7/8A Clinical Psychologist Development Post Nhs Afc: Band 8A

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides specialist mental health, learning disability, and community healthcare services for the population of the Black Country.

Across the whole of the region we provide:

• Adult and older adult mental health services
• Specialist learning disability services
• Mental health services for children and young people
• Community healthcare services for children, young people and families in Dudley

Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was formed on 1 April 2020, with the merger of Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust. Combining resources, strategies and talented workforce enables us to deliver a wider variety of outstanding services that are based on best practice and are continually improving.

We currently employ over 3,500 people and just like the population we serve, we are made up of diverse cultures and backgrounds. Whatever your role, working in a NHS Foundation Trust, like ours, is a demanding and extremely rewarding experience. Knowing that every day you can help to make a positive difference to someone’s life is a very powerful feeling. We know that our Trust runs on this desire to help and support people, and our Trust vision expresses this. Our vision is to improve health and wellbeing for everyone, especially our colleagues to achieve the best possible work/life balance.

We proudly offer supportive, inclusive and family friendly employment and flexible working policies. We have a wide range of professional services and employee networks to help our colleagues be at their best - and find support if they need it. To find more about our staff benefits, please visit our website: blackcountryhealthcare.nhs.uk. 

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and ethnic minority candidates are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Black Country Healthcare we recognise and value all forms of knowledge and expertise, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification or criteria in the job description/person specification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

For further supporting information to help you apply for this role please see documents attached under ‘Additional documents’.

Job overview

We are pleased to offer either a Development Post for a newly qualified Applied Psychologist (Clinical/ Counselling/ Forensic) with an interest in specialist learning disability services, working initially at band 7, working towards the competencies of an 8a. We will accept applications from people who may not have specific LD experience, but a passion to learn and work in LD is essential

You may already be an experienced band 7 psychologist and wish to progress to a Band 8a without the need for the development process.

This post is also suitable for candidates who may already be an 8a psychologist wishing to move from their current post and want to develop their skills in our Community Learning Disabilities Team. This is a multi-disciplinary, community based service serving the Dudley area of the Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

The post-holder will  join a supportive and forward-thinking team of MDT professionals who pride themselves on their commitment to the continual development and improvement of patient care. The team provides services to people with a learning disability experiencing significant mental health needs and/or displaying significant behavioural distress, The team is a part of our stepped care whole pathway model with good links to the Intensive Support Team, Forensic Community Team and Assessment and Treatment Inpatient services as well as a range of regional and local Commissioning services. 

Main duties of the job

The team provides a full range of assessments, interventions, support, training and advice to individuals themselves, their families and paid carers and the network of multi-agency stakeholders who are involved in the care and support of people experiencing complex behavioural and/or emotional distress.

Guided by recovery principles, the team maintains close liaison and pathways with a range of existing and specialist mental health community teams, social support accommodation services and social care agencies across the Dudley area in order to ensure that people with a learning disability and mental health and/or behavioural distress needs are also well supported by the full range of services and opportunities that meet their whole life person centred needs and aspirations.

Working for our organisation

The post-holder will be part of a team committed to MDT working with people with a learning disability. They will bring  experience combining the best of evidence based clinical assessment & formulation with integrative, client centred, therapeutic interventions. They will be skilled in both individual and group work  adapted to match the different intellectual  & emotional abilities within the client group. They will have experience and skills to oversee the performance and development of existing psychological pathways, such as Trauma, PBS and Dementia. There are opportunities to develop new and existing group programmes. The post-holder support in training/supervising others, including practitioners & trainees working within the team at different times.

Psychologists throughout  services across  BCHFT have good links with the full range of Doctoral Psychology courses at the Universities of Birmingham, Coventry and Warwick and Wolverhampton. Key staff are closely involved with Research and Innovation. CPD and supervision for all grades of staff is highly valued. Psychological professionals are thoroughly integrated at all levels in the quality, governance and service development infrastructure of the Trust.

 We look forward to receiving applications from HCPC registered Applied Psychologists who can demonstrate the breadth and depth of experience required for this role

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To ensure high quality, specialist psychology provision to people with a learning disability with complex mental health needs and/or displaying significant behavioural distress . Working within community settings in the Dudley locality.
• To offer advice, specialist psychological assessment/intervention and or consultation and supervision on this client group’s psychological care either directly with the client or indirectly with their systemic support networks.
•  Liaise with psychology colleagues, non-psychology colleagues, external agencies and other non-professional carers regarding client's psychological support needs .
• To perform an important leadership role and work alongside MDT colleagues within and across the settings.
• To work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for systematic governance of psychological practice within the service. To propose and implement policy changes with the areas served by the service.
• To utilise doctoral level research skills for audit, policy and service development and research. To supervise research carried out by Assistant and Trainee psychologists.
• Guided by the person centred Transforming care principles of the recovery model ensure that people with a learning disability and additional support needs are safely supported by the full range of services and opportunities that meet their whole life needs and aspirations, in the least restrictive context.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Qualifications
• Working with a learning disability population
• Experience of assessment, formulation and intervention
• Experience of a range of evidenced-based therapeutic interventions e.g. CBT, Third Wave models, Systemic therapy

Desirable criteria

• Post graduate training

** Please Note that Internal at Risk Employees will be given preference for this position**

We reserve the right to bring the closing date forward for this vacancy at any time should we receive an overwhelming response of applications. We therefore encourage applicants to apply early if you wish to be considered for this post.

If you do not hear from the recruitment 4 weeks within the advertised closing date please assume that you have been unsuccessful at the shortlisting stage. Please ensure that you check your emails on a regular basis for any recruitment updates regarding this vacancy. If you are not successful at the shortlisting stage and would like feedback, please contact the Recruitment Team directly for feedback. 

The salary range quoted is as per NHS Agenda for Change pay structures. This is based on the number of years’ working directly within the NHS at the advertised pay band. Experience gained with other NHS Trusts will apply, but candidates without prior experience working direct for the NHS would normally be appointed at the lowest point unless they can demonstrate the equivalent experience and then be eligible for incremental increases in future years.

Successful applicants for clinical posts up to and including Band 4 are expected to hold the national Care Certificate qualification and will be supported to attain this once in post.

The Trust is committed to equal opportunities, providing opportunities for flexible working and is a non-smoking organisation.

As a Trust we are passionate about Anti-Racism, Disability Inclusion, and LGBTQ+ Equality, and are committed to diversifying our staff team in all areas and at all levels of seniority to better reflect the diverse communities we serve. Therefore, we particularly welcome and encourage applications from people who belong to a minority or marginalised community, including from Black and Asian, Disabled (including hidden disabilities such as Neurodiversity, Mental Health, etc), or Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans or Queer (LGBTQ+) people.    

Furthermore, Disabled applicants have the option of requesting that their application is considered under our Guaranteed Interview Scheme (GIS). Please indicate your intention to apply under the GIS in the relevant section of your application. Regardless of whether you participate in the scheme or have shared a disability, you will be provided the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments to the interview process at each stage of the recruitment process.

Due to the nature of the work some posts may be subject to a Standard Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, through the Disclosure and Barring Service as stipulated under part V of the Police Act 1997. Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar you from working with us; this will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances of your offences.