Practitioner Psychologist / Psychological Therapist / Psychotherapist

• To provide a specialist psychological interventions for the STEP team 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 for the STEP team.
• To promote service evaluation, audit, research and policy development.
• To work as an autonomous professional within registration body 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.
• To support staff support initiatives within their area, working with senior colleagues and, Corporate Psychology and Psychotherapy, where appropriate, to support colleagues and ensure staff in SLaM have access to evidence based support. To participate, as a recipient, in staff support work when appropriate.

Essential

• Entry-level qualification in applied psychological therapy/mental health/social welfare profession or equivalent and demonstrable practice in this field (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level/supervised practice/additional training) that has been accepted for the purposes of professional registration
• Registered with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist (or with other professional body appropriate to discipline, e.g. APC/BPC/UKCP/BACP/BABCP), and evidence of required continuing professional development

Essential

• Experience of receiving clinical supervision across a range of client needs
• Experience of psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature, including clients with psychosis and people who have experienced trauma
• Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and / or lived experience
• Experience of developing and carrying out research, audit or service evaluation projects

Essential

• Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment of first episode psychosis
• Knowledge of psychological assessment and clinical psychometrics for psychosis
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities
• Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care

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 be skilled in the administration of psychometric and neuropsychological tests, including those that require complex manipulation of test materials
• Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data

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 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 verbal aggression and hostility directed at self