Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Assistant Psychologist role will be an essential component of the Multi-Disciplinary Team working under the supervision of the Clinical Psychologist to devise and deliver psychological interventions to groups and individuals using and delivering services across all tiers of care.

The purpose of this role is to:

•                Promote the psychological health and well-being of service users using community-based services due to their experience of complex emotional needs.

•                Under the supervision of a qualified Clinical Psychologist, to provide psychological assessments and intervention to individuals, or groups of service users

•                Under the supervision of a qualified Clinical Psychologist to complete audit, service evaluation or research as indicated.  

•                Assist in clinically related administration, teaching, and project work

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•                   Service can be delivered in a range of settings and locations, but generally within community settings from within primary, secondary and voluntary sector care agencies.

Clinical

•                Undertake protocol based psychological assessments of service users applying psychological principles, including self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with service users, family members and others involved in the service users care

•                Assist in the formulation and delivery of care plans involving the psychological treatment and / or management of a service users problems, under the supervision of a qualified professional psychologist, in community settings

•                Assist in the planning, coordination and running of therapeutic groups

•                Attend and contribute to appropriate multi-disciplinary meetings

•                Maintain appropriate records in electronic or hard copy in line with Trust policies and Professional guidelines. Includes workload data and using word processing skills to produce service user related reports

Leadership / Management

•                Assist in the design and implementation of service development projects within the service as required

Teaching, training and supervision

•                Assist in the development of a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all service users of the service, across all settings where care takes place.

•                Contribute to the training and support of other staff in psychological care.

Research and service evaluation

•                Assist in the design and implementation of audit and research projects.

•                Undertake data collection, analysis, the production of reports and summaries, using IT and statistical programmes.

•                Undertake searches of evidence-based literature and research to assist qualified clinical psychologists in evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members.

Professional

•                Manages work independently according to goals agreed at intervals with their manager, working independently on a day to day basis

•                Works within guidance and direction of qualified Psychologist and guided by the Profession’s standards including HCPC and the British Psychological Society (BPS).

Other

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•                Perform other duties of a similar kind appropriate to the grade that may be required from time to time by their Psychology lead

•                Service users, families, carers and advocates

•                In conduct of clinical and service development responsibilities works with multi-disciplinary colleagues, social services staff, and staff from private / voluntary organisations.

•                Assistants in other parts of the region (professional networks)

•                To attend meetings in which service developments are planned and discussed. 

•                Clinical supervision is provided from a qualified Clinical Psychologist.

•                Contributes to relevant Psychology activities and meets as required with Psychology colleagues.

•                The duties of psychological assessment, intervention, and management require concentration and may require some long periods of sitting. Computers are used frequently

•                The nature of the job involves work with people in distress and being faced with severe behavioural, emotional, and mental health issues. Sometimes it involves being faced with verbal and physical aggression, highly distressing self-injurious behaviour, and coming into contact with family breakdown, physical or sexual abuse and neglect. Competence in breakaway techniques (and restraint as necessary) is required.

•                The domiciliary nature of the work  can involve  working alone and driving.

•                Work can be conducted in a variety of settings, but generally takes place within the community.  Settings may be difficult to work in, e.g. temperature, space available, frequent interruptions, lack of privacy, poor cleanliness, exposure to cigarette smoke and other environmental hazards.

•                Work is sometimes in environments where there is close contact with people with poor personal hygiene and there may be contact with bodily fluids, blood, urine, faeces, lice, etc.

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•                Dealing effectively with conflict, controversy, distress and confrontation on a regular basis

•                Exposure to high risk and emotionally challenging situations where there are risks of suicide, deliberate self harm and potentially harm to others.

•                Exposure to emotional arousal including anger and aggression.

•                Managing the expectations of service users, and carers.

 Please see attached job description

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