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Aneurin Bevan University Health Board support flexible working.
Please note that this vacancy may be withdrawn at any time should it be filled via the internal redeployment process
Job Overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for Band 8A Practitioner Psychologists (full or part time considered) to join our Aneurin Bevan Older Adults Psychological Therapies Service. The service provides psychological interventions for adults aged 65 and over, for needs often resultant from previous and current difficult life experiences.
We also provide neuropsychological assessment for adults experiencing progressive cognitive difficulties. Our team works within community and inpatient settings, and has close relationships with our borough CMHT and Memory Assessment Service colleagues.
Applications for this position are invited from psychologists with experience who meet the essential criteria for the Band 8a role, or from psychologists who meet the Band 7 criteria as a development opportunity. In this second instance, the successful candidate would be appointed on the understanding of progression to a higher banded post when further experience has been gained and essential competences have been met and will remain on the Band 7 until these are achieved.
The successful candidates will join a friendly and proactive team of Psychologists, Arts Therapists and Administrators. We meet regularly for professional support, and value a culture of reflective practice and rich continuing professional development. If you are excited about joining a collaborative and fast moving department, and enriching the lives of older adults in Gwent, this job is for you
Main duties of the job
The key elements of this role are to provide both therapeutic and neuropsychological assessment services to Older Adults residing within the Aneurin Bevan Health Board. As we work as a wider team, you would also be asked to contribute, as appropriate, to wider team priorities such as Service Development, inpatient work, supervision of others, teaching, training, audit and research. Its a wide-ranging and varied role which enables you to utilise all of your psychological knowledge and skills.
This post is being advertised as a Band 8a but we invite less experienced applicants to apply with a view to starting on Band 7 and to commit to a plan to develop into the Band 8a role.
Working for our organisation
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board is a multi-award-winning NHS organisation with a passion for caring. The Health Board provides an exceptional workplace where you can feel trusted and valued. Whatever your specialty or stage in your career, we have opportunities for everyone to start, grow and build your career. The health board provides integrated acute, primary and community care serving a population of 650,000 and employing over 16,000 staff.
We offer a fantastic benefits package and extensive training and development opportunities with paid mandatory training, excellent in-house programmes, opportunities to complete recognised qualifications and professional career pathways including a range of management development programmes. We offer flexible working and promote a healthy work life balance, provide occupational health support and an ambitious plan for a Wellbeing Centre of Excellence to support you at work.
Our Clinical Futures strategy continues to enhance and promote care closer to home as well as high quality hospital care when needed. Join us on our journey to pioneer new ways of working and deliver a world-class healthcare service fit for the future.
Qualifications
Essential criteria
Honours degree in Psychology
HCPC Registered
Doctorate in Clinical Psychology accredited by the BPS or equivalent accredited by the BPS
Knowledge of purpose, selection, delivery and interpretation of neuropsychological assessments.
Desirable criteria
Other related academic qualifications
IT skills training
Post graduate research degree
Experience of working within Older Adult Mental Health Services
Experience
Essential criteria
Doctorate training across a range of client groups but must include Older Adults
Significant experience of working with Older Adults
Has completed at least 10 training days per year on courses relevant to the provision of Older Adult Psychological Therapies Service
Has begun to develop special expertise in the relevant clinical area and to have undergone or is undergoing post qualification training in it as part of the CPD process
Desirable criteria
Post qualification work experience in a relevant clinical or care setting
Post qualification experience of working in Older Adult Psychology specialising in working with Older Adults and their carers and families
To have obtained further experience of working within other Clinical Psychology e.g. Child Services or Learning Disability Service
Research experience and statistical expertise
Skills and Attributes
Essential criteria
Ability to communicate and relate to people warmly and with empathy
Ability to understand the highly complex and conflicting messages from clients and organise this in a way that allows them to guide the client through a complex process of change. To be able to do this even when the client is highly distressed, there is a highly charged atmosphere, and/or when the client is expressing high levels of anger
Ability to assess, interpret, formulate and intervene in situations where the material is highly complex, where there are a range of possible options, where different courses of action could be taken and where expert opinions may differ
Ability to provide direction through supervision, teaching and training to other disciplines and agencies
Ability to and experience of working in a Multi Disciplinary Team
Desirable criteria
Further relevant post qualification therapeutic training
Relevant publications