Assistant Psychologist @ North London NHS Foundation Trust

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an innovative and conscientious assistant psychologist to join us at The Beacon Centre. This role is located in our CAMHS Inpatient Unit, The Beacon Centre. This General Adolescent Unit sits within our CAMHS Crisis Pathway, which offers services to young people on the edge of crisis or in crisis.

There is a dynamic psychological therapies team who work within a multi-disciplinary team, supporting young people (13-18yrs) with complex needs. The role will be supervised by a qualified Clinical Psychologist and supported by a wider MDT of experienced practitioners. The role involves assessment and evidence-based intervention with young people or parents, under supervision and with the support of colleagues.

Skills in risk and crisis management and work with wider networks is required to support a young person in a holistic way. The role will involve sharing psychological thinking within the team, and using audit and service development skills for the purposes of Quality Improvement. You will support with co-production on the unit in order to improve the experience young people have during their stay. The role includes opportunities for CPD as part of the North London Partnership's psychological therapies pathway.

Main duties of the job

• To support psychological assessment and care planning with young people in mental health crisis who require a hospital admission.
• To deliver individual and group psychologically informed interventions, either jointly or autonomously, as identified and agreed with supervision.
• To engage young people on the ward, and implement cognitive-behavioural and emotional regulation approaches, aimed at helping service users to improve their well-being and functioning.
• Support with risk assessment and safety planning, with supervision and in conjunction with the wider inpatient team.
• To use skills in service evaluation and audit to evaluate and inform servicedevelopment within the team.
• To contribute to MDT discussions, formulations, and CPD sessions and tosupport with teaching where required.
• To be involved in co-production and supporting the feedback of young people to be heard and used to impact service delivery.

We are looking for someone that is:

• Compassionate
• Respectful
• Positive approach
• High level of enthusiasm and motivation.
• Ability to use clinical supervision and personal development positively and effectively.
• Ability to be self -reflective whilst working with service users, in own personal and professional development, and in supervision

About us

At the heart of our approach isThe North London Way. We are committed to:

• Working collaboratively at every level, guided by our shared values
• Shaping a positive, inclusive culture where staff and service users thrive
• Empowering our teams with the skills, tools and autonomy to drive meaningful change
• Delivering excellence and continuously improving the quality of care we provide
• Embedding research, innovation and technology across our services
• Taking a trauma-informed approach in everything we do

Our trust website is: https://www.northlondonmentalhealth.nhs.uk/

North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) is committed to improving mental health care across North London to deliver excellent services to our local people..

Why NLFT?

• We develop and retain our staff through leadership behaviours and managers programme and many more opportunities.
• We promote flexible working and support staff with a range of health and wellbeing initiatives.
• NHS Discounts, generous annual leave and NHS pension scheme
• Excellent internal staff network

In order to meet the needs of the Trust you may be required from time to time to work at different locations to your normal place of work. This may mean that you are required to work at any location that fall under Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey or Islington. The Trust reserves the right to require staff to work at such other places or locations as it considers reasonable and necessary on a temporary or permanent basis.

Job description

Job responsibilities

• To assist in the formulation and delivery of care plans, including psychologically informed interventions, under the supervision of a qualified Clinical Psychologist
• To assist in the coordination and running of psychological intervention groups.
• To be able to exchange complex information with service users, families, carers, staff and members of the public using sensitivity and empathy and ensuring collaborative working.
• To assist in the development of a psychologically informed thinking to the benefit of staff, clients and their families and carers.
• To attend and contribute to clinical and team meetings.
• To be able to initiate referrals to other health professionals in specialist services and agencies.
• To ensure practice is supported by research and evidence-based practice.
• To work according to the principles of Trauma Informed Care/Intervention.

This is not an exhaustive list, please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for more information on the role requirements and duties.

Person Specification

TRAINING & QUALIFICATIONS

Essential

• An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology.
• Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.

Desirable

• Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis.

Experience

Essential

• At least 6 months working in a healthcare setting or equivalent (e.g. third sector).
• Experience of working in a clinical team.
• Work with people with mental health problems and/or other disabilities
• Work in a role requiring frequent and intense concentration.
• Experience of working in situations where clients and/or their families/carers respond with some distress.

Desirable

• Experience of paid work in direct care provision.
• Experience of working in the NHS
• Previous experience as an Assistant Psychologist
• Experience of delivering psychological interventions.
• Experience of data collection to support healthcare systems.
• Working in an MDT with clients with complex difficulties.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Essential

• High-level communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive.
• Good knowledge of research methodology, research design and data analysis as practised within the clinical fields of psychology.
• Ability to communicate sensitive information to patients, carers and colleagues
• An understanding and positive regard for the needs and rights of people with mental health problems and their carers
• Have an understanding of the importance of user/carer involvement
• Awareness of treatment outcomes, recovery tools, care planning, assessment of risk
• Have an understanding and commitment to equal opportunities, diversity and anti-discriminatory practice
• An ability to form effective working relationships with people from diverse communities and ethnic groups
• An understanding of psychology applied to health care.
• An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a mental health context
• Excellent IT skills.

Desirable

• High standard of report writing.
• Knowledge of the different professional roles and responsibilities within an MDT.
• Experience of training professionals.
• Knowledge of Trauma Informed Principles.
• Experience of analysing and processing complex information through the use of databases, SPSS or similar packages

PERSONAL

Essential

• An ability to interact effectively and with initiative with staff from all disciplines.
• An ability to interact with people with mental health difficulties and their families and or carers.
• Ability to work independently, reliably and consistently on work agreed and supervised at regular intervals
• Ability to assess clinical situations quickly and use initiative
• Well-developed interpersonal skills
• Ability to remain calm in emergency situations and respond in a professional manner
• Ability to maintain professional boundaries and form positive therapeutic relationship with service users and carers
• Ability to manage stress and work under pressure

OTHER

Essential

• Ability to accept and use supervision appropriately and effectively.
• To be aware of and demonstrate the trust values.

Desirable

• A desire to pursue a career in psychology

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

North London NHS Foundation Trust

Address

The Beacon Centre

CAMHS, Burnt Oak, Edgware

Edgware

HA8 0AD

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.northlondonmentalhealth.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)