An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Clinical or Educational Psychologist to join our Psychological Therapies Team. This role will require the successful candidate to provide a high quality, evidence-based Psychology service, which promotes the safety, emotional well-being and mental health of children and young people accessing neurorehabilitation and those on a step-down pathway. Staff benefits include, shuttle bus, and more Read more below Main duties of the job You will provide high quality, evidence based Psychological assessments and interventions to children and young people with acquired brain injuries and neurodisabilities. Our service delivery aims to promote outcome focussed interventions, safe care for children and young people and psychological adjustment in the context of highly emotional circumstances. You will provide clinical leadership to Psychology trainees, ensuring accountability and effective communication with other teams, creating a cohesive and collaborative multidisciplinary therapy team. With experience of working in a complex environment, across a large and diverse workforce, you will be exceptionally organised with a high-level of attention to detail. You will naturally possess excellent inter-personal skills, and an ability to consult and positively engage with key stakeholders across the organisation. About Us The Childrens Trust is the UKs leading charity for children with acquired brain injury, providing expert rehabilitation, education, therapy, and care at our national specialist centre in Tadworth, and to children and their families across the UK, via our Brain Injury Community Service. Boasting a beautiful 24-acre site in Surrey, we are located just outside of London, close to the M25 (accessible via Junction 8, A217 to Tadworth) and easily accessible via National Rail, by way of: Clapham Junction, Sutton, and Epsom. Staff Benefits The work we do is highly rewarding, and in addition to an attractive salary, we offer a valuable range of benefits, including, adoption pay, time off for fertility treatment, enhanced paternity leave, paid carers leave, time out days for those experiencing menopause symptoms, time off for gender reassignment. We also offer additional annual leave days for those with long service, with entitlements ranging from 35 to 41 days (including bank holidays) depending on your length of service. Other benefits include free on-site parking; a staff shuttle service from Epsom and Sutton train stations to Tadworth Court, subsidised cafeteria, on-site staff accommodation (subject to availability), the ability to retain your NHS pension (where applicable) or the opportunity to join an alternative scheme, and the opportunity to develop your career in a supportive and collaborative environment. Job responsibilities Clinical Skills and Responsibilities • Deliver psychological input within an ethos that values social equity, cultural competency, and compassion. • Providing psychological support to families who are experiencing (or have experienced) serious emotional trauma and/or other psychological problems in the context of acquired brain injury, with support from senior Psychology colleagues. • Neuropsychological, psychosocial, and mental health assessment, formulation, interventions, and recommendations. • Play a key role in supporting young people in educational provision in the community with appropriate support for children, young people, and their families prior to, during, and to prepare for discharge from The Childrens Trust. • Support and supervision to trainee clinical and educational psychologists, graduate psychologists, and undergraduate psychologists. • Provide specialist psychological assessment of parents/carers of, and children and young people with developmental and/or mental health difficulties with acquired brain injury. To undertake the assessment utilising information from a broad range of structured psychometric and semi-structured clinical methods. • To formulate and implement plans of specialist psychological treatment or management of clients mental health and/or neuropsychological problems based on a multi-factorial psychological understanding and current evidence-based best practice informed by NICE guidelines. • Draw on a range of psychological models and employing a range of modalities adapted and tailored to the needs of the individual/family system and the context, and to undertake ongoing evaluation of the outcome of the interventions. • To undertake mental health treatments informed by NICE guidelines, as appropriate, and to keep up to date with relevant developments in the practice of recommended treatments. • To produce a diverse offer of psychological input taking care not to replicate structures that serve to marginalise, underrepresent, or stigmatise others. • To be able to prioritise attendance or contribution to key MDT meetings. • Promoting psychological well-being of parents/guardians/family as central to the planning and delivery of care for their children • Communicating skilfully, tactfully, and sensitively highly complex and sensitive information with children and their families attuned to cognitive, sensory, physical challenges, cultural acceptability, and process issues to ensure containing and effective communication. • To offer an informed opinion where required regarding such issues as psychological and cognitive functioning, degree of suicidal risk, risk of harm to others and whether a child is at risk of significant harm for child protection purposes. • To undertake other or additional duties that are within your skills and abilities, as the organisation may reasonably require from time to time. • Management of self and others • Autonomy in managing allocated caseload. • To Deputise for senior Clinical or Educational Psychologists in supporting effective service delivery • Provide supervision for students and trainees, providing direction, motivation, and support to achieve key objectives. • Participate in the annual Performance Development Review and monthly supervision sessions, as required by The Childrens Trust, both as Appraiser and Appraise. • Manage time effectively, prioritising, and delegating work appropriately and as required Communication • Communicate effectively with children/young people. • Involve children and families in areas of service development, research, outcomes, and reflective practice. • Use a range of advanced communication skills, to share specialist information and facilitate discussions with a range of audiences, with different levels of knowledge and expertise. • Lead and contribute to multidisciplinary and team meetings. • Recognise barriers to effective communication and be able to reduce these as appropriate. • Attend and contribute to Multidisciplinary Team meetings, to discuss individual children/ young people and service in general, as required e.g., reviews, case conferences, parents evenings, clinics, etc. • Maintain clear and concise documents and records, in accordance with The Childrens Trust Policy. • Ensure documents are managed confidentially at all times. • Attend regular meetings with the Multidisciplinary Team, to discuss individual children/young people and service in general, as required e.g., reviews, case conferences, parents evenings, clinics. • Develop and promote relationships with external networks, including professionals, stakeholders, and specialist centres, in order to ensure excellence of care, whilst representing the organisation and reflecting The Childrens Trust core values. • Manage informal complaints, in line with The Childrens Trust polices and contribute to the resolution of written complaints, and as they occur taking immediate action where necessary. Governance • Read and implement all policies, procedures, and risk assessments, pertinent to working practice and keep up to date with changes as and when they occur. • Critically evaluate practice through clinical audits and by appraisal of the information gained, in combination with current knowledge of evidence-based practice, with support from senior Psychologists and the Head of Psychological Therapies. • Critically reflect on own performance and that of other staff; and use this evaluation to enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and quality of future practice. • Actively participate in local clinical governance activities. Career Long Learning, Education and Research • Undertake all mandatory training, in line with The Childrens Trust policies. • Advance personal knowledge, understanding and skills, in line with identified learning needs, by making appropriate use of a variety of learning and development resources and opportunities, e.g., by attending courses/ lectures, contact and involvement with relevant clinical excellence networks, and building links with local networks to optimise skills sharing and learning. • Disseminate and ensure the embedding of relevant new practice, through attendance at and contributing to in-service education, research outputs, for example, literature reviews, mentoring and peer sessions. • Record outcomes of learning activities, in a format that reflects personal preferences and professional requirement, in line with HCPC standards. • Maintains up to date knowledge of the external health, social, education and political environment and highlights any issues that will impact upon existing policies and procedures. • To be aware of legislation, national and local policies and to keep abreast of developments in Clinical or Educational Psychology and paediatric neuropsychology particularly in the field of adult/family/child mental health and impact of trauma, psychological therapy/neurorehabilitation, promotion of psychological adjustment and long-term quality of life. Limits of Authority and Problem Solving • In addition to The Childrens Trust policies, Clinical and Educational Psychologists are governed by, and should adhere to, the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the British Psychological Society • Make day-to-day decisions regarding Clinical or Educational Psychology requirements for children and young people, based on caseload • Responsible for day-to-day time management and prioritisation of workload, considering the needs of the whole service. • Monthly formal supervision ensuring reflection and documentation. • Provides formal supervision to trainees. • To receive regular clinical professional supervision from a senior clinical or educational psychologist and, where appropriate, other senior professional colleagues. • Support recruitment processes, as requested by the Head of Psychological Therapies. • Any other duties as required. Professionalism • Meet the current HCPC and British Psychological Society UK standards with respect to professionalism and to keep up to date with any changes. • Be responsible for maintaining registration with HCPC and other Professional Bodies. • Adhere to the policies and procedures of The Childrens Trust. Health and Safety • Adheres to all health and safety guidelines, including infection prevention and control. • Provide evidence of a valid NHS Covid Pass or acceptable proof of Covid vaccination or medical exemption and all vaccinations (or medical exemption) required for the post. • Adhere to manual handling procedures and complete mandatory manual handling training. • Promotes the health and safety of others. • Uses the incident reporting and risk assessment system (IRAR), to identify and report risks and incidents/actions if directed. • Responsible for identifying and mitigating risk within the work environment. Wellbeing and Emotional Resilience • Able to maintain a positive approach and outlook when dealing with change and overcoming challenges and problems. • The post holder will come into contact with clients with behaviours that challenge others. • The post holder will have to manage frequent exposure to highly distressing and emotive situations and disclosures, including disclosures of trauma, abuse, suicidal intent etc. • The post holder will come in daily contact with clients and their families who have complex, acute and/or enduring mental health trauma and/or neurological trauma. • The post holder will be required to sustain high levels of concentration to read, critique, synthesise and present complex research literature in the process of conducting research and preparing teaching/training sessions. • Maintains a positive approach and outlook when dealing with change and overcoming challenges and problems. • Recognises own limitations, develops realistic goals, and uses support network resource when or if necessary. • Treats challenges and problems as a learning experience. • Remains organised and focused when under pressure. • Motivates self and others. Person Specification Qualifications Essential • Post Graduate Doctoral level training in Clinical or Educational Psychology (or equivalent) accredited by the BPS. • HCPC registration. Desirable • Post-doctoral training in paediatric neuropsychology. Experience Essential • Experience of working with children/young people and families. • Experience of working as part of a multi-professional team. Desirable • Experience of working in paediatric neuropsychology, neuro-rehabilitation. • An understanding of the impact of illness, disability and acquired brain injury on children, young people, and their families. Skills and Abilities Essential • Doctoral level knowledge of Clinical or Educational Psychology. • Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological and neuropsychological assessment and intervention. • Experience in the use of methods of psychological assessment, formulation, intervention, and management. • Able to maintain a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing situations. • Skills in providing consultation and advice to other professional and non-professional groups. • Ability to identify, provide and promote appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and behaviours that challenge. Desirable • Doctoral level knowledge and experience in research design and methodology. Knowledge Essential • Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding children and young people with complex disabilities. • Knowledge of current research, clinical audit, and service evaluation methods. Desirable • Knowledge of paediatric neuropsychology assessment and formulation. Personal Qualities • Commitment to the vision and values of The Childrens Trust. • Flexible and can do attitude to competing commitments in workload. • Highly motivated and reliable. • Ability to cope working in a demanding environment. • Commitment to maintaining personal wellbeing and the wellbeing of colleagues.