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Salary1.1.The postholder will provide strategic Clinical Leadership and direction across the south west region and nationwide in the continual development and provision of excellence in Psychological Therapies for severe mental health problems (PT-SMHP). The postholder will provide psychological expertise on PT-SMHP to support the Chief Psychological Professions Officer (CPPO) of Livewell Southwest and provide Clinical Leadership, regionally and nationally on increasing capacity. To represent the psychology and Psychological Therapies professions within the MHWDU and ensure a systematic governance process of psychological practice supervision throughout the region, such as clinical audit and NICE compliance. To be responsible for ensuring the provision of effective supervision, teaching and training is up to date and available for relevant psychology and psychological therapy staff across the south west To provide professional leadership to psychologists and psychotherapists in lead roles within the PT-SMHP range of therapeutic modalities. The postholder will conduct joint appraisals with those responsible for the operational line management of these clinicians. The postholder will also be responsible (alongside operational line managers) for supporting operational managers and the CPPO with the recruitment of psychologists to senior posts. To promote, offer consultation and hold an overview of psychological research and development projects focused upon PT-SMHP across the South West. Undertake the co-ordination and management of research and development projects. To promote at all times a positive image of people with learning disabilities, mental health or neuropsychological difficulties and of the organisation. To provide overall clinical oversight and direction for the national PT-SMHP offer ensuring that we have the right number of therapists to meet demand for each modality. The post holder will be required to ensure that adequate support mechanisms are in place for all psychologists and psychological therapists who will be exposed to frequent, highly distressing situations in the course of their role. Acting in this capacity, the regional lead will be exposed to this distress, vicariously, and will have overall responsibility for ensuring that clinicians are provided with the support that they need to be able to work safely. In addition, as the regional lead, the post holder will be required to respond to whole workforce issues across the many mental health providers within the south west, group grievances (should they arise), dialogue with unions and to be able to respond to potentially challenging, at times hostile, criticism from within and outside the organisation Clinical Responsibilities, Patient Contact within own specialism. Provides highly specialist psychological assessment of clients based on the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of data from a variety of sources. Formulates plans and implements highly specialist Psychological Therapies and/or management of clients mental health conditions based upon an appropriate conceptual framework and evidence-based practice. Negotiates and adjusts the implementation of such plans with clients and/or their carers. Undertakes highly skilled evaluations and makes decisions about treatment options. Plans individual patient/client care and where appropriate co-ordinates care within the multidisciplinary team and external agencies. Plans individual patient/client care and where appropriate co-ordinates care within the multidisciplinary team and external agencies. Provides expert psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other staff, contributing directly to clients diagnosis, formulation and intervention plan. Provides expert consultation and clinical advice about the psychological care of the clients and families to other health and social care professionals and organisations external to LWSW.Responsible for recognising the potential for or signs of client harm, abuse or neglect, including poor clinical practice. Reports all such concerns and taking all reasonable steps to protect the client. Responsible for identifying and reporting concerns regarding the safeguarding of children or vulnerable adults who may be at risk. Provides expertise and advice to facilitate the effective and appropriate provision of psychological care by all psychology and other healthcare professionals across the south west region. Working within a setting involving unavoidable frequent and direct exposure to verbal aggression and exposure to the hazard of physical aggression by clients, parents, carers and relatives. Work involves sitting in a constrained position for long periods of time in order to carry out therapeutic work. Responsibility for Project Management, Strategic and Service /Business Development Identifies nationwide priorities and advises on the level of psychology provision required to meet needs. Contributes to long-term strategic planning for applied psychology and Psychological Therapies and formulates operational plans for service delivery in conjunction with specific psychology/psychotherapy leads. Monitors implementation and takes action as necessary to ensure targets are met. Advises senior operational and professional management across mental health providers on those aspects of services where improvements could be made at a strategic level. Proposes service developments to enhance good psychological care which may impact on trusts across the region. Supports the MHWDU by ensuring applied psychology and Psychological Therapies contribute where appropriate to the development of new tender submissions for contract renewals or new service development opportunities. Leads the continual development of a high quality, responsive and accessible psychology / Psychological Therapies for SMHP across the whole of the south west, responsible for Undertaking the management of discrete projects across providers. Convenes and chairs the MHWDU Clinical Leads group. Advises senior management within Livewell, the Psychology Leads Group, the Psychological Therapies Governance Group and strategic planning groups such as the Mental Health Strategic Operational Group and the Children and Young people Strategic Operational Group on organisation wide strategic development of the MHWDU. Policy Development Responsible for contributing to the development, implementation and evaluation of policies and procedures which impact on psychological care and culture across all MH providers nationally. Research and Audit Support the CPPO on the governance and development of applied psychological research activity on PT-SMHP (alone or as part of wider research projects) ensuring high quality ethical, regulatory and methodological standards. Maintains an active engagement with current developments in the field of psychology and related disciplines and utilises theory, evidenced-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other team members. Provides leadership in planning and implementing systems for the development, evaluation and monitoring of psychological services and ensures incorporation of psychological frameworks for understanding and provision of high quality care. Support the co-ordination and management of research projects including complex audit and service evaluation, with colleagues within and across the region to help develop and improve services to clients and their families. May undertake formal psychological research and development pertaining to own clinical speciality, on an on-going basis. May provide expert advice and supervision to other staff undertaking research in the service. Staff Management, Training and Development, HR Ensures that all psychologists and psychotherapists delivering PT-SMHP across the south west have access to appropriate professional supervision, appraisal and systems for continuing professional development. Able to provide professional supervision and when appropriate clinical supervision to other senior/consultant psychologists in SCM and MBT. May provide clinical supervision to psychology staff and members of the wider multidisciplinary teams as appropriate. Oversight of the provision of clinical placements for all trainee MHWBP, ensuring that they acquire the necessary skills, competencies and experience to contribute effectively to good psychological practice, liaising with education providers as required. Alongside lead psychologists and therapists provides expert clinical advice, consultation and training to applied psychologists and psychological therapists and across the south west as required. Participate in the development of Job Descriptions within new roles in PT-SMHP Responsible for ensuring systems are in place for the recruitment and retention of psychology posts across these services. Support the Clinical Leads at the MHWDU in ensuring that all psychological therapists within the PT-SMHP services observe relevant legislative requirements. Support the Clinical Leads in (Responsible for) ensuring that all staff within their area of clinical responsibility adhere to professional practice guidelines and that mechanisms are in place to ensure that performance standards are met. Support the Leads in (Responsible for) ensuring the systematic governance of psychological practice within the service. Monitor, respond and review all formal and informal complaints pertaining to psychological therapists capacity. Responsible for ensuring and monitoring that clinicians delivering PT-SMHP across the south west, have access to a psychologically based framework for understanding and offering care to clients, through the provision of expert advice and consultation and the dissemination of psychological research and theory. The full Job Description and Person Specifications can be located in the supporting information section
