Job description

We have an exciting and innovative opportunity for a B5 Senior Assistant Psychologist to work in our busy South Shropshire Community Mental Health Service, part of the Shropshire Telford and Wrekin Care Group (MPFT). This pilot project aims to provide Brief Interventions i.e. the interventions with include some of the key components of longer-term evidence-based psychological interventions but are delivered over fewer sessions. This post will be based in Bridgnorth in South East Shropshire but some travel will also be expected to Ludlow and across our wide rural area.

We are looking for someone with significant experience in working in secondary mental health services, using a collaborative, respectful and kind approach with people with a range of mental health difficulties.

Some duties may include:

• To support the systematic provision of brief psychological therapeutic interventions.
• The post-holder will contribute to this developing role, including using outcome measures and evaluating the service. The post-holder will support Leads and other practitioners.
• The post-holder will work with the multi-disciplinary team and will assist with clinically related administration.
• The post-holder will use research skills for audit and service development and research within the area served by the team/service.
• The post-holder will receive regular (weekly) clinical professional supervision from senior qualified psychologists in the service.

The main duties include:
1. Under the clinical supervision of a qualified psychologist, undertake assessments of personality, beliefs, attitudes, behaviour, emotional function, other relevant psychological characteristics and dimensions and factors relevant to the development, maintenance and understanding of the client’s difficulties. This may be using standardised psychometric instruments, protocol-based assessment tools, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and structured and semi-structured interviews as required. Utilises assessment techniques directly with clients and collects information from family members and others involved in the client’s care as appropriate.
2. Under the clinical supervision of a qualified professional psychologist, assists in the formulation of the client’s difficulties and in the planning and delivery of care plans involving the psychological treatment and/or management of the client’s problems in community and in-patient/residential settings.
3. Under the clinical supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist, delivers therapeutic interventions developed or guided by the qualified psychologist or otherwise defined by protocol, for individual clients and for families, including, for example, planned programmes of CBT or other appropriate psychological interventions.

Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is an award-winning organisation with over 9000 employees. We are one of the largest integrated Health and Social Care providers, covering services across North & South Staffordshire, Shropshire, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, Isle of Wight and Essex.

We pride ourselves on the services provided to support with the well-being of all of our employees both physically and mentally and offer counselling support and lifestyle information. Opportunities for flexible working are also available depending on the role.

We encourage career development provided by in house training programs and coaching support.

Demonstrating our strong commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and in context of our objective aligned to the growth of diversity across the workforce; we are particularly seeking applications from individuals who may be from under-represented groups, such as black, Asian or other ethnic groups, individuals with a disability, or LGBTQ+ individuals who meet the specific criteria.

We are embedding values based and inclusive recruitment practices to ensure that all applicants, from any backgrounds, have an equal chance of success in achieving a role with us.

Job Purpose:

• To support the systematic provision of brief psychological therapeutic interventions.
• The post-holder will contribute to this developing role, including using outcome measures and evaluating the service. The post-holder will support Leads and other practitioners.
• The post-holder will work with the multi-disciplinary team and will assist with clinically related administration.
• The post-holder will use research skills for audit and service development and research within the area served by the team/service.
• The post-holder will compile and disseminate relevant resources.
• The post holder will promote and maintain good working relationships with clients and other external agencies.
• The post-holder will receive regular (weekly) clinical professional supervision from senior qualified psychologists in the service.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities
1. Under the clinical supervision of a qualified psychologist, undertake assessments of personality, beliefs, attitudes, behaviour, emotional function, other relevant psychological characteristics and dimensions and factors relevant to the development, maintenance and understanding of the client’s difficulties. This may be using standardised psychometric instruments, protocol-based assessment tools, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and structured and semi-structured interviews as required. Utilises assessment techniques directly with clients and collects information from family members and others involved in the client’s care as appropriate.
2. Under the clinical supervision of a qualified professional psychologist, assists in the formulation of the client’s difficulties and in the planning and delivery of care plans involving the psychological treatment and/or management of the client’s problems in community and in-patient/residential settings.
3. Under the clinical supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist, delivers therapeutic interventions developed or guided by the qualified psychologist or otherwise defined by protocol, for individual clients and for families, including, for example, planned programmes of CBT or other appropriate psychological interventions.
4. Under the clinical supervision of a qualified psychologist, assists in the planning, development, coordination and delivery of therapeutic groups, including for example group approaches to the management of anxiety, stress, psycho-educational groups for carers and other protocol-based group interventions. Acts as co-therapist with qualified psychologist, other Assistant Psychologist or other designated clinician and as appropriate runs group in accordance with agreed protocol.
5. Assists in the promotion a psychologically informed approach to the understanding and management of the problems and needs of all clients within the service area covered.
6. Under the clinical supervision and guidance of a qualified psychologist, collaborates with other members of the MDT in case and care reviews.
7. Attends and contributes to appropriate multi-disciplinary meetings, providing a psychological perspective or psychological information in conjunction with or on behalf of the qualified psychologist who supervises their practice.
8. To support the team with shift co rota a minimum of twice a month, this involves talking to distressed people and helping to alleviate their distress or if necessary, escalate to other teams.