Psychologist

Job Description

Post: Psychologist - West Midlands

Reports to: Therapeutic Manager

Job purpose:

Direct support to Looked After Children and Care Leavers to improve their emotional health and well-being in relation to the Staying Close project, and to provide any additional support identified as needed by statutory services to those with mental health needs.

* Working with children, foster families, residential carers, social workers and multi-disciplinary teams to promote Staying Close.

* Consultative support and training to foster carers and residential staff where there are children in placement who have Staying Close needs.

* Support the development of the Staying Close Service to help meet the needs of staff and young people across the system.

Job Scope: As a Clinical Psychologist you will play a pivotal role in providing emotional support, and expert guidance within a dynamic context. Your responsibilities include facilitating direct support to Looked After Children and Care Leavers to enhance their emotional health and well-being in relation to the Staying Close Project. This role also involves working closely with a range of stakeholders, including, residential carers, and social workers, to ensure the well-being of children and young people in care.

Professional: To establish and maintain a high level of practice and expertise in line with C&F Divisional policies and those of St Christopher's.

Maintenance and Caseload: To be responsible for their own work, subject to supervision from the Therapeutic Manager

Main duties and responsibilities;

1. To provide specialist psychological assessments of clients referred, based upon the appropriate use, interpretation, and integration of information from a variety of sources.

2. To formulate and implement plans for the engagement in the client's mental health needs in relation to Staying Close and employ evidence-based interventions.

3. To evaluate and make decisions about engagement options, taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and any complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.

4. To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, engagement and monitoring of clients in relation to staying close plans.

5. Support young people with their staying close transitions and the provision of individual clinical support.

6. To provide support and training to strengthen the placement of children with Staying Close needs.

7. To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically-based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings and agencies serving the client group. To provide specialist psychological advice guidance and consultation to other professionals, contributing directly to clients' Staying Close plan.

8. To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management.

9. Where appropriate, taking responsibility for initiating planning and review of staying close plans including clients, their carers, referring agents and others involved the network of care.

10. To participate in clinical supervision, ensuring supervision received is appropriate to the therapeutic work being undertaken and is in line with guidelines

11. To liaise and joint work with colleagues, other professionals and agencies as required in relation to both clinical work and the wider agenda of working in partnership within a multi-agency framework.

12. To undertake direct work with children and their carers to prevent breakdown of Staying Close relationships.

13. To develop bespoke therapeutic interventions to meet the assessed needs of children and young people.

14. To help enable children and young people to have more secure attachments through trauma informed practice.

15. To provide a flexible, adaptable and child centred service at all times.

16. Liaise with, promote and models of effective working arrangements with the children's school, and other settings so that Looked After Children and care leavers who need support through their transition can better achieve their potential 17. When needed, help bring together and co-ordinate a team around the child to ensure that a multi-disciplinary approach can achieve improved outcomes for the child in relation to Staying Close

18. Establish, develop and maintain collaborative working with all relevant agencies working to improve outcomes for children allocated to the post holder

19. Actively contribute to team working, supporting colleagues, and taking part in meetings and development events as appropriate

20. To promote equality of opportunity and respect for diversity in line with St Christopher's policies

21. To maintain appropriate and timely records of cases, plans and action taken, in line with existing policies and procedures.

22. Attend and contribute to case discussions/conferences, and other meetings, submitting verbal/written reports as required.

23. To be conversant with relevant legislation 24. To work outside of normal office hours as required, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays if needed

Qualifications

Educated to degree level in a relevant discipline (e.g. Psychology, Psychotherapy)

Experience

A minimum of three years working directly with children, young people and families

Application/CV/Interview Experience of dealing with crisis situations and working with emergency services Application/CV/Interview A minimum of one year's experience of delivering therapeutic interventions

Experience of working in a multi-agency setting