Clinical/Counselling Psychologist

at  Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Due to service developments, we have a vacancy for a 0.8wte band 8a psychologist.
We are open to negotiation around how the role will look as we work in a variety of fields using a range of therapeutic approaches and are currently working to develop our input to new areas and fields. We are continuing to use a blended approach of face-to-face and on-line work.
You will join a friendly and supportive team that is well-respected and valued both within and from outside of the Trust. Staff are supported to undertake training in different therapeutic approaches, as well as leadership development, journal clubs and safeguarding supervision take place regularly
The service is regularly involved in quality improvement projects. There are good links with the local DClin Psy course and the team are involved in supervising both placements and research as well as providing teaching. Training, consultancy and supervision of non-psychologists also features within the varied workload and exciting new developments around supporting and developing integrated care through training and supervision within the care group are high on the agenda.
You will work autonomously but will be provided clinical supervision, professional governance and peer-support from the Physical Health Psychology team, in addition to support from the Post-Covid MDT.
You will provide a psychological service to the Post Covid Assessment Clinic. Providing highly specialist assessment and formulation to the multi-agency MDT and developing and providing Post Covid intervention and consultation service, including cognitive screening assessments. The post-holder will work autonomously but will be provided clinical supervision, professional governance and peer-support from the Physical Health Psychology team, in addition to support from the Post-Covid MDT.
You will provide consultation and / training across mental health pathways and Talking Therapies.
By joining Team MPFT, you will be helping your communities and in return for this, we will support you by;
Supporting your career development and progression
Excellent NHS Pension scheme
Generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave
Options for flexible working
Up to 27 days annual leave (increasing with service up to 33 days) and the opportunity to purchase additional leave
Extensive Health and Wellbeing support and resources
If you work in our community teams, we pay for your time travelling between patients
Lease car if you complete more than 500 business miles per annum, fully insured and maintained (including tyres), mileage paid at lease car rate
Salary sacrifice car - fully insured and maintained (including tyres), your gross pay is reduced by the cost of the vehicle before tax, NI and pension deductions are calculated, mileage paid at business rates
Salary sacrifice bikes up to £2k
Free car parking at all trust sites
Free flu vaccinations every year
Citizens Advice support linked with a Hardship Fund for one off additional support up to £250 (if the criteria is met)
And more. We are proud to be a diverse and inclusive organisation and there is a choice of staff networks that help you meet like-minded people.
Please note, we may be required to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications
Key Responsibilities
1. To provide psychological and cognitive assessment, formulation and intervention tailored to the needs of the individual and the context and ongoing evaluation of the outcomes of the intervention.
2. To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a client’s condition, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the client’s difficulties, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings. This will include individual and group psychological intervention.
3. To evaluate and make specialist decisions about psychological treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes.
4. To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients/patients.
5. To undertake work in outpatient settings depending on the level of service need.
6. To undertake work in Long Covid workshops such as “Fatigue, Anxiety and Breathlessness” workshops / peer support groups supporting Long Covid patients.
7. To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management.
8. To communicate highly complex and potentially highly contentious information in a highly skilled and sensitive manner, in situations with clients who may be highly emotional, requiring the highest level of communication skills.
9. To identify, provide and promote appropriate interventions / means of support for carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and challenging behaviours.
10. To carry individual accountability for all clinical decisions and exercise responsibility and autonomy for the treatment and discharge of patients, ensuring appropriate assessment, formulation and treatment, communicating with the referral agent, members of the multidisciplinary team and others involved with the patients’ care.
11. To provide highly specialist psychological guidance and consultation to carers and families of the client and MDT who are directly involved with the care of individuals.
12. To give explanations of a condition or difficulty when clients/patients are antagonistic to the opinions offered.
Professional Duties
1. To implement departmental and Trust wide/departmental policies, procedures and guidelines.
2. To work as a senior psychologist in Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Care Group in own post and as part of the Psychological Professions Group
3. Uphold the privacy and dignity of the patient and respect the equality of patients at all times.
4. To maintain registration with the Health and Care Professions Council as a Clinical Psychologist.
5. To work within the Code of Ethics and the relevant professional practice guidelines of the HCPC, and the professional guidance framework of the Trust.
6. To seek and maintain regular formal supervision.
7. To seek high quality learning opportunities to meet continuing professional development requirements.
8. To work within the framework of the policies and procedures of the Trust.
9. To be responsible for relevant data collection on work activities, as required, and to maintain a high standard of clinical record keeping, providing regular and timely information on work undertaken and on service activity to allow accurate reporting of the overall service to their manager.
10. To participate fully in supporting the activities of the Psychology profession within the Trust, including attending relevant meetings.
11. To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry and recording, report writing and the responsible exercise of professional self-governance in accordance with professional codes of practice of the Health and Care Professions Council, British Psychological Society and Trust policies and procedures.
12. To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to the patient group, mental health, clinical psychology and health psychology in general.
13. To undertake other duties as required for the effective delivery of the Service. To carry out such other duties as the Clinical Lead for the Clinical Health Psychology Service may reasonably request.
Managerial Duties
1. To participate as appropriate in staff recruitment, both in the short-listing process and as a member of interview panels for assistants, trainees and less experienced qualified clinical psychologists.
2. To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the team, specialty and department operational policies and services, through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit.
3. To advise both the service and professional management on those aspects of the service where psychological and/or organisational matters need addressing.
4. To carry out duties in relation to local, regional and national initiatives in developing services in the specialist area as opportunities arise

Please refer the Job description for details