Job summary
Employer heading
Principal Clinical Psychologist
Band 8b
Our Vision is to provide the best mental health, learning disability, autism and community based services for the populations we serve.
As an integrated mental health, learning disability and community Trust, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including:
• Primary and secondary mental health care for children and adults including specialist inpatient child and adolescent mental health provision, perinatal mental health, forensic services including low and medium secure care.
• Specialist community support for children and adults with learning disabilities and autism, including intensive support.
• Community physical health and well-being services for children and adults.
The Trust was first established in 2002 and employs approximately 7,000 staff who provide care from more than 400 sites. The organisation offers opportunities for medics, mental health and general nurses, allied health professionals, psychology, administration and clerical staff, apprentices and volunteers.
Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust supports flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, home/remote working, and flexi-time.
For more information visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT.
Job overview
Forensic Autism Service and Secure Pathway Hub
An opportunity has arisen for a permanent Principal Clinical Psychologist based at Guild Park, Regional Secure Unit, Central Lancashire. This full time post will be split 0.4 WTE into the Secure Pathway Hub, and 0.4 WTE into the Forensic Autism Service.
An experienced and highly committed candidate is required to provide psychological leadership and clinical supervision into two services. The Secure Pathway Hub is a multi-disciplinary team that provide clinical and risk assessment to clients referred to Secure Services in order to determine appropriate pathways and service provision. The post holder will provide specialist advice, guidance and consultation to external referrers, particularly where there are significant Autistic Spectrum Condition and Personality Disorder needs. They will contribute directly to client’s formulation, diagnosis and management and/or treatment plan. Knowledge of and/or experience in using diagnostic assessments for personality and autistic spectrum disorders is essential.
The purpose of the Forensic Autism Service is to work with their natural supports, in-patient colleagues, and other partner agencies and stakeholders to reduce admissions to secure in-patient services, to support discharges and transitions into the community, and to prevent re-admission to hospital.
Main duties of the job
In FAS, the post holder will work with service users, their natural supports, in-patient colleagues, and other partner agencies and stakeholders. The functions of the team are to reduce admissions to secure in-patient services, support discharges and transitions into the community, and to prevent re-admission to hospital. This will be achieved through consultation, specialist case management, system level working, training, and workforce development.
The team is multi-disciplinary. The role of the psychologist on the team will be to use consultation and formulation to produce an understanding of the service user. This understanding will be used to guide direct interventions with service users, and to provide advice to those working with the service user about risk management, intervention, and pathway planning. The psychologist will be required to offer supervision to their fellow team members and to develop and deliver training to staff external to the team who are working with the service user.
The role requires the ability to work with clients who present with the full range of clinical needs and risk behaviours, and the ability to engage with, and respond to, highly complex clinical, professional and ethical challenges, and demands on clinicians and services. There will be opportunities to use audit and evaluation, and to develop practice and service provision.
Working for our organisation
Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including secondary mental health care across this area. Specialist provision comprises inpatient child and adolescent mental health services, perinatal mental health and forensic services including low and medium secure care.
The Trust also provides a range of physical health and well-being services in the community alongside a range of partners in the Lancashire, Cumbria and Sefton area.
Lancashire & South Cumbria Foundation Trust encourages flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, flexi-time and career breaks. We encourage applicants to state clearly on their application forms this request and discuss these options at interview.
For more information please visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see attached the job description and person specification for more information about this role.
Person specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Doctoral level training in clinical psychology or equivalent for those who trained prior to 1996, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the BPS.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology. Knowledge of legislation, and its implications in relation to the client group and mental health. Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS by completion of CPD log demonstrating a minimum of 40 hours per year. Formal training in supervision of other psychologists
Experience
Essential criteria
- Substantial experience of working as a qualified clinical psychologist. Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse. Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for client’s psychological care and treatment both as a professionally qualified care co-ordinator and also within the context of multidisciplinary care plan. Experience of teaching, training and supervising. Demonstrable experience of conducting complex audit/research and service evaluation
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Dr Chris Harrop
- Job title
- Consultant Clinical Psychologist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01772406728
- Additional information
For an informal discussion or visit, please contact Dr Chris Harrop, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Lead for Inpatient Psychology on 01772 406728 [email protected]
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