Clinical Associate Psychologist (Qualified) in Peterborough

We are delighted to be recruiting a Clinical Associate Psychologist (CAP) to work in the Psychological Skills Service (PSS). CAPs are a key member of the PSS Team and provide trauma informed and evidence-based psychological assessments and formulation and deliver both individual and group interventions under the supervision of a registered practitioner psychologist. CAPs work semi-autonomously within their scope of practice, supporting individuals with complex and enduring mental health needs.

The Psychological Skills Service was developed as part of the Exemplar project in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS trust (CPFT). CPFT were chosen by NHS England as one of the national exemplar pilot sites for the redesign and transformation of primary and community mental health care. The goal of this transformation project was to develop and deliver a new service paradigm that seeks to provide a more seamless pathway of mental health care and eliminate current gaps between services. The PSS is a trauma informed service, acknowledging that most clients referred to the service have experienced some form of trauma in their lives.

Main duties of the job

• Building relationships with the client with a view to build a therapeutic relationship.
• Deliver therapeutic interventions – individual and group.
• Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team in a range of tasks.
• Effectively communicate the content of their clinical work to supervisors and make use of direct feedback and direction to ensure safety and maximise the effectiveness of their work.
• Consult with relevant external agencies such as primary care, social services, independent and voluntary sector, to facilitate and enable intervention at multiple levels.
• Ensure that risk is assessed and managed following Trust policies and procedures.
• Make independent day to day clinical decisions; judgement and based on detailed psychological assessments, within the scope of practice for Clinical Associate Psychologists.
• Provide written reports and assessments for clients and other agencies, including discharge letters of interventions carried out.
• Work alongside the Clinical leadership team to analyse complex data sets to audit and evaluate the service and ensure safe and effective treatments are provided across the Cambridge Mental Health network.

Person specification

Education/ Qualifications

• Completed BPS [British Psychological Society] accredited CAP apprenticeship training programme including EPA to IFA standards.

Experience

• Experience of specialist psychological assessment, formulation and treatment of clients in adult community settings.
• Experience of working with complex presentations.
• Experience of teaching, training and/or professional and clinical supervision.
• Experience of applying and analysing a range of research approaches including both qualitative and quantitative methods in clinical practice.

Skills & Abilities

• Ability to communicate effectively, share information and check understanding using clear language and appropriate, written materials, making reasonable adjustments where appropriate in order to optimise people’s understanding.
• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, psychological formulation, intervention and management.
• Skills in self-management, including time-management, planning, prioritising, problem solving and reasoning.
• Understand how to analyse and appraise key theoretical concepts of psychological models of treatment both at individual and group level recognised in evidence-based national guidelines.
• An interest in models of service delivery, and an ability to articulate the value added by psychology services within the context of multi-disciplinary services.
• Able to assess limits of professional boundaries and capacity and understand when to seek appropriate supervision/advice on practice and whom to refer to so as to ensure best care.
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.

Other

• Skilled in continuous self-reflection, seeking and responding to support and feedback to develop professional knowledge and skills.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) is dedicated to providing high quality care with compassion. We deliver many of the NHS services that are provided outside of hospital and in the community such as physical, mental health and specialist services. We are a health and social care organisation, offering a wide range of services, including:

• Integrated physical and mental health services for adults and older people;
• Specialist mental health and learning disability services;
• Children’s community services in Peterborough;
• Ground-breaking research.

We strongly encourage applications from all sections of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including disabled people and members of our ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ communities.