Job Description
37.5 hours per week
Salary 22-24k
To be based at St Cyril’s Rehabilitation Unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital, commencing as soon as possible.
This post is best suited to someone who has been an Assistant Psychologist before within a rehabilitation or neuropsychology setting, or related experience.
An exciting opportunity to work in the independent sector as part of a committed and growing service. Have a look at our website www.impressiongroup.org
This post will support two qualified clinical psychologists in providing psychological assessment and intervention for people who have acquired brain injury within an inpatient rehabilitation setting.
There are also potential opportunities within the service to work with adults with learning disabilities and autistic spectrum disorders, both within a nurse-led unit and also in a domiciliary care setting, if this would be of interest.
The Assistant will work under the supervision of the Clinical Psychologists and will also work as part of the multi-disciplinary team of professionals. This is an exciting opportunity to develop skills in neuropsychological assessment and therapy, and gain experience of working with individuals, and their families. Join our lovely, friendly and professional team!
Closing date for applications Friday 17th February 2023
Interviews will be held on Thursday 2nd March 2023.
JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB TITLE: Assistant Psychologist
ACCOUNTABLE TO: Manager of the Unit.
LIASES WITH: Other team members of the multi-disciplinary team, and members of other disciplines and agencies responsible for a client’s care
JOB SUMMARY
- To assist with psychological assessments to patients, who present with complex emotional, psychological, behavioural and neuropsychological needs, within Impression Health and Support.
- To assist with psychological assessment, therapy and rehabilitation across the ABI services.
- To offer advice and consultation under the supervision of the Clinical Psychologist about patients psychological care to non-psychologist colleagues and to other non-professional carers.
- To work within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the psychology development plan and the unit’s policies and procedures.
- To assist in the development and implementation of a developing staff training programme, as appropriate.
- To utilise research skills for audit, policy and service development where appropriate.
WORKING ENVIRONMENT
The post holder will work on a variety of units at St Cyril’s Rehabilitation Unit offering a wide variety in clinical experience. There are a mixture of both rehabilitation and long-term neurological care wards. You will work as part of a valued and highly regarded therapy team, which provides lots of opportunity for joint working and learning from colleagues. There are regular multi-disciplinary meetings to maximise team working and progressing clients’ rehabilitation journeys, and there are opportunities for individual and group therapies within the ward environment. The post holder is expected to maintain professionalism and awareness of the risk assessments for patients, themselves and other colleagues, at all times. You will receive regular supervision from the Clinical Psychologist and have opportunities to gain support between supervision sessions as required. There will also be opportunities to shadow their work.
KEY RESULT AREAS
1. Clinical
To be involved with initial assessments around care needs, capacity and clinical goal setting when clients are admitted into the
Service (with support as required).
To assist with specialist psychological assessments of clients in the service based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the client’s care.
To assist with intensive and long-term therapeutic interventions within a clinical environment with individuals who present with complex emotional and psychological needs and who present with risk factors.
To assist with risk assessment and risk management for individual clients under the supervision of Clinical Psychology and to disseminate this information, as and when appropriate.
To offer emotional support and psychoeducation to family members of clients in our care as required.
2. Teaching, Training and Supervision
To receive regular clinical and professional supervision provided by Clinical Psychology.
To develop skills in training non-psychology colleagues, and provide guidance, consultation and support to other MDT staff as appropriate.
To engage in opportunities for continuing professional development, to build on skills relevant to the field of clinical psychology, rehabilitation or neuropsychology.
2. Management, Recruitment and Service Development
To manage own workload appropriately, under supervision, and to meet deadlines within the framework of the services policies and procedures.
To be involved as appropriate in supporting Assistant Psychology colleagues in other parts of the service.
To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the therapy team’s operational policies and services, through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit as required.
4. Research and Service Evaluation
To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual and group work and work with other team members.
To undertake appropriate research and provide research advice to other staff undertaking research.
To assist with project management, including complex audit and service evaluation, with colleagues within the service to help develop service provision.
5. General
Working in a demanding clinical environment, where there is a need to be able to work flexibly and as a team player.
To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the post holder’s professional and service manager(s) in line with the priorities of the service, and to provide evidence of CPD undertaken. It is important to disseminate feedback about any training.
To contribute to the development and dissemination of best practice in psychology across the service, by continuing to develop the skills of a reflective scientist practitioner, taking part in regular professional supervision and appraisal and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the relevant clinical field of neuropsychology.
To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies, in relation to both the client groups and mental health.
To keep up to date records of clinical contacts and correspondence within patient’s records, at all times.
To take responsible care for the Health and Safety of self and others who may be affected by his or her omissions at work.
To cooperate with the employer in so far as is necessary to enable that duty or requirement to be performed or complied with.
To be aware that no person shall intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse anything provided in the interest of Health and Safety or Welfare.
To be aware that all information relating to patients and staff gained through your employment with Impression Health and Support is confidential. Disclosure to any unauthorised person is a serious disciplinary offence.
To ensure that work is conducted in accordance with Impression Health and Support Equality and Diversity Strategy and to contribute to its development.
To make full use of IT packages available within the work area, for example, Microsoft Office, E-mail, Internet and statistical packages.
Person Specification
JOB TITLE: Assistant Psychologist
TRAINING & QUALIFICATIONS
A 2:1 or above Honours degree in psychology with GBR status.
Undergraduate training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
Undertaking or completing an MSc in a related area of psychology, e.g. health, counselling, neuropsychology, forensic, or research methods, etc.
Inspection of degree and other certificates
EXPERIENCE
Experience of working as an Assistant Psychologist with clients with a range of complex needs, including ABI, within a rehabilitation or neuropsychology setting.
An ability to demonstrate a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems.
Experience of neuropsychological assessment, and an interest in developing these skills and being confident in becoming familiar with new assessment tools.
Experience of working in other clinical settings as an Assistant Psychologist for example mental health, or physical health settings.
Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.
Interview
CV
Knowledge of psychological assessment, including risk assessment, and assessment of capacity, intervention and management.
Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues.
Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
High level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practised within the clinical fields of psychology.
Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies and how these can be used flexibly to work with clients with cognitive or communication difficulties.
Knowledge of functional analysis and the implementation of positive behavioural support (PBS) plans.
Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health (e.g. Mental Capacity Act and the Mental Health Act).
PERSONAL
Exceptional interpersonal skills and an ability to connect with people who may have cognitive and/or communication difficulties.
Ability to sustain intense levels of concentration, responding and participating as required when working with clients.
.
Ability to self-reflect and use clinical supervision appropriately.
Ability to cope and deal with highly distressing and emotional circumstances.
Ability to practice effective self-care.
Ability to work intensively, on a regular basis with individuals who present with levels of risk and complex needs.
Ability to work within the context of a secure and/or open rehabilitation environments.
To enjoy, and be good at team working.
Knowledge of reflective models of thinking.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent, Graduate
Salary: £22,000.00-£24,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Additional leave
- Company pension
- Discounted or free food
- Flexitime
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Wellness programme
Schedule:
- Day shift
- Flexitime
- Holidays
- Monday to Friday
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Chester, CH2 1HJ: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Application question(s):
- Have you got a degree in Psychology?
- Have you got any clinical experience ?
- Have you got a 2:1 or above or if not a higher level of qualification?
- Please request an application form from [email protected]
Experience:
- assistant psychologist: 1 year (preferred)
Licence/Certification:
- Accredited Psychology Degree (required)
Work Location: One location
Application deadline: 17/02/2023
Reference ID: Assistant Psychologist
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