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Job description

Come and develop your neuropsychology skills in our innovative multidisciplinary Acute Stroke Service at St Thomas’ Hospital. The post is advertised as a fixed term full time 37.5 hours / week for 18 months initially, with a possibility to extend. Alongside an 8a Psychologist, you will provide a specialist clinical service to people with a stroke and other neurological conditions, including acute assessment, formulation and rehabilitation interventions. You will work closely with neuropsychology colleagues across the stroke pathway, with opportunities for clinical work in community settings.

The Stroke Unit operates a robust clinical governance framework within the Medical Directorate and has successfully completed the key stroke standards set locally as well as consistently showing good performance against SSNAP (Stroke Sentinel National Audit Programme) metrics. There is a strong multi-disciplinary ethos with an important education focus within the service. The unit is highly productive in its research delivery with Clinical Research Network stroke trials.

We are looking for someone who is able to demonstrate:

• experience of using neuropsychological assessment and formulation
• experience of multidisciplinary health teams
• knowledge of stepped care models of psychological distress, working with behaviour that challenges and clinical decision making
• strong collaborative working skills, alongside a positive and flexible approach

We can offer you:

• a rewarding opportunity to develop your neuropsychology skills in acute ward setting
• a chance to work closely with colleagues across the pathway including some clinical sessions within the community stroke service
• a supported role working alongside an 8a Clinical Psychologist and within a wider Neuropsychology team
• MDT and partnership working in a friendly and supportive team

Clinical:
1. To deliver a highly specialist neuropsychology service for the care of individuals and carers presenting to the Acute Stroke Unit

1. To provide specialist psychological and neuropsychological assessments of patients referred to the team based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including neuropsychometrics, psychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with patients, family members and others involved as necessary.

1. To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning illness, historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.

1. To collaboratively formulate and implement plans for the management of a patient’s psychological adjustment and mental health problems using a range of approaches, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of their problems, and employing methods based upon available current evidence of efficacy and effectiveness, across the full range of care settings.

1. To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across teams employed individually and in synthesis, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.

1. To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of patients whose problems are managed by creative and flexible psychologically based care plans.

1. To provide specialist neuropsychological and psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals to support and enable all staff working in the service to better meet the needs of clients with psychological, cognitive, mental health or neurobehavioural problems.

1. To contribute directly and indirectly to a neuropsychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings and agencies serving the client group.

1. To support risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management.

1. To act as care coordinator where appropriate, taking responsibility for initiating, planning and review of care plans including clients, their carers, referring agents and others involved the network of care.

1. To signpost staff or clients to the most appropriate psychological or mental health service as required- e.g. Acute Liaison Psychiatry services, IAPT, community specialist mental health teams.

1. To communicate in a respectful, considered, timely, and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care and to monitor progress during the course of both uni- and multi-disciplinary care.

1. To ensure the clinical effectiveness of own practice and service delivery by undertaking research and development, audit, policy and service development activities relevant to the service area.

Teaching, training, and supervision

1. To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior psychologist according to HCPC/BPS and Trust Guidelines.
2. To provide professional and clinical supervision to assistant psychologists and trainee psychologists on placement within the service.

1. To provide line management and research supervision to assistant research psychologists and other graduate and post-graduate psychology students when required, monitoring quality of their work and conducting appraisals in line with Trust policy.
2. To provide teaching on postgraduate training courses as required such as Clinical Psychology Doctorate Training.

1. To provide advice, consultation, training and reflective practice opportunities to staff working within the setting and across the treatment pathway

1. To maintain and develop skills in the area of professional pre- and post –graduate training and clinical supervision.

Management, recruitment, policy and service development

1. To report on a regular basis to the senior psychologist/line manager.

1. To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the team’s operational policies and services, through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit.

1. To manage the workloads of assistant and trainee applied psychologists and undergraduate students, within the framework of the service’s policies and procedures.

1. To be involved, as appropriate, in the shortlisting and interviewing of junior qualified and assistant/graduate psychologists and undergraduate students.

1. To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific client group and the wider profession of clinical health psychology.

1. Ensure knowledge of all Trust and Department policies and procedures and demonstrate these in practice, report all accidents, incidents or near misses, demonstrate knowledge of risk management, and maintain the safety and well-being of patients and staff in accordance with the Health and Safety Policy.

1. Attend meetings as necessary and undertake own administrative duties where appropriate including typing letters/reports and distributing correspondence.

1. Assume other duties as delegated by and agreed with the supervisor/Consultant Psychologist.

1. To work outside 9am – 5pm at times in accordance with needs of the service (time would always be taken back).

Research and Service Evaluation

1. To use theory, evidence-based literature and research to inform, support and develop clinical practice in individual work, work with other team members and across the service.

1. In conjunction with the senior Psychologist, to continually review the service provision as necessary in accordance with referral patterns and skill mix requirements and introduction of new and innovative roles and pathways;

1. To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of protocols and guidelines in relation to evidence based psychology practices tailored to stroke and neurorehabilitation

1. To initiate the development of outcome measurement, assessment/implementation and assist other staff in the implementation of same.
2. To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through conference and seminar presentations, trust wide publications and peer reviewed research articles.

Information Management

1. Ensure the highest standards of clinical record-keeping including data entry and recording, report writing and the responsible exercise of professional self-governance in accordance with professional codes of practice of the British Psychological Society and Trust policies and procedures.

1. Contribute to clinical audit of psychological/ neuropsychological services within Mark Ward

1. Collaborate with colleagues in planning and implementing systems for the evaluation, monitoring and development of the service through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation, audit and ensuring incorporation of psychological frameworks for understanding and provision of high quality care

Education and professional development

1. Receive regular clinical supervision and appraisal from the senior Practitioner Psychologist within the service

1. To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, by reflection and monitoring of own practice and learning needs, and active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the potholder’s professional and service manager(s).

1. To contribute to the development and articulation of best practice across the service, by continuing to develop the skills of a reflexive and reflective scientist practitioner, and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the field of clinical psychology, stroke and neurorehabilitation.

1. Support the development and delivery of educational materials and training modules of staff

1. Develop skills in service development in line with Trust initiatives and policies.

1. Maintain up-to-date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to the staff working in the NHS and professional practice.

1. Work within the framework of Trust policies and procedures and undertake required training.

1. Contribute to wider trust projects and developments, as agreed with the line manager.

1. Undertake other appropriate duties to meet the needs of the Service and individuals.

1. Be accountable for own professional actions within the British Psychological Society’s Code of Conduct as well as the HCPC and in accordance with all Trust policies.