About this role
Job summary
The Eating Disorders Inpatient Unit is looking for an enthusiastic Assistant Psychologist to join our psychological therapies team full time. You will be joining an evidence generating service, with a diverse and passionate team committed to supporting people with eating disorders. The role involves supporting the psychological therapies team, maintaining audits, delivering some manualised individual interventions under close supervision and co-facilitating groups. The role also involves supporting research projects, helping to maintain and co-ordinate the PEACE pathway for our neuro-divergent patients and assisting in re-accreditation process with National Autism Service.
Main duties of the job
Toassistpractitioner psychologists in the delivery of a specialist applied psychology service at the adult inpatient eating disorder service at the Maudsley Hospital.
To provide clinical work as required by the service, under the direct guidance, closeclinicaland professional supervision of a qualified psychological therapist.
Toassistin clinically related administration, conduct of audits, organising weekly psychology meetings, chairing community weekly meetings on rotation bases, collection of statistics, development of audit and/or research projects,assistingin teaching and project work.
To support the role of PEACE pathway champion; co-ordinating and chairing weekly PEACE huddles, focussing on adaptations for patients with neurodiversity (this includes conducting and scoringself-reportedquestionnaires, supporting team with case presentations (e.gpreparing slides and circulating to multidisciplinary team); participating and supporting organisation of PEACE annual conference (for detailed information seewww.peacepathway.org).
Tosupport the service withreaccreditationprocess forNational Autism Society, including completing paperwork
To work following clinical guidelines and the policies and procedures of the service, while closely supervised and regularly seeking help from clinical/professional supervisor or manager.
About us
As part of the Psychological Medicine and Older Adults Directorate, the Eating Disorders Service is within the South London Partnership and provides inpatient treatment for local and national patients. The Gerald Russell Unit is an 18-bed, all-gender inpatient service based in the newly built Douglas Bennett House at the Maudsley Hospital. Patients may be admitted voluntarily or detained under the Mental Health Act.
The service supports individuals with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, ARFID, and OSFOED. Evidence-based treatment programmes are tailored to the needs of service users and their carers, with the service receiving a high volume of referrals each year.
We have developed innovative pathways to support people at different stages of illness and with varying comorbidities. These include FREED (early intervention), PEACE Plus (for neurodivergent patients), STRIDE ( trauma), a diabetes pathway for people with type 1 diabetes, a carers pathway supporting families and carers, and additional specialist support for people with personality disorders.
Our specialist tertiary service provides intensive treatment in inpatient, day patient, and outpatient settings, including for individuals with complex comorbidities. Interventions may include individual, group and family therapy, dietetic input, and comprehensive risk management for needs that cannot be safely or effectively managed within primary or secondary care services.
Job description Job responsibilities
Key Responsibilities:
KR 1 Clinical and Client Care
To provide psychological assessments for inpatients under the close supervision of a qualified psychological therapist including psychometrics, neuropsychologicalprofilesand patient histories.
To provide protocol based (manualised) individual psychological interventions for inpatients including Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT) and Cognitive Remediation Therapy and Emotion Skills Training (CREST), under close supervision.
To arrange, schedule and co-facilitateprotocol basedgroup psychological interventions for inpatients on topics including flexibility, emotion regulation, positive communication, body image, self-esteem, perfectionism, sensory wellbeing, and to contribute to virtual Carers Workshops.
Toassistthe psychological therapy team in the development/preparation of individual or group clinical materials or training materials.
To support patients to gain confidence in eating meals/snacks in the community and with their loved ones.
KR 2 Contributing to team or service clinical functioning
To contribute to the effective working of the inpatient eating disorder service (creating databases to track processes or progress through pathways and keeping themup-to-date; contributing to the training and support of other staff in developing and providing psychological care of patients).
To act in a manner that supports a psychologically informed framework for the service.
Toparticipatein the team or services 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
Toparticipatein 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 Trusts equipment and physical resources.
To ensure that the post-holder has sufficient resources by estimating future needs and requesting supplies as needed.
Tobe responsible forthesafe-keepingof databases of outcome data, SPSS licence update, preparing copies of outcome measures ready for admissions and discharges. The post holder willbe responsible forinforming the supervising psychologist or manager when stock requires replenishing (e.g. psychometric tests, specialised stationery etc.).
KR 5 Teaching and Training
Toparticipatein demonstrating work methods to newly recruited Assistant Psychologists and to support their development of necessary skills.
To assist/disseminateresearch and service evaluation findings through presentations or published articles co-authored with other clinical/research colleagues.
To support the role of PEACE pathway champion, co-ordinating and chairing weekly PEACE huddle (our pathway for patients with comorbid autism or autism spectrum traits) and to contribute case studies to discuss treatment adaptations within the team and wider ED service.
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 a qualified psychological therapy practitioner tomaintainthe highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry.
Tomaintaindata bases andenter data and perform analysesand produce reports.
KR 7 Research and Development
Toassistin the design and implementation of audit and research projects to inform the service,psychologistand others in the development of Trust psychology and other services, trainingprovisionand research activities.
To undertake data collection, analysis, the production of reports and summaries, using IT and statistical programmes.
Toassistsubmittingforms for service innovation projects to clinical governance committee.
To support ongoing co production work with the patients and families. To undertake searches of evidence-based literature and research toassistin 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 supervisionin accordance withprofessional 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 thatassistin the delivery of current duties.
To undertake personal training relevant to the post in agreement with the supervising psychological therapist and the manager.
KR 9 General
To travel to Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience Kings College London and Maudsley hospital as well as other clinics asappropriateand across the Trust whenrequired.
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, in particular distress around eating and feeding, trauma, deliberate self-harm as well as the interpersonal difficultiesdemonstratedby patients and to support others involved in such situations.
To work flexibly which may include offering some regular commitment to late working ifappropriate, within the overall Job Plan.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
A first-class or upper second undergraduate degree and MSc degree in Psychology that is accredited by the British Psychological Society and confers the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society.
Experience Essential
Sufficient post-graduate experience of psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs to be able to work clinically with close direct supervision. Post-graduate experience of conducting research projects or audits. Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and / or lived experience.
Desirable
Experience of working in eating disorders and/or inpatient environment, and of supporting patients to manage nutrition Experience of administering psychometric tests
Knowledge and Skills Essential
Graduate level knowledge of psychological research methodology, statistical analysis, including good knowledge of SPSS/excel. Good theoretical knowledge of the problems experienced by and needs of eating disorder client group and of methods of assessment and treatment. Skills in relevant psychological assessment and interventions that enable working as a pre-qualified practitioner with close clinical supervision. Well developed verbal and written communication skills; well developed IT skills including data entry and analysis
Desirable
Academic research (ideally clinical-based, or relevant academic research setting)
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details Employer name South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Address Gerald Russel Unit, New Douglas Bennet House,
Maudlsey Hospital
London
SE5 8AZ
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.slam.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)