Band 8b Principal Practitioner Psychologist

Essential

• *The Graduate Basis for Registration (further to completion of an honours degree in psychology accredited by the British Psychological Society, or, in the case of courses that are not accredited or where the first degree is not in psychology, by completion of the Society's Qualifying examination, or completion of a Society accredited Conversion Course).
• *Satisfactory completion of a British Psychological Society accredited Doctoral Level postgraduate professional training course in clinical/counselling/health psychology (or equivalent for those trained prior to doctorate introduction), the completion of which includes the study of models of psychopathology, psychometric and neuropsychological assessment, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
• *Registration with the HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist

Desirable

• *Post-doctoral training in one or more highly specialist areas of psychological practice relevant to the clinical service area.
• *Formal post qualification training in relevant management or healthcare leadership skills.
• *Post qualification experience and/or formal training in supervision, enabling the post holder to independently supervise trainees in accordance with relevant criteria adopted by local training courses.

Essential

• *Considerable experience of working as a qualified practitioner psychologist including in the designated physical health function with which this post is concerned.
• *An understanding of the specific needs and difficulties of people within the speciality the post is based with.
• *Experience of very highly specialist psychological assessment and individual and group-based treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including primary and secondary/ specialist care and inpatient/residential, outpatient and community team settings.
• *Experience of the professional management of qualified and pre-qualified practitioner psychologists, psychology assistants, graduate and undergraduate students and other grades of staff within a psychology service.
• *Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, with clients of all ages across the lifespan and of wide-ranging presenting problems that reflect the full spectrum of clinical complexity and severity.
• *Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
• *Relevant post-qualification experience, and formal training in supervision, enabling the post holder to independently supervise clinical psychology trainees in accordance with relevant criteria adopted by local university practitioner psychology training course criteria (e.g. clinical/counselling/health psychology doctorate courses).
• *Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for the psychological care and treatment of referred clients, and of working within a multidisciplinary context wherein carries responsibility for the psychological aspects of a multidisciplinary care plan.
• *Experience of representing psychology within a multidisciplinary context.
• *Significant professional leadership, especially professional development, clinical governance and supervision and appraisal.

Desirable

• *Experience of working in acute physical health settings and particularly life-limiting illness (if relevant to the post).
• *Experience of adapting psychological therapy to physical health conditions and settings.
• *Experience of the multi-professional management of teams or services within the designated speciality.
• *Experience of representing the profession in local policy forums.
• *Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
• *Experience of working within a multicultural framework.
• *Experience of working therapeutically with 'difficult to treat' clients.
• *Highly developed and advanced knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific 'difficult to treat' groups (e.g. personality disorder, challenging behaviour, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc).
• *Advanced level knowledge of the theory and practice of highly specialised psychological therapies and assessment methodologies.
• *Evidence of leadership and management skills

Essential

• *Is a 'team player' and has demonstrated ability to work and deliver to team and organisational objectives
• *Awareness of own strengths & weaknesses and impact on others.
• *Empowering others -- striving to facilitate others' contributions, nurturing capability and long term development of others.
• *Adaptable and able to work flexibly when required (e.g. in the light of changing service priorities).
• *Capacity for tolerating frustration, change and high levels of demand with an ability to work effectively under pressure.
• *Ability to accept and use supervision appropriately and effectively.