Counselling/Clinical Psychologist - Older Adult Mental Health & Dementia Team
Job overview
Are you looking to step up to a more senior position? Or perhaps an experienced 8a looking for a new challenge? Or are you coming to the end of training so thinking about where to start your career and would like career progression inbuilt from an Band 7?
We have a position for a Clinical or Counselling Psychologist to come and join our amazing team in Planned Care Older Adult Community Mental Health Team. There will be an opportunity to work with people with dementia, older people with mental health needs, as well as neuropsychological assessment where identified.Psychology is valued by the wider MDT.
You will be joining 12 other psychological professionals within the team, including qualified psychologists, CAPs, a Trainee CBT therapist and Assistant Psychologists. There is regular clinical supervision, therapy specific supervision including CFT, and a commitment to training.You would also have the opportunity to be involved in service evaluation and delivery.
The post is 22.5 hour/ 3 days per week and is based in Tamworth and Lichfield.
We are happy to accept applications from those approaching the end of training, or newly qualified people looking for a Band 7 for whom we would work through a preceptorship framework to advance onto a Band 8a within agreed timeframes. Applications are also welcomed for more experienced people looking for a Band 8a either as a step up or looking to diversify their experiences.
Main duties of the job- To be responsible for the provision of a clinical psychology service to adults with progressive neurodegenerative disease (Dementia), with or at risk of developing, complex mental health needs in the relevant localities as agreed with the Lead Clinical Psychologist and Team Manager.
- Clinical work will incorporate complex assessments leading to psychological formulations of distress; complex neuropsychological examination; interpretation and opinion; and forming judgements for treatment and management options
- To provide input to the South Staffordshire Planned Mental Health and Dementia Pathway, as agreed with the Lead Clinical Psychologist. Offering advice, supervision and providing consultation on clients’ psychological care to wider MDT colleagues and to other, non-professional carers
Working for our organisation
By joining Team MPFT, you will be helping your communities and in return for this, we will support you by:
- Supporting your career development and progression.
- Excellent NHS Pension scheme
- Generous maternity, paternity, adoption leave
- Options for flexible working
- Up to 27 days annual leave (increasing with service up to 33 days) and the opportunity to purchase additional annual leave.
- Extensive Health and Wellbeing support and resources
- If you work in our community teams, we pay for your time travelling between patients.
- Lease car if you complete more than 500 business miles per annum, fully insured and maintained (including tyres), mileage paid at lease car rate
- Salary sacrifice car – fully insured and maintained (including tyres), your gross pay is reduced by the cost of the vehicle before tax, NI and pension deductions are calculated, mileage paid at business rates
- Salary sacrifice bikes up to £2k
- Free car parking at all trust sites
- Free flu vaccination every year
- Citizens Advice support linked with a Hardship Fund for one off additional support up to £250 (if the criteria is met)
And more. We are proud to be a diverse and inclusive organisation and there is a choice of staff networks that help you meet like-minded people.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Check out the videos below showcasing why you should grow your career here with us at MPFT:
Why Work for Mental Health Services at MPFT - YouTube
Development and Progression Within Mental Health Services at MPFT - YouTube
You will be joining an older adult mental health service that has been rated ‘Outstanding’ by the CQC and where the contribution of psychology is a highly valued core element of the service. We have excellent relationships within the service, across the Trust, and with local partners.The older adult psychology team is well-respected and valued, friendly, fun-loving and research active. We pride ourselves on our flexible and adaptable approach to service delivery and the role we play in good team relationships. There have been some major reshuffles in the Psychology department structure within the last 12 months which has provided exciting new opportunities and development of services despite the challenge of the Covid19 pandemic.
You will be supported in this role by an older adult psychology leadership team consisting of a consultant and two 8b grades, the service manager, and your clinical colleagues. We a fantastic group of Assistant Psychologists across the team and a good track record of supporting psychology volunteer placements as well as very good links with our local DClinPsy course to provide range of trainee placements.CPD opportunities have been funded willingly in the past, with recent achievements within the team being MSc in Clinical Neuropsychology, additional specialist training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Intensive Short-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Compassion Focussed Therapy and Eye-Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing training, where appropriate to role.
There will also be opportunities to become involved in project work, trainee placements, staff supervision etc. as appropriate to your level of experience.
This is good opportunity to become a member of a well-respected and progressive older adult psychology service and to enjoy the professional benefits of working in a supportive and clinically effective environment. Enquiries of all kinds are welcomed.
If additional hours are required then there maybe a possibility of a split post with another service, though this is yet to be determined
We reserve the right to close the vacancy early depending on the volume of applications we receive.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria- Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical or counselling psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS including two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
- It is a condition of that the post-holder is registered with the health Council and is eligible for registration as a chartered clinical psychologist if applicable
- Current registration/accreditation with appropriate body with current practising certificate
- Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.
Experience
Essential criteria- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups across the whole life course
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, primary care, in- patient and residential care settings 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 assessing and treating clients across the full range of care settings.
- Experience of working with older people with mental health difficulties