Specialist Clinical/Counselling Psychologist in Reading

We would welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for Band 7 roles who can demonstrate an interest in neuropsychology and would be interested in developing towards 8A. We are seeking a motivated and compassionate Specialist Clinical / Counselling Health Psychologist to join our Acute Stroke Unit and Outpatient Neuropsychology team. The successful candidate will be working on the 30-bed Acute Stroke Unit at the Royal Berkshire Hospital main site (0.35WTE) and within our Outpatient Neuropsychology clinic at 25 Erleigh Road (0.1WTE). You will be supported by the Principal Psychologist to manage a clinical caseload and contribute to service delivery.

The postholder will be part of the vibrant and supportive Clinical Health Psychology Service at Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which also covers ICU, Haematology, Pain, Diabetes, Gastroenterology, Bariatrics, Inpatient Neurorehabilitation ward and Cancer Services. This exciting role is jointly commissioned by Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust and Royal Berkshire Foundation Trust.

Main duties of the job:

• You will offer (neuro)psychological assessment and intervention to adults with stroke. This will include undertaking cognitive and mood screening, more detailed neuropsychometric testing, brief psychological interventions, guidance around behaviour management, assessments of mental capacity, psychological support for families, and staff training.
• In our Outpatient Neuropsychology clinic at 25 Erleigh Road you will provide detailed neuropsychometric assessments of adults with cognitive and emotional difficulties with a suspected neurological aetiology. This includes a wide variety of neurological conditions, including acquired brain injuries, neurological illness, and neurodegenerative disorders.

The goal of your input will be around differential diagnosis, treatment planning, directing patients to appropriate services, and providing guidance around cognitive and emotional rehabilitation.

About us:

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC, we are committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we are committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:

• Caring for and about you is our top priority
• Committed to providing good quality, safe services
• Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:

• Flexible working options to support work-life balance
• 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
• Excellent learning and career development opportunities
• 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
• Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
• Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
• Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
• Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
• Free parking across Trust sites

Job responsibilities:

The must haves for this role:

• Doctoral qualification in clinical or counselling psychology.
• Experience of specialist assessment and formulation and treatment of adults in inpatient and/or community physical health settings.
• Relevant experience of working with people affected by cancer.
• HCPC registration.

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification. We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.

If you are someone who shares our passion for excellence and care, you belong at Berkshire Healthcare! We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics. Reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled applicants where required.

Person Specification:

Education/Qualifications/Training:

• Post graduate doctorate in clinical or counselling psychology (or equivalent for those who trained prior to 1996 or for those who completed their training overseas).
• Registration with Health Care Professional Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist (Clinical/Counselling).
• (Eligibility for) Chartered Membership of British Psychological Society (BPS).
• Additional training and accreditations (or working towards these) in relevant therapeutic approaches or psychological models to reflect post qualification interests/specialism (e.g., specific therapy models, Health Psychology, Neuropsychology etc.).
• Clinical supervision training for doctorate psychology trainees (BPS Registered course) and other qualified clinicians.
• Continuous Professional Development.
• Evidence of post-qualification training and expert knowledge in multiple psychological models and therapeutic approaches relevant to the post and service area.
• Comprehensive and up to date knowledge of the current evidence-base and developments within the area of specialism.
• Training, and where relevant, accreditation in clinical supervision.

Previous Experience:

• Demonstrable post qualification experience working as a qualified specialist practitioner in the area of specialism.
• Experience of dealing with highly distressing or emotional circumstances, such as serious mental illness, child and sexual abuse, exploitation, and complex family dynamics.
• Experience of delivering interventions across different modalities (e.g. individual, group and systemic-based approaches).
• Experience of working effectively in multi-disciplinary team and multi-agency environments.
• Experience of providing specialist advice and consultation to multi-disciplinary and multi-agency colleagues to support the psychological care of service users.
• Experience of providing effective clinical supervision, mentoring and leadership to junior staff.
• Experience of developing and delivering teaching to a range of staff groups.
• Experience of carrying out clinical audit, evaluative research and applying the findings.
• Experience of service evaluation, quality improvement work and of implementing change from this and from a national and local health or social care change agenda that impacts across services and professions.
• Experience of working with and addressing issues of diversity, including experience of working with diversity, multiculturalism, and equality of access to service.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Demonstrable knowledge, skills and abilities in the practice of highly specialised assessment, formulation and intervention, relevant to the specialist modality and service area.
• Up to date knowledge of evidence, theory, research, policy and legislation in relation to the service area.
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
• Well-developed verbal and written communication skills enabling the sensitive communication of complex, technical and/or sensitive information to multiple stakeholders both within and outside the NHS.
• Well-developed interpersonal skills with the ability to support, influence and engage with clinicians, stakeholders and service users to create change and improvement.
• The ability and skills to act as an advocate for the service, to engage and foster positive relationships with all health professionals in promoting the good integration of the service within the wider health care system.
• Advanced IT skills and the ability to navigate various systems and software packages (such as RiO, Outlook, databases, MS Office/Teams, One Consultation and the Internet).

Additional Requirements:

• Able to work flexibly around working patterns as required.
• Ability to travel independently between locations in Berkshire to fulfil the requirements and duties of the position.
• 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.

£55,690 to £62,682 a year per annum, pro rata.