Clinical Psychologist in Milton Keynes

Are you an experienced clinician looking for a new challenge and the opportunity to lead the development of psychological care delivery in Milton Keynes CAMHS? An exciting opportunity has arisen for a fixed term contract to cover for maternity leave. Our multi-disciplinary, clinician‑lead team is looking for applications from highly motivated and enthusiastic Applied Psychologists with experience in CAMHS, who are committed to delivering specialist, multi‑disciplinary, patient-focused care and provide person‑centred treatments.

Main duties of the job:

• We are looking for a qualified and highly motivated Clinical Psychologist.
• Successful applicants will be responsible for the provision of specialist psychology services to children & young people meeting eligibility criteria for CAMHS.
• They will provide specialist psychological assessment of people referred to the service and deliver evidence‑based individual and group treatment to outpatients.
• Successful applicants will support the leadership structure within the team through participation in clinical risk management, audit, service evaluation and research.

About us:

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 are hoping to find our future leaders and well 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.

As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

Job responsibilities:

• To provide a specialist Clinical Psychology service to children and families within the MK Specialist CAMHS.
• To undertake high quality direct (assessment and therapeutic) and indirect (consultative, advisory and evaluative) specialist psychological interventions taking substantial professional responsibility.
• To undertake psychologically based risk assessment and risk management for relevant clients and to provide advice on the psychological aspects of risk to the multi‑disciplinary team.
• To ensure the clinical effectiveness of own practice and of service functioning by undertaking audit, research and development activities relevant to the service area.

Person Specification:

• Current registration with HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist.
• Doctoral level training in clinical/counselling psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology, as accredited by the BPS.
• Post‑doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice (e.g. CBT, Behaviour Therapy, DBT), and family based interventions such as parenting work.
• Pre‑qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
• Post‑qualification of DBT Intensive Training and/or trauma training.

• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and inpatient settings.
• Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
• Demonstrate additional specialist training/experience including having practiced as a specialist clinical/counselling psychologist, and having received regular supervision from an appropriately qualified Clinical Psychologist; or met alternative criteria agreed by the Consultant Lead Clinical Psychologist.
• Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients.

• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
• Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non‑professional groups.
• Doctorate level knowledge of psychological research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
• Knowledge of child/young people legislation, safeguarding children & its implications for both clinical practice & professional management in relation to the client group & mental health.
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc).
• Able to conduct ADHD assessments.
• High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.

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.