Job responsibilities

Job Purpose:

To provide a highly specialist psychology service to patients of Clinical Health Psychology with long-term conditions such as HIV, and problems in relation to sexuality and sexual health including specialist assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes.

To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.

To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate, functioning as a specialist in Clinical Health Psychology, especially in the above areas

To undertake service evaluation, audit and research.

To work as an autonomous professional within BPS and HCPC guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by principles and policies or procedures of the service, taking responsibility for interpreting policies within defined parameters.

To agree outcomes/results with clinical/professional lead and to decide how they are best achieved.

Experience

Essential

• Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in HIV and sexual health or a relevant speciality
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in HIV, sexual health or a relevant speciality
• Post-qualification experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities.

Desirable

• Experience of supervising assistant and trainee psychologists having completed the relevant training.
• Experience of carrying out post-doctoral research, audit or service evaluation projects.

Qualifications

Essential

• Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, Counselling Psychology, or equivalent
• Registered with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist, and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological assessments and interventions for a range of problems addressed by Clinical Health Psychology
• Advanced knowledge of psychological assessment and clinical psychometrics
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities.
• Doctoral level knowledge of psychological research methodology and complex statistical analysis
• Familiarity with factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care.

Desirable

• Interest in, and experience of Neuropsychological testing, especially with HIV populations and those with other infectious diseases Experience in other long-term conditions
• Experience of, or interest in, contributing to funded or unfunded research projects in the area of specialisation

Skills

Essential

• To deliver psychological therapy across cultural and other differences.
• To select and administer specialist psychological assessments, interpreting and integrating complex data that require analysis, interpretation and comparison, drawn from several sources.
• To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences and hostility to or rejection of information.
• To plan and schedule assessment and interventions for individual clients and groups and carers, and for meetings such as case reviews
• To plan allocation of tasks to assistant psychologists.
• Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data.
• Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups

Desirable

• To be skilled in the administration of psychometric and neuropsychological tests, including those that require complex manipulation of test materials.

Abilities

Essential

• Ability to work effectively within a multi disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate.
• Ability to develop and use complex multi media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings
• Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions, and to deal with unexpected interruptions or changes during these.
• Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour.
• Ability to manage, with appropriate support as necessary, verbal aggression and hostility directed at self.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).