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Job description

To support and enhance the professional psychological care of clients within the Adult Psychology Service or Complex Trauma Service across all sectors of care, providing psychological assessment and psychological interventions, working independently according to a plan agreed with a qualified Psychologist and within the overall framework of the policies and procedures for the Service. To assist in clinically related administration, conduct of audits, collection of statistics, and development of audit and/or research projects, teaching and project work.

Assisting a qualified Psychologist, the Assistant Psychologist will be responsible for the psychological aspects of the multi-disciplinary/multi-agency care provided for adults.

The Assistant Psychologist: -

• Will liaise with and provide an advisory service for a wide range of voluntary and statutory organisations.
• Time will be divided between clinical/administrative tasks and research/audit tasks as required.
• Will carry an agreed caseload. This work will be managed and assessed at weekly intervals by a qualified Clinical Psychologist.

Job Title: Assistant Psychologist

This role will involve clinical work that includes co-facilitating existing group programmes. The successful candidate will also conduct joint assessments with a clinician as well as carry a small caseload of clients for individual psychological therapy sessions to deliver evidence-based therapeutic programmes or build coping skills, with close supervision and support.

Additional aspects of the role may include assisting with service audits, research and evaluation projects, developing materials for groups and service innovations, and assisting in the development and delivery of additional evidence-based therapeutic programmes.

The post holder will need to be confident using technology and will be expected to engage with people over the telephone and via video conferencing as well as face to face sessions.

The successful candidate can expect weekly clinical supervision with a qualified Clinical or Counselling Psychologist and opportunities to develop knowledge, clinical skills and competence through additional training and CPD. The post holder will ideally have worked in the NHS previously.

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; English and/or Welsh speakers are equally welcome to apply.

We currently offer a range of therapeutic approaches to individual service users, families and groups using models such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systemic Family Therapy, Compassion Focused Therapy, Schema Therapy, CBT, DBT, EMDR and intensive short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy. Cognitive and ASC assessments are also provided.

The Service is closely allied with the local Complex Trauma Service, CMHTs, the Local Primary Care Mental Health Support Service, the Autism Diagnostic Service, and the Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Team, offering supervision, consultation, reflective practice groups, team formulation and training.

We have strong links with both the North and South Wales Clinical Psychology Doctoral Training Programmes and provide trainee placements for the two courses.The Adult Psychologists share a base with a friendly team of psychologists from other specialties and benefit from excellent administrative support.

The post holder will: -

• Be required to undertake clinical interviews with service users, carers and relatives on a very frequent basis often in a hostile and highly emotive atmosphere. During such interviews the post holder will be expected to display good attention, listening and communication skills via both verbal and non-verbal means. This will involve sitting for extended periods of time (up to 2 hours) on a frequent basis, will involve prolonged and intense concentration, a high degree of professionalism and regular use of de-escalation skills.
• In the context of clinical work, be exposed to frequent experiences of

highly distressing emotional material including histories of severe abuse,
family breakdown and mental illness coupled with likely exposure to some verbal aggression and some risk of physical aggression.- Work across a range of physical environments which may present
different kinds of demands, e.g. out-patient hospital clinics, inpatient
wards, GP surgeries, service users homes etc. This may require carrying
test materials and other equipment when required.

• Require proficiency in using a keyboard and in operating a personal

computer which will be used on a daily basis.

• Be expected to have a driving licence and the post will involve extensive

driving occasionally (for periods of 30 minutes or more several times a
week).

• Conduct initial assessments of new referrals to the service. This may

involve semi-structured interviews with service users and carers, direct
observations of service users and reviews of medical and of psychological records.

• Administer standardised psychological tests and standardised

assessments. To score the tests, carry out the initial analysis of results
and prepare a report of the findings.

• Assist in the implementation, planning and monitoring of systemic

psychological interventions, once formulations have been completed.

• Carry out prescribed cognitive behavioural treatments or behavioural

treatments.

• Communicate condition related information to clients, relatives and in an atmosphere which may be highly emotive.
• Liaise, where appropriate, with private and voluntary organisations.
• Attend team meetings and other multi-disciplinary, clinical meetings

about individual service users where appropriate.

• Be responsible for the planning and implementation of individual or group therapeutic sessions with service users (following discussion with

supervising psychologist), and managing the clinical contact.

• May be required to demonstrate own duties to new/less experienced

Assistant Psychologists.

• Assist in the preparation of appropriate training materials and with the

presentation of such materials using a range of equipment including
PowerPoint.

• Complete written clinical reports based on analysis of the information

gathered during the initial assessment process.

• Maintain written records of work to the standard set by the Health Board.
• Ensure confidentiality in all aspects of the service provision, including

service users’ records.

• Develop a knowledge of and to follow the relevant legislation, the

relevant local and national policies and the relevant codes of professional
conduct.

• Have knowledge and skills in the use of a range of computer packages

eg: PowerPoint, Excel, SPSS, Word for Windows, Access, etc.

• Be competent in the use of email for professional communication and in

the use of a variety of on-line research databases and in the use of e-library.

• Be responsible for providing information about all his/her clinical and non-clinical appointments at least one week in advance.
• Be responsible for maintaining accurate records of individual clinical work and will provide relevant data for the departmental and NHS Powys Teaching Health Board Information systems.
• Be responsible for cataloguing departmental resources and for ensuring that stocks are maintained.
• Maintain a record of own CPD activities.
• Assist in the design and implementation of audit and research projects.
• Undertake data collection, analysis, the production of reports and

summaries, using IT and statistical programmes.

• Undertake literature searches (including reading specific articles) to assist all the qualified clinical psychologists with evidence-based practice for their clinical work.
• In accordance with professional practice guidelines, receive clinical

supervision with a qualified Clinical Psychologist, during which the post
holder’s workload, his/her clinical priorities and clinical activities will be
assessed and managed.

• Be expected to manage, plan and prioritise their daily work load.
• Recognise the boundaries to current competence, acting within

professional guidelines, codes of conduct and the operational policies of
the adult psychology service.

All clinical and written work is managed by a qualified Clinical/Counselling Psychologist.

The post holder may have to make minor changes to the planned course of treatment, or decide to stop treatment, in response to information received from the client. The post holder would then be responsible for reporting such changes to a qualified Clinical Psychologist.

Following discussion with the supervising Clinical Psychologist the post holder will be responsible for:

• Communicating with and establishing a therapeutic relationship with a

small number of service users presenting with a range of mental
health problems.

• Using communication skills to establish a working alliance with service

users, some of whom will be deeply distrusting of professionals and
possibly, potentially aggressive.

• Eliciting a comprehensive and accurate account of a service user’s

presenting problems and personal history.

• Assisting with the development of a coherent psychological formulation of a service user’s difficulties and communicating condition–specific

information to a service user who may be distressed, hostile, suffering
from psychological disorders and who may present with challenging
behaviour.

Where appropriate and with consent from a service user, the post holder will communicate with carers or relatives who may be able to offer assistance in the assessment, formulation or treatment of that service user’s problems. In such circumstances the post holder will show awareness of the boundaries of confidentiality and be sensitive to the particular needs of carers/relatives of the service user.

Work alone with frequent exposure to highly unpleasant working conditions, either client related e.g. verbal aggression, or external influences e.g. weather and driving conditions and unhygienic environments.

Personal duty of care in relation to Health Safety and Security, Health
Board/Directorate policies and procedure e.g. lone working and inclement weather.

Attending relevant statutory update workshops/seminars in Health & Safety, moving and handling, Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitations and Positive Behavioural Management.