Job overview
We are looking for an Assistant Psychologist to support our Single Point of Access referral system, and also provide direct clinical support and work, likely in our Secondary Care Psychological Therapies service.
Lambeth secondary care mental health referrals come via our Single Point of Access (SPA). This AP sits with the Senior Decision-Making Group and is integrated with Lambeth Secondary Care Psychological Therapies (SCPT).
The AP role is to coordinate referrals, implement decisions, gather information, and feedback decisions, particularly for potential Psychological Therapy referrals.
In SCPT they can help gather and synthesise clinical information, and contribute to assessment and treatment planning. They can do direct clinical work through supporting the delivery of group psychological interventions under supervision and provide structured client check in calls.
The role is 50/50 in SPA and SCPT. It is expected that the first 3 months in role will focus on SPA, then be split 50/50 between SPA and SCPT work.
Within SCPT, the Assistant Psychologist will support service users, this involves meeting with service users, their carers and families, and their health support workers/ system.
It is expected that the role will be full time on site in person, although there may be some working from home at times.
Main duties of the job
In SPA: to co-ordinate referrals, implement decisions made liaise and gather further information from service users and referrers if required, to be brought back to the MDT The team for decision making. To participate in the MDT discussion. It includes feedback of decisions to service users and referrers. The AP role will be particularly with a focus on potential Psychological Therapy referrals, as well as with other secondary care CMHT referrals.
In SCPT to gather and synthesise clinical information, and contribute to assessment and treatment planning. They can do direct clinical work through supporting the delivery of group psychological interventions under supervision and provide structured client check in calls. To attend as needed MDT meetings at team bases, wards, CMHTs etc. To liaise with GPS and other parts of the health system.
Working for our organisation
SLAM has links with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience ( IOPPN) and has a broad range of training and CPD opportunities.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Job Purpose: You will co-ordinate multidisciplinary working, maintaining excellent communication and working relationships with all team members, and other services within the Alliance.
You will provide clinical work as required by the service, under the clinical and professional supervision of a qualified mental health practitioner.
You will have expertise in leading conversations about people’s health and wellbeing and be able, within the context accessing services and engaging with the first step of psychological interventions. You will gather further information to clarify current mental health needs and aide treatment pathway decision making. This could include co-facilitating skills-based workshops focusing on complex emotional needs.
You will be expected to support personal and professional development through clinical appraisal and supervision.
You will assist in clinically related administration, conduct of audits, collection of statistics, development of audit and/or research projects, teaching and project work. You will provide a psychology service, as part of the SCPT pathway, to users of secondary care community mental health services in Lambeth, and, where appropriate, their families and caregivers. This includes referral processing and screening, assessment, treatment planning and implementation, and monitoring of outcomes, according to relevant guidance and the evidence base.
This job post requires someone who works as at appropriate levels of independence, following clinical guidelines and the policies and procedures of the service, supported by the clinical/professional supervisor or manager as required. They will work as an autonomous professional within BPS and HCPC guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by the policies and procedures of the service, taking responsibility for own work including treatment and discharge decisions with support of clinical supervisor.
So, if you are someone with the relevant training and experience and who is highly organised and has effective and compassionate communication skills, and who is committed to delivering high quality healthcare advice, then this is a fabulous opportunity for you to join our team.
Key Responsibilities:
KR 1 Clinical and Client Care
To support the Senior Decision Making Team/Process. There are Support worker, admin and one AP role to support the SDM. They will co-ordinate referrals, implement decisions made liaise and gather further information from service users and referrers if required, to be brought back to the MDT The team for decision making. It includes feedback of decisions to service users and referrers. The AP role will be particularly with a focus on potential Psychological Therapy referrals, as well as with other secondary care CMHT referrals.
The post holder will work with the SDM MDT to support and advise on the delivery of high-quality safe care, ensuring consistently high standards of practice and clinical excellence which complies with their registered professional body and code of professional conduct.
Within LSCPT, the Assistant Psychologist will help gather and synthesise clinical information, contribute to assessment and treatment planning. They will support the delivery of group psychological interventions under supervision. They will have direct clinical contact through cofacilitating skills-based therapy groups, (such as dealing with low mood, and managing emotions) and provide structured check in calls, and promote a psychologically informed approach across the wider Alliance services.
· To arrange, schedule and provide mental health assessments for clients in the community service including, where indicated, psychometric, neuropsychological, behavioural, observational, semi-structured interview and indirect assessments under the clinical and professional supervision of a practitioner psychologist.
· To assist the psychological therapists in the development of individual or group clinical materials or training materials, and in addition to develop such materials independently as falls within own degree of competence.
· To arrange, schedule and provide group psychological interventions including psychoeducation, skills-based and transdiagnostic therapy groups under the close clinical and professional training and supervision of a practitioner psychologist.
· To make an accurate assessment of patient risk to self and others
· To use supervision support to establish suitability for the service and decide on the most appropriate treatment option.
· Undertake administrative tasks including talking over the phone and data entry
· To enter clinical notes and outcome measures on an electronic records system
KR 2 Administrative
· To be responsible for SDG admin tasks, including managing referral numbers and pathways, contacting clients for further information and send out communications to relevant parties and following the service procedures.
· To assist in managing the waiting list for specific care pathways, ensuring co-ordination with clinicians and team leads
· To assist in the design and management of electronic spreadsheets and databases as required
KR 3 Contributing to team or service clinical functioning
· To contribute to the effective working of the service by; contributing to the training and support of other staff in developing and providing psychological care of clients; monitoring compliance with external accreditation systems; contributing to MDT processes.
· Arrange and in some instances chair relevant meetings involving other agencies, patients and carers when necessary to facilitate good communication.
· Attend meetings and forums, representing the team at various levels both within the Trust and with external agencies, ensuring that all staff are kept fully briefed on any new developments etc. The post-holder may be required to participate in specific inter-agency work relevant to the service.
· Ensure that all communication (verbal or written) between the team and other departments or agencies is of a high standard both in its content and presentation.
· Ensure that all written and electronically stored information is accessible only to authorised personnel and is stored in accordance with the Data Protection Act.
KR 4 Policy and service development
· To follow policies and procedures in own area of work.
KR 6 Teaching and Training
· To participate in dissemination of research and service evaluation findings through presentations or published articles.
KR 7 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 under the close clinical and professional training and supervision of a practitioner psychologist.
· To create and maintain data bases and enter data, and perform analyses and produce reports.
KR 7 Research and development
· To assist in the design and implementation of audit and research projects to inform the service Clinical Psychologist and others in the development of Trust clinical psychology services, training provision and research activities.
· To support data collection, analysis, the production of reports and summaries.
· To undertake searches of evidence-based literature and research to assist in the development in the Trust of evidence based practice.
· Under guidance, to conduct surveys with service users and carers to gather views on service provision, under supervision
KR 8 Maintaining professional standards and continuing professional development
· To receive regular clinical and professional supervision in accordance with professional practice guidelines
· To gain wider experience of professional psychology within the NHS over and above that provided within the principal service area where the post-holder is employed.
· To develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties.
· To undertake personal training relevant to the post in agreement with the supervising psychologist and the manager.
KR 9 General
· It is expected that the role will be full time on site in person, although there may be some working from home at times.
· To travel to meetings, training and clinical work (including outpatient, home and community visits) 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, including challenging behaviour and assessment of forensic histories, and to support others involved in such situations.
· To be highly organised and able to work in busy hot desking environments.
· Not to form relationships or friendships with current or past service users who the post holder has had contact with in their role.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. A First-class or Upper-second-class Bachelors degree with Honours in Psychology that is accredited by the British Psychological Society and confers the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society, or equivalent conferring GBC, including BPS-accredited conversion course.
Desirable criteria
2. Graduate membership of the British Psychological Society
3. Post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis
Experience
Essential criteria
4. Sufficient post-graduate experience of psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs in people with complex mental health difficulties to be able to work clinically under close direct supervision.
5. Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and / or lived experience.
Desirable criteria
6. Experience of developing/supporting and or implementing group programmes.
7. Experience of working in a clinical setting with people with serious mental health difficulties
Knowledge
Essential criteria
8. Graduate level knowledge of psychological research methodology and statistical analysis.
9. Good theoretical knowledge of the problems experienced by and needs of adults with complex mental health difficulties, and of methods of assessment and treatment.
Desirable criteria
10. Awareness of racial and diversity issues through attendance of relevant training.
Skills
Essential criteria
11. Very good organizational skills.
12. Good communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate sensitive information to clients, families and colleagues; and when the atmosphere may be highly emotive.
13. Skills in relevant psychological assessment and interventions that enable develop towards working independently as a pre-qualified practitioner with close clinical supervision.
14. Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data.
Desirable criteria
15. Consultation skills to work with the multi-professional team or other professional groups within own service.
16. Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups
17. Skills in conducting protocol-driven assessments using standardised tools, including neuropsychological assessments
Abilities
Essential criteria
18. Ability to interact with people with psychological problems
19. Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning
20. Ability to use supervision, and participate in required training and development
21. Ability to prioritise workload and carry out work efficiently and effectively.
Desirable criteria
22. Ability to manage verbal aggression and hostility directed at self.
Other
Essential criteria
23. High level of enthusiasm and motivation.
24. Experience of team working.
25. Computer literate demonstrating good knowledge of basic computer programmes (IAPTus, Outlook, Word, Excel, Powerpoint).
26. Ability and willingness to work full time on site in person and travel to locations throughout the organisation (Lambeth borough and within SLaM).