Principal Clinical Psychologist in London

We are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic Band 8a (0.7 WTE) for 1 year maternity cover to work with children and teenagers who have cancer and with their families. This is an exciting opportunity to join an experienced multi-disciplinary medical and nursing oncology unit, where leadership, innovation, research, teaching and training are strongly encouraged. The psychology service provides a comprehensive assessment, consultation and support service both internally and externally to the Paediatric and Teenage Units. The role encompasses both clinical and neuropsychological work. This is a very well established psychology team which is growing in size, with excellent professional and compassionate staff, very well supported by our efficient and caring administration team within a cancer Centre of Excellence.

Main duties of the job

• To contribute to the systematic provision of a high-quality specialist clinical psychology service to paediatric oncology patients and to their families, within the working context of the paediatric psychosocial team and within the wider context of the Multi-Disciplinary Team.
• To supervise Band 7 psychologists, Trainee Clinical Psychologists and other clinical members of the team who provide psychologically based care and treatment.
• To work autonomously within professional guidelines.
• To utilise research skills for audit, policy and service development and research.
• To propose and implement policy changes within the paediatric oncology clinical psychology service.
• To provide specialist advice and consultation on patients’ psychological care to non-psychologist colleagues.
• To work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of the psychological practice within the service.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical responsibilities

• In conjunction with the Consultant Paediatric Psychologist, other team members and the wider paediatric multi-disciplinary psychosocial team, contribute to the delivery of a comprehensive clinical psychology service for children and young people with cancer, and their families.
• Providing specialist psychological assessments of children and adolescents with cancer and their families, based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex psychological data from a variety of sources.

Teaching, Training and Supervision

• To receive regular clinical professional supervision from a senior clinical psychologist and, where appropriate, other senior professional colleagues.
• To provide clinical training placements for trainee clinical psychologists, ensuring those trainees acquire the necessary skills, competencies and experience to contribute effectively to good mental health care and to contribute to the assessment and evaluation of such competencies.

Management, Recruitment, Policy and Service Development

• To participate as a senior clinician in the development of a high quality, responsive and accessible service.
• Advising both service and professional management on those aspects of the service where psychological and/or organisational matters need addressing.

Research and Service Evaluation Responsibilities

• To work with the Consultant Paediatric Clinical Psychologist, as a senior clinician, in the evaluation, monitoring and development of the team’s operational policies, through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit and ensuring incorporation of psychological frameworks for understanding and provision of high-quality care.
• To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and in work with other multi-disciplinary team members.

Person specification

Education/Qualifications

• Post-Graduate Doctoral level training in Clinical Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained abroad or prior to 1996), accredited by the BPS.
• HCPC registration as a Clinical Psychologist.
• Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of clinical practice, and attendance at specialist short courses.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development.

Experience

• Experience of working as a qualified clinical psychologist, including post-qualification experience in paediatrics.
• Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the lifespan and presenting with the full range of clinical severity.
• Able to maintain a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems.
• An understanding of the impact of serious ill health on children, young people and their families.
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for patients’ psychological care and treatment, both as a professionally qualified clinician and within a multi-disciplinary team.
• Experience of teaching and training and clinical supervision.
• Theoretical and practical knowledge of neuropsychology.
• Experience of supervising qualified psychologists, trainee clinical psychologists and/or assistant psychologists.
• Experience of conducting research, audits or service evaluations in a clinical setting.
• Experience of working collaboratively within multi-disciplinary teams within a hospital setting, and the ability to form good working relationships.
• Experience of working with children and young people with cancer.
• Significant experience in neuropsychological testing.
• Experience of supervising multi-disciplinary staff.
• Active participation in clinical psychology SIGs or other cross-service forums.

Skills Abilities/knowledge

• Well-developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapy for use in physical health settings, and in difficult to treat groups.
• Knowledge of legislation and implications for clinical practice.
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of highly specialised psychological therapies and assessment methodologies.