Job summary
The Newcastle CMHT are looking to recruit a part-time, Band 5 Assistant Clinical Psychologist to join their multi-disciplinary team.

The successful postholders will:

• Assist in the operational delivery of group treatment interventions and service evaluation for service users within the CMHT. The post-holder will work under the supervision of a Clinical Psychologist, often independently under their direction.
• Be expected to prepare patients in their readiness to start groups via communication through emails, phone calls and letters and to share expectations of the group programme. The post holder will also ensure and support patients to complete questionnaires pre and post intervention, collate the results and prepare service evaluation reports.
• Be required to work with clients who are highly distressed, anxious or hostile and will experience sensitive situations on a weekly basis

Main duties of the job
The post holder will also complete assessment, formulation and 1-1 skills work under supervision.

Working independently to a plan agreed with a qualified clinical psychologist.

To assist in clinically related administration, conduct of audits and projects, collection of statistics, development of audit and/or research projects, teaching and project work

About us
As a Trust we remain bold and ambitious with plans for both service and system collaborative transformation over the coming years to improve the health and wellbeing of our local people through high quality care.

We pride ourselves on ensuring our team has their wellbeing put first and as such provide a range of wellness opportunities including flexible working.

We are committed to the Greener NHS national ambition to becoming the world's first 'carbon net zero' national health system by 2045 (Greener NHS (england.nhs.uk). As part of this, sustainability is embedded in our strategy as one of our four key enablers. In order to deliver on this commitment, we recognise that we need a workforce that is as passionate as we are about achieving these goals, for the benefit of our service users, workforce, local communities and the planet alike.

The Trust is committed to ensuring that a diverse workforce is representative and inclusive at all levels. We would very much welcome applications from all under-represented groups including women, people with disabilities, people from global majority backgrounds, and those from the lesbian, gay, bi and trans communities.

The Trust is committed to the Step into Health scheme and actively encourages applicants from the Armed Forces Communities to apply.

Job responsibilities
Assists in the assessment of the clients difficulties, using standardised psychometric instruments, protocol based assessment tools, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and structured and semi-structured interviews as required. Utilises assessment techniques directly with clients and collects information from family members and others involved in the clients care as appropriate.

Assists qualified psychologists in the scoring, analysis, interpretation and reporting of psychological assessments undertaken with clients and others.

Assists in the formulation of the clients difficulties and in the planning and delivery of care plans involving the psychological treatment and/or management of the clients problems in community and in-patient/residential settings.

Delivers therapeutic interventions developed or guided by the qualified psychologist or otherwise defined by protocol, for individual clients and for families, including, for example, planned programmes of CBT or other appropriate psychological interventions

Qualifications
Essential

• A first or upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology. Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society

Desirable

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

Experience
Essential

• Experience of work with people with mental health problems or disabilities, or other relevant problems or disabilities (e.g. learning disabilities, organic impairment).

Desirable

• Paid work providing direct care to patients in a medical setting. Experience of working with people with serious traumatic brain injury. Capacity to and experience of administering complex psychometric tests and to use psychological equipment in accordance with standardised timing, stimulus presentation and response monitoring requirements Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team. Experience of working with patients who display challenging behaviour

Knowledge
Essential

• High level of interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to work and effectively communicate complex or sensitive information in highly emotive and emotionally charged settings involving conflict and significant personal distress.

Desirable

• Knowledge of cognitive and behavioural principles and how these apply in practice. Knowledge of neuropsychology assessment methods and tools. Experience of collecting research data, including questionnaire design and interviewing. Experience using microcomputers and associated software for purposes of data analysis and reporting, including databases and statistical programmes such as SPSS. An ability to write articulate and comprehensible reports, letters and other correspondence.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).