Job summary

We are looking for a qualified Highly Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologist who can ensure the delivery of a high quality, accessible and inclusive psychological service, an integrated drug and alcohol service offering support and intervention to adults and young people who use substances, and adults and young people affected by a loved ones addictive behaviour.

The postholder will work within the Psychology team and Talking Therapies Service, delivering comprehensive assessment, formulation, and psychological and recovery-focused interventions. The post-holder will work with the wider multi-disciplinary team, providing case management support, supervision, reflective practice and consultation.

The post will promote trauma informed practice within the team and wider service, alongside best practice in Psychosocial intervention in this field. Under the supervision of a senior HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist, the post holder will offer a range of evidence-based psychological and evidence-informed psychosocial interventions relevant to address the degree of complexity experienced by the clients of the service. The post-holder will receive peer support, reflective practice, research and CPD opportunities through our national Psychology Directorate.

Main duties of the job

Undertake a range of highly specialist clinical work relating to problem substance use, recovery, trauma, and other mental health challenges.

Contribute to multidisciplinary assessment of, and intervention for people with complex needs.

Contribute to the delivery of reflective practice groups, team formulations and other psychologically informed approaches for clinical and non-clinical teams.

Contribute to the development, evaluation, and delivery of specialist training around psychological and psychosocial intervention.

Contribute to research at the local and national level.

Demonstrate clinical leadership through personal conduct and practice.

About us

Believe in people

At Change Grow Live, above all else we believe in people. It’s the one thing that acts as a foundation for all our work.

If you use our services: we understand what you’re going through. We won’t judge. We believe you can make positive changes in your life.

If you work or volunteer for us: we believe in your potential. We believe you can do brilliant, life-changing work.

Our mission and vision

Our mission is to help people change the direction of their lives, grow as individuals, and live life to its full potential.

The vision we’re working towards is to develop, deliver and share a whole person approach that changes society.

We believe that having diverse people working as part of our team makes us the organisation that we are.

We actively encourage applications from people from all backgrounds to help us to provide the best possible experience for the people who use our services and to make Change Grow Live a great place to work.

The safety of vulnerable children, young people and adults is our absolute priority. We will support you in your role to make sure that you are equipped to support the safety of people who use our services and those around them, to the highest standard possible.

Date posted

11 April 2023

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

to a year

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

18 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

U0080-23-0001-23-9934

Job locations

C G L The Beacon

67 Bradford Street

Walsall

WS1 3QD

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical Work

To provide highly specialist, psychological assessments to service users.

Provide highly specialist evidence-based interventions to service users which address both problem substance use and concurrent mental health difficulties.

To offer these to service users with due regard to issues of equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Promote and contribute to multidisciplinary assessments that reflect an understanding of the impact of adverse experiences on a persons mental health and overall well-being.

Receive regular clinical supervision from the Principal or Consultant Clinical Psychologist, and to use opportunities for relevant peer support and CPD through Change Grow Lives Psychology Directorate

Use theory, literature, and research to support evidence-based and evidence-informed practice within the service.

To be fully registered with the HCPC.

Clinical Leadership

Facilitate the development of a positive and supportive team culture.

Contribute to the delivery of reflective practice groups, team formulations and other psychologically informed approaches for clinical and non-clinical teams.

Provide clinical and other supervision to more junior Psychology staff.

Take an active interest in working parties and groups within the wider service to develop and improve on service delivery, protocols, and guidelines.

Advise, encourage and share knowledge utilising the latest research and practice development, through literature and peer reviews.

Research and Development

Use specialist knowledge of research methods to initiate and support research, service evaluation and audit, in order to improve services.

Contribute to and support colleagues with local, regional, and national research projects and audits in this area.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical Work

To provide highly specialist, psychological assessments to service users.

Provide highly specialist evidence-based interventions to service users which address both problem substance use and concurrent mental health difficulties.

To offer these to service users with due regard to issues of equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Promote and contribute to multidisciplinary assessments that reflect an understanding of the impact of adverse experiences on a persons mental health and overall well-being.

Receive regular clinical supervision from the Principal or Consultant Clinical Psychologist, and to use opportunities for relevant peer support and CPD through Change Grow Lives Psychology Directorate

Use theory, literature, and research to support evidence-based and evidence-informed practice within the service.

To be fully registered with the HCPC.

Clinical Leadership

Facilitate the development of a positive and supportive team culture.

Contribute to the delivery of reflective practice groups, team formulations and other psychologically informed approaches for clinical and non-clinical teams.

Provide clinical and other supervision to more junior Psychology staff.

Take an active interest in working parties and groups within the wider service to develop and improve on service delivery, protocols, and guidelines.

Advise, encourage and share knowledge utilising the latest research and practice development, through literature and peer reviews.

Research and Development

Use specialist knowledge of research methods to initiate and support research, service evaluation and audit, in order to improve services.

Contribute to and support colleagues with local, regional, and national research projects and audits in this area.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of specialist psychological assessment, formulation, and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in-patient 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. Experience of the application of Clinical or Counselling Psychology in different contexts. Experience of working within a trauma-informed framework. Experience of working with people using substances and alcohol.

Desirable

  • Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision. Experience of working in a Substance Misuse service.

Qualifications

Essential

  • Doctoral level training in Clinical or Counselling Psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the BPS, or a BPS Statement of Equivalence. Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council.

Skills/Abilities, Knowledge & understanding, other requirements

Essential

  • Use of complex methods of psychological assessment, psychological formulation, intervention, and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration. This requires the use of highly developed analytical and judgement skills. Skills in individual and group work and in programme planning. The ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse, and the threat of physical abuse. Planning and organising skills for caseload management. Self-management, including time-management. Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information, including contentious and highly distressing information, to people who access our services, their families, carers and other professional colleagues across sectors. Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance, including regular supervision, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour. Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups. Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology. Interest, enthusiasm, and commitment in relation to working with people indirectly and directly affected by alcohol and substances. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, enabling formation of networks with professionals within the service and from other agencies to promote effective team working. Able to contain and work with high levels of distress. Use of complex methods of psychological assessment, psychological formulation, intervention, and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration. This requires the use of highly developed analytical and judgement skills. Individual and group work and in programme planning. The ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse, and the threat of physical abuse. Planning and organising skills for caseload management. Self-management, including time-management. Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information, including contentious and highly distressing information, to people who access our services, their families, carers and other professional colleagues across sectors. Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance, including regular supervision, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour. Providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups. Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology. Advanced keyboard skills. Knowledge of legislation in relation to the cohort of people accessing our services and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to addiction and recovery. Evidence of respect for fairness and diversity; awareness and understanding of factors associated with age, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity. Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.

Desirable

  • High Level Knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies. Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health. Knowledge about addictions and the impact of these on individual and family life. Knowledge of the key psychosocial interventions used within the drug and alcohol field. Knowledge and skills in the use of psychometric and neuropsychological assessment.
Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of specialist psychological assessment, formulation, and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in-patient 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. Experience of the application of Clinical or Counselling Psychology in different contexts. Experience of working within a trauma-informed framework. Experience of working with people using substances and alcohol.

Desirable

  • Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision. Experience of working in a Substance Misuse service.

Qualifications

Essential

  • Doctoral level training in Clinical or Counselling Psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the BPS, or a BPS Statement of Equivalence. Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council.

Skills/Abilities, Knowledge & understanding, other requirements

Essential

  • Use of complex methods of psychological assessment, psychological formulation, intervention, and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration. This requires the use of highly developed analytical and judgement skills. Skills in individual and group work and in programme planning. The ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse, and the threat of physical abuse. Planning and organising skills for caseload management. Self-management, including time-management. Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information, including contentious and highly distressing information, to people who access our services, their families, carers and other professional colleagues across sectors. Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance, including regular supervision, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour. Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups. Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology. Interest, enthusiasm, and commitment in relation to working with people indirectly and directly affected by alcohol and substances. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, enabling formation of networks with professionals within the service and from other agencies to promote effective team working. Able to contain and work with high levels of distress. Use of complex methods of psychological assessment, psychological formulation, intervention, and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration. This requires the use of highly developed analytical and judgement skills. Individual and group work and in programme planning. The ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse, and the threat of physical abuse. Planning and organising skills for caseload management. Self-management, including time-management. Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information, including contentious and highly distressing information, to people who access our services, their families, carers and other professional colleagues across sectors. Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance, including regular supervision, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour. Providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups. Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology. Advanced keyboard skills. Knowledge of legislation in relation to the cohort of people accessing our services and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to addiction and recovery. Evidence of respect for fairness and diversity; awareness and understanding of factors associated with age, gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity. Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.

Desirable

  • High Level Knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies. Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health. Knowledge about addictions and the impact of these on individual and family life. Knowledge of the key psychosocial interventions used within the drug and alcohol field. Knowledge and skills in the use of psychometric and neuropsychological assessment.

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).