Assistant Psychologist

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust; Carlisle; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job description

Job Summary

An opportunity has arisen for a fixed term appointment for twelve months in the North Cumbria At Risk Mental State (ARMS) service. The North Cumbria At Risk Mental State (ARMS) service provides help for young people between 14-35 years old who are at a higher risk of developing psychosis in the future. The aim of the service is to reduce distress, maintain independence, shorten illness, promote recovery and avoid disability. We deliver evidence-based support and care for young people with distressing unusual experiences within a compassionate MDT. We collaborate closely with fellow services in CNTW and the local area to provide proactive, youth focussed and holistic treatment and support.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for individuals with enthusiasm and an interest in the area of young people's mental health. Applicants must be able to work in a multi-disciplinary team and be willing to learn from the young people we serve as well as other staff and service providers in the community. This would be an excellent opportunity for anyone who is keen to gain experience of working with young people with unusual experiences, like hearing voices or seeing visions, as well as learning how to use standardised assessments.

The post holder will be supervised by a Senior Psychological Therapist in implementing psychosocial interventions, promoting well-being and reducing stigma, ensuring robust collection of service data and monitoring of psychotic symptoms.

The post holder will therefore gain experience in early psychosis, treatment approaches and the importance of reducing stigma and promoting well-being. The service and the psychosis pathway have a strong relationship with researchers in the area, and supporting research may form part of the role. As a relatively new service, you will support service development, including initiatives to increase access and reduce health inequalities.

About Us

We aim to attract and retain a diverse, talented and committed workforce, who are caring and compassionate, and therefore able to meet the demands of the modern NHS now and in the future. In return we can offer a dynamic working environment in which to build a career.

This post covers North Cumbria and the post holder will need to travel across the locality, with the option to be based in Carlisle or West Cumbria. The selection process involves formal interview and you will require Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced clearance before commencement of duties.

The successful candidate will provide a central role within the service in the delivery of standardised assessments (CAARMS), psychosocial interventions (CBT-based), supporting the MDT, regular audit and service evaluation activity and health promotion activity. This is a varied role, you will receive support and supervision from the whole team, and weekly supervision from the Senior Psychological Therapist.

You will deliver interventions to suitable clients to support them to work towards their goals, often using behavioural activation or graded exposure principles. You may also deliver psychoeducation for unusual experiences. You will be responsible for supporting the team to monitor and manage breaches to waiting time targets, as well as supporting the service to evaluate what it is offering to young people.

Job Description
Job responsibilities
Service specific training

Staff will attend a range of statutory and mandatory training applicable to all staff in the Trust. Over and above this, the service offers specific in-house foundation/awareness level training on:

• Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental State (CAARMS), an assessment tool which helps to identify young people with an ARMS.
• Working with young people to understand their unusual experiences, using an innovative method of delivery.

Additional skills and competencies and duties required to fulfil the role.

You may also be expected to undertake training and implementation of audit and service evaluation and health promotional activity.

Person Specification
Qualifications Essential

• Upper 2nd class honours degree, or higher, in psychology.
• Eligibility for graduate membership of British Psychological Society.

Knowledge and Experience Essential

• Experience in older adults or learning disabilities.
• Paid or unpaid work with people with mental health problems and/or other disabilities.
• Knowledge of evidence based practice.

Skills and Competencies Essential

• High level of communication skills (written and oral), including an ability to communicate and work in highly emotive circumstances.
• Ability to communicate sensitive information to clients, carers and colleagues.
• An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems and other disabilities.
• Ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a mental health / cognitive impairment / disability context.

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.

Employer details

Employer name: Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear (CNTW) NHS Foundation Trust

Address: Carleton Clinic, Cumbria, CA1 3SX

Employer's website: https://www.cntw.nhs.uk/careers/