Principal Clinical Psychologist

Essential

• Good Honours degree in Psychology.
• Eligibility for British Psychological Society Chartered status.
• Post-graduate Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the British Psychological Society.
• Registration with Health and Care Professions Council as a Clinical Psychologist.
• Clinical supervision training for supervising Doctoral trainees.
• Doctoral level advanced specialist knowledge of clinical psychology theory and practice, psychological therapies and their application, neuropsychological and psychometric assessment and interpretation.
• Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practised within clinical psychology.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management.
• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development as recommended by the BPS and HCPC.

Desirable

• Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.
• Well-developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult-to-treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc).
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of highly specialised psychological therapies and assessment methodologies.
• Recognised qualification in supervision.
• Record of publications in peer reviewed or academic or professional journals and/or books.

Essential

• Substantial assessed experience of working as a qualified and senior clinical psychologist, normally including significant post-qualification experience within the designated speciality where the post is located, or relevant transferable skills.
• Assessed experience of working effectively as a qualified and senior level clinical psychologist in the designated speciality, or relevant transferable skills. Demonstration of further specialist training/experience through having received extensive and demonstrable clinical supervision of working as a specialist Clinical Psychologist or an alternative agreed by the Director of Psychology.
• Experience of specialised psychological assessment and treatment of a range of clients across a wide range of care settings.
• Experience of working with client groups across an increasing range of clinical severity.
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care, with experience of co-ordinating care within the context of multi-disciplinary care-planning.
• Experience of providing teaching, training and/or professional and clinical supervision.

Desirable

• Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
• Experience of representing psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary care.
• Experience of professional management of qualified clinical psychologists and other staff.

Essential

• The ability to demonstrate a high level of competence to work within the designated speciality.
• Well-developed skills in the supervision of other staff, including Trainee Clinical Psychologists.
• Well-developed skills in effectively communicating very complex, highly technical and clinically sensitive information, both orally and in writing, to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
• Developed skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
• Capable of maintaining a high degree of professionalism and safe clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
• The ability to identify and provide appropriate means of support to line-managed staff who deal with highly distressing situations, severely challenging behaviours and other stressors.
• The ability to use a variety of complex multi-media materials for a range of purposes such as teaching and training.
• Capable of effective workload management when facing competing demands.
• The ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of multidisciplinary colleagues.
• Basic IT skills.

Essential

• Ability to demonstrate a range of qualities essential to the role, eg compassion, competence, communication, courage and commitment.
• Ability to work in accordance with the core organisational values.
• Demonstrate a commitment to working consistently in line with our organisational values, and enabling others within the workforce to do so too as evidenced in day to day work and through discussion at PADR.
• Commitment to maintain confidentiality of clinically sensitive materials and information and to handle personal information with sensitivity and discretion.
• Ability to demonstrate professional behaviours of the highest standard.