation of an integrated model of psychological care for survivors of major trauma. The post holder will also work to provide highly specialist psychology input which will include specialist screening, assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes.

We are looking for an enthusiastic, creative and flexible psychologist to become part of this innovative psychology team serving a diverse inner-city population with an unparalleled case mix.  Specialist clinical health psychology input has a long tradition at King’s College Hospital, and you will be joining a group of psychology and psychotherapy professionals who are dedicated and supportive.

Main duties of the job

• To provide a highly specialist integrated psychology service to the Major Trauma Centre (MTC) at Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust including specialist screening, assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes.
• To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.
• To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate, functioning as a lead specialist in the psychological aspects of the care and treatment of MTC patients.
• To undertake service evaluation, audit, research and policy development.
• To work as an autonomous professional within BPS and HCPC guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by principles, policies and procedures of the employing organisation (King’s College Hospital), partner organisations (South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust) and the MTC service, taking responsibility for interpreting policies within defined parameters.
• To agree outcomes/results with clinical/professional lead and to decide how they are best achieved.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical and Client Care

• To provide highly specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions for patients in the MTC service including developing and delivering psychological interventions tailored to meet the needs of both inpatients and those who have been discharged.
• To provide culturally appropriate psychological interventions with carers or families of referred patient when required.
• To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans.
• To work with MTC colleagues to co-ordinate the services delivered as part of the MTC psychology team

Contributing to team or service clinical functioning

• To contribute to the effective working of the MTC psychology team and the MTC service and to help contribute to the development and facilitation of a psychologically informed framework for the service.
• To contribute to the team and service’s delivery of accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.
• To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.
• To advise other members of the MTC service on specialist psychological care of clients.
• To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals concerned with clients in order to develop and review care plans.
• To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other team members.

Policy and service development

• To implement policies and procedures in own area of work, and to propose improvements or beneficial changes.
• To contribute to service development through undertaking and participating in appropriate projects.
• To participate in the ongoing implementation of new initiatives (e.g. national guidelines) across the service.
• To contribute to the consultation and engagement of service users in planning and delivering services which meet the needs of local communities.

Care or management of resources

• To take care of, and use carefully, the Trust’s equipment and physical resources.
• To ensure that the post-holder has sufficient resources by estimating future needs and requesting or ordering supplies as needed.

Management and supervision

• To be responsible for the allocation and/or clinical supervision of the work of more junior psychologists and any assistant psychologists with support from a more senior psychologist.
• To supervise trainee applied psychologists within own area of specialism.
• To contribute to the appraisal of more junior psychologists, as appropriate.
• To contribute to the recruitment of more junior psychologists, as appropriate.
• To provide supervision for the psychological work of other multi-disciplinary staff as appropriate.

Teaching and Training

• To undertake occasional teaching and training of pre and post- qualification psychologists and specialised training to other professions as appropriate.
• To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within the MTC service by maintaining an active awareness of current developments in psychology and the MTC service and by implementing knowledge gained in practice.
• To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles.

Record-keeping and Information Governance

• To ensure that all information generated by own work is recorded as required by Trust policies and local procedures.
• To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry.

Research and development

• To initiate, undertake, support and supervise regular complex service evaluation and audits.
• To initiate and carry out appropriate research (NB: not a major job requirement [major = 20% or more of job]).
• To provide expertise in a specialist research area which will contribute to the MTC service.
• To initiate and implement the development of outcome measurement and assessment and assist other staff in the implementation of same.

Maintaining professional standards and continuing professional development

• To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior psychologist according to HCPC and Trust guidelines.
• To ensure own Continuing Professional Development in line with BPS and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements and the HCPC ‘Standards for Continuing Professional Development’.
• To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.
• To comply with the HCPC ‘Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics’ and ‘Standards of Proficiency’, and ensure professional development in line with these.
• To adhere to the BPS’s Professional Practice Guidelines and Trust policies and procedures.

General

• To travel to sites across the Trust and the area it serves as appropriate and when required.
• To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the client group, and follow trust policies relating to its management.
• To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations – including those associated with critically unwell patients and those approaching end of life care – and to support others involved in such situations where appropriate.