Highly Specialised Clinical Psychologist in Sale

This is a new and exciting opportunity for a Clinical Psychologist with enthusiasm and interest in working with older people to join a friendly and supportive memory assessment service and play an active role in shaping the service offer for individuals with a diagnosed or suspected dementia.

Main duties of the job

• The post holder will conduct a range of psychological and neuropsychological assessments related to the diagnostic process for dementia.
• They will oversee service audit and evaluation projects and contribute to service development activities such as staff training.
• The post holder will work within multidisciplinary environments and contribute actively to team and multi-disciplinary working.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Communication

• Maintain adequate electronic/paper records of clinical activities.
• Provide appropriate statistical returns as required.
• Support auditing of the professional service.
• Maintain correspondence with other professionals regarding clinical work.

Clinical

• Undertake neuropsychological assessments for known or suspected cognitive impairment.
• Develop neuropsychological reports to best understand a person’s cognitive profile and any underlying organic condition.
• Communicate findings to the wider team, the individual and their families.

Clinical & Social Care Governance & Quality

• Ensure compliance with Care Programme Approach requirements.
• Ensure service users and carers receive clear and accurate information on access, records, assessments, care plans, medication, publicity, community resources, complaints, advocacy and related services.
• Promote a service philosophy based on a balanced model of care, recovery and personalisation.
• Establish and maintain quality standards and assurance systems for the service user and carer experience.

Policy/Service Improvement & Development

• Participate in continuous improvement of the service.
• Identify and promote opportunities for local service development and unmet needs.
• Support the ongoing development of Trafford services for individuals with dementia.
• Assist in drafting, implementing and reviewing operational policies and local procedures.
• Contribute to clinically relevant research/audit within MATS.
• Assist in the evaluation of the service.

Financial and Other Resources

• Contribute to purchasing choices and safe management of psychological assessment resources.

Human Resources

• Participate in the team recruitment and selection process.
• Provide management and clinical supervision to junior staff as per policy.
• Ensure junior staff complete annual appraisal and personal development plans.
• Ensure junior staff meet statutory training requirements.

Service User, Carer and Stakeholder Involvement

• Promote a recovery-focused philosophy and personalisation within service user recovery plans.
• Ensure full involvement of service users, relatives, and carers in assessment and care planning.
• Encourage user and carer involvement in staff recruitment, induction and training.
• Encourage user and carer involvement in evaluation and development of services.

Learning, Education and Personal Development

• Take responsibility for own learning and development, including participation in appraisal and supervision.
• Promote a learning environment and culture within the team.
• Contribute to the delivery of multidisciplinary training, including induction of new staff, students and trainees.
• Offer training, consultation and supervision to the wider team.
• Actively participate in existing supervisory structures within MATS and associated services.
• Receive appropriate levels of clinical supervision and attend required meetings.
• Maintain professional registration with the HCPC.

Trust Mandatory On-going Requirements

• Undertake any reasonable duty as requested by a Trust manager.
• Understand and comply with all Trust policies, procedures, protocols and guidelines.
• Support the Trust’s strategic goals.
• Safeguard children and vulnerable adults and adhere to safeguarding principles.
• Observe Equal Opportunities, Equality and Diversity principles.
• Handle information responsibly and maintain high standards of record keeping.
• Promote sustainability and report environmental concerns.
• Take reasonable care of health and safety and report incidents and risks.
• Protect against health-care-associated infections.
• Continue learning and development through appraisal and supervision.

Person specification

Education / Qualifications

• Good honours degree in psychology allowing eligibility for graduate membership of the British Psychological Society (BPS).
• Post-graduate doctorate in clinical or counselling psychology (or equivalence).
• Accredited by the BPS.
• Eligibility to register as a clinical/counselling psychologist with the HCPC.
• Related advanced academic qualifications.
• Additional training in neuropsychology specific to older adults.
• Completion of relevant modules of Accredited Doctoral Clinical / Counselling Psychology Course: Introduction to Supervision Courses (~30 hours) and supported supervision of 1 or more trainees.

Experience

• Specialist psychological and neuropsychological assessment and formulation of clients with dementia and associated mental health problems.
• Experience working within a multidisciplinary team.
• Experience teaching, training and supervision provision to non-psychologists.
• Experience working within a multicultural framework.
• Research experience within an area relevant to older adult service.
• Experience supervising clinical psychology trainees.

Knowledge

• Training and experience in specialist psychological assessment of older adults and those with psychological difficulties in the context of an organic presentation.
• Familiarity with computing technology, word-processing, e-mail and internet software.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation for clinical practice in relation to dementia/cognitive impairment.

Skills and abilities

• Skill in neuropsychological screening assessments.
• Ability to formulate complex clinical problems and guide intervention.
• Skill in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
• Ability to prioritise work, manage a waiting list, meet deadlines in an unpredictable work pattern.
• Ability to work autonomously and as a lone worker in challenging situations.
• Capacity to sustain intense concentration for assessment and formulation.
• Effective written and oral communication skills for sensitive and complex information.
• Ability to teach and train others using varied materials.
• Demonstrated interest in working with older adults and organic conditions.

Important Information about working for GMMH

Our workforce is committed to diversity and inclusion. We actively support candidates from under-represented groups, including BAME, Disabled and LGBT+ communities. All positions require satisfactory pre-employment checks and a DBS Update Service subscription where required. The Trust is a licensed sponsor for the Skilled Worker visa; eligibility may vary by role.