Job Overview
We are looking for applications from innovative, qualified Clinical Associates in Psychology to join our supportive team of psychologists and therapists providing client-centred, flexible, inclusive and respectful assessment and interventions to adults and their families living in South Kensington and Chelsea. We have valued the role of the Clinical Associate in Psychology (CAP) so highly that with our current CAP moving on for reasons of career advancement we are keen to replace them.
We have particularly embraced the aspects of the role that look to fill gaps in the service, to access under-served populations, such as in this post, traumatised service users in contingency hotels, and working in partnership within the Trust and with other organisations.
In CNWL, psychological professions have a strong sense of leadership and a distinct professional identity. There is an emphasis on Continuing Professional Development and developing your skills in line with your career progression goals.
Main duties of the job
The Psychology team works with adults in the community with severe and enduring mental health problems including psychosis, bipolar affective disorder, complex emotional needs, recurrent depression and complex PTSD. Many people we see also have neurodiversity.
We welcome applications from candidates with skills learnt during their CAP training but who may have further developed their interests in specific areas relevant to our population. For example in Structured Clinical Management (SCM) or working with autistic adults. There would be an expectation that you would hold a clinical caseload of individual service users but those with group experience would be particularly well-placed to contribute to our group programme in the service.
Our staff work pro-actively, with confidence, motivation, and showing initiative. We find that they are often flexible, robust and resourceful.
We prioritize collaboration within our team and beyond, so we are hoping to find candidates who have the required communication and interpersonal skills that will allow them to thrive, and in order to provide a meaningful service to the diverse populations we serve.
Our team sits within a diverse and supportive local multidisciplinary hub team with good supervision structures and access to opportunities within the borough and wider trust for development of special interests and the sharing of specialist knowledge. The service has close links with several regional Clinical Psychology Training courses.
Working for our organisation
What we can offer you:
CNWL is recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ in line with our values, our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries. With us, you will get -
A Trust committed to staff personal development, with a trust wide culture change and leadership programme that has staff wellbeing at its core.
Flexible working
As a Trust we are committed to investing in our staff through a range of initiatives. Psychological professions staff are able to access a range of trust-wide CPD initiatives.
As part of our commitment to address inequalities in healthcare, we are keen to hear from applicants with lived experience relevant to the diverse communities we work with, and from those with particular skills in understanding and promoting anti-discrimination associated with protected characteristics. The Trust has the following active Staff Networks: BAME Staff Network, Disabled Employees Network (DEN+), Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Staff Network (LGBT+), Carers at Work Network, Lived Experience of Mental Health Issues Stigma Transformation (LEMHIST) Network and Women's Network. The postholder will accordingly be supported to access and contribute to the work of any of these networks as a member or ally.
Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities
* Clinical: assessment, formulation and treatment in 1:1 and group.
* A commitment to co-production
* Developing existing skills in teaching and training.
* Contributing to service development.
* Research and service evaluation.
* IT and organisational skills to support the work.
* Upholding requirements and standards, including CPD
Person specification
Education/Qualification/Training
Essential criteria
* An approved qualification in psychology conferring eligibility for graduate basis for registration with the British Psychological Society, (Class 2.2 or higher)
* Completed BPS [British Psychological Society] accredited CAP apprenticeship training programme
* Holding a CAP apprenticeship certificate
Experience
Essential criteria
* Strong ability to engage with a variety of services and community partners and stakeholders, and to expand existing networks, and to nurture and maintain strong working relationships with stakeholders.
* Ability to communicate effectively and share information and check understanding using clear language and appropriate
* Apply and review risk assessments and formulations when working with complex service users within scope of practice
* Able to assess limits of professional boundaries and capacity and understand when to seek appropriate supervision/advice on practice and whom to refer to so as to ensure best care
Desirable criteria
* Lived experience of using services, and/or being a carer for someone
* Evaluate and audit clinical practice through conducting service evaluations/QI projects to inform change through dissemination of findings ensuring best use of publicly funded resources
* Assess and identify appropriate practice in relation to critical incident and severe adverse events
* Provide consultation/supervision with regards to psychological formulation, assessment, and intervention
Knowledge and Skills
Essential criteria
* To be able to assess and formulate someone's experiences drawing on a range of psychological models and theory
* Awareness of diversity of cultural norms across the borough, and being able to respond to this appropriately
* Understand the range of behavioural change models, including health belief models, and interventions that promote mental health for the populations (e.g. Ecological Model; Community Psychology).
* Work cross-culturally and/or in different languages
* Understand the principles of clinical supervision using them to provide a safe and supportive environment to reflect, review and discuss personal and professional responses to work
* Able to correctly handle confidential information and knowing how and when to share this information for appropriate professional purposes and only with appropriate individuals, and as necessary with appropriately gained consent
* Understand and recognise professional duty to challenge and report discriminatory behaviour
* Ability to analyse and appraise the range of psychological assessment methods used within applied clinical practice to underpin assessment
* Adept in understanding and using models of clinical supervision and requirements for practice in line with the evidence-base and professional codes of conduct
Desirable criteria
* Experience of working closely with experts-by-experience, local communities, Community and Voluntary and Social Enterprises, to co-produce and co-develop services.
* Knowledge and implementation of local, regional and national policy