Specialist Clinical Psychologist/ Therapeutic Practitioner

Job summary

We have flexible therapeutic roles for thoughtful, compassionate and innovative Specialist Clinical Psychologists/Counselling/Practitioner Psychologists, Family Therapists or Therapeutic Practitioners from other disciplines (job plans will be adapted) to work in children's gender care, hospital based eating disorder care and inpatient support for children with mental health needs. We welcome applications to this post from a range of therapeutic backgrounds.

Posts can be combined across these services. Please talk to us about applying and joining a wealth of excellent colleagues in psychology, medicine, nursing and psychiatry.

The NHS Children and Young People Gender Service (South West) - (CYP GS SW) is a new national service. The Eating Disorders team is the hospital based part of the BNSSG network of care, and the Paediatric Liaison Service is the BRCH inpatient service for CYP with mental health concerns. All posts are provided via Psychological Health Services. All work as part of a Multi-disciplinary team (MDT) to develop, deliver and evaluate specialist healthcare for children and their families. All clinicians will also provide direct and indirect input to other paediatric, adult or staff support services.

Main duties of the job

• To communicate effectively as part of provision of psychological services to children and families within specified services
• Direct and indirect psychological care using appropriate professional protocols in line with the Clinical Governing Body (HCPC) and Trust standards guidelines.
• Management of workload to meet job plan as discussed with manager.
• Use Quality Improvement methodology for service improvement
• Maintain safe and efficient use of trust equipment and supplies.
• To provide highly specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions for clients in the CYP Gender Service - South West presenting with medium to high level complexity.
• To undertake, supervise and support research and development activity including the supervision of assistant and trainee psychologists and other staff, as appropriate
• To provide formal and informal teaching and training for other professionals on psychological knowledge and skills applicable in the direct and indirect care of young people with physical/mental health conditions.
• To participate in the clinical supervision and appraisal processes undertaken by UHB NHS Foundation Trust and Psychological Health Services utilising the knowledge and skills framework for this post.
• To travel to meetings across the partner Trusts and other localities when required

About us

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England. UHBW has been rated by the CQC as 'Good' overall and our staff are proud to deliver excellent care to the people of Bristol, Weston and beyond. As a forward-thinking multi-award winning Trust and a digital exemplar committed to improving patient care, our world-leading research and innovations are having a positive local and global impact. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential

• Doctorate in clinical psychology, Counselling psychology or equivalent for TP
• Current registration with HCPC or relevant body

Desirable

• Additional training in a specialised area of psychological practice relevant to working with CYP with gender diversity.
• Training course in clinical supervision

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Post qualification experience of working as a clinical psychologist with young people/adults who have a condition relating to health, gender diversity
• Post qualification experience of working as a clinical psychologist providing psychological consultation, case management supervision and training to multi-professional and multi-agency teams
• Post qualification experience of working as a clinical psychologist undertaking consultation and service development work within a multi-disciplinary physical health setting
• Formal teaching /presentation sessions to health and other professionals
• Demonstrable understanding of the implications of acute and long term conditions and disability for young people/adults as applicable
• Demonstrable understanding of the roles of a clinical psychologist within multi-professional health teams in relation to the young person/adult, the staff team and the organisation.
• Demonstrable knowledge of legislation and guidance pertaining to safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults, consent, confidentiality and standards of psychological care within relevant NICE and other guidance
• Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology
• Evidence of having worked in an area of clinical practice relevant to CYP with gender diversity
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological assessments and interventions for CYP with gender diversity
• Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment of common mental health difficulties experienced by CYP with gender diversity

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Ability to assess the psychological needs of young people seen by these specialities, including the use of cognitive and developmental psychometric tests
• Ability to generate systemic and individual psychological formulations and interventions based on applying psychological theories and models to the complex information generated by the young person/adult and social care systems
• Ability to access, record and manage information and data pertaining to the work undertaken in medical and psychology notes, data bases and electronic records as required
• Ability to prioritise and manage available time for clinical work and professional activities effectively and safely
• Able to travel to regional clinics, meetings and home visits if required
• To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences and hostility to or rejection of information
• Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data
• Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate
• Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour

Desirable

• To be skilled in the administration of psychometric and neuropsychological tests, including those that require complex manipulation of test materials

Aptitudes

Essential

• Advanced communication skills with the ability to provide and receive highly complex and sensitive information to and from young people/adults in a culturally appropriate manner in highly emotive situations. This will include the ability to provide complex psychological information to staff in an accessible manner