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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Main duties of the job:

This is an exciting opportunity for an appropriately qualified and experienced CBT psychotherapist/clinical psychologist to take on a post that requires specialist assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes. 

Applicants must have substantial experience of working as a CBT psychotherapist/clinical psychologist in managing complex client presentations and undertaking specialist assessments, formulation and treatment.

We are looking for applicants who have enthusiasm for working within a specialist service and who are interested in contributing to the delivery of specialist treatment.   We are looking for applicants who are flexible, creative and have excellent clinical skills.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To provide highly specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions for clients in the Persistent Physical Symptoms Research and Treatment service including medically unexplained symptoms such as Chronic Fatigue, IBS and those with long term conditions. 
• To provide culturally appropriate psychological interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.
• To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans.
• To act as a therapist providing highly specialist assessments, formulations and interventions for clients in the Persistent Symptoms service client based upon an analysis of complex factors contributing to the presentation and selectively drawing on an appropriate CBT model. When needed to deliver evidence based psychological treatments within the boundaries of clinical trials. Complete outcomes and modify and adapt interventions drawing on a range of theoretical options.
• To provide culturally appropriate professional interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.
• To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans.

Contributing to team or service clinical functioning

• To contribute to the effective working of the team or service and to a psychotherapeutically informed framework for the service.
• To contribute to the team or service’s delivery of accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.
• To be proactive in challenging discrimination and support the development of culturally competent services.
• To advise other members of the service on specialist psychotherapeutic care of clients.
• To liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals concerned with clients in order to develop and review care plans.
• To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice and/or currently understood best practice-based evidence, in individual work and work with other team members.

Policy and service development

• To implement policies and procedures in own area of work, and to propose improvements or beneficial changes.
• To contribute to service development through undertaking and participating in appropriate projects.
• To contribute to the consultation and engagement of service users in planning and delivering services which meet the needs of local communities.

Care or management of resources

• To take care of, and use carefully, the Trust’s equipment and physical resources.
• To ensure that the post-holder has sufficient resources by estimating future needs and requesting or ordering supplies as needed.

Management and supervision

• To be responsible for the allocation and/or clinical supervision of the work of more junior psychotherapists with support from a more senior psychotherapist.
• To supervise honorary psychotherapists within own area of specialism.
• To contribute to the appraisal of more junior psychotherapists, as appropriate.
• To contribute to the recruitment of more junior psychotherapists, as appropriate.
• To provide supervision for the psychotherapeutic work of other multi-disciplinary staff as appropriate.

Teaching and Training

• To undertake occasional teaching and training of pre and post- qualification CBT therapists and specialised training to other professions as appropriate.
• To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within the Persistent Physical Symptoms Research and Treatment Service by maintaining an active awareness of current developments in psychology and medically unexplained symptoms and by implementing knowledge gained in practice.
• To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles.

Record-keeping and Information Governance

• To ensure that all information generated by own work is recorded as required by Trust policies and local procedures.
• To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry.

Research and development

• To initiate, undertake, support and supervise regular complex service evaluation and audits.
• To provide expertise in a specialist research area which will contribute to Persistent Physical Symptoms Research and Treatment Service.

Maintaining professional standards and continuing professional development

• To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior psychotherapist according to BABCP and Trust guidelines.
• To ensure own Continuing Professional Development in line with BABCP and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements.
• To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.
• To comply with BABCP Standards of Ethics and Proficiency, and ensure professional development in line with these.
• To adhere to the BABCP Professional Practice Guidelines and Trust policies and procedures.

General

• To travel to team or service meetings as appropriate and across the Trust when required.
• To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the client group and follow trust policies relating to its management.
• To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations with skill and tact when dealing with highly complex and sensitive information with clients, carers and colleagues; taking account of sensory and cultural barriers to communication.
• To provide psychological support to clients who are experiencing (or have experienced) serious emotional trauma and also to provide support to carers and staff working with such clients and to support others involved in such situations.