Clinical Psychologist - Psychology Health

Job summary

We are looking for a 0.8 WTE Band 7 Clinical Psychologist to join the Pain Management and Rehabilitation Service based at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Heavitree)), in Exeter.

The role is dynamic and challenging. The post holder would work closely with members of a multidisciplinary Pain Management Service including other Clinical Psychologists, Consultant Specialists, Nurses, Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists. They will also be part of the wider Clinical Health Psychology & Neuropsychology services to the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (RDUH). The post-holder will also benefit from established links with Exeter and Plymouth Universities, with opportunities for teaching, supervision, CPD and research.

The post involves working alongside the other psychologists in the pain psychology service in delivering assessments and individual psychological therapies for people with persistent pain. The psychology team is embedded within the multidisciplinary Pain Management Rehabilitation Team (Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy) and works closely with consultant and nursing colleagues in the wider Pain Management Team. You will have the opportunity to contribute to MDT meetings, work with other professionals and be involved in delivering group interventions.

Main duties of the job

The post will provide clinical input across a range of care pathways and interventions including; joint MDT assessments, psychology triage clinics, individual psychological therapy, and group based approaches. You will be interested in developing skills in compassion focussed, ACT or other appropriate psychological therapies.

The service has developed innovative approaches to patient care including compassion focussed methods of delivery for patients with persistent pain. Clinical outcomes data is routinely collected and there will be opportunities for involvement in service related research.

About us

About Devon Partnership Trust

We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

The principal purpose of the job is to improve the psychological health & wellbeing of people with persistent pain and related disorders who attend the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Heavitree) (RDUH) Pain Management Service.

This will be achieved in this post by:

Providing a Clinical Psychology and Psychological Therapies service to the Pain Management Service at the RDUH. This forms a key component of integrated mental health and wellbeing services within the Royal Devon University HealthCare NHS Foundation Trust.

Contributing to the local clinical leadership, co-ordination and supervision of staff, trainees and volunteers employed by or attached to the Pain Management Rehabilitation Service, under the general direction and supervision of the Professional Manager.

Carrying a specialist caseload of clients, and providing advice and consultancy to patients, family members, carers and professionals.

The post holder will be supported by the Professional Leads and also by senior colleagues within the Pain Management Rehabilitation Team Psychology Service and the wider Clinical Health and Neuropsychology Service. The post holder will be expected to make good use of the expertise of others within the service to further develop their clinical skills with this client group.

To work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice within the health teams and services they will work with.

The post holder will receive regular professional and clinical supervision in accordance to Trust policy and to Professional Practice Guidelines set out by the British Psychological Society or appropriate designated Professional Body.

Duties and Responsibilities

Communication and Working Relationship Skills

Clients, family and carers: To communicate in a highly skilled and sensitive manner with clients who may have specific difficulties in understand and/or communicating and who may be hostile, antagonistic or highly emotionally disturbed.

Multidisciplinary team colleagues: To work closely with colleagues from both Devon Partnership Trust and the Acute Trust in the multi-professional integrated mental health/physical health and wellbeing service on a day-to-day basis.

Health & social care staff: To communicate with a wide range of health & social care staff in hospital and in community settings in a highly skilled and sensitive manner, complex and sensitive information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under the services care. To provide support & guidance in the application of psychological principles and techniques, and to foster reflective practice.

Senior managers & professional staff: To maintain and build good working relationships with senior professional staff and managers across the Trust and the Acute Trust, to foster a positive approach to the integrated mental health and wellbeing service and to enable effective negotiation.

Analytical and Judgemental Skills

To provide specialist clinical/counselling psychology expertise and advice.

To provide psychological therapies, developing specialist psychological formulations and assessments of clients, formulating plans for their psychological treatment and implementing specialist psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups. Proficiency in in both individual and group therapy approaches is desirable.

To support the Professional Head, General Manager, Practice and Strategic Development Leads and Professional Leads by undertaking service development and redesign projects and coordinating the resulting work within the team.

To provide complex assessment of specialist conditions.

Planning and Organisational Skills

The psychology service: To plan and organise own work within the service setting and to contribute to the development and improvement of provision of psychological services within the commissioned integrated mental health and wellbeing service to best meet the organisations strategy and priorities.

The multidisciplinary service: To provide psychology/therapy supervision to the multi-professional planning, development and marketing of mental health and wellbeing services.

Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment and Therapy

Assessment & intervention: To provide expert psychological therapies, developing specialist psychological formulations and assessments of clients, formulating plans for their psychological treatment and implementing specialist psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, and to demonstrate awareness of diversity issues.

Consultation & guidance: To provide advice, guidance and consultation on psychological aspects of patient care to colleagues, other service providers, patients, supporters and families.

Responsibility for Policy and Service Development Implementation

The post holder is accountable for their own professional actions, acting within Trust policies and procedures and Professional Practice Guidelines.

Policy & service: To support policies and procedures for the provision of psychology and therapy services within own service and other services within the Trust.

R & D: To support the R&D activities of the clinical health psychology and neuropsychology service.

Responsibility for Finance, Equipment and Other Resources

To be responsible for the safe keeping of equipment under own use.

Responsibility for Human Resources, e.g. Supervision, Training, HR Advice and Management

Leadership & supervision: To professionally supervise less experienced psychology/therapy staff, trainees and volunteers.

To provide placement responsibilities for trainee staff.

To contribute to the provision of therapy supervision for non-psychology/therapy staff providing psychological therapies within other Trust teams.

To support placements for trainee staff in line with professional guidelines.

Responsibility for Information Resources and Administrative Duties

To maintain accurate records, compliant with Trust Practice Standards.

To be responsible for using an email account to generate, monitor, and respond to the e-mail traffic by which the Trust conducts much of its internal communication.

Responsibility for Research and Development

To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work within the individual work within the CHNP service and local integrated psychological medicine services .

To conduct project work including specific areas of audit, research or service evaluation.

As a clinician to be responsible for collecting clinical practice and outcome data that contributes to building practice-based evidence and service evaluation.

Freedom to Act

The post holder is accountable for their own professional actions, acting within Trust policies and procedures and Professional Practice Guidelines.

To work autonomously within clinical professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the governance of psychological practice within the locality/specialty. Interpretation of professional and Trust guidelines, and implementing policies in conjunction with peers, Head of Profession and General Manager.

To provide specialist clinical psychology expertise and advice,guidance and consultation on psychological aspects of patient care to colleagues, other service providers, patients, supporters and families.

Any Other Specific Tasks Required

To ensure all clinical care and treatment provided by psychologists/psychotherapists/therapists is carried out under appropriate supervision and leadership.

To ensure that all relevant staff groups continuously update the skills and techniques relevant to their clinical work.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualified Clinical or Counselling Psychologist (D.Clin.Psychol. or equivalent) and eligible for Chartered Clinical or Counselling Psychologist Status in the British Psychological Society. Registered with HCPC.

Desirable

• Further training in at least one (other) psychological therapy

Knowledge and skills

Essential

• Broad knowledge of specialist services and of the services in the NHS where psychology is commonly applied.
• Ability to integrate complex data; make highly skilled evaluations and decisions; and take a long-term perspective.
• Proven organisational, planning and time management skills
• Good communication skills when presenting / facilitating to varying groups of people
• Ability to tolerate ambiguity and maintain own morale and motivation in challenging service delivery contexts.
• Ability to work independently and use initiative within a service consisting of a network of teams.
• Ability to work as a member of a clinical team.

Experience

Essential

• Experience, and/or training in diversity awareness and social inequality.
• Proficiency in in both individual and group therapy approaches is desirable.

Desirable

• Experience of working with complex trauma and with systems working around people who have experienced trauma.
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across a wide range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and inpatient settings.
• Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
• Experience of neuropsychological assessment and awareness of impact of neuropsychological symptoms on presentation