Senior Staff Psychologist (Clinical, Counselling, Health Psychologist)

at  Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Act as a Staff Support Psychologist, forming strong working relationships with divisions, departments and line managers across the Trust who are struggling with work related stress or distress. There will be a particular focus on supporting staff groups that have had a key role in managing high levels of ongoing operational pressure leading to an inevitable emotional impact of the work. - Provide specialised psychological advice and consultation to multidisciplinary teams, staff groups, leaders and managers on topics related to psychological wellbeing, including on matters which have been caused, exacerbated or influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic and associated legacies. - Formulate and deliver direct clinical intervention through the application of a range of evidenced based psychological theories and models in individual and group work, to help analyse, understand and interpret complex situations and behaviours.

• Clinical interventions may be delivered in person or online and take the form of i) decompression groups for staff teams following an internal incident or period of prolonged stress ii) providing psychoeducation and skills-based training on identified areas of emotional difficulty, iii) providing 1:1 psychological support for employees struggling with work-related stress or distress or iiii) co-facilitating online workshops. workshops - The post holder will need to apply knowledge of the current evidence-based clinical interventions in clinical/counselling psychology and mental health, when working in this setting. - The Staff Psychology Service is underpinned by a compassion focused therapy (CFT) framework. As a result, the role necessitates advanced theoretical and practical knowledge in this model and the ability to assimilate CFT ideas (and other evidenced based psychological theories) in an ad-hoc, flexible and responsive way during decompression groups, consultancy and individual work.
• The post holder will be expected to design and facilitate staff support sessions with groups and individuals, deploying the highest levels of interpersonal and communication skills, along with sensitivity and diplomacy. This may require confronting rigidly held unrealistic beliefs and expectations. - There will be a frequent requirement for intense concentration during individual and group sessions and exposure to distressing or emotional circumstances. This potentially includes occasionally dealing with verbally or even physically aggressive individuals.
• Effective communication of highly complex, contentious, delicate and often unwelcome information to colleagues in a highly emotive atmosphere, and in a rapidly changing or uncertain context is expected. - The post holder may be called upon by other individuals referring colleagues/team members into the service for support. For instance, providing advice or risk related support to those working in the 2020 Staff Advice and Support Hub who may not have a clinical background. - Although the post holder acts autonomously and is professionally accountable for their own practice, in common with all clinical psychologists to undertake regular guided reflective practice with a (senior) colleague in accordance with good practice guidelines (often referred to as clinical supervision).
• The post holder will have the opportunity to attend regular in-house psychology meetings, which include a focus on reflective practice. - There will also be CPD opportunities.

• Clinical interventions may be delivered in person or online and take the form of i) decompression groups for staff teams following an internal incident or period of prolonged stress ii) providing psychoeducation and skills-based training on identified areas of emotional difficulty, iii) providing 1:1 psychological support for employees struggling with work-related stress or distress or iiii) co-facilitating online workshops. workshops - The post holder will need to apply knowledge of the current evidence-based clinical interventions in clinical/counselling psychology and mental health, when working in this setting. - The Staff Psychology Service is underpinned by a compassion focused therapy (CFT) framework. As a result, the role necessitates advanced theoretical and practical knowledge in this model and the ability to assimilate CFT ideas (and other evidenced based psychological theories) in an ad-hoc, flexible and responsive way during decompression groups, consultancy and individual work.
• The post holder will be expected to design and facilitate staff support sessions with groups and individuals, deploying the highest levels of interpersonal and communication skills, along with sensitivity and diplomacy. This may require confronting rigidly held unrealistic beliefs and expectations. - There will be a frequent requirement for intense concentration during individual and group sessions and exposure to distressing or emotional circumstances. This potentially includes occasionally dealing with verbally or even physically aggressive individuals.
• Effective communication of highly complex, contentious, delicate and often unwelcome information to colleagues in a highly emotive atmosphere, and in a rapidly changing or uncertain context is expected. - The post holder may be called upon by other individuals referring colleagues/team members into the service for support. For instance, providing advice or risk related support to those working in the 2020 Staff Advice and Support Hub who may not have a clinical background. - Although the post holder acts autonomously and is professionally accountable for their own practice, in common with all clinical psychologists to undertake regular guided reflective practice with a (senior) colleague in accordance with good practice guidelines (often referred to as clinical supervision).
• The post holder will have the opportunity to attend regular in-house psychology meetings, which include a focus on reflective practice. - There will also be CPD opportunities