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Job description

We are excited to be advertising for an Assistant Psychologist within the Memory Assessment Service and Older Person's Community Mental Health Team in Luton. The post holder will provide cognitive assessments to support diagnostic decision making, in conjunction with the multi-disciplinary team, and under the supervision of a clinical psychologist. Alongside this, they will work with older adults experiencing mental health difficulties living in the local community. The role will involve offering psychological support to people living with a range of difficulties, as well as offering support to their carers and professionals working alongside them. It is a varied role, providing opportunities to develop assessment and intervention skills. There is regular contact with the wider teams and the psychologists across Luton and Bedfordshire OPMHS.

The post holder will work with people who use our services and their carers to develop a shared understanding of difficulties, how they cope and the impact this has on their care, mental and physical health needs. Service users seen by the post holder will include those who are experiencing cognitive difficulties and may present with behaviours that express distress. Service users may present with a high level of risk to both themselves and sometimes to other people.

The main duties of this role include:

• assisting in the provision of psychological assessments, based on the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources (including psychological tests, measures/rating scales including Recovery measures and Quality of Life measures, direct and indirect observation and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and involved others.)
• providing and receiving complex, sensitive, distressing and emotional information in relation to health issues where there are often barriers to acceptance.
• being mindful of the needs of individuals and families from a wide range of racial, cultural, sexual, religious and social backgrounds and, with service users and colleagues, co-produce innovative ways of communicating and working across language and cultural barriers.
• responsibility for recording, monitoring and reporting on clinical work on Trust electronic health record systems

Our mission is to make a positive difference in people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

Clinical:
All clinical duties will be carried out under the supervision and direction of a qualified Psychological Therapist. The post-holder has a responsibility to perform all tasks within the spirit and the policies of the East London NHS Foundation Trust. Under such direction and with these conditions the duties will be:

• To assist in the provision of psychological assessments, based on the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources (including psychological tests, measures/rating scales including Recovery measures and Quality of Life measures, direct and indirect observation and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and involved others.)
• To be responsible for providing and receiving complex, sensitive, distressing and emotional information in relation to health issues where there are often barriers to acceptance.
• To spend sustained amounts of time with service users who may be aggressive and hostile, who may have poor communication skills and self-care and special physical and/or mental needs.
• To be mindful of the needs of individuals and families from a wide range of racial, cultural, sexual, religious and social backgrounds and, with service users and colleagues, co-produce innovative ways of communicating and working across language and cultural barriers.
• To be responsible for recording, monitoring and reporting on clinical work on Trust electronic health record systems.

Operational:

• Provide accurate and timely clinical information as required
• Input into Trust electronic record systems which include Electronic Patient Record Systems, Electronic Staff Record systems (e.g. Appraisal and supervision records) and other Assurance systems such as Incident recording (Datix).
• Use information technology in line with Trust and NHS information governance requirements, and maintain up to date knowledge of systems and governance requirements.
• Collate and report on information across service area using information systems to a high standard.

Management/HR/Service Development:

• Agree work/caseload levels with team manager and professional lead.
• Participate in appraisal and development planning, identifying and agreeing training needs.
• Maintain up to date knowledge of relevant legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to the provision of services.
• Support service development and quality improvement initiatives within the directorate, in line with directorate priorities and in response to identified local needs
• Attend regular MAS and psychological therapy meetings and maintain high standards of professional knowledge and practice in services.

Performance and Quality:

• To contribute to audit/research within the Trust using qualitative and quantitative methods.

Other:

• Contribute to the responsible management of equipment and resources required for the ongoing provision of a high standard of psychological service to the directorate.