Specialist Clinical Psychologist inWallington inWallington PUBLISHED 18 DEC 2023

Band 8a: £56,388 to £62,785 a year pro rata per annum inclusive of outer London HCAS PERMANENT

South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust rvX4w7Om

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To have full responsibility and autonomy for the appropriate assessment, formulation and intervention package provided for the client, communicating with the referral agent and others involved with the care on a regular basis.

To provide highly specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to the team. This is to include appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a range of sources including independent use and scoring of psychometric assessments (e.g. cognitive assessments and neurological assessments), clinical questionnaires, self-report measures and observations of clients behaviour. To undertake clinical interviews with clients (and carers) in order to gain a thorough and holistic understanding of clients needs, current and past experiences

To work as an independent, autonomous practitioner with full responsibility for highly complex clinical work

To be accountable for all clinical decisions whilst following BPS and HCPC guidelines, including the obligation for continued supervision.

To be responsible for undertaking highly specialist assessments for legal purposes, such as assessments contributing to parenting assessments, residency issues, consent etc, as appropriate.

To formulate and implement plans for the highly specialised psychological treatment and/or management of a clients problems, based upon a thorough holistic assessment. The formulation should include consideration of the clients presenting difficulties, personal, social and developmental history, strengths and needs, environmental factors, intellectual ability and level of social support and independence. To consider, evaluate and decide upon a range of interventions and theoretical models across the full range of care settings, including consideration of evidence of efficacy, and to decide upon the most appropriate intervention in liaison with the client or staff or carer.

To be responsible for providing a range of highly specialist psychological interventions for clients, including individual therapy, group and family/couple therapy, psychological advice, behavioural interventions and formal training to carers and other staff, working towards optimizing well-being for clients and their families. Therapies offered are based on different theoretical models/approaches depending on clients needs and based on best practice, including positive behavioural support, CBT and systemic models. To use specialist skills to tailor/adapt interventions to be appropriate to the clients level of learning disability and presenting problem (e.g. depression, anxiety).

To have full responsibility and autonomy for the appropriate assessment, formulation and intervention package provided for the client, communicating with the referral agent and others involved with the care on a regular basis. Within learning disabilities this is likely to involve liaison with an extensive network of mental health professionals, social care professionals, voluntary agencies and families.

To provide expertise and highly specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.

To provide expertise, consultation and specialist advice to professional colleagues on the psychological assessment and treatment of people with learning disabilities and to promote a psychological perspective of their needs. To provide access, advice and consultation on psychological knowledge, research and research methods to other professionals in the team.

To undertake risk assessment and risk management for relevant individual clients and to provide both general and specialist advice for psychologists and other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and management.

To act as care co-ordinator where appropriate, including under the Care Programme Approach (CPA) framework, ensuring the provision of a care package appropriate for the clients needs. This is to include co-ordinating the work of others involved with care, arranging clients care reviews as required and communicating effectively with the client, his/her family and all others involved in care; and to monitor progress during the course of multi-disciplinary interventions.

To provide expert consultation about the psychological care of the client group to staff and agencies outside of the integrated team and StGeorges NHS Trust including advice, consultation and support to clinical staff in mainstream health services to enable them to offer best evidence based practice to adults with learning disabilities accessing their service. These may include organisations such as the local Mental Health Trusts, independent sector agencies and social services.

To work with other disciplines and agencies, to provide a coherent and effective service for people with learning disabilities.

We are seeking a highly motivated and committed individual to join the Sutton and Merton Mental Health Learning Disability Team. The role is a 3 day a week role and we can offer a hybrid approach to working.

You will work across the London Boroughs of Sutton and Merton, providing a specialist psychology service to adults with learning disabilities and mental health needs. You will be interested in working with external partners and be skilled at developing supportive networks. You will have energy, drive and enthusiasm for working with complex case load, delivering assessments and intervention which require clear communication across all agencies.

You will part of an established and highly supportive MDT which includes Nurses, Recovery Support Worker, Clinical Nurse Specialist and Psychiatrists. There will be opportunities for joint working and to provide advice and consultation to other colleagues.

There will be opportunities to lead in service development and shape the psychology provision within the service. You will be actively supported to pursue wide ranging CPD opportunities and to collaborate with colleagues across SWLSTGs Neurodevelopmental Services.

As a Clinical Psychologist who shares our passion for improving the quality of care for adults with learning disabilties, you will be self-motivated and able to work autonomously; be effective in managing your time and workload and motivated by your drive to deliver the highest quality care.

You will have excellent written and spoken communication skills, an ability to work sensitively and thoughtfully with indivudals and their carers often around challenging and complex presentations. You will:

Be responsible for providing a specialist clinical psychology service to adults with learning disabilities, including those with mental health needs and challenging behaviour, within the multidisciplinary team.

Provide highly specialist psychological assessment and therapy to clients. This will involve undertaking direct assessment and intervention with the client or indirect assessment, monitoring and intervention with staff or carers. To offer psychological consultation, advice and expertise to non psychologist colleagues and to care staff or family carers.

Work as an independent, autonomous practitioner with full responsibility for highly complex clinical work and to be accountable for all clinical decisions. To work autonomously within professional guidelines.

Be responsible for clinically supervising and managing the workload of assistant psychologists and trainee clinical psychologists within the service, and other staff as appropriate. To act as research supervisor to trainee clinical psychologists if required.

Use and disseminate research skills to carry out audits, service evaluations and research activities relevant to the service. To contribute to policy and service development changes within the area served by the team.

To provide highly specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to the team. This is to include appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a range of sources including independent use and scoring of psychometric assessments (e.g. cognitive assessments and neurological assessments), clinical questionnaires, self-report measures and observations of clients behaviour. To undertake clinical interviews with clients (and carers) in order to gain a thorough and holistic understanding of clients needs, current and past experiences

To work as an independent, autonomous practitioner with full responsibility for highly complex clinical work

To be accountable for all clinical decisions whilst following BPS and HCPC guidelines, including the obligation for continued supervision.

To be responsible for undertaking highly specialist assessments for legal purposes, such as assessments contributing to parenting assessments, residency issues, consent etc, as appropriate.

To formulate and implement plans for the highly specialised psychological treatment and/or management of a clients problems, based upon a thorough holistic assessment. The formulation should include consideration of the clients presenting difficulties, personal, social and developmental history, strengths and needs, environmental factors, intellectual ability and level of social support and independence. To consider, evaluate and decide upon a range of interventions and theoretical models across the full range of care settings, including consideration of evidence of efficacy, and to decide upon the most appropriate intervention in liaison with the client or staff or carer.

To be responsible for providing a range of highly specialist psychological interventions for clients, including individual therapy, group and family/couple therapy, psychological advice, behavioural interventions and formal training to carers and other staff, working towards optimizing well-being for clients and their families. Therapies offered are based on different theoretical models/approaches depending on clients needs and based on best practice, including positive behavioural support, CBT and systemic models. To use specialist skills to tailor/adapt interventions to be appropriate to the clients level of learning disability and presenting problem (e.g. depression, anxiety).

To have full responsibility and autonomy for the appropriate assessment, formulation and intervention package provided for the client, communicating with the referral agent and others involved with the care on a regular basis. Within learning disabilities this is likely to involve liaison with an extensive network of mental health professionals, social care professionals, voluntary agencies and families.

To provide expertise and highly specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.

To provide expertise, consultation and specialist advice to professional colleagues on the psychological assessment and treatment of people with learning disabilities and to promote a psychological perspective of their needs. To provide access, advice and consultation on psychological knowledge, research and research methods to other professionals in the team.

To undertake risk assessment and risk management for relevant individual clients and to provide both general and specialist advice for psychologists and other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and management.

To act as care co-ordinator where appropriate, including under the Care Programme Approach (CPA) framework, ensuring the provision of a care package appropriate for the clients needs. This is to include co-ordinating the work of others involved with care, arranging clients care reviews as required and communicating effectively with the client, his/her family and all others involved in care; and to monitor progress during the course of multi-disciplinary interventions.

To provide expert consultation about the psychological care of the client group to staff and agencies outside of the integrated team and StGeorges NHS Trust including advice, consultation and support to clinical staff in mainstream health services to enable them to offer best evidence based practice to adults with learning disabilities accessing their service. These may include organisations such as the local Mental Health Trusts, independent sector agencies and social services.