Clinical/Counselling Psychologist / Psychological Therapist

Clinical/Counselling Psychologist / Psychological Therapist

Within Devon community perinatal services we have carefully thought about the structure of our service and have increased the resource. We hope this demonstrates a deep appreciation and valuing of psychology and reflects our intention to create a stable and well-resourced perinatal psychology team.

A principal purpose of this job is to improve the psychological health and wellbeing of women and birthing people, who present with severe and complex mental health needs during the perinatal period, and their babies and families. Psychology also supports to create a trauma-informed environment.

Main duties of the job

This will be achieved in this post through undertaking the following areas of responsibility:

1. Providing a Clinical/Counselling Psychology or Psychological Therapy service to people using the Perinatal Mental Health service, as a key component of services provided by Devon Partnership Trust.
2. Carrying a specialist caseload of clients, and providing advice and consultancy to clients, family members, carers and professionals.
3. Providing clinical supervision for trainees and volunteers employed by, or attached to, the Perinatal Mental Health Teams, and to the Psychology Service, as required.
4. Supported by senior colleagues within their specialist field, 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.
5. Working autonomously within professional guidelines and exercising responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice within professional and Trust guidelines.
6. Receiving 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.
7. Observing, and abiding by all relevant Professional Codes of Conduct and Practice. The post holder will be fully registered with the appropriate recognized professional body.

Person Specification

Knowledge

• Knowledge and familiarity of specialist mental health services and of the services in the NHS where psychology and psychological therapies are commonly applied.
• Knowledge of policies and procedures relating to Child Protection.
• Knowledge of specialist services for mothers and babies within the perinatal period.
• Knowledge of the policy context of specialist psychological services within the organisation and of clinical leadership arrangements in this setting.

Experience

• 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, and/or training in diversity awareness and social inequality.
• Experience of working under supervision in secondary care adult mental health services.
• Experience of working with perinatal and postnatal women with severe and complex mental health difficulties.
• Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.

Qualifications

• Qualified Clinical or Counselling Psychologist (D.Clin.Psychol. or equivalent), eligible for Chartered Clinical or Counselling Psychologist Status with the British Psychological Society and Registered with HCPC.
• Psychological Therapists need to be trained to Masters level or equivalent in a specific psychological therapy and registered with an appropriate recognised professional body e.g. UKCP, BABCP.
• Further training or experience in Perinatal Mental Health.
• Further training in related area.
• Further training in at least one (other) psychological therapy.
• IT Skills.

Skills & Abilities

• Excellent verbal, nonverbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to integrate complex data; make highly skilled evaluations and decisions; and take a long term perspective.
• Proven organisational, planning and time management skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and cope with deadlines.
• 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.
• Ability to tolerate ambiguity and maintain own morale and motivation in challenging service delivery contexts.
• Ability to travel within the geographical area covered by the Devon Perinatal Community Mental Health Teams.

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.