Band 7/8a Clinical/Counselling Psychologist - Clinical Health Swindon

at  Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

We are looking to welcome an enthusiastic and compassionate Clinical/Counselling Psychologist, who can play a significant part in enhancing and developing the psychological care of people with Weight Management, Paediatric Diabetes and Pulmonary Rehabilitation needs, across our locality. Ideally, you will have previous experience of working in physical healthcare settings and will be looking to apply and expand your knowledge of clinical/counselling psychology in this area further.
You will be working alongside and be responsible to the Consultant Clinical Psychologist for Health and will join an expanding clinical health psychology service covering Cancer Care, Diabetes, Pain Management, Critical Care, Stroke Rehabilitation and Staff Health and Wellbeing. The department has good links with the Bath Doctoral Clinical Psychology Course and is committed to continuing professional development.
Depending on experience, we will consider a preceptorship post, where we will appoint at Band 7, with progression to the Band 8a role upon successful completion of a preceptorship programme.

The key purpose of this combined post is to deliver specialist clinical/counselling psychology services as part of the Swindon LIFT Clinical Health Psychology Service, including:

• Two sessions (7.5 hours) with the Weight Management service, based at Great Western Hospital.
• Two sessions (7.5 hours) within the Paediatric Diabetes service, also based at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon.
• One session (3.75 hours) with the Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PACE) service, based at Chippenham Community Hospital.

There will be opportunities to providing training, mentoring and support to members of these teams, as well as providing specialist clinical input to patients experiencing significant psychological distress.
Along with providing evidence-based individual and group-based psychological interventions, you will also contribute to service audits and evaluations, and be an active part of an experienced and supportive clinical team.
We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust): a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care.
We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset.
Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.
At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.
Key responsibilities
Weight Management Service
Working with the multidisciplinary Weight Management team, providing highly specialist clinical psychology input to the team and contributing to the multidisciplinary care of patients of the team.
Assessing the appropriateness of bariatric surgery for those referred into the specialist Tier 3 service, on an individual and group basis, as well as in a multidisciplinary clinic, including brief interventions where appropriate.
Developing and facilitating pre-operative groups preparing patients for bariatric surgery and post-surgery support groups, enabling patients to adjust and cope with surgery.
Developing a highly specialist knowledge base and skills in the assessment and application of evidence-based psychological interventions in intensive weight management and bariatric surgery.
Providing teaching, advice, consultation and supervision to the team where appropriate.
Providing consultation and teaching to members of other relevant professions concerning the psychological treatment of individuals referred with obesity and weight management problems.
Paediatric Diabetes
Being responsible and accountable for the direct delivery of psychological services within Paediatric Diabetes.
Providing highly specialist psychological intervention to the young person, their family and their wider support network e.g. schools, local authorities, CAMHS.
Co-facilitating clinics.
Providing support to the paediatric diabetes multi-disciplinary team.
Delivering relevant training workshops.
Facilitating reflective practice sessions.
Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service
To provide specialist clinical input to the Pulmonary Rehabilitation service based at Chippenham Community Hospital. The specific responsibilities of the role will include:
To provide psychological formulations and evidence-based psychological intervention to people experiencing significant psychological distress as a result of their pulmonary related difficulties.
Contributing to group based intervention, including the PACE programme.
Work alongside colleagues, providing a psychological perspective on the difficulties of the patients under the care of the Pulmonary Rehabilitation service.

• Two sessions (7.5 hours) with the Weight Management service, based at Great Western Hospital.
• Two sessions (7.5 hours) within the Paediatric Diabetes service, also based at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon.
• One session (3.75 hours) with the Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PACE) service, based at Chippenham Community Hospital