Clinical/Counselling Psychologist

Job overview

Brent Community Learning Disability Team is located in the diverse and vibrant London borough of Brent. We are looking for an innovative and enthusiastic Clinical or Counselling Psychologist to join our friendly and supportive team. This role aims to provide clinical excellence in order to improve the quality of life for adults with a learning disability in Brent.

Main duties of the job

The psychological provision in the Brent Community Learning Disability Team works within a multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, and nurses. This post will involve the assessment of learning disabilities including the interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests. It will further involve therapeutic work with individuals and their carers, families and groups. You will receive regular clinical supervision and will have the opportunity for teaching, training, consultation within the multidisciplinary team and contribute to service development.

Working for our organisation

We're passionate about delivering safe and effective care in a community setting or in the individual's own home. Our service users are at the heart of everything we do. Providing excellent clinical care depends on our ability to employ the best people. We are always looking to recruit outstanding people who will go the extra mile to support our service users, colleagues, teams and the Trust. With every new employee, we are hoping to find our future leaders and will support our staff by providing opportunities to develop your career. With a diverse culture and equally diverse range of opportunities across mental health, community services, emotional disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, enhancement treatment, learning disabilities and more - whatever stage of your career you're at - there's always a place for you at CNWL.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To provide a highly specialist psychology service to people with learning disabilities accessing the Brent Community Learning Disability Team including specialist assessment, treatment, planning, implementation and monitoring of outcomes.

To contribute to enabling other staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.

To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate, functioning as a lead specialist in Learning Disability.

To undertake service evaluation, audit and research.

To work as an autonomous professional within BPS and HCPC guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by principles and policies or procedures of the service, taking responsibility for interpreting policies within defined parameters.

To agree outcomes/results with clinical/professional lead and to decide how they are best achieved.

Person specification TRAINING & QUALIFICATIONS

• Entry-level qualification in Clinical or Counselling Psychology (professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level additional training) that has been accepted by the HCPC for purposes of professional registration.
• Additional training in a specialised area of psychological practice related to Learning Disability or Autism through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses, or an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice-based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma.
• Additional training in a specialised area of psychological practice related to Learning Disability or Autism through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses, or an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice-based learning in a specialist area of clinical practice, assessed by an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma.
• Registered with the HCPC as Practitioner Psychologist, and evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC.
• Further training in Positive Behaviour Support, Functional Analysis or Applied Behaviour Analysis.
• Further training in systemic or family therapy.

EXPERIENCE

• Evidence of having worked as a clinical specialist under supervision in Learning Disability.
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature in Learning Disability.
• Experience of supervising assistant and trainee psychologists having completed the relevant training.
• Post-qualification experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities.
• Experience of carrying out post-doctoral research, audit or service evaluation projects.
• Experience of working with a multi-disciplinary team in the context of highly emotive or distressed behaviours.

KNOWLEDGE

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological assessments and interventions for people with Learning Disabilities/autistic people.
• Advanced knowledge of psychological assessment and clinical psychometrics.
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities.
• Doctoral level knowledge of psychological research methodology and complex statistical analysis.
• Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care.
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of Positive Behaviour Support.

Abilities

• Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate.
• Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings.
• Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions, and to deal with unexpected interruptions or changes during these.
• Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour.
• Ability to manage verbal aggression and hostility directed at self.

Skills

• To be skilled in the administration of psychometric and neuropsychological tests, including those that require complex manipulation of test materials.
• Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data.
• Skills in providing teaching and training to other professional groups.

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

• Due to the high response levels we receive for some vacancies, we may expire any of them prior to the advertised closing date and advise you to submit your application as soon as possible.
• Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. Before submitting your application and to avoid disappointment please check that you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.
• Our Agenda for Change employment contracts are subject to a contractual 13 week probationary period.
• If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.