About this role
Job summary
Following confirmation of funding for substantial service development, we are delighted to be recruiting to a post of Highly Specialist Clinical Health Psychologist (Physical Health) for the UHP Severe Asthma Service. This is a new post with flexibility to grow the role around the service as it develops. The post-holder(s) will also work alongside other newly funded posts, including nurses, physiotherapist, Speech and Language / voice therapist, pharmacist and MDT co-ordinators.
The post holder would be joining an established, friendly asthma MDT, working closely to improve asthma care whilst developing their own expertise. You will be an integral part of the team, linking with the SW severe asthma network, helping to streamline access biologics, and improving the management of co-morbidities associated with asthma.
The UHP severe asthma service serves West Devon and works with colleagues at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske, to provide severe asthma care including asthma biologic treatment.
***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as 'Priority' and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.
Main duties of the job
To provide a highly specialist psychological service for adults with asthma, severe asthma and associated conditions under the care of the UHP severe asthma service
To work as part of the Severe Asthma MDT, alongside Respiratory Consultants, Clinical Nurse Specialists and AHPs.
To support the Severe Asthma MDT by contributing to the development of the wider service, including data collection and analysis, and completion of outcome measures.
About us
We are a people business - where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment manager for this post who will put you in touch with the recruitment team. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.
Job description Job responsibilities
This is a unique opportunity for an experienced psychologist to join our severe asthma multi-disciplinary team (MDT). NHS England has provided funding for this new post, in addition to funding for additional members of the MDT, to improve access to severe asthma care for people served by the severe asthma team at Derriford Hospital. This includes increasing uptake of asthma biologics and managing co-morbidity associated with asthma.
The role involves work under the Clinical Health Psychology department of University Hospitals Plymouth (UHP) to provide a highly specialist and high-quality clinical psychology service for adults with severe asthma within the asthma service at UHP.
The role involves responsibility for the assessment and provision of psychological therapy, advice or consultation to patients and professionals within the unit, working autonomously within professional guidelines and to act as a highly specialist resource to the Trust, providing teaching and training where required, supervision to other professionals and to support the development of increased psychological provision within the hospital. The role also involves work collaboratively with other members of the Clinical Health Psychology team who provide input into people with chronic respiratory conditions.
The severe asthma service at UHP is responsible for the assessment and treatment (including asthma biologics) of patients with severe or difficult asthma in West Devon, and works collaboratively with colleagues in Cornwall to provide access to specialist asthma care for people under the care of Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske. The team works as part of the SW asthma network (SWAN) and has links with local and national severe asthma networks.
This is an exciting opportunity to shape the future direction of the service, by closely working with a multidisciplinary team including physicians, specialist nurses, respiratory physiotherapists, pharmacist, SLT/ voice therapists, MDT co-ordinators, and colleagues in allied departments and in the community.
As this is a newly funded post, there will be a focus on service development and monitoring including collection and analysis of data and outcome measures. This will be vital to ensuring the success of the post and the development of the service.
Person Specification
KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE Essential
Demonstrable experience of working as a clinical/counselling psychologist Demonstrable experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for client's psychological care and treatment Proven knowledge of the policy and legislative context of clinical psychologists working in physical health settings Demonstrable experience representing clinical psychology within the multi-disciplinary team and advising staff groups supporting vulnerable individuals Demonstrable experience of undertaking specialist psychological assessments and providing evidence-based interventions, with the ability to work with individuals with complex needs and undertake risk assessments Demonstrable experience of working collaboratively with service users, their families/carers
Desirable
Demonstrable experience of working in multi-disciplinary teams Demonstrable experience of providing clinical supervision to clinical and counselling psychologists Demonstrable experience of working in a hospital environment Highly developed proven knowledge and competency in comparing and contrasting frameworks and approaches used in clinical, counselling, health and applied psychology
QUALIFICATIONS Essential
Post-graduate doctorate in clinical psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) or an equivalent counselling psychology qualification as accredited by the BPS; including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, life span developmental psychology and two or more distinct psychological therapies Active registration as a Practitioner Psychologist with the HCPC.
Desirable
Advanced keyboard skills (physical skills) Post-qualification specialist therapy/assessment training relevant to clinical health psychology Post-qualification training or proven equivalent demonstrable experience in supervision. Other related academic qualifications to Masters or Doctorate level
APTITUDE & ABILITIES Essential
Ability to contain and work with organisational demands in a busy environment and ability to 'hold' the stress of others Ability to tolerate and remain calm in the face of high levels of emotional distress and emotional demands Communicates with diplomacy and assertion with staff from all disciplines An ability to interact effectively with people with physical and or mental ill health and their carers. Ability to assimilate complex information and use reflective/analytical thinking Ability to maintain concentration and sitting position for long periods of time
Desirable
Being comfortable in dealing with uncertainty, lack of control, death and dying Demonstrable experience in undertaking leadership roles within NHS clinical psychology services and contributing to the development, implementation and evaluation of strategies and clinical policies in multi-disciplinary, multi-agency contexts.
DISPOSITION / ATTITUDE / MOTIVATION Essential
Capable of contributing to the development and implementation of policies and service development Ability to act appropriately within professional guidelines and able to initiate action in line with broad policies Ability to work well in a busy environment
Desirable
Record of having published in either peer reviewed or academic or professional journals and/or books Personal experience of receiving formal personal growth facilitation or other forms of psychological therapy
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Address Derriford Hospital
Derriford Road
PLYMOUTH
PL6 8DH
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)