Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a newly qualified or experienced Clinical/Counselling Psychologist to work on the Older Adult wards in the Older Adults Mental Health Inpatients Psychology Team at Prospect Park Hospital in Reading. This role would suit a candidate who is keen to apply a broad range of psychological skills, which would include consultation, formulation, behavioural support, neuropsychological assessment, therapeutic interventions, and contribution to service development.
We welcome applications for this band 7/8a Clinical/Counselling Psychologist role. There are opportunities for flexible working patterns which would include face-to-face clinical work as well as home working. We are also flexible in accommodating requests for part-time working days.
The post holder will be able to progress from band 7 to band 8a once they demonstrate that they meet the competencies specified for Band 8a level.
Main duties of the job
* Work on allocated wards - predominantly older adults. Offer psychological consultation to community and hospital staff (e.g. team formulation, teaching sessions, joint working, supervision and staff support groups).
* Supervise Assistant Psychologist.
* Clinical work with service users and carers involving assessment (including neuropsychological assessments and behavioural support assessments), formulation and interventions with varied and complex mental health and cognitive presentations.
* Contribute to service improvement initiatives in a ward/community team, as well as contributing to projects arising from the Inpatients Psychology Team.
About us
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we're committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.
Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:
* Caring for and about you is our top priority
* Committed to providing good quality, safe services
* Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions
Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:
* Flexible working options to support work-life balance
* 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
* Generous NHS pension scheme
* Excellent learning and career development opportunities
* 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
* Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
* Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
* Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
* Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
* Free parking across Trust sites
Job responsibilities
The 5 "must haves" for you to be considered for this role:
1. Postgraduate doctoral qualification in Clinical or Counselling Psychology (or equivalent)
2. You will have experience working with adults and/or older adults with complex mental health problems, dementia or other disabilities and have excellent therapeutic and management skills.
3. You will enjoy working in teams and providing psychological consultation, teaching and supervision.
4. Calm, confident and assertive in emotionally demanding situations, you will be astute at setting and maintaining professional boundaries and will be efficient at dealing with distressing or hostile situations and behaviour.
5. Self-motivated and confident, you will show initiative and a determination to support clients and their families through creative engagement. This includes an ability to work integratively in your clinical work.
Inpatients Psychology Team overview
There are currently 14 Psychologists and an art therapist working across the hospital, where we support people experiencing a mental health crisis across seven wards: adult acute, older adult acute, older adult dementia and Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).
Job satisfaction can come from numerous areas in this diverse role. Under supervision of a Principal psychologist you will take on a clinical caseload with older adults with complex mental health presentations and dementia. You will provide regular input to the multi-disciplinary team on your ward in the form of consultation, team formulation sessions, teaching and joint working. You will be part of the Inpatients Psychology team, supervise the Assistant Psychologist on your ward, and also receive peer support from the other ward Clinical/Counselling Psychologists. You will contribute to and/or lead on service development projects. This developmental post offers a fantastic opportunity for career development; if you demonstrate that you meet the competencies specified for band 8a then you will progress to band 8a.
The work of the Psychology team is highly valued by the staff, service users and carers at Prospect Park Hospital. A current member of the Psychology team said "As a psychologist, I have felt like a highly appreciated member of the team on the wards and my opinion is often requested."
There is also a supportive Psychology department across the hospital which offers opportunities for peer support, CPD and joint working. Currently we have members working at both 8a and 8b levels which allows for career progression and continued service development. You will have an opportunity to contribute to the development of the team as it grows.
You will spend time working on the wards and also from home.
We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.
We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.
We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don't hesitate to call: Dr Claudia Kustner on 01189605257 or email: claudia.kustner@berkshire.nhs.uk who will be delighted to help.
Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible. #J-18808-Ljbffr