Job overview
The Stockport Psychological Medicine in Primary Care Service is a specialist MDT team working with people whose high use of healthcare services is atypical for the health conditions they experience. Patients often present with complex co-morbid physical and mental health conditions or psychological distress. Patients may have accessed a range of services in the past and been unable to engage or make progress with their condition. Physical health conditions include long term health conditions as well as persistent physical symptoms. Psychological presentations include complex trauma and emotional and relational needs, enduring depression and anxiety.
Applicants for the post should have experience of working therapeutically with complex mental health presentations, and an interest in working with people with physical health conditions. They should be committed to MDT working and be able to work effectively in a team to deliver and support psychologically informed care. An awareness of the challenges of working with complex mental health conditions and commitment to compassionate leadership of colleagues is essential for this role.
Whilst the post is advertised at 8a, a band 7 preceptorship would also be considered for suitable/newly qualified candidates.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will work as part of a psychologically informed MDT team with relationally orientated formulation guiding the work and at the forefront of the delivery of care. Your role will be to offer assessment and formulation with clients as well as carrying a small caseload of therapy patients. A significant proportion of your work provides supervision, support and guidance to Liaison Mental Health Practitioners who see clients for up to18 months.
The post holder will participate in MDT discussions about patient care with a consultant psychiatrist and psychotherapist, a principal psychologist and accredited Cognitive Analytic Therapy Supervisor, and some highly skilled MD liaison practitioners. The post and team are evolving and provides an exciting opportunity to be involved in service development including further development of the therapy pathway with opportunities to deliver and receive further training.
Candidates interested in applying the role as part of a preceptorship will have the support of an 8b psychologist as well as mentoring from a colleague who has developed through and understands the preceptorship process
Working for our organisation
We are proud to provide high quality mental health and learning disability services, both inpatient and in the community across five boroughs of Greater Manchester - Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport and Tameside and Glossop.
Our vision is for a happier and more hopeful life for everyone in our communities and our staff work hard to deliver the very best care for the people who use our services. We’re really proud of our #PennineCarePeople and do everything we can to make sure we’re a great place to work.
All individuals regardless of race, age, disability, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership are encouraged to apply for this post. We would also encourage applications from individuals with a lived experience of mental illness, either individually or as a carer.
If you come and work for us we will offer a range of benefits and opportunities, including:
* Generous annual leave entitlement for Agenda for Change and Medical and Dental staff.
* Flexible working opportunities to support your work/life balance
* Access to Continued Professional Development
* Involvement in improvement and research activities
* Health and Wellbeing activities and access to an excellent staff wellbeing service
* Access to staff discounts across retail, leisure and travel
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To provide specialist psychological assessments of patients referred to the service based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of information from a variety of sources.
To share the assessments with colleagues within an MDT
setting in order to inform and advise on care planning.
To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a patient’s physical and psychological difficulties.
To be responsible for implementing a range of evidence based interventions including indirect care through supporting Liaison Practitioners in their work.
To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors.
To offer consultation and supervision to team members, and to deliver training to colleagues inside and outside the team where appropriate.
Person specification
Training & Qualifications
Essential criteria
* Post-Graduate doctoral level training in clinical psychology (or equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS including specific models of psychopathology/mental health, clinical psychometrics, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
* HCPC registration
Desirable criteria
* Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.
* Training relevant to working with Physical Health Conditions and or personality difficulties.
Experience
Essential criteria
* Experience working as a qualified specialist clinical psychologist.
* Post qualification experience of psychological assessment, intervention and management working with a wide range of clinical presentations. These should include complex, long-term co-morbid physical health conditions and/ OR complex mental health conditions.
* Ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threats of physical abuse.
* Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for patients’ psychological care and treatment, both as a professionally qualified clinical psychologist and within the context of a multi-disciplinary care plan.
* Experience of teaching and training.
* Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team.
Desirable criteria
* Experience of representing psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary care.
* Experience of assessing and treating patients across the full range of care settings, including both those with complex mental health needs and those with complex physical health conditions, would be helpful but not essential
* Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.
* Experience of supervising other health care professionals. Experienced in group therapies
Knowlege & Skills
Essential criteria
* Evidence of post doctoral learning and the development of knowledge of theory and practice in relation to the psychology of adjustment to illness, role of distress in interfering with treatment and recovery, adherence to and decision making about treatment and lifestyle changes to improve and maintain health.
* Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialist psychological therapies with complex patient groups (e.g. those with long term comorbid physical and mental health problems, history of trauma and abuse)
* Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
* Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical and clinically sensitive information to patients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
* Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups
* Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practice within the field of clinical psychology.
* Knowledge of legislation in relation to the patient group and mental health.
* Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS.
* An interest in developing skills in working with patients from a broad range of ethnic backgrounds.
* An interest in developing skills in group work.
* An interest in developing skills in pain management.
Desirable criteria
* Highly skilled in working with complex patients in groups and managing group dynamics in the face of highly emotive issues.
* Formal training in supervision of other Psychologist.
* Enthusiasm for treating those from diverse ethnic backgrounds and experience of working within a multicultural framework.
📝 Application support - We also offer virtual application support sessions each month, where you will learn some hints and tips to support you in completing your application form. To secure your place, and to find out more visit the on our website.
🌍 Sponsorship Information - We are an approved sponsoring organisation. Applications will be considered from applicants requiring sponsorship alongside all other applications. Please be aware, not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible role and requirements on the
📬 After You Apply - Once your application is submitted, you’ll receive updates via email. Shortlisting is based on how well you meet the criteria outlined in the person specification. Only shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview, and invitations will be sent by email.
✅ If You're Offered the Role - If successful, the hiring manager will contact you directly with a verbal offer. They will then notify the Recruitment Team and submit the necessary paperwork. You’ll receive a formal conditional offer via email
🔍 Pre-Employment Checks - To confirm your suitability for the role, we will carry out pre-employment checks in line with. These include:
* Identity verification
* Right to work check
* Disclosure and barring service (DBS)/Criminal record check (dependent on role)
* Professional registration and/or qualification check
* Occupational health assessment
* Employment history and reference validation
All applicants external to Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust will be required to provide their to cover the most recent three years employment. This information will used to validate employment history and references.
If you require sponsorship, we will assess your eligibility based on current If the role is not eligible and you cannot demonstrate your right to work, your conditional offer may be withdrawn.
🚀 Once Checks Are Complete -
The Recruitment Team will coordinate with you and the hiring manager to confirm a start date. You’ll be booked onto a Trust Welcome Session and receive your Pennine Care NHS Terms and Conditions.
📣 Additional Information -
We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), and we strive to ensure our workforce reflects the communities we serve. We actively encourage applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds to help us grow, innovate, and improve.
If you wish to be considered under the Disability Confident Scheme, you will be guaranteed an interview if you meet the essential criteria for the role.
If you need reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please contact us on 0161 716 3181 as early as possible so we can support you.
Please note:
* We do not accept unsolicited contact from recruitment agencies. Hiring managers should not be contacted directly.
* We may close vacancies early if we receive a high volume of applications. To ensure your application is considered, please apply as soon as possible.