Assistant Psychologist

Job summary

An exciting opportunity exists for a full time Assistant Psychologist to join the Department of Clinical Health Psychology at SWFT, based at Stratford Hospital and working across both Clinical Health Psychology and the Staff Support Team. The post-holder will work flexibly between Stratford Hospital, Warwick Hospital and from their own home.

You will work across two teams: The Staff Support team are a small team of Clinical Psychologists and Psychological Practitioners who work to take care of the psychological needs of hospital and community based NHS clinical and non-clinical staff across South Warwickshire. We provide 1:1 therapy to staff who self-refer into our service and training and consultation to teams across the trust. The Clinical Health Psychology team works with patients referred into the service for psychological support in relation to their physical health and provides consultation to clinicians across the trust. We work mainly with out-patients referred via GPs or hospital teams and across all specialties including diabetes, cardiology, maternity and gastroenterology. We also have pathways for patients with cancer, pain and long covid.

As the role sits within a large Department of Clinical Health Psychology there is ample opportunity to have contact with a wide range of people working within the different specialties and with skills in different psychological approaches including ACT and CFT and trauma therapies.

Main duties of the job

To support the ongoing development and provision of a Psychology service to patients and staff working within SWFT.

To assist in the planning, implementation and delivery of groups/training provided to the staff/patients.

To assist in the selection of psychological measures for assessing the effectiveness of groups/training and development of systems to capture baseline and outcome data.

To undertake audit and research projects, collection of statistics, teaching and project work.

To undertake supervised clinical work as required.

About us

Come and join a Trust rated Outstanding by the CQC. South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust have been rated as outstanding following our latest inspection by the CQC and we are recruiting new staff to come and help us improve even further. In addition our staff survey results have placed us 4th in the country for recommended place to work.

We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the county. We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity.

Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are 'Trusted to provide safe, inclusive, effective and compassionate care'. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn't matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Result Areas

To liaise and build relationships with all staff within the support team and organisation, and promote psychological understanding and sources of support available within the Trust.

Under the clinical supervision and management of a qualified and suitably experienced clinical psychologist, work independently on a day-to-day basis according to a plan and objectives agreed and reviewed at intervals with the qualified psychologist and within the overall framework of relevant team/service area policies and procedures.

To support the qualified clinical psychologist in the delivery of clinical services, providing psychological assessment and individual and group-based psychological interventions under clinical supervision as required.

To support the qualified clinical psychologist in governance, audit, research and clinical administrative activities, collecting, collating and analysing data, writing and presenting reports and assisting in project development under the guidance of the psychologist as required. To be able to use IT equipment and software as required, including statistical, database, spreadsheet and presentations.

To assist the qualified clinical psychologists in the planning and organisation of teaching/training programmes and undertake/contribute to teaching and training activities as required.

To participate in personal appraisal and continuing professional development activities as agreed with psychology line manager, including general training required in accordance with the policies and procedures of the Trust.

In completing duties, to draw upon a knowledge base commensurate with a good honours degree in psychology and eligibility for graduate membership of the BPS.

To appropriately undertake the public representation of the departments activities and to promote groups aimed at service users and Trust staff and other departmental activities.

Key Communications and Working Relationships

To liaise with other psychologists within the Trust, members of other disciplines and professions responsible for the provision and evaluation of clinical care, research workers, first line operational managers, referral agencies, affiliated organisations, academic/educational and research departments, service users and others as relevant to this post under guidance.

To develop an awareness and liaise with other support/signposting services.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

The post holder may be required to undertake any of the duties specified in the key result areas noted below. The relative priority and time allocated to each of the duties/key result areas will be determined by reference to service needs and may vary in the light of prevailing service priorities and requirements.

Clinical

Under the clinical supervision of a qualified psychologist, to undertake assessment of psychological care needs of Trust staff. To plan, develop and deliver 1:1 and group interventions and monitor outcomes. This may include administering rating scales and semi-structured interviews with staff. To record and monitor outcomes and present this information in reports under the supervision of the qualified clinical psychologist.

To assist in the development of material, co-ordination and delivery of group based interventions for Trust staff, including mindfulness groups.

Under the clinical supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist, assist in the formulation of the staff difficulties and in the planning and delivery of psychological support.

Under the clinical supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist, deliver therapeutic interventions developed or guided by the qualified psychologist or otherwise defined by protocol, for staff, for example, planned programmes of CBT for low mood or anxiety.

Under the clinical supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist, assist in the planning, development, co-ordination and delivery of groups, including for example mindfulness group approaches. Act as co-therapist with qualified clinical psychologist, other assistant psychologist or other designated clinician and as appropriate run groups in accordance with agreed protocol.

To attend and contribute to multi-disciplinary meetings as appropriate.

To assist in the development of a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all Trust staff.

When completing clinical duties, receives, obtains and communicates highly complex and sensitive clinical and personal information, sometimes in emotionally charged or otherwise challenging circumstances.

Working Environment

The post holder will be required to work with the staff support team to further develop, deliver and evaluate training programmes.

The post holder will be able to respond quickly and flexibly to the demands and pressures created by the clinical work and be able to work and respond to clients presenting behaviours under the supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist.

Teaching, Training and Supervision

To work alongside Clinical Health Psychology to assist in the planning, development and provision of a range of training materials and resources to support staff mental wellbeing at work This will include e-learning packages for all staff, training for peer supporters and training for line managers as well as packages already developed (, resilience to stress). Assisting in the planning and organisation of lectures and workshops, in the preparation of teaching content, teaching materials (including handouts) and teaching aids (including computer assisted), in the direct delivery of teaching sessions (providing presentations as required) and in the evaluation of teaching initiatives.

To assist with the provision of Wellbeing Live events.

To work alongside colleagues in other departments including to develop, deliver and evaluate training and teaching.

Support Clinical Health Psychology in ensuring others are trained and supported to deliver positive mental health at work programmes.

To receive regular clinical supervision in accordance with professional practice guidelines.

To gain wider experience of professional psychology within the NHS over and above that provided within the principal service area where the post holder is employed.

To develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties.

To contribute to the training and support of other staff in psychological care.

Policy, Service Development, Service/Resource Management, Recruitment and Professional Leadership

To assist the qualified clinical psychologist in the design, implementation and evaluation of service development projects within the service as required.

In conjunction with, or as appropriate on behalf of, the clinical psychologist line manager, to attend meetings in which service developments are planned and discussed, contributing information as appropriate and agreed with line manager and reporting back where necessary.

Is responsible for use, transport and storage of material resources as allocated (test materials and equipment, books, stationery and IT equipment).

To attend meetings in which service developments are planned and discussed.

Research and Service Evaluation

To undertake literature searches and reviews, particularly in respect of relevant clinical evidence, and to provide summaries and reports that help clinical psychologists develop and deliver evidence-based practice in their individual work and in their work with other team members.

To assist qualified psychologists in the design and implementation of audit and research projects.

To collect research data using methods and procedures specified in relevant protocols.

To analyse data and produces/assists in the production of audit and research reports and summaries, using statistical procedures as appropriate.

To assist with the audit of service evaluation and feedback data.

Information Technology Responsibilities

To use information technology to record client contact information, to prepare teaching and training materials (including those relevant to presentations and to publications), to complete data display and analysis, to prepare reports (including written, graphical and visual material) and to communicate via e-mail.

Professional Development and Practice

To observe professional codes of practice of the BPS, Trust policies and procedures and terms and conditions of employment.

To be responsible for working within limits appropriate to qualifications, competence and experience.

In common with all applied psychologists, to receive regular clinical supervision in accordance with professional practice guidelines.

To participate in personal development/appraisal reviews as required with psychology line manager.

To undertake such programmes of internal and external CPD, personal development and training as may be agreed with the post-holders professional manager at the beginning of the appointment and at subsequent appraisal reviews, ensuring thereby that the post-holder maintains the highest professional standards of practice when fulfilling their duties and responsibilities.

To gain wider experience of professional psychological practice, and develops skills and competencies that assist in the performance of current duties, through attendance at training events, reading relevant research and practice literature, visits to other service settings, etc.

To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing in accordance with professional codes of practice and Trust policies and procedures.

For full details of the duties associated with this role, please see attached Job Description.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology Eligibility for graduate basis for chartered membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society

Desirable

Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, health services and/or research design and analysis

Experience

Essential

Experience of group work and/or teaching, training others Awareness of and experience of managing group dynamics Experience in presentation to mixed audiences Experience of carrying out and clearly writing up the findings of research projects/service evaluations Experience of searching literature Experience of using a range of Microsoft packages including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and databases

Desirable

Experience of paid or voluntary work within a health and/or occupational health setting Experience as an assistant psychologist (paid or voluntary) Experience of service development and / or training Experience of virtual working, , Microsoft Teams Experience of teaching and training through different media Experience as a participant or facilitator of a reflective practice group

Skills

Essential

High level developed interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal) High standard of report writing Ability to collect clinical data and maintain accurate records

Desirable

Post graduate experience of research, audit or service evaluation Skilled using computers for databases or data-analysis, including SPSS and Excel

Personal Qualities

Essential

An interest in clinical health psychology, particularly in the areas of staff support An ability and confidence to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines, including non-clinical staff, including senior staff An ability to work independently and on own initiative, reliably and consistently with work agreed and managed at regular intervals Evidence of good time management skills Ability to withstand exposure to emotional or distressing circumstances Ability to manage professional boundaries

Desirable

Awareness of leadership/management skills and qualities Working knowledge of NHS policies and procedures Ability to manage daily operations and maintain a safe working environment Ability to work flexibly including from at home

Other

Essential

Ability to accept and use clinical Supervision appropriately and effectively Awareness of and sensitivity to needs of diverse groups Able to meet the travel requirements of the post

Desirable

A desire to explore a career in professional psychology

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