Principal Practitioner Psychologist

• To provide clinical leadership and direction in the continual development and provision of a high quality specialist psychology service within the adult acute inpatient service, embedding trauma informed care
• To support with the transformation of acute inpatient care, in line with national direction
• To hold a clinical caseload undertaking evidence-based psychological assessment, formulation, and intervention (individual and/or group). This may include a range of mental health difficulties at the point of crisis including experiences of psychosis, depression and/or Complex Emotional and Relational Needs (CERN)
• To provide specialist psychological support, consultation and guidance to other professionals contributing directly to the assessment, formulation and intervention plan
• To ensure the team have access to a psychologically-based framework for understanding and caring for the service user, through the provision of advice, consultation and the dissemination of psychological research and theory
• To undertake risk assessment and risk management and to provide general advice to other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and management
• To support inpatient colleagues through the provision of supervision, reflective practice and post-incident reflective spaces
• To contribute to audit, policy/service development and research. To propose and implement policy changes within the areas served

Essential

• Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical/counselling/forensic psychology, (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, or post-graduate training in Forensic Psychology or Counselling Psychology
• Current registration as a Clinical, Forensic or Counselling psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council

Desirable

• Completion of further post qualification training within psychological therapies (e.g. DBT, CBT, CAT, CFT, MBT etc.)
• Completion of further post qualification training in supervision

Essential

• Demonstrable post-qualification experience of specialist assessment, formulation and treatment of adult clients and those with psychological difficulties
• Demonstrable post-qualification experience of working with complex mental health problems, including distressing psychosis, problems associated with complex relational and emotional needs, and severe depression, anxiety and trauma
• Demonstrable experience of working with people experiencing a suicidal crisis
• Demonstrable experience of working within multidisciplinary teams
• Experience of clinical leadership within a previous role.
• Demonstrable experience of providing clinical supervision to psychologists, psychological practitioners or other core health professions.
• Demonstrable experience of providing teaching/ training upon clinical interventions.
• Demonstrable experience of managing demand for psychological services within a form of stepped-care framework (i.e. an approach based upon the provision of direct care, and supporting other professionals in their provision of direct psychosocial work.

Desirable

• Experience in clinical leadership
• Experience of working within an inpatient setting.
• Ability to demonstrate further specialist clinical experience and training.
• Experience of audit and service evaluation within psychological therapy services.
• Research experience within an area relevant to work within an adult service.
• Demonstrable experience of the application of psychological therapy in diverse cultural and ethnic contexts.

Essential

• Understanding of the national and regional legislation, guidance and policy directives in relation to the development and delivery of psychological therapies within inpatient services.
• Evidence of post-qualification CPD as recommended and/or accredited by the BPS, or other professional body.
• Up to date knowledge of the needs of people with complex mental health problems, and of psychological approaches to recovery
• Awareness of the principles of a trauma informed care approach.
• Familiarity with computing technology, including keyboard skills, and use of word-processing, e-mail, and internet software.

Desirable

• Well-developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies and approaches for adults with complex mental health problems.
• Publication of training, service evaluation, clinical audit and research material.

Essential

• Ability to work with service users, carers and families to engage with their needs and provide them with appropriate psychological support and intervention.
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
• Skills in working within an MDT to bring and share a psychological understanding of distress.
• Well developed, effective communication skills, both oral and in writing, enabling complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to be shared with service users, their families, carers and other professional colleagues within the NHS and other agencies.
• Ability to prioritise work, operate a waiting list, meet short deadlines and an unpredictable work pattern that requires regular revision of plans.
• Ability to sit in constrained position for service user assessment, formulation, individual and group therapy sessions and for computer work.
• Ability to work at a high level of professional autonomy and responsibility, in a collaborative multidisciplinary environment and also as a lone worker in circumstances where there may be exposure to verbal and sometimes physical aggression.
• Able to sustain the intense concentration necessary for service user assessment and formulation, individual and group therapy sessions
• Ability to work and communicate highly sensitive, contentious information effectively in a highly emotive or hostile atmosphere, and to overcome barriers to acceptance/psychological resistance to potentially threatening information.
• Ability to identify, provide and promote appropriate means of support to staff and carers exposed to highly distressing situations.
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour

Desirable

• Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multimedia materials, suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
• Ability to demonstrate an area of special interest/skill in therapeutic intervention