Assistant Psychologist

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KR 1     Clinical and Client Care

·         To provide psychological assessments for clients at ARC-MK under the close supervision of a practitioner psychologist including to apply psychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the client’s care.

·         To provide protocol based individual psychological interventions for clients attending ARC-MK, including cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and third-wave CBT interventions.

·         To arrange, schedule and provide protocol-based group psychological interventions for clients referred to the Recovery Day Programme.

·         To assist the psychologists in the development of individual or group clinical materials or training materials.

·         To encourage clients at ARC-MK to receive appropriate follow up treatment and support for their needs (i.e. health education, blood borne virus testing and harm minimisation approaches)

KR 2     Contributing to team or service clinical functioning

·         To contribute to the effective working of the Recovery Day Programme (RDP) within ARC-MK by e.g., screening and registering new referrals; creating databases to track processes or progress through pathways and keeping them up-to-date; contributing to the training and support of other staff in developing and providing psychological care of clients.

·         To act in a manner that supports a psychologically informed framework for the service.

·         To participate in the team or service’s delivery of accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.

KR 3     Policy and service development

·         To follow policies and procedures in own area of work

·         To participate in the consultation and engagement of service users in planning and delivering services which meet the needs of local communities.

KR 4     Care or management of resources

·         To take care of, and use carefully, the Trust’s equipment and physical resources.

·         To ensure that the post-holder has sufficient resources by estimating future needs and requesting supplies as needed.

·         To be responsible for safe-keeping of equipment or stock provided to the post holder and informing the supervising psychologist or manager when stock requires replenishing (may apply to psychometric tests, specialised stationery etc.

KR 5     Teaching and Training

·         To participate in demonstrating work methods to newly recruited Assistant Psychologists and to support their development of necessary skills.

·         To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations or published articles.

KR 6     Record-keeping and Information Governance

·         To ensure that all information generated by own work is recorded as required by Trust policies and local procedures.

·         Under the supervision of the practitioner psychologist to maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry.

·         To maintain data bases and enter data, and perform analyses and produce reports.

·         To adhere to all Addictions service data recording policies

KR 7     Research and development

·         To assist in the design and implementation of audit and research projects to inform the service Psychologist and others in the development of Trust psychology and other services, training provision and research activities.

·         To undertake data collection, analysis, the production of reports and summaries, using IT and statistical programmes.

·         To undertake searches of evidence-based literature and research to assist in the development in the Trust of evidence-based practice.

·         Under guidance to conduct surveys with service users and carers to gather views on service provision. 

KR 8     Maintaining professional standards and continuing professional development

·         To receive regular clinical and professional supervision in accordance with professional practice guidelines

·         To gain wider experience of professional psychology within the NHS over and above that provided within the principal service area where the post-holder is employed.

·         To develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties.

·         To undertake personal training relevant to the post in agreement with the supervising psychologist and the manager. 

KR 9     General

·         To travel for home visits, community placements, psychology meetings as appropriate and across the Trust when required.

·         To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the client group, and follow Trust policies relating to its management

·         To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations, such as challenging behaviour, verbal abuse and aggression and to support others involved in such situations.

·         To work flexibly which may include offering some regular commitment to late clinics, within the overall Job Plan.