Clinical/Counselling Psychologist (Research)

at  Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust

Clinical / Counselling Psychologist (Research) - Band 7-8a 1.0 wte – Sleeping Better and Feeling Safer trials, Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, Community Mental Health Services.
The Trust is a trial site for two large multi-centre NIHR-funded trials titled Sleeping Better and Feeling Safer. The central elements of Sleeping Better are two linked randomised controlled clinical trials treating sleep problems psychologically in young people at ultra-high risk of psychosis or in people who have been diagnosed with psychosis. The Feeling Safer trial will investigate the most effective way of delivering this evidence-based intervention for paranoia and suspiciousness in NHS Mental Health Services. The trials will take place in NHS Mental Health Services at sites across England and Scotland. Each site, which will closely work together, will comprise established site leads, a clinical/counselling psychologist, an assistant psychologist, graduate mental health worker, peer worker and research assistants. This is an exciting opportunity for a newly qualified clinical or counselling psychologist to get a good grounding in high quality and clinically relevant research whilst achieving the competencies to move to a Band 8a role. Whilst the role will focus primarily on delivering the trial interventions you will also be responsible for the research components of the trials alongside colleagues from the Trust R&I team.
The post-holder will have a central role in the trials, being responsible for the day-to-day delivery of the Sleeping Better and Feeling Safer trials within the local NHS trust. This will include delivering psychological therapy, supervising research assistants in the recruitment and assessment of trial participants, and supervising other clinicians in the delivery of the interventions. You will be accountable to the site Principal Investigator Dr Gary Willington, and you will receive supervision from Prof Daniel Freeman and Dr Felicity Waite from the lead site: Oxford. The position would suit a clinician with strong interests in cognitive therapy, treatment innovation, and clinical trials.
The post holder will be expected to support and promote a set of values that maximise the potential of individuals by promoting their recovery with the aim of reducing social exclusion, stigma and the potentially disabling effects of severe mental illness.
We actively support high quality research and want to attract psychologists interested in participating in NIHR funded multi-centre research trials into psychological interventions for psychosis.
The post is substantive and after these trial roles have finished you will take up further research and/or clinical roles within our community mental health services.
At Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust (CWPT), we deliver a wide range of physical, mental health, learning disability and autism services, and are proud to serve communities across Coventry, Warwickshire and beyond.
We put ‘people at our heart’; this ethos is at the centre of everything we do and how we do it. We care for our staff and colleagues as much as they care for others and offer a wide range of benefits and development opportunities.

THESE INCLUDE:

• generous annual leave entitlement which increases during your time with us
• excellent learning and development opportunities, including apprenticeship frameworks, distance learning, internal training, coaching and mentoring, and much more
• salary sacrifice schemes for lease car/ vehicle, Cycle to Work, home and electronics, gym membership and more
• discounts with a range of retailers, restaurants and entertainment venues through our Employee Assistance Programme and NHS discount schemes
• wellbeing support, including an in-house counselling service, external helpline and more
• staff networks and support groups
  We’re always on the lookout for people who share our passion for improving the lives and wellbeing of people in our community, as well as our values of compassion, collaboration, excellence, integrity and respect.
  It is essential that candidates have an interest in providing psychological interventions for psychosis and have experience of working with people and their carers in Secondary Care Mental Health.
  Experience of clinical research is also essential, as are the necessary skills to support the day-to-day delivery of the Sleeping Better and Feeling Safer trial within CWPT and neighbouring Trusts.
  Experience of applying cognitive behavioural approaches to psychosis would be advantageous.
  You are required to hold a current professional registration with the HCPC as a practitioner psychologist by the time you take up the post.
  The ability to travel during the working day over a large geographical area is essential, as is the ability to work flexibly with the needs of the client group and trial. You are likely to travel throughout CWPT and the neighbouring participating NHS Trusts. On occasion, you would also be expected to travel to other trial sites including Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Newcastle, and Oxford.
  If you do not yet meet the criteria for the band 8a role, we will also support applications from candidates that meet the criteria for the band 7 role and job description (please see “additional documents” on NHS Jobs).
  In these instances, the successful candidate would be appointed to a “Development Post” role at band 7 and provided opportunities and support to progress to the band 8a role upon successful completion of a preceptorship programme. It is expected that this process will be achievable within a period of up to two years, although timescales may vary between different staff members in Development Posts. In the event that elements of the expected competencies to progress to 8a are not are fully met, the role will remain as a band 7.
  This will be further discussed as part of the interview and recruitment process as appropriate. Applications from newly qualified/soon to qualify clinicians would therefore be welcomed.
  You should be able to start in post around September 2024

Please refer the Job description for details