Principal Clinical/Counselling Psychologist

Principal Clinical/Counselling Psychologist for Specialist Parenting Assessment Centre
Service | Tyre Hill House (Family Assessment Centre)
Hours | 22.5 p/week
Salary | £58,792 - £68,522 pro rata (depending on experience and qualifications)
Base | Tyre Hill House, Welland Road, Hanley Swan, Malvern, WR8 0EQ

Job Purpose

Rees Parenting Support and Assessment Services are opening Tyre Hill House, a residential Family Assessment Centre in Malvern, Worcestershire and we are seeking to appoint a Principal Clinical / Counselling Psychologist to provide specialist clinical leadership for care experienced parents undertaking a residential parenting assessment

Tyre Hill House is set in over a hundred acres of rural countryside and provides a unique setting which reflects our trauma informed therapeutic ethos. You will be responsible for coordinating and providing specialist assessment, formulation, consultation, training and supervision. You will be responsible for clinical governance within the centre and provide risk management recommendations

You will work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for their practice whilst utilising research skills for audit, policy and service development. You will contribute to policy development and assess the needs of service users, suggesting areas for development. The post will involve working alongside multi-disciplinary colleagues to ensure effective implementation of best practice.

Duties & Responsibilities

Communication and Key Working Relationships

Key Relationships

• Directors
• Responsible Individual (Head of Service)
• Registered Manager
• Social Workers
• Family Support Workers
• Families
• Local Authorities
• Family Courts

To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and intervention plans of families within the home and to monitor and evaluate progress during their stay. Develop and maintain effective multi-agency communication and pathways

Ensure that senior staff are kept appropriately informed of high risk or highly complex situations which might affect the integrity of the service. To work with the Registered Manager and advise regarding service priorities and effective implementation of best practice guidelines.

To liaise with other disciplines and agencies, as appropriate, to ensure best practice is shared.

Planning and Organisation

• Provide supportive feedback to senior colleagues to identify training needs which can then allow the development of an overall training and development strategy for the service.
• To organise and undertake teaching and training in relevant practice as agreed with the senior management team.
• To participate as the lead clinician in the development of a high quality, safe, responsive and accessible service including advising management on those aspects of service provision where psychological and/or organisational matters need addressing or could be improved.
• To ensure that all members of the clinical team have access to a highly specialist evidence- based framework for understanding and care of children and families, through the provision of advice and consultation and the dissemination of specialist research and theory.
• To organise and undertake teaching and training in relevant skills as agreed with the senior management team.
• To develop a personal professional development plan in collaboration with the Registered Manager, to be updated annually, and to participate in an annual review process for all staff.
• To fully observe relevant professional practice guidelines.
• To participate in professional meetings, as appropriate, and in discussion with the Registered Manager.

Analytics

• To support the development of operational policies relating to service provision for children and families through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit and ensuring the incorporation of evidence-based frameworks to aid understanding and the provision of high-quality care.
• To maintain and further develop high standards of service delivery within the centre through co-operative work with colleagues and through audit/supervision. Application Pack | 08
• To participate in and promote clinical audit within the service.
• To engage families enabling feedback and consultation to co-produce service delivery

Responsibility for Clinical Care

• To be responsible for developing and leading a highly specialist residential assessment service for children and families where there are significant concerns around parenting risk.
• To provide highly specialist advice on the assessment, care planning and therapeutic interventions for children and families within the home, including risk assessment and management.
• To provide highly specialist direct assessments and interventions to children and families within the home based on a comprehensive formulation of their needs and which employs methods of proven efficacy.
• To provide highly specialist advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals involved in delivering care to children and families within the home.
• To liaise with appropriate professionals and to contribute to multi-disciplinary case discussions/ planning meetings.
• Be responsible and accountable for the centre’s Clinical Governance.
• Ensure that standards of care are maintained in line with national and local guidelines.

Responsibility for Finance, Equipment and Other Resources

• To recommend resources, books, activities, training for staff to support professional development and continuously improve practice.

Responsibility for Supervision, Leadership & Management

• Provide line management as directed by the Registered Manager.
• Supervise Psychology trainees completing clinical training placements within the centre.
• To supervise and support the assessment and intervention provided by other clinical members of the team, providing evidence-based care and treatment to service users.
• To provide specialist supervision, consultation, and training to members of teams working with service users.
• Provide leadership to the team to ensure that high standards of practice are maintained and developed, in accordance with individual roles and responsibilities as well as the overall effectiveness of the team.
• Provide annual appraisal (Career Conversations) and personal development plans (PDPs) for staff, or delegate and ensure a system is in place to monitor this.
• To provide specialist supervision to practitioners, trainees and other professionals, as appropriate.
• To receive regular clinical and management supervision in an agreed and appropriate format.
• To performance manage and challenge clinical practice where necessary
• Support the Registered Manager when communicating difficult decisions, embedding new practice or change management.

Information Resources & Administrative Duties

• To carry out such other clinical and administrative duties as may be agreed with the Registered Manager.
• Regularly recording information into internal databases.
• Deal with email communication as some may have an urgent response time.

Any Other Specific Tasks Required

• The post will involve a combination of sitting, standing and walking and will require sitting in a restricted position whilst performing assessments.
• There is a frequent requirement for sitting in a restricted position in a) clinical settings e.g. observing and interacting with children and families and b) in the office e.g. at a workstation

Person specification

This is a specification of the Qualifications, Skills, Experience, Knowledge, Personal Attributes and Other Requirements which are required to effectively carry out the duties and responsibilities of the post (as outlined in the Job Description)

Qualifications/Training

Required

• Doctoral Clinical Psychology qualification or equivalent level qualification in another psychological profession.
• Registration with the relevant provisional body such as the Health Care Professions Council.
• Highly developed In-depth knowledge of specialist therapeutic assessment and interventions with the client group.
• Doctorate level knowledge of research design and data analysis
• Knowledge of legislation and its implications for clinical practice and professional management, including complex child protection issues.
• Knowledge of the role & functions of other agencies & departments.

Desirable

• Relevant specialist CPD qualification (Diploma/ Masters etc.) for example specialist therapy training.
• Management/leadership training/ qualification.
• Clinical supervision training.
• DDP (Therapeutic Parenting) or Trauma Informed Practice.
• Restorative Practice Training

Skills/Abilities

Experience

• Significant specialist post qualification experience in the field of looked after children and relational trauma.
• Previous management and leadership experience in a clinical service
• Experience of work across service settings and agencies.
• Clinical and audit work within specialist area.
• Teaching/training with a range of staff and other professions.
• Supervision experience with all grades of staff.
• Experience of managing risk and informing/ producing safety plans for children or families.
• Experience of Service Development/Project Work.
• Consultancy work in multi-professional settings.
• Research and Development work in specialist area.
• Experience of leading and delivering quality improvement/service development projects.
• Experience of informing or completing parenting assessments.

Skills & Abilities

• Advanced assessment and formulation skills.
• Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the relevant professional body.
• Change and project management techniques.
• Effective communication with colleagues at all levels within the organisation and external organisations.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively with staff, service users and external agencies, remaining sensitive and empathetic.
• Listens to others’ views respecting and valuing individual needs.
• Excellent organisational skills, ability to manage own time and plan timed activities.
• Ability to recognise and manage challenging situations in a calm and professional manner.
• Able to take instruction and direction and work effectively as part of a team.
• Ability to record and retrieve information on paper/electronic records as appropriate.
• High standards of written communication skills with the ability to use email and internet.
• Able to provide constructive ad effective feedback and challenge.

Communication Skills

• Evidence of a good standard of Literacy / English language skills
• Effective team player with good leadership, communication and negotiation skills

Planning & Organising Skills

• Well organised with good administration skills.
• Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and ability to “hold” the stress of others.

Professional & Personal Skills

• Ability to function with a wide range of professionals and stakeholders in a complex multi-agency context.
• Empathy/engagement skills with the client group and colleagues.
• Ability to work independently.
• Self-awareness and emotional reliance.
• Skills in clinical supervision.
• Consultancy skills to other professions/ agencies.
• Ability to sit in a restricted position for long periods of time maintaining continuous, intense concentration, in working with challenging people and their families.
• Compassionate - Open minded, treats colleagues and service users with dignity and respect.
• Intuitive and caring nature.
• Act in ways that support equality and diversity.
• Advanced use of judgement and analytical skills in interpreting overall health service policy and strategy in order to establish goals and standards.

Other

• Willingness to use technology to improve standards of care and support to our patients.
• Working to professional guidelines.
• Full UK driving licence.
• Record of having published in either peer reviewed or academic or professional journals/books.

How to apply

Please send your CV with an accompanying letter explaining how your skills and experience meet the requirements of the post as detailed within the application pack via email to: darren.beattie@tyrehillhouse.co.uk before the advertised closing date

You will be required to complete an application form if you are shortlisted

If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of applying, unfortunately on this occasion you have been unsuccessful.

If you are shortlisted, you will be invited to complete a range of activities including a formal interview. All information provided on your application form and at interview will be closely checked and should you be successful, an enhanced DBS check will be carried out

You are warmly invited to call Darren Beattie (Service Manager) on 07724 601276, should you require any further information or would like an informal chat.