Principal Clinical Psychologist

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board; Abergele; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 80,000

Job description

Job Overview
Are you a highly experienced Clinical Psychologist seeking a leadership role where you can shape and influence specialist adolescent mental health services? This is a rare opportunity to lead the psychological intervention provision for the North Wales Adolescent Service (NWAS). As the Lead Clinical Psychologist, you will head a team of psychologists and therapists while being part of the Senior Clinical Leadership MDT, working alongside consultants in Nursing and Psychiatry. This role offers the chance to lead service development, influence decision-making on complex cases, and work closely with multidisciplinary teams to enhance care for young people aged 12–18 across North Wales and North Powys.

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; English and/or Welsh speakers are equally welcome to apply.

Main duties of the job

1. Lead responsibility for clinical decisions which require analysis, interpretation and comparison of options.
2. Provide a highly specialised clinical psychology service to clients.
3. Work autonomously in accordance with The BPS Code of Conduct, Ethical Principles and Guidelines 2004, and HCPC.
4. Delegated responsibility, in consultation with the Head of Child Psychology, for professional leadership, planning, provision and review of BCUHB Child Clinical Psychology Services.
5. Responsibility for professional leadership and management of psychology staff.
6. Be accountable for own professional actions and decisions.
7. In collaboration with the Head of Child Psychology, devise, develop, interpret, and implement discrete policies and service developments, develop psychological therapy provision and ensure clinical governance processes are implemented.
8. Hold a highly specialist clinical caseload of clients with complex needs.
9. Provide clinical supervision to multi-disciplinary colleagues.
10. Provide highly specialist advice and consultancy on Child Psychology issues.
11. Ensure provision of child clinical placements for the North Wales Clinical Psychology Programme (NWCPP) doctoral trainees and provide supervised placements.
12. Provide teaching and training for multi-disciplinary BCUHB staff and for the NWCPP.
13. Responsibility in conjunction with the Head of Child Psychology, for recruitment of clinical psychologists.

Working for our organisation
If you relish a challenge, have a passion to help others or simply fancy a fresh start, then Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) North Wales, has all the right ingredients. The largest health organisation in Wales, providing a full range of primary, community, mental health, acute and elective hospital services for a population of around 700,000, across North Wales. Join our team and get the support you need, in line with our Organisational Values and ‘Proud to Lead’ competence framework.

Enjoy being part of working with engaged leadership at all levels, and be assured we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and are proud to welcome applicants under the “Disability Confident Employer” scheme.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities
You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click “Apply now” to view in Trac.

Person specification

Qualifications And/or Knowledge
Essential criteria

• Good Honours degree in Psychology.
• Eligibility for British Psychological Society Chartered status.
• Post-graduate Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the British Psychological Society.
• Registration with Health and Care Professions Council as a Clinical Psychologist.
• Clinical supervision training for supervising Doctoral trainees.
• Doctoral level advanced specialist knowledge of clinical psychology theory and practice, psychological therapies and their application, neuropsychological and psychometric assessment and interpretation.
• Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practised within clinical psychology.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management.
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development as recommended by the BPS and HCPC.

Desirable criteria

• Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.
• Well-developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult-to-treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc).
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of highly specialised psychological therapies and assessment methodologies.
• Recognised qualification in supervision.
• Record of publications in peer reviewed or academic or professional journals and/or books.

Experience
Essential criteria

• Substantial assessed experience of working as a qualified and senior clinical psychologist, normally including significant post-qualification experience within the designated speciality where the post is located, or relevant transferable skills.
• Assessed experience of working effectively as a qualified and senior level clinical psychologist in the designated speciality, or relevant transferable skills. Demonstration of further specialist training/experience through having received extensive and demonstrable clinical supervision of working as a specialist Clinical Psychologist or an alternative agreed by the Director of Psychology.
• Experience of specialised psychological assessment and treatment of a range of clients across a wide range of care settings.
• Experience of working with client groups across an increasing range of clinical severity.
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients’ psychological care, with experience of co-ordinating care within the context of multi-disciplinary care-planning.
• Experience of providing teaching, training and/or professional and clinical supervision.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
• Experience of representing psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary care.
• Experience of professional management of qualified clinical psychologists and other staff.

Aptitude And Abilities
Essential criteria

• The ability to demonstrate a high level of competence to work within the designated speciality.
• Well-developed skills in the supervision of other staff, including Trainee Clinical Psychologists.
• Well-developed skills in effectively communicating very complex, highly technical and clinically sensitive information, both orally and in writing, to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
• Developed skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
• Capable of maintaining a high degree of professionalism and safe clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
• The ability to identify and provide appropriate means of support to line-managed staff who deal with highly distressing situations, severely challenging behaviours and other stressors.
• The ability to use a variety of complex multi-media materials for a range of purposes such as teaching and training.
• Capable of effective workload management when facing competing demands.
• The ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of multidisciplinary colleagues.
• Basic IT skills.

Desirable criteria

• Ability to speak Welsh.
• Ability to demonstrate leadership and management skills.
• Advanced IT skills.

Values
Essential Criteria

• Ability to demonstrate a range of qualities essential to the role, eg compassion, competence, communication, courage and commitment.
• Ability to work in accordance with the core organisational values.
• Demonstrate a commitment to working consistently in line with our organisational values, and enabling others within the workforce to do so too as evidenced in day to day work and through discussion at PADR.
• Commitment to maintain confidentiality of clinically sensitive materials and information and to handle personal information with sensitivity and discretion.
• Ability to demonstrate professional behaviours of the highest standard.

Other
Essential criteria

• Ability to travel within the geographical area.
• Flexible approach to work.
• Good attendance record.

Seniority level
Director

Employment type
Full-time

Job function
Health Care Provider

Industries
Hospitals and Health Care