Clinical Psychologist

Job summary

Band 8B Principal Psychologist

WTE Fixed-Term to March 2025

Tower Hamlets Community Health Services

We are seeking an experienced, dynamic and curious HCPC registered psychologist to co-lead and provide oversight of psychological provision across Tower Hamlets Community Health Services (CHS).

There are opportunities to work across different service lines which comprise of staff from predominately physical health backgrounds including Community Nursing, Community Allied Health Professionals and Peer Support Work;

these staff groups provide care for people in their homes as well as within out-patient clinic settings. The overarching approach and ethos for service provision and delivery is integrated care and we welcome applicants from across clinical health and mental health contexts.

Main duties of the job

This role is an exciting opportunity to explore and lead on innovation and service development in Tower Hamlets. This is an opportunity for the post holder to work alongside an existing Principal Psychologist to have oversight of psychological provision across Community Health Services in Tower Hamlets.

The post holder would be expected to work closely with experts-by-experience, local communities, Community and Voluntary and Social Enterprises, to co-produce and co-develop services.

About us

Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are : We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Tower Hamlets CHS include a number of services; 4 Extended Primary Care Teams (EPCTs) comprising of Community Nursing, Community Allied Health Professionals and Peer Support Workers, as well as Rapid Response, Integrated Discharge Hub, Care Navigators, Foot Health, Continuing Health Care, Admission Avoidance and Discharge Service, Foot Health and The Continence Service.

The post holder will provide senior psychological leadership and management across these services and be the psychological operational lead.

Person Specification

Education / Qualification / Training

Essential

• Post Graduate Doctoral level training in Clinical or Counselling Psychology or equivalent accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS
• Have completed an equivalent training abroad as recognised by NARIC and written and oral English sufficient for their work
• Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
• Training specifically including : Models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and Neuro-psychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies, three or more supervised clinical placements (including lifespan developmental psychology and mental health specialisms) and research skills.
• Either : Recognised qualification or training in psychotherapy supervision or
• Clinical supervision training for doctoral clinical / counselling psychology trainees.
• Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• Or Registered by a body overseen or accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA)

Experience

Essential

• Assessed experience of working as a qualified Clinical or Counselling or Forensic psychologist at a highly specialist level or assessed experience of working as a qualified psychotherapist, preferably in the NHS or similar public health provider.
• Experience of working in partnership with VCSE
• Experience of working in a community clinical health psychology services
• Experience of service coordination.
• Experience of co-production of services.
• Demonstrate further specialist experience through CPD including supervised practice supplemented with other activities such as training, self directed study and conferences relevant to the current state of the speciality.
• Experience of : Providing specialist psychological assessment, including cognitive and neurological assessment, and treatment of patients utilising at least two main models as appropriate across the full range of care settings and clinical severity including outpatient, community, primary care and inpatient.
• Working with a wide variety of patient groups across the whole life course and presenting problems which reflect the full range of clinical severity.

Ability to maintain a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.

• Providing teaching, training consultation and clinical supervision.
• Exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan.

Knowledge

Essential

• Well developed knowledge of The theory and practice of psychological assessment and therapies in relation to treatment of a range of mental health disorders, including SMI, complex mental health and psychosis
• Community Psychology Theory, models and practice Trauma informed care and or psychologically informed environments
• Risk assessment practice and procedures. The application of standardised assessments and outcome measures.
• The presentation of complex mental health problems and range of disorders
• Understanding of the presentation of highly complex mental health problems and range of disorders
• The principles and practice of clinical governance, clinical audit and research methodology Sufficient knowledge of other modalities to engage appropriately with colleagues and their work with service users
• Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
• Current mental health legislation and initiatives, including NHS policies and procedures and Health & Safety issues.

Skills

Essential

• Well developed skills in ensuring the clinical and operational delivery of : Co-production of care and treatment with service users and carers
• Specialist psychological assessment (cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic or other), intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
• Respect and appreciation of the knowledge, skills and experience of local and national VCSE.
• The use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management including the use of theoretical models to analyse information and to develop formulations upon which to base choice of treatment with particular reference to Adult Mental Health.
• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, psychological formulation, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.

This requires the use of highly developed analytical and judgement skills.

• Ability to exercise appropriate levels of self-care and to monitor own state, recognising when it is necessary to take active steps to maintain fitness to practice.
• Ability to work independently to maintain agreed caseload and activity levels.
• The use of Information Technology adequate for use of Trust Information systems.
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance, including regular supervision, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
1 day ago