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Assistant Psychologist

ABOUT CAUDWELL CHILDREN

Established in 2000, Caudwell Children is a national charity which works to transform the lives of disabled children and their families, enabling them to challenge the barriers they face throughout childhood by providing practical and emotional support.

The Charity is going through an exciting period of growth having recently opened a new state- of-the-art facility for multi-disciplinary therapy programmes for childhood disability and research of neurodevelopmental conditions, including autism, within the grounds of Keele University.

It provides a state-of-the-art base for the Charity’s therapies and an environment where ground-breaking research can be undertaken, potentially changing the way some disabilities are treated, affecting millions of people around the world. This is a fantastic and exciting opportunity to join a dynamic and fast moving Charity at a time when it will attract national and international attention.

The services of Caudwell Children enrich the lives of our children and families through the delivery of high quality person centred care and support services that promote independence and achieve valued outcomes. We seek to create a safe, homely and supportive environment that enhances the lives of children with autism and associated conditions.

POST OUTLINE

This is a permanent post supporting the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT), specifically the Psychology Team, in the delivery of effective clinical services through assessment, intervention and ongoing support to children, young people and families accessing the service.

You will support the child journey through the charity and the autism diagnostic assessment pathway working as part of a multidisciplinary team that includes Learning Disability Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Paediatrician, Assistant Psychologists, Clinical Assistants and charity volunteers. The role also will involve close collaborative working with the Registered Manager, Children and Family Services Department, Applications Department and Volunteer Department and providing support into those services as required.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Main Duties:

• Support the child journey through the charity.
• Carry out assessment and therapeutic intervention tasks with children and families as directed. This will include the delivery of psychological assessment and interventions.
• Prepare rooms in readiness for sessional work in line with relevant programmes.
• Be involved in the delivery of training to parents and staff, both internal and external.
• Support the team with the production of resources and materials that support the programme.
• Attend and contribute to meetings and forums (including MDT meetings) relating to an individuals and families, as appropriate.
• Implement individual and group interventions within the program, making modifications using own initiative as necessary to suit child needs.
• Assist with ad hoc administrative tasks, e.g., answering telephone, email and on-line enquiries, scanning, record keeping, stock control, data spreadsheets, etc.
• Demonstrate empathy with children, families and carers, maintaining sensitivity at all times to the emotional needs of the child, the families and their carers, including in the context of distressing information regarding the nature of the child’s difficulties and implications of assessment results.
• Demonstrate/develop knowledge of specific assessment and therapeutic techniques and develop skills to assist/carry out these techniques.
• Develop the ability to manage children with challenging behaviour including the application of appropriate management strategies.
• Report any on-site incidents affecting staff, users or visitors in accordance with the

Charity’s policy.

• Undertake data collection and analysis, produce reports and summaries, using IT and statistical programmes.
• Undertake searches of evidence based literature and research in order to promote evidence based clinical practice.
• Contribute as required to projects relating to service development and evaluation and research.

Customer Care/Quality Assurance:

• Support service teams to ensure, where possible and appropriate, children and families are involved in future programme planning and delivery.
• Communicate with children, families and all stakeholders in a way that respects their views, autonomy and culture.
• Uphold the principles and practice of customer care and continuous improvement.
• At all times to afford service users, colleagues and stakeholders the dignity and respect to which they are entitled with full regard to the organisations Equality and Diversity

Policy.

• Ensure that customers/stakeholders are enabled to comment and complain about any of the services they receive, ensuring all comments and complaints are dealt with promptly and in accordance with organisational policy and procedures.
• Confidentiality and data protection regarding all personal information and Caudwell

Children activities must be maintained at all times (both in and out of working hours) in accordance with professional codes of conduct and relevant legislation such as the General Data Protection Regulations 2018.

• Contribute and co-operate fully with any regulatory or organisational inspections/audits.

Health & Safety:

In addition to the organisations overall responsibility for your health and safety, you have a personal responsibility for your own health and safety. As such you are required to:

• Have an awareness of relevant health and safety regulations and legislation.
• Be responsible for your own health and safety and that of anyone else whom your acts and omissions may affect and maintain a professional and hygienic personal appearance at all times.
• Inform your line manager and facilities of any safety issues you identify that could affect you or others in the workplace.
• Co-operate fully with management and colleagues at all times in achieving safer working practices.
• Have knowledge of a range of safer handling and mobility skills relevant to the management of children, young people and families in your care, including safe use of transfer equipment.
• Use equipment when necessary and as instructed (as appropriate to your role), which will include checking the equipment is safe to use, prior to its use, reporting any defects immediately to your line manager/facilities.
• Be responsible for the implementation and adherence to organisational health and safety policies and procedures for areas within your remit.
• Ensure suitable and sufficient risk assessments are completed for all areas within your remit. The controls identified must be evaluated and implemented where necessary.
• Ensure your work adheres to Health and Social Care Act 2008, Code of Practice for the Prevention and Control of Infections and Related Guidance as applicable to your role.
• Report any concerns of potential abuse of a service user in line with the organisations

Safeguarding Policy and procedures.

Resource Management:

• Ensure maintenance and security of physical, financial and information resources, where applicable.
• Effectively maximise all resources available in the course of your duties, minimising waste and working within budgets.
• Ensure that all resources and utilities are used prudently and that any waste is minimised. Manage, monitor and maintain budgets agreed by management.
• Ensure stock levels of equipment are maintained and checked regularly, as appropriate to your role.
• Where appropriate, participate in the recruitment, induction and retention of team members as appropriate to your role.

General:

• If applicable, ensure compliance with professional standards in relation to your relevant professional governing body (RCOT, RCSLT, NMC, BPS, CIPD, CIMA, ACCA, AAT, CIM, etc.).
• Adhere to your professional body’s regulations, ensuring registration is maintained at all times, where applicable.
• Demonstrate commitment to ongoing personal and professional development, maintaining professional portfolio’s and training profiles.
• Keep up to date and integrate any relevant new initiatives, regulations and legislation as appropriate to your role.
• Where appropriate, develop and maintain links with other professionals in the same specialist field of work.
• Keep comprehensive and accurate records in relation to your role and in accordance with organisational policies and procedures as well as local, professional and national guidelines.
• Attend training as appropriate to the role, applying knowledge gained to the workplace.
• Engage in Support and Supervision sessions, where appropriate, to reflect on practice enhancing communication and quality of service.
• To work effectively and collaboratively as a member of the team, building and maintaining good working relationships with all colleagues, stakeholders and professionals from external agencies.
• Collation and analysis of complex information derived from multiple sources to create robust service monitoring and achievable action plans that deliver results.
• Creation of comprehensive and robust information monitoring that is shared at all levels of the Charity and allows clarity and understanding of performance.

Understanding what information is important to all other functions, including the CEO, and leading on how this is best delivered. Understanding how performance might affect delivery in other parts of the Charity and working closely to provide it.

• Ensure compliance with statutory and non-statutory bodies, including CQC, ISO 9001 and the Health & Safety Executive.
• Adhere to all Caudwell Children policies and procedures.
• Demonstrate commitment to Caudwell Children’s mission, vision and values.
• On occasion and when necessary work flexible hours to meet the needs of the business.
• Willingness to travel in order to meet the needs of the post.

This Job Description indicates only the main duties and responsibilities of the post and is not intended as an exhaustive list. The post holder may be asked to carry out other duties from time to time. The Charity reserves the right to amend this Job Description from time to time, according to business needs.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential Criteria

• Honours degree 2:1 or above in Psychology, or equivalent. Eligible for graduate basis for chartership with the BPS.
• Experience of working with children.
• Relevant clinical and research skills.
• Knowledge of childhood development milestones.
• Excellent team-working and communication skills.
• Excellent leadership skills.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Information technology skills, Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint etc.
• An openness and willingness to learn new skills and to put these into practice.
• A personal commitment to the organisation’s values and principles.
• A commitment to the principles and practice of continual improvement and the provision of personalised services.
• A commitment to uphold the rights of children; vulnerable and disabled people.
• A commitment and the organisation’s approaches to equality and diversity.
• A positive can-do attitude.
• Ability to demonstrate a flexible approach to work.
• Able to meet the physical requirements of the role after reasonable adjustments have been made for illness or disability.
• Undertake personal and professional development in order to meet the changing demands of the role.
• Able to travel to meet the needs of the role.

Desirable Criteria

• Further post qualification in a relevant area.
• Experience in the use of psychometric assessments.
• Experience of working in an MDT.
• Experience of therapeutic contact.
• Experience of training others.
• Experience working with children with autism.
• Knowledge of Safeguarding principles and their application when working with children and families.
• Knowledge of neurodevelopmental disorders e.g. ADHD.
• Knowledge of Health, Education and Social Care.
• Experience working with volunteers and students.
• Experience of working in the Charity/Third Sector.
• Experience of working in ISO regulated organisations.
• Experience of working in CQC regulated organisations.

DISCLOSURE & BARRING SERVICE CHECKS

The Charity is committed to safeguarding children and young people and therefore adopts a safer recruitment approach through a robust recruitment and selection process. All posts within the Charity are subject to DBS checks, in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act
(1974). This role is eligible for an Enhanced with barred lists DBS check.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: Up to £22,500.00 per year

Benefits:

• Additional leave
• Company pension
• Employee discount
• Free parking
• On-site parking
• Sick pay
• Work from home

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• No weekends

Supplemental pay types:

• Bonus scheme

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Newcastle-under-Lyme, ST5 5NT: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Licence/Certification:

• HCPC (preferred)

Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 11/08/2023