Principal Psychologist - Palliative CareinpeterboroughinpeterboroughPUBLISHED WED 13 NOV 2024

The Clinical Psychologist will work with in-patients and out-patients and there are ample opportunities to collaborate with other Palliative Services, contribute to the national initiatives and develop research opportunities.

This is an exciting opportunity to join PCH's dynamic Palliative Care Service. The post holder will get the opportunity to develop their clinical and leadership skills within an acute hospital and hospice setting.

The post holder will provide a specialist clinical psychology service to patients with specialist palliative care needs at end-of-life. The Clinical Psychologist will be based at Peterborough City Hospital, working as part of the multidisciplinary team.

The post will provide and manage a highly specialist Clinical Psychology Service to Palliative Care. They will be responsible for participation in the development and implementation of strategic plans that enable service improvements and innovation, including implementation of relevant NICE guidelines and other strategic guidance.

The post holder will be expected to work across palliative care in-patient and out-patient services, providing specialist psychological assessments and therapy. The post holder will also offer advice and consultation on client's psychological care to colleagues within Palliative Care and to other, non-professional carers, working within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the Divisions policies and procedures.

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Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities

To provide highly specialist psychological assessments based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of highly complex psychological data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests where appropriate, 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.

To develop psychological formulations of presenting problems or situations that integrate information from assessments within a coherent framework that draws upon psychological theory and evidence, and which incorporates interpersonal, societal, cultural, and biological factors.

To assist the medical team in communicating difficult, complex, and sensitive information which is both developmentally appropriate and psychologically informed.

To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families, and groups, within and across hospital and community-based teams employed individually and in synthesis, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.

To evaluate and make decisions about psychological treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.

To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment, and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans.

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

To ensure that all members of the treating team have access to a psychologically based framework for understanding and care of clients of the service, through the provision of advice and consultation and the dissemination of psychological research and theory.

To undertake assessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management in line with hospital and inter-agency policies and procedures.

To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation, and treatment plans of clients under their care and to monitor and evaluate progress during the course of both uni- and multi-disciplinary care.

Provide expertise, advice, and support to facilitate the effective and appropriate provision of psychological care by all members of the multi-disciplinary team.

To work in partnership with other disciplines and to maintain links with statutory and non-statutory and primary care agencies as appropriate.