Director of Health Psychology

Essential

• Doctoral-level qualification in applied psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology (e.g., Clinical, Counselling, Occupational).
• Registration as an HCPC regulated Practitioner Psychologist.
• Additional leadership and/or management training.

Essential

• Assessed extensive experience of working as a Consultant Psychologist, including additional extensive post qualification experience within physical health psychology and/or clinical neuropsychology.
• Extensive experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings including inpatient, outpatient, community, primary care, residential care settings including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
• Extensive experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients psychological care and treatment, specially around health psychology, and working within the context of a multidisciplinary team.
• Extensive experience of teaching, training and professional and clinical supervision.
• Evidence of highly specialist expertise in the delivery of evidence based and high intensity psychological interventions, in particular around health psychology.
• Extensive experience of professional management of qualified and pre-qualified clinical psychologists.
• Demonstrable evidence of significant specialist clinical supervision within a scientist-practitioner framework, including individual supervision, group supervision and case presentations, in particular in the field of health psychology.
• Experience in audit and evaluation of clinical services.
• Experience of NHS management tasks and negotiating with NHS managers, professionals, colleagues and other agencies.
• Extensive experience of representing the profession in policy and practice fora.
• In depth understanding of trauma informed principles and care.
• Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.
• Knowledge and experience of working with other relevant client groups within physical health and clinical neuropsychology.
• Extensive experience working with other client groups who have highly complex psychological problems.
• Extensive experience of working within a multicultural framework.
• Extensive experience of operationally and/or professionally managing other Psychologists and Psychological Professionals.

Desirable

• Evidence of peer reviewed publications, presentations at conferences, or similar contributions.
• Experience of relevant local and national roles e.g. as a National Assessor, as a committee member for Special Interest Groups, or within the British Psychological Society or Association of Clinical Psychologists.
• Experience of establishing, developing and maintaining partnerships with Higher Education Institutes.

Essential

• Skills in the use of highly complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
• Ability to use the highest level of interpersonal and communication skills to convey and receive highly complex / sensitive information effectively requiring empathy and reassurance in a highly emotive atmosphere and the ability to overcome psychological resistance to potential threatening information whilst maintaining a high degree of professionalism at all times.
• High level ability to communicate effectively at both a written and oral level complex, highly technical and clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and a wide range of lay and professional persons within and outside the NHS.
• Skills in providing consultation and supervision to other multi-disciplinary professional and non-professional groups.
• Ability to manage staff (including line management) and negotiate specialty issues. 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 practiced within the field of clinical psychology.
• Knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management.
• Ability to design and implement policy for services and to propose service changes that impact beyond that area of activity.
• Ability to plan a clinical service and to formulate a long term strategic plan which may involve uncertainty.
• Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS. Formal training in supervision of other psychologists.
• Extensive experience in the supervision and line management of other Psychologists, Psychological Professionals and other disciplines.
• Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific complex or difficult to treat groups.
• Deep understanding of NHS strategy, regulation, workforce challenges, and policy context.
• Strategic thinking with the ability to translate psychological insight into organisational action
• Excellent leadership, facilitation and communication skills.
• Ability to articulate and interpret clearly the role of the psychological professions based upon a good understanding of the framework of government and national professional policy.
• Demonstrable commitment to supporting and promoting the needs of a diverse population.
• Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of highly specialised psychological therapies in the field of health psychology
• Advanced theoretical and practical knowledge of complex work procedures and clinical practices such as organisational development, mediation, coaching & mentoring, continuous improvement, change management etc.

Desirable

• A commitment to the evaluation of services, enthusiasm for both multi professional and uni- professional audit, and a wish to continue to develop expertise in the service area.
• Systemic or organisational consultancy skills- Advanced supervision or reflective practice facilitation- Understanding of NHS legal and regulatory frameworks.
• Proactive and innovative approach to problem solving.