Practitioner Psychologist/ Psychological Therapist

Band 7
Job summary
You will be one of a team of six psychologists, working as part of a multidisciplinary service which aims to help individuals to understand and manage persistent pain by developing self-management skills. Psychologically informed practice is key to our service, and you will work closely with other team members to empower people with long-term pain and other health conditions to improve their quality of life. The role involves one-to-one work, and facilitation of both online and face-to-face groups. Individuals may experience other health conditions and mental health issues alongside persistent pain, requiring a multi-faceted approach using a variety of models of therapy.
This is a very exciting time for us as we continue to grow and develop our MDT pain management service across Sussex. The pain service requires creative and innovative psychologists who can help to shape foundations for exceptional care. Working alongside our clinical specialists, you will be key to delivering psychological components within the pain service such as a group Pain Management Programme and one-to-one psychological therapy.
We welcome applications wishing to develop a career within Persistent Pain Services. This is an opportunity for a preceptorship post for a Band 7 to join the service and undertake a development plan with the aim of developing the required competencies for an 8a post.
Main duties of the job
To provide a specialist psychological assessment to adult patients within the Persistent Pain Service.
To provide psychological therapy on a one-to-one and group basis, including within the Pain Management Programme (PMP) to individuals with persistent pain.
To formulate and work with individuals with persistent pain, delivering psychological therapy sessions in a time-limited service and using a variety of therapy models.
To manage self-harm and suicide risk as part of patient assessment and interventions.
To liaise with mental health services, community services, GP practices and other local services about patient care.
To provide specialist advice and consultation to non-psychologist colleagues on patients' psychological care.
To provide training and education in psychological understanding and interventions to colleagues, and where relevant staff in other services and agencies.
To work with the team to develop psychology services within the organisation.
To utilize research skills for audit, policy, service development and research in the use of psychological therapy within the service to ensure the use of evidence based/best practice.
To work autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the service's policies and procedures.
About us
We are the main provider of NHS community services across East and West Sussex. Our 6,000 staff serve a population of 1.3 million providing essential medical, nursing, and therapeutic care to adults and children.
Our Trust vision is to provide excellent care at the heart of the community, helping people plan, manage, adapt to changes in their health, supporting avoidable hospital admissions and reducing hospital stay times.
We have opportunities for everyone across our wide variety of services including medical, clinical, support and corporate services.
Why work for us?

• Positive 2022 NHS Staff Survey results, scoring highly in compassionate culture & leadership, and staff wellbeing support
• Variety of working environments across the community, in patients' homes, within our community hospitals and bases across the county
• Supportive flexible working patterns such as: part time, flexi time, annualised hours, and flexi retirement options
• Excellent training and development opportunities
• Research opportunities
• Cost-effective workplace nurseries in Crawley, Hove and Brighton
• Thriving BAME, Disability and Wellbeing, LGBT+ and Religion and Belief staff networks
• Level 3 accredited Disability Confident Leader, committed to creating inclusive workplaces
• Veteran Aware Trust, achieving accreditation from Veterans Covenant Healthcare Alliance (VCHA)
• Located in stunning Sussex, with easy access to the South Downs and the coast
• Access to a wide range of benefits and discounts for NHS staff

Job description
Job responsibilities
To work with senior psychologist in providing advice, consultation, training and clinical supervision on psychological principles of pain management to other members of the multi-disciplinary team for their provision of interventions provided to help improve clients functioning.
To participate in MDT assessments and meetings.
To contribute advice to the MDT in the formulation of treatment plans and their implementation.
To provide specialist advice and consultation to nonpsychologist colleagues on patients psychological care
To contribute to training and education in psychological understanding and interventions to colleagues, and where relevant staff in other services and agencies
Key responsibilities
To be professionally and legally responsible for all aspects of your own work including the management of patients in your care working within professional guidelines as a fully specialised and autonomous practitioner.
To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and / management of a clients chronic pain problems which often includes mental and physical health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems and employing methods of proven efficacy.
To utilise very highly developed observational skills, psychological flexibility.
To organise this effectively and efficiently with regard to clinical priorities and use of resources in a timely manner.
To make available and enter appropriate information required for the service databases whilst at the same time complying with Trust IT regulations.
Utilise computer literacy skills in order to obtain relevant clinical and service information electronically (where appropriate) and to access knowledge through internet searches and transfer relevant information between relevant parties ensuring compliance with Trust and National guidelines.
To maintain the highest standard of test administration, clinical record keeping and report writing according to professional and Trust guidelines.
To work with existing resources whilst responding efficiently to constant changes that require reprioritisation as necessary.
Main tasks
To assess, treat and manage adult patients presenting with chronic pain. Utilising information from a broad range of psychometric tests, case history and clinical interview and integrating it into a psychological formulation of the clients and psychosocial environment.
To provide specialist psychological assessment for adults referred to the service based upon the interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources.
To contribute towards clinical audit to inform the efficient delivery and the development of the chronic pain service.
To provide specialist advice and consultation to nonpsychologist colleagues on patients psychological care
To work as part of a multidisciplinary team in the delivery of face-to-face and online group Pain Management Programmes
Undertake risk assessment and risk management as appropriate for patients and to provide advice to the MDT on psychological aspects of risk assessment and management.
To utilize research skills for audit, policy, service development and research in the use of psychological therapy within chronic pain to ensure the use of evidence based/ best practice
To work under the supervision of the with band 8 Psychologist
To participate in regular specialist supervision and to provide supervision to other staff working within the services and psychology assistants, fulfilling the requirements of CPD and appropriate governing body
To be flexible with working location this post is based across Sussex, there may occasionally be a requirement to provide cover for the team in other parts of the service.
Staff would be expected to cover at a site other than their main base where circumstances require including providing cover for sick leave.
Candidates will be supported to acquire the knowledge, skills and experience that meet the person specifications for a Band 8a role after a period of 2 years. Where these conditions are met the post holder will be expected to progress to band 8a subject to successful interview.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Post graduate qualification in clinical or counselling psychology (registered with the health professions council) or other core profession (such as mental health nurse or health psychology practitioner) with additional therapy accreditation in NICE guideline evidence based practice (e.g. BABCP).
• Accreditation with relevant professional body: Relevant professional accreditation (HCPC for psychologists and BABCP for CBT therapists)

Desirable

• Post - qualification training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice
• Post qualification experience of working as a psychological practitioner within an NHS context

Experience
Essential

• Experience of assessment and therapy with patients with long term health conditions and co-morbid psychological problems either in a specialist health psychology service, acute hospital, or within an IAPT service/ primary care
• Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team setting and working collaboratively with other disciplines from physical and/ or mental health
• Experience and ability to manage own caseload and time
• Good record of Continuing and Professional Development in accordance with professional body of applicant. Willingness to continue to do this and to demonstrate levels congruent with accreditation/reaccreditation
• Evidence of continued professional development relevant to working within a long-term conditions psychological therapy service
• Have conducted assessments for suitability for treatment, conducted assessments according to service criteria
• Worked in a service with agreed targets to demonstrate clinical outcomes
• Experience of working within NHS psychological therapy services or equivalent
• Experience of offering training and consultation to other staff groups including physical healthcare staff

Desirable

• Experience of using CBT and/or ACT to treat the full range of common mental health problems as well as OCD, phobias and trauma.
• Experience of working psychologically with patients with Long term health conditions or within an MSK pathway
• Received regular supervised practice according to service provision and professional body requirements
• Experience of working within or physical healthcare team as a Psychological Therapist
• Experience of working therapeutically with patients who have Long Term Conditions and/or medically unexplained symptoms
• Experience providing assessment with recommendations for onward referral to other services
• Experience of supporting patients to engage with behaviour change using approaches such as motivational interviewing

Skills
Essential

• Full range of skills and competencies as required for professional accreditation as Psychologist or CBT therapist
• Demonstrates knowledge of research evidence, national guidance and clinical protocols for psychological interventions for patients with long term health conditions
• Computer literate - competent with standard software packages - internet, word, excel, PowerPoint
• Demonstrates high standards in written and verbal communications with ability to adapt style of communication to different professional and non professional groups
• Ability to demonstrate use of robust risk assessment and risk management skills using service protocols and guidance
• Ability to engage with and develop appropriate therapeutic relationships with clients with complex psychological and physical health conditions
• Demonstrates high standard of record keeping, with due regard for NHS Confidentiality, Data Protection and Information governance, abiding by codes of ethics and guidance for good practice of professional body
• Has full understanding of the Ethical Principles and Codes of Practice for own professional body
• Ability to establish good working relationships with local stakeholders [e.g. GPs, Practice Managers, nurse specialists, physicians within primary and secondary care, and with 3rd sector organisations]
• Awareness of how psychological interventions fit into a mental health and physical health referral pathway
• Ability to complete clinical audits
• Can provide additional third wave CBT based interventions such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Compassion Focussed Therapy
• Have skills to train/teach mental health awareness to other members of staff in primary care setting; 3rd Sector, other health care professionals
• Skills in offering consultation and supervision to non-mental health professionals such as nurse specialists, to develop collaborative formulations and treatment plans for patients with complex physical health conditions and co-morbid psychological presentations
• Skills in working effectively within a multidisciplinary setting
• Experience of working therapeutically within a group setting

Other
Essential

• Collaborative approach to working with patients to empower them to manage their health conditions, using a variety of therapeutic approaches such as CBT, ACT or CFT
• High level of enthusiasm and motivation
• Ability to work with a psychological therapies team and within a physical healthcare team and foster good working relationships
• Ability to use clinical supervision and personal development positively and effectively
• Ability to work under pressure and autonomously
• Regard for others and respect for individual rights of autonomy and confidentiality
• Ability to be self-reflective, whilst working with patients, & in own personal and professional development and in supervision
• The ability and skills to act as an advocate for the service, to engage and foster good professional relationships with all health professionals in promoting the good integration of this service with the wider health care system
• Ability to travel to all locations across the locality (public transport is not available to all destinations). If not a car owner/driver, please state how you will travel
• Knowledge of medication used in anxiety and depression and other common mental health problems
• An understanding of the principles of equal opportunities in relation to staff and patients

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Horsham and Crawley Hospitals
Hurst Road
Horsham
RH12 2DR
Employer's website
https://www.sussexcommunity.nhs.uk/work-with-us/ (Opens in a new tab)