Clinical Psychologist - Bariatric Surgery

We are excited to be able to offer this new post within the Homerton Bariatric Service to a committed and compassionate psychology clinician. You will be joining a diverse MDT alongside the principal psychologist and assistant psychologists to support the development and delivery of the psychology assessment and treatment pathways for this well-established bariatric centre. You will be supporting a diverse and complex population of patients accessing surgical treatment for obesity. The role necessitates excellent communication and MDT working skills, a knowledge of clinical governance principles and their application, an understanding of the impact of weight-based stigma and the desire to advocate for and support patients through clinical work and the implementation of well-designed processes.

We will actively support the successful candidate to develop their own interests and there are a number of training opportunities at the Homerton Hospital, including membership of a Trust-wide neuropsychology and clinical health network, and special interest group meetings and conference attendance. You will be able to contribute to research, supervision of clinical psychology trainees, and service development.

The post holder will work alongside other psychology professionals to provide a qualified specialist psychology service to the Bariatric service. The post holder will:

• Provide specialist psychological assessment, formulation and therapy; in particular they will be competent to deliver high quality ACT/CBT interventions individually and in group formats.
• Offer advice and consultation on patients' psychological care and management to colleagues from other disciplines, working autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the team's policies and procedures.
• Utilize research skills for audit, policy and service development and research within the area served by the team/service.

Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a high performing and flourishing organisation serving the population of Hackney, East London, The City and beyond. We are extremely proud of the fact that Homerton Hospital has recently attained the highest possible rating of "Outstanding" from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Our integrated Trust provides comprehensive hospital and community health services for its local population and a range of specialist services for a wider group of patients. In addition, the Trust manages services out of St Leonard's Hospital and the Mary Seacole Nursing Home.

Homerton aims to ensure equality and value diversity, and we are committed to inclusion for all of our staff. This is reflected in our policies, procedures and People Plan. All of our staff are expected to embody our Trust values at all times. We are also committed, through our Fair Recruitment Standards, to ensuring all applicants are treated fairly. Homerton has a proud tradition of supporting and developing its staff, including its well-regarded and valued nursing community, and all staff are able to take advantage of a great range of benefits. Homerton is proud to have been included on the HSJ & Nursing Times Best Places to Work list.

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required.

Essential qualifications include:

• Doctorate in Counselling Psychology and eligibility for BPS CPsychol (Chartered Psychologist).
• Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (or equivalent for those trained prior to 1996).
• BPS statement of Equivalence and eligibility for BPS CPsychol (Chartered Psychologist) or Accredited training as a CBT Therapist.
• Full registration: HCPC (Psychologists and Arts Therapists), BABCP, UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).
• Three or more supervised clinical placements (including health psychology and mental health specialisms) and research skills.

Desirable qualifications include further training or qualifications in specialised areas of psychological practice relevant to the post, e.g., supervision, therapeutic models used in complex weight management, bariatric surgery.

Essential skills include:

• Skills in working across multidisciplinary settings.
• Highly-developed skills in effective communication of highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information.
• Skills in providing advice and consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
• Competence in advanced IT packages and virtual consultation programmes.
• Ability to act as a specialist psychology professional and work autonomously.
• Ability to provide a culturally-competent and non-stigmatizing service.

Essential experience includes:

• Experience of working with a wide variety of patient groups across the whole life course.
• Evidence of continuing professional development relevant to the specialty.
• Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.
• Experience of delivering group work and teaching or training other staff.
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for patients' psychological care and treatment.

Essential knowledge includes:

• Knowledge of confidentiality issues and long-term health conditions.
• Knowledge of key NHS policy developments for patients living with obesity.
• Working knowledge of practices and approaches of other key disciplines involved in care and management.
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the specialism and mental health.
• Knowledge of research design and methodology.

Understanding and demonstration of the Trust Values, commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and ability to manage organisational stress are essential.