Clinical Psychologist

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See attached job description & person specification for full details.

Clinical Responsibilities 
1. To provide a high quality specialist clinical psychology assessments of clients referred to the service based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report 
measures, rating scales, direct and indirect observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the client’s care.
2. To Formulate and implement plans for psychological therapy and/or management of the child’s problems based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the presenting difficulties, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range  of care settings.
3. To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for children, families, carers and groups, within and across teams employed individually and in synthesis, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
4. To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options, taking into account both theoretical models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.
5. To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose difficulties are managed within a psychological framework, undertaking regular communication with the referral agent and others involved in the young person’s care.
6. To provide specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients’ formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.
7. To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service across all settings and agencies serving the client group.
8. To use analytical and judgement skills and be responsible for taking clinical management decisions in complex clinical issues.
9. To undertake risk assessment, formulation and management for individual clients with complex presentations and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management.
10. To receive and communicate highly complex, sensitive or contentious information as the result of the referral, assessment and treatment process of patients with mental health and psychological disturbance; requiring the highest level of interpersonal skills.
11. To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner both orally and in writing, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care and to monitor progress during the course of uni-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary care.
12. To promote and participate in multi-disciplinary team working, development and liaison. 
13. To actively promote user and carer involvement in care planning and service development.
14. To demonstrate awareness of potential communication difficulties and/or cultural considerations and, where appropriate, adapt professional practice accordingly, involving identification of, and effective liaison with, appropriate support services.

Teaching, Training and Supervision:
1. To receive and participate in regular clinical professional supervision.
2. To gain additional highly specialist experience and skills relevant to applied psychology, in line with a professional development plan and in keeping with service needs (as agreed with the professional lead).
3. To develop skills in the area of professional post-graduate teaching, training and supervision and to provide supervision to other staff (psychologists and non-psychologists) as appropriate.
4. To provide professional and clinical supervision of trainee and assistant psychologists, and other staff as appropriate.
5. To provide advice, consultation and training to staff working with the client group across a range of agencies and settings, where appropriate.

Management, Leadership, Recruitment, Policy and Service Development:
1. To participate as a clinician in identifying and implementing the development of a quality, responsible and accessible service, in consultation with the Team Leads, Paediatric Psychology Lead and Lead Consultant Psychologist.

2. To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the team’s operational policies and services, through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit.

3. To advise both service and professional management on those aspects of the service where psychological and/or organisational matters need addressing.

4. To contribute psychological knowledge and expertise to policy and service development through participation, where practical, in regional multidisciplinary meetings, working parties etc. that may impact upon the functioning of the service.

5. To participate in the management of psychological resources available to the team, in the form of psychological materials employed in the assessment and treatment of service users.

Research and Service Evaluation:
1. To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members
2. The post holder will participate in appropriate research, service evaluation/audit and project work as identified and agreed with the Paediatric Psychology Lead and MDTs.
3. To record clinical observations and information relevant to clients in accordance to service policy, ensuring accurate documentation of clinical activity and outcomes.

General:
1. To ensure HPC registration is maintained, complying with Continuing Professional Development requirements to maintain registration.
2. To ensure the development, maintenance and dissemination of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in the internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the Paediatric Psychology Lead. 
3. To exercise the skills of reflexive and reflective scientist practitioner, taking part in regular professional supervision and appraisal and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the field of clinical psychology and related disciplines.
4. To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry and recording, report writing and the responsible exercise of professional self-governance in accordance with professional codes of practice of the British Psychological Society, HCPC and Trust policies and procedures.
5. The post holder will be responsible for the safe keeping of all case notes (paper or electronic), psychological tests and equipment necessary for the completion of their duties. It is their duty to notifying their professional lead or Team Manager as to the need for replacement or acquisition of such equipment.
6. To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to the client group and mental health.
7. To fully participate in the Trust’s performance review and personal development planning process on an annual basis.

All staff are required to:
1. Undertake all duties and responsibilities, at all times, in compliance with the Trust’s HR Policies and Procedures.
2. Adhere to the Policies and Standards of the organisation and departmental policies.

The duties of this post are subject to review at regular intervals in the light of developments within the service and changes may be made to this job accordingly. This job description is not exhaustive and may be amended from time to time as the needs of the service change. The job description will be reviewed annually as part of the Performance Appraisal and Development Scheme.