Job overview
A fantastic and exciting opportunity has arisen within Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust for an enthusiastic Band 4 Assistant Psychologist to join our Older Adult Community Mental Health Team (OACMHT) Behaviours and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) Pathway.
The BPSD pathway within the OACMHT is a needs-led service that work with service users that require assessment and treatment and are physically frail and have behaviours that challenge.
The OACMHT is a multidisciplinary team; comprising of mental health nurses, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, social worker, psychologists and support workers. The team is supported by a good administrative system and offers an excellent work environment. The team also works closely with our colleagues at OA Home Treatment Service, the older adult acute inpatient ward and the wards within the Riverside Centre at Hillingdon Hospital and the Memory Service. The team has good partnership working with local non-statutory Dementia services.
Main duties of the job
To support and enhance the professional psychological care of clients within the Hillingdon Older People’s CMHT, BPSD pathway. Providing psychological assessment and intervention as planned and agreed in supervision with a qualified psychologist and within the framework of trust and team policies and procedures. To support qualified psychologists with clinically related administration, conduct of audits, collection of statistics, development of audit and/or research projects, teaching and project work, as agreed in supervision.
The role will assist the BPSD team with the triage process, assessment, formulation and care planning for older adults in Hillingdon who have been referred into the service for support with BPSD; of which a large percentage are Care Home residents. The role will work as part of the Older Adult Service to offer support and treatment to patients within their own homes and Care homes and support in the reduction of A&E and hospital admissions for this population.
Working for our organisation
The OAMH service works with older adults covering the Hillingdon borough and is based in Woodland Centre in Hillingdon. Hillingdon is home to a diverse population and contexts, from urban to semi-rural. Situated in North West London, it has good transport links with the rest of London and surrounding counties and is home to a wide range of social, leisure, and sporting opportunities available to people working and living in the area.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
KEY RESULT AREAS
Clinical:
1.To undertake protocol based psychological assessments of clients which have been agreed in supervision. This might include neuropsychological, tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the client’s care.
2.To assist qualified staff in the delivery of care plans involving psychological intervention. All work to be agreed and undertaken under the supervision of a qualified psychologist.
3.To support qualified staff in the coordination and facilitation of therapeutic groups, as agreed in supervision.
4.To support qualified psychologists in the maintenance and development of a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings where care takes place.
5.To attend and, where agreed in supervision, contribute to appropriate multi-disciplinary meetings.
Teaching, training and supervision
1.In common with all psychologists working in clinical settings, to receive regular clinical supervision in accordance with professional practice guidelines.
2.To gain wider experience of professional psychology within the NHS as agreed with the psychologist to whom they are accountable.
3.To develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties
4.To contribute to the training and support of other staff in psychological care.
Management, recruitment and service development
1.To assist in the design and implementation of service development projects within the service as required.
2. To attend meetings in which service developments are planned and discussed.
IT responsibilities (other than those used for research)
1.The post holder will input and maintain, appropriate computer and manual clinical records and statistical data and provide this to the Service Manager/Head of Specialty when necessary.
2.The post holder will engage in relevant computer and IT training as required.
Research and service evaluation
1.To assist in the design and implementation of audit and research projects.
2.To undertake data collection, analysis, the production of reports and summaries, using IT and statistical programmes.
3.To undertake searches of evidence-based literature and research to assist qualified professional psychologists in evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other team members.
4.To familiarise themselves with, and to comply with the Trust’s requirements on research governance.
General
1.To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the post holder’s professional and team/operational manager(s).
2.To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing in accordance with professional codes of practice of the Health Professions Council, British Psychological Society and Trust policies and procedures.
3.To prepare test materials and visual aids as required.
4.To undertake specific administrative duties as required.
5.To perform other duties of a similar kind appropriate to the grade, which may be required from time to time by their manager.
To be noted:
·This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, and the post holder may be required to undertake other duties which fall within the grade of the job, in discussion with the manager.
·This job description will be reviewed regularly in the light of changing service requirements and any such changes will be discussed with the post holder.
·The post is expected to comply with all relevant Trust policies, procedures and guidelines, including those relating to Equal Opportunities, Health and safety and Confidentiality of Information.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI can be used as a support tool, not a replacement for the applicant’s own work. Applications must remain personal, accurate, and reflective of the candidate’s real experience. AI-generated content must not misrepresent skills, qualifications, or experience. Over reliance on AI-generated content is discouraged and may diminish the applicant's chances of success.
We monitor applications for any behaviour that could create an unfair advantage, and we check all references carefully. You are likely to be tested on your experience at interview, so be honest and make sure all the information in your application is correct. Please note that the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is prohibited during the interview process.
Vaccination
The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.
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3. Our Agenda for Change employment contracts are subject to a contractual 13 week probationary period.