Job overview
We invite you to be part of our psychology leadership team in the Black Country - joining a growing group of Consultant Psychologists and psychotherapists across our 4 clinical divisions (MH, LD, CYPF, OA).
You will join the MH Consultants team, acting as the 1.0 wte Consultant 8c psychologist across our Dudley and Walsall locality Planned Care services. Working closely with the Mental Health Divisional Lead, your role will be to strengthen the workforce and oversee governance of the psychological offer within these community localities. Our planned care services have recently adopted a new model as a result of Community Transformation. You will work closely with the other locality based Consultant Psychology leads to ensure that the resultant new pathways are embedded, that the MDT is appropriately upskilled and supervised and that the psychological offer is broad and evidence based.
You will provide direct professional and/or clinical oversight supervision to the Principal psychologists working within Dudley and Walsall planned care and will lead on strategic projects as agreed with the Divisional Lead,
Main duties of the job
On a day-to-day basis you will be responsible for the psychological provision offered within the Dudley and Walsall planned care teams. This includes direct oversight of the Principal psychologists plus indirect oversight of any senior, basic grade, trainee and assistant psychologists. You will work closely with Ops and MDT leads on governance and quality initiatives and represent and influence from a psychological lens in various Divisional meetings. Recruitment and retention initiatives will be an ongoing priority area as will waiting list initiatives and engagement with the 3rd sector and system partners to address these. You will have opportunities to maintain your clinical skills through negotiated and varied routes although the main focus of this role is leadership, governance and quality. You will develop a job plan that is consistent with BPS guidance, and which will be reviewed and referenced regularly in your personal development review meetings and supervisions.
You will have regular contact with, and support from, the Divisional Lead psychologist and the locality Senior Ops manager. Experience and training in EMDR and trauma informed care would be particularly useful whilst robust risk assessment and management skills are essential. You must be comfortable with MDT working and teamwork.
Working for our organisation
BCHFT was formed in April 2020 from two legacy Trusts. Forming at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, we faced the dual challenges of merger whilst also managing the impact of Covid on both our staff and clients.
On July 1st 2022 the Trust became Lead Provider within the Black Country ICS and the next phase of our development has been realising the benefits and complexities of this role, alongside the ongoing transformation agenda brought by the NHS Long Term Plan.
You will be joining the organisation at a time of change and pace and so an ability to work within this context will be essential.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
You will join an expanding team of Mental Health Division Consultant Psychologists spanning all 7 of the clinical service areas that sit within the Division. You will become a regular and embedded member of the pan Trust Consultant Psychologists group and contribute to the governance and development of the profession within the Trust.
Your operational management will be provided by a Senior Operational Manager whilst your professional supervisory oversight will come from the MH Divisional Lead. Your clinical supervision arrangements will be determined once in post, with specialist and external options available if necessary.
BCHFT are committed to investment in our Psychology staff so you will have access to a psychology specific dedicated CPD budget to support your professional growth.
The main responsibilities of the role are detailed in the attached JD and PS. Please reference these for more detail.
Person specification
essential and desirable
Essential criteria
1. •Post-graduate doctoral level training in Applied Psychology (or its equivalent as accredited by the BPS
2. •Post doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice
3. •HCPC registration as an Applied Psychologist with Chartered Status
4. •Trained in clinical supervision and the supervision of doctoral trainees
5. •Working as a qualified applied psychologist within the designated service including a wide variety of client groups,
6. •Liaison and joint working with statutory, voluntary and private sector agencies
7. •Active participation in quality and service improvement initiatives
8. •Providing clinical and professional leadership to other qualified and non-qualified members of the profession.
9. •Risk assessment and risk management
10. •Provide effective teaching, training, consultancy and clinical supervision for the multidisciplinary team
Desirable criteria
11. •Highly developed knowledge and skills in the care of difficult to treat groups e.g. dual diagnoses, additional disabilities or severely challenging behaviour
12. •Project Management