Job overview
Are you passionate about promoting psychological approaches to care? Do you have a genuine interest in improving the quality of life of people with dementia and their carers? Do you want to join a dementia pathway where 95% of patients and carers rate their experience as good or very good?
We have two posts available in our dementia pathway for a specialist and highly specialist psychologist or psychological therapist. These posts will play a key role in strengthening our interventions for behaviours that challenge (behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), and ensuring that all service users and carers on the pathway are offered a range of psychological approaches tailored to their needs.
Both posts benefit from strong clinical and professional support and we will seek to provide training opportunities for successful candidates who are enthusiastic and keen to develop their skills.
This post is an band 7 post which will work across the Care Home Intervention and Community Mental Health Teams in Lambeth and Southwark
You may also be interested in applying for a band 8a post (see separate ad) which will work across the Care Home Intervention and Community Mental health Teams in Croydon, also supporting service development in these pathways.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will provide specialist skills to their respective Care Home Intervention multi-disciplinary team, supporting the implementation of an evidence-based approach to understanding and addressing BPSD.
They will undertake clinical work in care homes in the respective boroughs, supporting assessment and formulation of the needs of care home residents referred to the team and working collaboratively with care home staff to implement and evaluate care plans. This will include support with training and upskilling of care home staff, and systemic approaches to improving the quality of care for care home residents
In the CMHTs the postholder will lead and support the care pathway that describes a stepped approach to understanding and addressing BPSD for people living in their own homes. This will include skill development across the wider MDT, as well as consultation and direct work on more complex presentations. The post will include supervision responsibilities for more junior psychological practitioners.
The CHIT and CMHTs are operational Monday – Friday, 9am-5pm, although we can offer some flexibility around working hours. Onsite working and community visits are required for this role.
Working for our organisation
The care home intervention teams work with people over the age of 65 (or those with younger onset dementia) who are resident in care homes, and who display challenging behaviour in the context of dementia or other mental health difficulties. The teams work on the basis that people’s behaviour, even when challenging, can be understood, and this understanding often leads the way in identifying unmet needs and in developing good care planning and practice, involving the use of psychosocial interventions
The Community Mental Health Teams for Older Adults work with people over the age of 65 with mental health problems, including those with dementia. Approximately 35% of the team’s caseloads are people with behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia, where there is often risk to harm to self or others, risk of care arrangements breaking down, or other factors which make care arrangements more complex.
The team locations are as follows:
Lambeth and Southwark CHIT: 5 Streatham Common South, SW16 3BT
Lambeth CMHT: Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, SE5 8AZ
Southwark CMHT: 63-65 Denmark Hill, SE5 8RS
All team locations are easily accessible via public transport so driving is not essential for this role.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Clinical
-To provide specialist clinical expertise in behaviour that challenges in dementia for service users and their carers.
-To conduct specialist psychological assessments using interview techniques, psychometric tests,
behavioural observation, functional analysis and consultation with care home staff and relatives.
-To work with care home staff and residents to develop clinical formulations and care plans to reduce behaviours that challenge and improve the experience of service users.
-To be expert in the skilled administration of psychometric tests, including skilled manipulation of test materials; and to be able to supervise others in administration of psychometric tests.
-To provide psychological reports, including relevant formulation, opinion and interventions to inform referrers and, where appropriate, service users.
Teaching, training, and supervision
-To provide specialist training to other professions, staff and agencies as appropriate.
-To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within the Care Home intervention team and Community Mental Health Teams by maintaining an active awareness of current developments in psychology and its application to the needs of older people whose behaviour is challenging and by implementing knowledge gained in practice.
Management, recruitment, policy and service development
-To contribute to service and pathway (BPSD) development.
-To participate in the recruitment process of staff, as appropriate.
Research and service evaluation
-To carry out appropriate research to improve the care older people with dementia and behaviours that challenge and provide research advice and supervision to other staff undertaking research within the service.
-To contribute to the development of systematic outcome measurement, assessment/ implementation and assist other staff in the implementation of same.
General Responsibilities
-To ensure own Continuing Professional Development in line with HPC requirements and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements.
-To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.
-To comply with the Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics of appropriate professional body and ensure professional development in line with Standards for Continuing Professional Development and Standards of Proficiency for that body. To adhere to Trust policies and procedures.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. Entry-level qualification in applied psychological therapy/mental health/social welfare profession or equivalent and demonstrable practice in this field (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level/supervised practice/additional training) that has been accepted for the purposes of professional registration
2. Entry-level qualification in applied psychological therapy/mental health/social welfare profession or equivalent and demonstrable practice in this field (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level/supervised practice/additional training) that has been accepted for the purposes of professional registration
Desirable criteria
3. Further training relevant to Older Adult Mental Health care
Experience
Essential criteria
4. Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients including older adults with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature
5. Experience of providing teaching and training to psychologists and other professional or non-professional groups
6. Experience of receiving clinical supervision across a range of client needs
7. Experience of working with, and addressing issues of, diversity, including experience of working within a multicultural framework
Desirable criteria
8. Experience of working with other client groups and of using a variety of models/approaches to care
9. Experience of supporting practice development in clinical areas
10. Experience of managing a caseload
Knowledge
Essential criteria
11. Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies for older people
12. Specialist knowledge and understanding of theory and practice of assessment and intervention with behaviours that challenge in dementia (Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia)
13. Knowledge of theory of other models of psychological intervention
14. Doctoral level knowledge of psychological research methodology and complex statistical analysis
15. Knowledge of psychological assessment and clinical psychometrics
16. Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment
17. Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues and child protection
18. Awareness of racial and diversity issues through attendance of relevant training
Desirable criteria
19. Knowledge and Evidence of a flexible and sensitive approach to care
20. Knowledge/ Awareness of issues surrounding social inclusion for mental health service users
Skills and Abilities
Essential criteria
21. Skills in the use of methods of psychological assessment and intervention with older people
22. Specialist practitioner skills and practice of at least one model of psychological therapy
23. Ability to take on new concepts and work effectively with change
24. Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups
25. Highly developed verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex, highly technical and sensitive information to clients, families and colleagues
26. Consultation skills to work with other professional and non-professional groups
27. Ability to work as an autonomous practitioner with appropriate level of clinical and managerial supervision
28. Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate
Desirable criteria
29. Well developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data and for teaching purposes
30. Methodical approach to work with attention to detail