Job Title - Senior Psychologist
Department - Clinical Services
Responsible to - Chief Operating Officer
Location - Based at our main office in Newark, with regular travel between our locations across Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire and on occasion, country wide (with ability to drive and access to own vehicle)
Hours - 37.5 hours per week (additional hours, weekend and bank holiday working may be required to fulfil requirements of the post)
Salary - £67,000 per year

Job Purpose
The Senior Psychologist leads the clinical services team. The team primarily provides assessment and therapy for children and consultation and training for care teams in childrens homes. The team also promotes a trauma-informed approach in supported housing services and other YMCA services and delivers a schools wellbeing service.

Overall Responsibilities:

• Responsible for managing and continuing to develop clinical services in therapeutic childrens residential care, ensuring high-quality assessments, therapy and therapeutic care of children in our care. This is delivered directly by the clinical services team, and indirectly through consultation with and training of care teams
• Delivery of the schools wellbeing programme, and any other therapeutic programs aligned to YMCA RHG's objectives
• People management responsibility for the psychologists and therapists in the Clinical Services team

Principal Clinical, Strategic & Operational Responsibilities:

• Responsible and accountable for the clinical care provided by the YMCA Robin Hood Group (YMCA RHG)
• Lead the development of effective clinical governance within the YMCA RHG, including clinical audit, complaints management, policy writing and other quality assurance measures across the entire organisation
• Provide operational management to the clinical services team, undertaking regular one to ones, setting clear objectives, monitoring progress, ensuring appropriate cover, ensuring the delivery of a high-quality service, whilst acting as a role model and demonstrating strong leadership
• Be responsible for workforce planning including recruitment and selection and retention within clinical services
• Take responsibility for the professional education, development, and training of all clinical staff and other staff requiring clinical support
• Maintain, develop, and nurture the current therapeutic and psychological services within Childrens Residential Care and Supported Housing, including oversight of and direct involvement in psychological assessments, placing and matching new referrals, interventions, clinical reflections and consultations to the care teams, and other associated duties
• Support the development of new services within Childrens Residential Care offering new therapeutic environments and homes, as well as additional therapeutic services for the community and other areas of the business
• Deliver the YMCA RHG schools wellbeing programme, empowering school staff to use a trauma-informed approach to support children
• Raise the profile of YMCA RHG Residential Services and Clinical Services among the wider community and professional communities, providing the highest standards of care and opportunities for shared learning and development
• Ensure that effective systems are in place to continuously review and evaluate services and to plan for improvements in relation to the Ofsted inspections and Childrens Homes Regulations, and any other regulatory bodies and requirements (including but not limited to HCPC, BACP, UKCP services or accreditations and any future CQC registration)
• Work closely with psychologists, therapists, mental health professionals, and operational professionals within our services and embed a trauma informed approach across our services, including development of further support for our staff
• Devise and deliver training and workshops to staff across the organisation.
• Represent YMCA RHG at sector/regional/national events
• Take the lead role for clinical risk management, ensuring policies and practices comply with legislation and quality standards
• Facilitate a culture of learning throughout the services

Legal Framework
Work within the parameters of the HCPC, the Childrens Home Regulations (England) 2015, the Childrens Act 1989/2004, Care Standards Act 2000, Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, Equality Act 2010 and associated guidance including Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 and Every Child Matters.

Line Management Responsibility
All members of the Clinical Services team including psychologists and/or therapists.

Responsibilities for all Staff, Casual Workers, and Managers
Ambassador for YMCA Robin Hood Group
To act as an advocate and ambassador of the group; promoting and exemplifying the groups values, mission, vision, and ethos and to positively and proactively protect the groups reputation.

Other Duties
To undertake any other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned by your Line Manager. To work in a flexible way to ensure that workload is completed and to undertake any other jobs commensurate with the seniority of the post.

Discretion to Act
To exercise discretion in the performance of the duties of the post, to use best practice and to ensure the effective and efficient use of resources.

Relationships and Confidentiality
To establish, maintain and enhance team-working with colleagues and staff of the group and to keep confidential all information about individuals and the business of the group. Any breach of confidentiality will be treated seriously and may lead to dismissal.

Health and Safety
To adhere to the groups Health and Safety policies at all times.

Our Values
Character counts. We are committed to building teams of staff and volunteers who share our uncompromising dedication to supporting one another and our community.

We Seek Out
We never stop looking for ways to transform lives for the better.

We Welcome
We respect, support, and protect without fail. Everyone is included, and everyone belongs.

We Inspire
We build and rebuild peoples confidence in their own strength, and foster conviction in everyones potential.

We Speak Out
We stand up for whats right, advocate when needed, and encourage people to find the power of their own voice.

We Serve Others
We are committed to the wellbeing of others in mind, body and spirit, and to fair and equitable opportunities for all.

Our North Star An expression of our YMCAs mission, vision and values. Every team within our YMCA is united under one shared ambition our North Star.

We will work relentlessly to ensure all children and young people:

• Have the developmental relationships and close connections that help them discover who they are
• Develop the strengths and abilities to shape their own lives
• Learn how to engage with and contribute to the world around them

YMCA Robin Hood Group is committed to promoting diversity and practicing equality of opportunity alongside ensuring the protection of children and adults at risk. A completed application form will be required during the recruitment process and will be cross checked against the CV provided. Any discrepancies or gaps in employment will require verification as part of the offer process. The recruitment process aims to create and maintain a safe workforce and contains robust vetting procedures. The successful applicants will be appointed subject to references, relevant DBS check and other pre-employment checks. To be successful in your application, you will be subject to a rigorous safer recruitment process and must adhere to a strict code of conduct regarding your behaviour at all times.
All positions are subject to subject to references, relevant DBS check and other pre-employment checks.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Doctorate (or equivalent) in Clinical Psychology / Counselling Psychology / Forensic Psychology.
• Post-Doctorate training and development in specific modalities such as CBT, DBT, DDP, PACE, EMDR etc.
• Registered / accredited with a professional body e.g. HCPC.
• Full driving licence and willingness to drive Association vehicles as and when required.
• Willingness to undergo a satisfactory enhanced DBS check and to register with the DBS Update Service OR hold a satisfactory enhanced DBS check for the correct workforce plus existing registration for the DBS Update Service.

Desirable

• Knowledge of relevant residential child care and social care Legislation, Government Guidance and Best Practice.
• High level working knowledge of Child Protection and Adult Safeguarding Policies and Procedures.
• Experience and/or knowledge of at least 2 therapeutic models / clinical models that are relevant to working with children and young people.
• Qualified psychologist in a relevant field, with post-qualification experience of working with children and young people ideally with experience in residential/housing/social care settings.
• Demonstrable experience of managing and motivating a team.
• Able to demonstrate experience dealing with complex issues relating to developmental trauma, childhood abuse, and safeguarding.
• Demonstrable experience using outcome measures, evaluation and service improvement.
• Experience of managing clinical audits, evidence based practice and research, and quality assurance.
• Experience of providing clinical supervision.
• Understanding health and social care needs of looked after children, complexities of network and systems for children and families, and individualised care needs.
• Ability to undertake comprehensive psychological assessment and formulation of needs for children, and then formulate individualised treatment / intervention plans.
• Knowledge of relevant residential child care and social care Legislation, Government Guidance and Best Practice.
• High level working knowledge of Child Protection and Adult Safeguarding Policies and Procedures.
• Experience and/or knowledge of at least 2 therapeutic models / clinical models that are relevant to working with children and young people.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).