Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Full Job Description available online 

Job PurposeTo provide highly specialist clinical health psychology intervention, including specialist neuropsychological assessment, to adult in/out-patients with highly complex difficulties. Specifically for patients with neurological conditions and brain injurys; their families, carers and associated staff.  This includes developing and providing specialist programmes of care and advice at an individual and group level, consultative advice and supervision for colleagues, education of colleagues and service based research.

Required to act independently and be accountable for own actions within professional guidelines and trust policies.

Knowledge, skills and experience required

Post-graduate doctorate in Clinical Psychology accredited by British Psychological Society (BPS) and eligible for chartered status.

Minimum 1 year specialist training/experience unique to specialty including experience within psychological aspects of health care, neuropsychological assessment and psychological interventions in group and individual settings and having received a minimum of 50 hours clinical supervision working as a qualified psychologist.

Specialist skills in neuropsychological assessment and interpretation.

Requires the highest level of interpersonal and communication skills , sufficient to effectively and tactfully communicate complex sensitive and contentious information to distressed or vulnerable patients, family and colleagues, or those with communication difficulties (eg. cognitive deficits, brain injury, deafness etc)

Knowledge of relevant government frameworks and initiatives.

Knowledge of physical health problems and psychological aspects of chronic and/or life threatening physical illnesses and mental health difficulties.

Knowledge of current evidence-based clinical interventions in clinical psychology.

Skills in treating patients on an individual and group basis, including assessment, individualised formulation, development and implementation of treatment.

Experience of working with older adults with physical illness.

Experience of responding to requests for consultation on staff and organisational difficulties

Experience of multi-disciplinary working, consultancy and staff teaching/training within healthcare settings.

Emotional robustness and capacity for concentration to cope and work effectively with the stress (in self and others) of frequent intense work with people who are in highly distressing situations (e.g. management of chronic/terminal disease, bereavement, loss issues adjustment to physical and cognitive disabilities resulting from brain injury etc; work conflict and stress).

Capacity to use reflection to guide clinical practice.

Trained to supervise doctoral clinical psychology trainees and psychology assistants.

Have experience of teaching/training and presenting good practice and research findings at both local and national levels.

Doctoral level knowledge and expertise in research methods for audit and evaluation, including complex multivariate data analysis, to meet the clinical governance agenda

Be accountable for own professional actions and the interpretation of agreed guidelines, Government Frameworks, Trust and BPS guidelines and policies, taking responsibility for the maintenance and development of own professional skills base

Competence and keyboard skills required in the use of basic IT and complex data management systems (including SPSS, Access and EXCEL), word processing and presentation packages and reviewing literature from psychological/medical database

A valid driving license or other demonstrable means of mobility