Principal (Applied) Psychologist | Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust in Milton Keynes

Are you an experienced clinician looking for a new challenge and to shape the future of psychological care in Milton Keynes CAMHS? Milton Keynes CAMHS is a Tier 3 specialist multi-disciplinary service, incorporating the Single Point of Access (referrals), Core CAMHS (with a mood and anxiety pathway), and an ADHD pathway. The specialist service works closely with the Liaison & Intensive Support (crisis and home treatment) team, Mental Health Support Team (schools-based support), and the Looked After Children service, as well as other partners in education, social care and the third sector.

The Principal Psychologist will join a Lead Consultant Psychologist and a Consultant in Looked After Children team, and Senior Psychologists as well as Family, Arts, CBT and EMDR therapists in delivering specialist psychological care to a diverse range of young people with moderate to severe mental health difficulties and their carers and networks. With other operational staff, the post holder will contribute to the development and delivery of psychological care; overseeing pathways and waiting lists, innovating where flexibility and creativity are required, and supporting and developing staff in a containing and empowering way.

They will play a key role in the strategic development of services, translating policy into practice and ensuring high quality of care. To develop, co-ordinate and ensure the systematic provision of a psychology service to children and young people (CYP) with mental health difficulties, and personally provide highly specialist clinical input, predominantly in core CAMHS but also across the whole service.

To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment. To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate, functioning as a lead specialist in CAMHS. To ensure that systems are in place and working effectively for the clinical and professional supervision and support of other psychological staff within CAMHS. To undertake service evaluation, audit, research and policy development.

To work as an autonomous professional within BPS and HCPC guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by principles and policies or procedures of the service, taking responsibility for interpreting policies within defined parameters. To agree outcomes/results with clinical/professional lead and to decide how they are best achieved.

To develop, co-ordinate and ensure the systematic provision of a highly specialist psychology service to CAMHS. To provide highly specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions for clients in CAMHS including working with high levels of acuity and risk, and experience of working with the interface between physical and mental health. To provide a lead role in the ongoing development of trauma informed care and recovery oriented practice for young people.

To work in conjunction with the inpatient wards and community services to ensure seamless patients’ pathways and rapid assessments of service users’ needs. We are passionate about delivering first-class patient-centred, safe and effective care, whether it is in a hospital setting, in a community clinic or in the patients own home. Patients are at the heart of everything we do.

Providing top quality care depends on our ability to employ the best people. We're always looking to recruit outstanding people who will go the extra mile to support our patients, colleagues, teams and the Trust. With every new employee we're hoping to find our future leaders and we'll support our staff by providing opportunities to develop your career.

With a diverse culture and equally diverse range of opportunities across mental health, community services, addictions, eating disorders, learning disabilities and more whatever stage of your career you're at, there's always a place for you at CNWL.