Principal Clinical Psychologist - Long COVID

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Clinical Psychologist to join an expanding Clinical Health Psychology Department in Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust (fixed term basis).

The post holder will continue to develop and lead the Long COVID psychology service, including the provision of psychological assessment, intervention, consultation and supervision.

The post holder will work with adults whose functioning and quality of life has been impacted by Long COVID, working from an interdisciplinary perspective to offer interventions based on comprehensive biopsychosocial formulations.

Long COVID services are expected to be reconfigured to a service focused on the management and rehabilitation of needs associated with post-acute infection syndromes, including but not exclusive to Post-COVID, CFS/ME and Fibromyalgia. The post-holder will contribute to local reconfiguration discussions and play a key role in shaping the role of psychology in new service models.

There is a local commitment for continued funding of a Clinical Health Psychology post in reconfigured services, so funding beyond the initial 18 months of employment may be possible.

The ideal candidate would have previous clinical experience with people living with Long COVID syndrome or other transferable skills from related long-term physical health conditions, plus a desire to actively shape the psychological role and remit within the reconfiguration of services for this patient group.

The post-holder will continue to deliver a high-quality, specialist Long COVID clinical psychology service at CHFT. They will take a specialist lead clinical role and will work as an integral part of the Long COVID pathway providing consultation and supervision to other professional colleagues. An important element of the role is the ongoing development of the service, and therefore experience in this area is important.

The post holder will be a valued part of a growing Clinical Health Psychology Department and contribute to supervision, line management and trust-wide developments as required.

We are a growing Clinical Health Psychology Department with good relationships across CHFT. We are committed to developing excellent quality care that aims to meet the psychological needs of patients who are treated within CHFT. We develop services in a patient-focused way, and compassionate care is at the heart of our Department. We actively encourage and support CPD, supervision, service-related audit and research. As a newly established department, there is significant scope to work creatively in the continuation of new trust-wide developments and be part of shaping our culture.

Please see attached job description and person specification for a full outline of the main responsibilities of this role. This includes the following:

1. To provide a highly specialist Long COVID service to patients within the Calderdale and Huddersfield area.
2. To work closely with colleagues in health to provide highly specialist psychological and neuropsychological assessment, formulation and therapy, taking full professional responsibility and exercising completely autonomous judgement, in matters of professional practice.
3. To offer advice and consultation on patients’ psychological care to non-psychologist colleagues and to other non-professional carers.
4. To have strategic oversight of the implementation, evaluation and measurement of the development of the Long COVID psychology service.
5. To offer consultation, advice and disseminate psychological ideas to the wider Long COVID community.
6. To make a contribution to the general management, governance and supervision of the wider Clinical Health Psychology Service as agreed.
7. To work autonomously in the execution of these duties and within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the Clinical Health Psychology Department and Trust policies and procedures.