Job summary

The post-holder will work predominantly within the Complex Mental Health (CMH) pathway, with opportunities to contribute to the Complex Emotional Needs (CEN) pathway.

In their role within the CMH Pathway, the post-holder will be expected to provide specialist psychological assessment and therapy (individual and group interventions) to address the complex needs of our clients and their various systems in support of their ongoing recovery. Our service is located within a densely-populated borough in North-West London with an ethnically-diverse population, and our clients present with a range of problems requiring formulations and interventions that are tailored to their particular set of needs. As such, flexibility and creativity are values that are particularly appreciated within the pathway.

Main duties of the job

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users and we will therefore be seeking proof of vaccination or medical exemption during the recruitment process. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

This is an exciting new post that will provide the opportunity to provide psychological services to improve short and long-term outcomes for service users with a range of problems requiring formulation and interventions tailored to their particular need. The post-holder will be expected to provide specialist psychological assessment and interventions (including formulation and care planning where appropriate) and advice, consultation and training on aspects of psychological care to colleagues from other disciplines as well as advice, family interventions and consultation to non-professional carers.

The CMH pathway is a newly-developed area of service provision and the post-holder will have an opportunity to be involved in shaping and developing its ongoing evolution to ensure it remains flexible and responsive to people’s needs.

About us

As a colleague in the CMH pathway the post-holder will be attached to a particular MDT whilst under the management and support of an integrated psychological therapies service. As such they will have contact with colleagues who deliver individual, group and family therapies from a wide range of interesting theoretical models working within the other two psychological therapies pathways (Complex Emotional Needs and Psychosis).

Our service is committed to investing in the development of excellent clinicians and there are opportunities for career development including post-qualification training in an evidence-based model. Alongside relevant CPD opportunities, clinical and management supervision is available to support flexible and skilled practice.

This is an exciting new post that will provide the opportunity to provide psychological services to improve short and long-term outcomes for service users with a range of problems requiring formulation and interventions tailored to their particular need.

The CMH and CEN treatment pathways are newly-developed areas of service provision and the post-holder will have an opportunity to be involved in shaping and developing their ongoing evolution to ensure the service remains flexible and responsive to people’s needs.

Date posted

22 December 2022

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£46,836 to £52,849 a year pa inc HCAS

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

333-J-BR-0472-C

Job locations

Fairfields House

1 Fairfields House, Fairfields Crescent, Kingsbury

London

NW9 0PS

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical responsibilities:

  1. To provide specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to the team based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the clients care.
  2. To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a clients mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings.
  3. To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across teams employed individually and in synthesis, adjusting and refining evidence-based psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
  4. To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options considering both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.
  5. To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans.
  6. To provide specialist psychological advice guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.
  7. To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings and agencies serving the client group.
  8. 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.
  9. To act as care coordinator, where appropriate, taking responsibility for initiating planning and review of care plans under enhanced CPA including clients, their carers, referring agents and others involved the network of care.
  10. To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care and to monitor progress during the course of both uni- and multi-disciplinary care.
  11. To deliver and co-deliver brief interventions, for people with complex mental health presentations.
  12. To provide time-limited case management for a caseload of service users.
  13. To be involved in co-delivering structured group-based treatments, e.g. MBT or DBT groups, as indicated.
  14. To be aware of and to embed principles of the trauma-informed approach within the CMH pathway.

Teaching, training, and supervision

  1. To receive regular clinical professional supervision from a senior clinical psychologist and, where appropriate, other senior professional colleagues.
  2. To gain additional highly specialist experience and skills relevant to clinical psychology and/or the service as agreed with the professional psychology manager.
  3. To develop skills in the area of professional post-graduate teaching, training and supervision and to provide supervision to other MDT staffs psychological work as appropriate.
  4. To provide professional and clinical supervision of trainee and assistant clinical psychologists.
  5. To contribute to the pre- and post-qualification teaching of clinical and/or counselling psychology, as appropriate.
  6. To provide advice, consultation and training to staff working with the client group across a range of agencies and settings, where appropriate.

Management, recruitment, policy and service development

  1. To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the teams operational policies and services, through the deployment of professional skills in research, service valuation and audit.
  2. To advise both service and professional management on those aspects of the service where psychological and/or organisational matters need addressing.
  3. To manage the workloads of assistant and trainee clinical psychologists, within the framework of the team/services policies and procedures.
  4. To be involved, as appropriate, in the shortlisting and interviewing of assistant / graduate psychologists.

Research and service evaluation

  1. To use theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other team members.
  2. To undertake appropriate research and provide research advice to other staff undertaking research.
  3. To undertake project management, including complex audit and service evaluation, with colleagues within the service to help develop service provision.

IT responsibilities

  1. To maintain professional and personal records on computer, as appropriate.
  2. To enter data onto local Trust IT systems and databases, as appropriate.
  3. To use IT methodologies, such as e-mail and the internet, to access clinical and professional information and to communicate with colleagues.

General

  1. To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the postholders professional and service manager(s).
  2. To contribute to the development and articulation of best practice in psychology across the service, by continuing to develop the skills of a reflexive and reflective scientist-practitioner, taking part in regular professional supervision and appraisal and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the field of clinical psychology and related disciplines.
  3. 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 British Psychological Society, the Health & Care Professions Council, and CNWL Trust policies and procedures.
  4. To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific client group and mental health.

Safeguarding

  1. All staff have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and adults at risk of abuse.
  2. Staff should be aware of local safeguarding procedures and how to contact named professionals for advice and support as well as reporting any concerns.
  3. Staff are supported with the supervision and training needed to recognise and act on welfare concerns and to respond to the needs of children and adults.
  4. Staff have a responsibility to ensure they are up to date with any safeguarding training.

Additional notes:

  • This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, and the postholder may be required to undertake other duties which fall within the grade of the job, in discussion with the manager.
  • This job description will be reviewed regularly in the light of changing service requirements and any such changes will be discussed with the post holder.
  • The post holder is expected to comply with all relevant Trust policies, procedures and guidelines, including those relating to Equal Opportunities, Health and Safety and Confidentiality of Information, clinical governance including research governance.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical responsibilities:

  1. To provide specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to the team based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the clients care.
  2. To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a clients mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings.
  3. To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across teams employed individually and in synthesis, adjusting and refining evidence-based psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
  4. To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options considering both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.
  5. To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans.
  6. To provide specialist psychological advice guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.
  7. To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings and agencies serving the client group.
  8. 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.
  9. To act as care coordinator, where appropriate, taking responsibility for initiating planning and review of care plans under enhanced CPA including clients, their carers, referring agents and others involved the network of care.
  10. To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care and to monitor progress during the course of both uni- and multi-disciplinary care.
  11. To deliver and co-deliver brief interventions, for people with complex mental health presentations.
  12. To provide time-limited case management for a caseload of service users.
  13. To be involved in co-delivering structured group-based treatments, e.g. MBT or DBT groups, as indicated.
  14. To be aware of and to embed principles of the trauma-informed approach within the CMH pathway.

Teaching, training, and supervision

  1. To receive regular clinical professional supervision from a senior clinical psychologist and, where appropriate, other senior professional colleagues.
  2. To gain additional highly specialist experience and skills relevant to clinical psychology and/or the service as agreed with the professional psychology manager.
  3. To develop skills in the area of professional post-graduate teaching, training and supervision and to provide supervision to other MDT staffs psychological work as appropriate.
  4. To provide professional and clinical supervision of trainee and assistant clinical psychologists.
  5. To contribute to the pre- and post-qualification teaching of clinical and/or counselling psychology, as appropriate.
  6. To provide advice, consultation and training to staff working with the client group across a range of agencies and settings, where appropriate.

Management, recruitment, policy and service development

  1. To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the teams operational policies and services, through the deployment of professional skills in research, service valuation and audit.
  2. To advise both service and professional management on those aspects of the service where psychological and/or organisational matters need addressing.
  3. To manage the workloads of assistant and trainee clinical psychologists, within the framework of the team/services policies and procedures.
  4. To be involved, as appropriate, in the shortlisting and interviewing of assistant / graduate psychologists.

Research and service evaluation

  1. To use theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other team members.
  2. To undertake appropriate research and provide research advice to other staff undertaking research.
  3. To undertake project management, including complex audit and service evaluation, with colleagues within the service to help develop service provision.

IT responsibilities

  1. To maintain professional and personal records on computer, as appropriate.
  2. To enter data onto local Trust IT systems and databases, as appropriate.
  3. To use IT methodologies, such as e-mail and the internet, to access clinical and professional information and to communicate with colleagues.

General

  1. To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the postholders professional and service manager(s).
  2. To contribute to the development and articulation of best practice in psychology across the service, by continuing to develop the skills of a reflexive and reflective scientist-practitioner, taking part in regular professional supervision and appraisal and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the field of clinical psychology and related disciplines.
  3. 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 British Psychological Society, the Health & Care Professions Council, and CNWL Trust policies and procedures.
  4. To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific client group and mental health.

Safeguarding

  1. All staff have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and adults at risk of abuse.
  2. Staff should be aware of local safeguarding procedures and how to contact named professionals for advice and support as well as reporting any concerns.
  3. Staff are supported with the supervision and training needed to recognise and act on welfare concerns and to respond to the needs of children and adults.
  4. Staff have a responsibility to ensure they are up to date with any safeguarding training.

Additional notes:

  • This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, and the postholder may be required to undertake other duties which fall within the grade of the job, in discussion with the manager.
  • This job description will be reviewed regularly in the light of changing service requirements and any such changes will be discussed with the post holder.
  • The post holder is expected to comply with all relevant Trust policies, procedures and guidelines, including those relating to Equal Opportunities, Health and Safety and Confidentiality of Information, clinical governance including research governance.

Person Specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential

  • Doctoral-level (or equivalent) training in Clinical Psychology, including specific models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, as well as two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology, as accredited by the BPS.
  • Further training relevant to the care of clients with complex mental health difficulties, particularly traumafocused therapies.
  • Relevant professional registration with HCPC.
  • Qualifications in CBT by a recognised training programme or another accredited and evidencebased treatment for complex mental health problems.

Desirable

  • Accreditation with BABCP
  • Specialist training in a traumafocused therapy such as TF-CBT, EMDR, or Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET). Post-qualification specialist training in evidence-based psychological therapies for people with complex emotional needs/personality disorder such as DBT or MBT

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and secondary care settings.
  • Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
  • Experience of working in the NHS.
  • Experience of working therapeutically with people with complex mental health difficulties, including comorbid personality difficulties, psychosocial problems and trauma histories.
  • Experience of using evidence-based interventions with people with complex mental health difficulties.
  • Experience of conducting psychologically-informed assessments, group work, risk assessment, and crisis intervention.
  • Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
  • Active participation in service planning and delivery.

Desirable

  • Experience of working with people with severe and enduring mental health problems, including clients with complex personality traits and those experiencing psychosis.
  • Experience of teaching, training and/or providing clinical supervision to other mental health staff or psychological therapists.
  • Experience of the application of psychological therapies in different social and cultural contexts.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Essential

  • Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment and intervention frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
  • Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically-sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
  • Skills in providing consultation to other professional and nonprofessional groups, including the ability to think flexibly, dynamically and broadly, considering key psychological principles to make informed decisions about a client’s care.
  • Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
  • Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS (or equivalent body).

Desirable

  • Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.

OTHER

Essential

  • Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multimedia materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
  • Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.

Desirable

  • Experience of working within a multicultural framework.
Person Specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential

  • Doctoral-level (or equivalent) training in Clinical Psychology, including specific models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, as well as two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology, as accredited by the BPS.
  • Further training relevant to the care of clients with complex mental health difficulties, particularly traumafocused therapies.
  • Relevant professional registration with HCPC.
  • Qualifications in CBT by a recognised training programme or another accredited and evidencebased treatment for complex mental health problems.

Desirable

  • Accreditation with BABCP
  • Specialist training in a traumafocused therapy such as TF-CBT, EMDR, or Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET). Post-qualification specialist training in evidence-based psychological therapies for people with complex emotional needs/personality disorder such as DBT or MBT

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and secondary care settings.
  • Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
  • Experience of working in the NHS.
  • Experience of working therapeutically with people with complex mental health difficulties, including comorbid personality difficulties, psychosocial problems and trauma histories.
  • Experience of using evidence-based interventions with people with complex mental health difficulties.
  • Experience of conducting psychologically-informed assessments, group work, risk assessment, and crisis intervention.
  • Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
  • Active participation in service planning and delivery.

Desirable

  • Experience of working with people with severe and enduring mental health problems, including clients with complex personality traits and those experiencing psychosis.
  • Experience of teaching, training and/or providing clinical supervision to other mental health staff or psychological therapists.
  • Experience of the application of psychological therapies in different social and cultural contexts.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Essential

  • Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment and intervention frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
  • Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically-sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
  • Skills in providing consultation to other professional and nonprofessional groups, including the ability to think flexibly, dynamically and broadly, considering key psychological principles to make informed decisions about a client’s care.
  • Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
  • Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS (or equivalent body).

Desirable

  • Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.

OTHER

Essential

  • Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multimedia materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
  • Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.

Desirable

  • Experience of working within a multicultural framework.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab) .

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab) .

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab) .

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab) .

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).