Band 8a Practitioner Psychologist

Job description

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1. To provide specialist psychological assessment of children based upon the
appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex psychological data
from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological
assessment, self-reported measures, rating scales, direct and indirect
structured observations and semi-structured interviews with children, family
members and others involved in the child's care.
2. To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or
management of a child's psychological problems. This is to be based upon an
appropriate conceptual framework of the client's problems, and employing
methods of proven efficiency, across the full range of care settings.
3. To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for
children, carers, families and groups within and across teams. This would
involve adjusting and refining psychological formulations and drawing upon
different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional
hypotheses.
4. To use highly developed specialist knowledge of a range of work procedures
and practices including that of SEND processes and education agenda.

See attached Job description and person specification attached.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Post graduate Doctoral level training in Clinical/Counselling/Forensic Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
• HCPC Registration as a Practitioner Psychologist

Desirable criteria

• Post-doctoral qualification, training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice
• Training in the supervision of doctoral level trainee psychologists
• Training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology

Skills

Essential criteria

• Highly specialist skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, including psychometrics such as ADOS-2 and, or, ADI-R, intervention and management including specialist clinical interviewing, behavioural observation, complex psychometric testing and specialist neuropsychological testing
• Knowledge of the presentation, assessment of and intervention with people with complex neurodevelopmental and mental health difficulties
• Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to children, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
• Skills and experience in providing consultation to other professional and non professional groups, across agencies
• Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology
• Knowledge of typical and atypical child development including neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD/ASD
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. dual diagnoses, children with additional learning disabilities or difficulties etc)
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to children

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and individual and group-based treatment of children, including children with neurodevelopmental differences
• Experience of maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
• Experience of liaison work with other professionals and agencies

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity
• Experience of teaching, training and supervision
• Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts
• Relevant R&D or clinical audit work post-qualification

Personal Qualities

Essential criteria

• Self-motivated
• Positive, energetic, enthusiastic in outlook and able to set a good example
• Ability to manage under pressure; work to tight deadlines, evidencing excellent time management
• Able to work independently or as part of a team.

Desirable criteria

• Evidence of strong leadership skills, the ability to negotiate, persuade and influence at a senior level with a supportive style whilst also able to take difficult decisions and act assertively
• Keen to develop services in line with service, educational and research priorities with the service

UK Home Office Visa Sponsorship requirements

In accordance with UK Home Office requirements, Band 2 clinical and non-clinical roles and Band 3 Non-Clinical roles are not eligible for sponsorship.

Please note that the majority of non-clinical roles (Agenda for Change Band 3 - 6) with the exception of those which appear on this list -