Job Description
Job Title:
Clinical /Counselling Psychologist, Trauma Service (sessional)
Accountable to:
Operationally accountable to the CEO of CHUMS CIC, professionally
responsible to the Consultant Psychologist
Job Summary:
To ensure the systematic provision of a high quality clinical psychology
service to clients of the Trauma Service which will include children/young
people following a traumatic experience. This may be due to the
traumatic nature of a death, where a child is suffering symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder or where there has been other trauma such as
sexual abuse, witness to domestic violence or witness to another
traumatic incident. The post holder will hold a caseload of clients and
provide assessment, intervention, advice & consultancy to clients &
professionals. The post holder will also provide clinical guidance to other
members of the service and will work autonomously within professional
practice guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic
governance of psychological practice within the service.
Key Result Areas
1. Clinical
a. To provide highly developed specialist psychological assessments of clients
referred to the Trauma Service based upon the appropriate use, interpretation
and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including
psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating
scales, structured and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members
and others involved in the client’s care.
b. To provide expertise and advice to facilitate the effective and appropriate
provision of psychological care by all members of the multi-disciplinary team.
c. To formulate plans for the formal and informal psychological treatment and/or
management of clients’ mental health problems and adjustment difficulties
based upon psychological formulation and evidence of efficacy, across the full
range of care settings.
d. To be responsible for implementing a range of specialist psychological
interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across
teams, both individually and collaboratively. Adjusting and refining
psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and
maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
Vat registration 113 1914 54
e. To make highly skilled evaluations and decisions about treatment options taking
into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors
concerning historical and development processes that have shaped the
individual, family or group.
f. To exercise full responsibility and autonomy for the treatment and discharge of
clients whose problems are managed as a psychologically based standard care
plan ensuring appropriate assessment formulation and interventions,
communicating with the referral agent and other involved with the care on a
regular basis
g. To provide expertise and specialist psychological advice, guidance and
consultation to other professionals contributing directly to client’s formulation,
diagnosis and treatment plan.
h. To undertake risk assessment and risk management for relevant individual
clients and to provide both general and specialist advice for psychologists and
other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and
management.
i.
To act as care co-ordinator, where appropriate, ensuring the provision of a care
package appropriate for the client’s needs, co-ordinating the work of others
involved with care, arranging client’s care reviews as required and
communicating effectively with the client, his/her family and all others involved
in care; and to monitor progress during the course of multi-disciplinary
interventions.
j.
To communicate in a highly skilled and sensitive manner, information
concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under
their care and to monitor and evaluate progress during the course of care.
k. To provide expert consultation about the psychological care of the client group
to staff and agencies beyond the service.
2. Management, recruitment, policy and service development:
a. To participate in the development of a high quality, responsive and accessible
service for clients, their carers and families within the service
b. To exercise responsibility for the appropriate and safe use of specialist
psychological equipment within the sector/section including appropriate
systems of stock control.
c. To liaise with psychologists and other mental health professionals in local
mental health teams, to develop collaborative models of practice and good
working relationships across different services.
3. IT Management:
a. Record and report personally generated audit and research information, and
data relating to own clinical and non-clinical activity.
b. Enter clinical and audit/research information as required into information
systems.
c. Receive and send emails, and use the internet to access information relevant to
professional practice and research.
4. Research and service evaluation
a. To contribute to and take part in planning and implementing systems for the
evaluation, monitoring and development of the services offered, through the
deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit and
ensuring incorporation of psychological frameworks for understanding and
provision of high quality care.
b. To take part in audit and service evaluation, with colleagues within and across
the service to help develop and improve services to clients and their families.
c. To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence
based practice in individual work, work with other team members and across
the service.
d. To take part in any research being conducted by the service which will actively
contribute to the body of research on which the service draws, ultimately
enhancing the understanding of how trauma impacts upon children and
families, and how psychological interventions can assist.
e. To contribute to the development and articulation of best practice in psychology
across the organisation and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
nationally.
5. General
a. To ensure the development, maintenance and dissemination of the highest
professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and
external CPD training and development programmes.
b. To ensure the development and articulation of best practice in psychology
within the service area and contribute across the service by exercising the skills
of a reflexive and reflective scientist practitioner, taking part in regular
professional supervision and appraisal and maintaining an active engagement
with current developments in the field of clinical psychology and related
disciplines.
c. To ensure the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic
data entry and recording, report writing and the responsible exercise of
professional self-governance in accordance with professional codes of practice
of the British Psychological Society, the Health Professionals Council and
CHUMS CIC policies and procedures.
d. To ensure that all psychologists within the service maintain up to date
knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to
both the specific client group and mental health.
e. To commit to and promote the principles of routine outcome monitoring and
evaluation within the multi- disciplinary team, providing training and guidance
within the extended service as necessary.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Clinical/Counselling Psychologist
ASSESSED
ESSENTIAL
Education and
Training

Post graduate doctoral level (PhD or DPsych)
training in Clinical or counselling Psychology (or
its equivalent for those trained before 1996 or
those in lateral transfer) as accredited by the BPS.

Specialist training in at least two specialist clinical
child and adolescent psychology interventions
and/or assessment approaches.

Knowledge on traumatic death and post traumatic
stress and proven clinical experience in this area

Member of the British Psychological SocietyRegistered with Health Care Professions Council
DESIRABLE

Computer, I.T. and Internet skills.
Certificate
Appraisal
Interview

Other related degrees Masters
Certificate
Appraisal
Interview

Training in staff safety techniques

EMDR Training to level1
Interview
CV


Experience

At least two years experience in a CAMHS or
Paediatric Psychology service.
Interview
CV

High-level therapeutic skills repertoire developed
for child and adolescents
EMDR Child Training level 1,evidence
of grief and loss training
Planning and service development
within a multi-disciplinary Team or
service speciality
Certificate
CV
Interview
CV
Interview
CV Interview

Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary and
multi-agency setting

Experience of exercising full clinical
responsibility for clients’ psychological
assessment and treatment
CV
Interview

Experience of IT systems and developing
mechanisms for gathering and storing and
analysing research and audit data. Ability to
record and report on data relating to own clinical
and non clinical activity.
CV
Interview

Doctoral level knowledge of clinical /counselling
psychology including highly developed
knowledge of developmental psychology, models
of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and
health psychology.
KNOWLEDGE
AND SKILLS

Experience in CBT and at least one other distinct
psychological therapy

Highly developed and excellent communication
skills in supporting professionals as well as clients

Knowledge of psychological processes related to
medical conditions and developmental disorders

Highly developed knowledge of the
theory and practice of specialised
psychological interventions in specific
difficult to assist groups
CV
Interview
CV
Interview

Knowledge of legal systems, Court
procedures and how to service the
Court with written and oral evidence.
CV
Interview

Published research
CV
Interview
CV

Evidence of skills or capacity to engage in service
planning implementation and development

Appropriate post qualification clinical and
assessment skills development as recommended
by the BPS

Evidence of regular high quality supervision since
qualification

Doctoral level knowledge of research design and
methodology including complex multivariate data
analysis. Use of appropriate statistical software
e.g. SPSS

Knowledge of legislation pertinent to psychology
services.

Assessment, therapeutic and interpersonal skills
sufficient to take on cases of high complexity
referred to the Service

A high level ability to communicate effectively at
both a written and oral level, complex, highly
technical and clinically sensitive information to
consultant medical specialists, carers and other
agencies.

Skills in the use of complex methods of
psychological assessment intervention and
management frequently requiring sustained and
intense concentration.

Enthusiasm for a broad range of psychological
phenomena, an interest in models of service
delivery and an ability to articulate the value
added by clinical psychology services within the
context of multi-disciplinary mental health
services.
PERSONAL

OTHER
Warm facilitating style with other professional
staff and ability to work co-operatively for the
benefit of service users.

Experience and knowledge of BME
communities and issues arising from
diversity.
Interview
CV
Interview

Knowledge and understanding of equal
opportunities legislation
CV
Interview
CV
Interview
CV
Interview
CV
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CV
Interview
CV
Interview

A commitment to the evaluation of
services, enthusiasm for both multi and
uniprofessional audit.

Logical, intellectual vigorous reasoning
and communication style in
professional settings.
I
Interview
Interview
Interview

Ability to cope with high workload and multiple
demands on time.
Interview

Ability to deal with distressing and highly emotive
situations
Interview

Ability to cope with stress of other staff and
behavioural consequences of their stress.
Interview

Ability to identify, provide and promote
appropriate means of support to carers and staff
exposed to highly distressing situations and
challenging behaviours.
Interview

Ability to identify and employ as appropriate,
clinical governance mechanisms for the support
and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of
highly emotive material and challenging
behaviour.

Car owner essential

Based at the office but may be required to visit
clients homes

Ability to work flexible hours to meet the needs of
the service
Interview