Clinical/Counselling Psychologist/Psychological Therapist Practice

Islet Systems; Exeter; On-site; GBP 74,000 - 86,000; Full time

Job description

Location: Exeter, EX2 5AF

Salary: £74290.00 to £85601.00

Date posted: 1st April 2025

Closing date: 21st April 2025

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Job Description

Job Title - Clinical/Counselling Psychologist/Psychological Therapist Practice & Strategic Lead

The principal purpose of the job is to improve the psychological health & wellbeing of people within the post holders specialist field of practice.

There will be a presentation panel on 30 April followed by an interview panel on 1 May. These will be face-to-face interviews in Exeter.

Main duties of the job

A key responsibility of this role will be leading and coordinating practice and service development and redesign activity. Working at a strategic level, this post will ensure that the Psychology and Psychological Therapy Services provided in the Older Adult Services improves access to psychological therapies, is an integrated part of all relevant clinical pathways, delivers high clinical standards, makes best use of its scarce resources and develops evidence-based practice that meets needs and choices of people using the services.

About Us
About Devon Partnership Trust

We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do.

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trust's core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving the lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part-time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

Job responsibilities

Providing leadership to, and overseeing the operational work of the Older Adult Professional Leads and their staff in the delivery of efficient psychology and psychological therapy services.

Provide leadership for the Older Adult Pathways and DMS and the psychologists and psychological therapists in the specialist teams.

Take a strategic clinical lead role in the development and delivery of psychology and psychological therapies in the Older Adults. Working alongside the Head of Profession, the Service Managers and the Clinical Team Leaders, and Consultant Psychiatrists/Medical Lead for service to undertake service development, redesign projects and coordinate the activities of these projects with the Older Adult Professional Leads, proposing and implementing policy changes within this domain.

Provide clinical leadership, management, coordination and supervision for psychology and psychological therapies staff, trainees and volunteers employed by or attached to the Older Adults teams.

Be a key part of the senior leadership team - in particular working closely with the Service Managers/Clinical Team Leaders in the future planning and provision of psychological therapies within these teams.

Contributing to the management and supervisory arrangements of the Psychology and Psychological Therapies staff, within the Older Adult Directorate.

To work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice within professional and Trust guidelines interpreting and implementing policies as Practice and Strategic Development Lead.

The post holder will receive regular management, professional and clinical supervision in accordance with Trust policy and to Professional Practice Guidelines set out by the British Psychological Society or appropriate designated Professional Body.

Observe, and abide by all relevant Professional Codes of Conduct and Practice including the British Psychological Society, or relevant designated Professional Body. The post holder will be fully registered with the Health Care Professions Council as a condition of employment.

The post holder will work collaboratively to ensure a whole systems integrated approach to service delivery and development. All Psychology and Psychological Therapies services and staff will be responsible for ensuring involvement of people with lived experience, and families and carers that social inclusion and race equality agendas inform and support their work.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Professional Doctorate in Clinical Psychology as accredited by the HCPC (or equivalent qualifications as assessed by the HCPC).
• Or
• Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology (or equivalent as assessed by the HCPC).
• Or
• Psychological Therapist, trained to at least Masters level in a specific psychological therapy registered and accredited with an appropriate recognised UK professional body.
• Further training or equivalent experience in working with people with an eating disorder.
• Further training in at least one psychological therapy.

Desirable

• Further training in area related to Older Adults.

Experience

Essential

• Extensive specialist knowledge of services for Older People and of the services in the NHS where clinical psychology is commonly applied.
• Broad knowledge of the application of psychological theory and practice in the specialist areas covered by the post.
• Extensive knowledge of the application of psychology in the context of complex mental health.
• Extensive knowledge of the skills, practice and knowledge base of Clinical Psychology.
• Knowledge of the policy context of specialist psychological services within the organisation and of clinical leadership arrangements in this setting.
• Knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex data analysis.
• Up to date knowledge of research evidence related to psychological therapies and interventions particularly in relation to outcomes and service user involvement.
• A good knowledge of and ability to work with current NHS drivers in mental health including the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies agenda.
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with complex mental health needs across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community and inpatient settings.
• Experience of working with people with Older Adults.
• Experience of working with people with a range of complex mental health needs relevant to the services.
• Experience of leading research projects and/or service evaluations and audit.
• Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
• Experience in undertaking leadership roles within psychology services in the NHS, and in contributing to the development, implementation and evaluation of strategies and clinical policies in multi-disciplinary, multi-agency contexts.
• Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity.

Essential Skills and Abilities

• Excellent verbal, nonverbal and written communication skills.
• Strong leadership qualities, resilience and ability to handle ambiguity and uncertainty.
• Skills in managing conflict, negotiation and achieving consensus in complex situations in the pursuit of agreed strategic aims.
• Demonstrable skills in relation to service development and the management of change.
• Evidence of leading or participating in quality improvement initiatives.
• Evidence of ability to develop themselves and others in a reflexive and creative manner.
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
• Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials.
• Ability to integrate and manipulate complex data, interpret this information and write comprehensive reports.
• Ability to 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.
• Demonstrable skills in relation to service development and the management of change.
• Presentable.
• Clear telephone voice.
• Calm, methodical approach, friendly but concise.
• Good communication skills when presenting/facilitating to varying groups of people.
• Highly skilled in specialist interventions with the client group.
• Advanced psychological assessment and formulation skills including risk assessment.
• Evidence of leading or participating in quality improvement initiatives.

Desirable

• Formal Project management skills/experience.

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Devon Partnership NHS Trust

Address

Wonford House

Dryden Road

Exeter

Devon

EX2 5AF

Employer's website

https://www.dpt.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Contact Information

OPMH Service Director

Emma Elston

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