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Job description

We are delighted to invite graduate psychologists to apply for our first cohort of Clinical Associate in Psychology (CAP) role opportunities, to join our ‘Outstanding’ community Children’s and Young People’s Specialist services. This new work-based training role will increase diversity in our psychology workforce and provide an opportunity for psychology graduates to deliver patient facing care whilst developing their career in the NHS.

The CAP Apprenticeship programme will be undertaken in partnership with the University of East Anglia (UEA). It is an 18-month, full-time training programme leading to the qualification of MSc Clinical Associate in Psychology. As an apprentice, you will be employed fulltime by the NCH&C and your time will be split between work-based practice and learning (3½ days in practice, 1 day in academic learning per week, and ½ study day per week). The apprenticeship training programme will begin in early September 2023.

The roles will work within our Learning Disability Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (Starfish), Starfish Plus and Neurodevelopmental Service (NDS).

We have 2 full-time posts available. Office base will be at Norwich Community Hospital, with expected travel across sites in Norfolk, including Kings Lynn.

Successful applicants will be appointed at an Agenda for Change Band 5 whilst undertaking the programme, which will transition to a Band 6 qualified CAP role in the same team on successful completion of the training programme. As this opportunity is offered as an Apprenticeship, all training costs will be paid for by the employer.

CAP trainees will be supervised by Clinical Psychologists and work alongside the wider professional team including Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Specialist Nurses, Paediatricians, Assistant Psychologists and Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners.

Please note -

• The Apprenticeship is a blended learning course with some sessions delivered online and others delivered in-person at UEA
• There are specific minimum entry requirements (please see person specification)
• Attendance at all UEA teaching days is compulsory and annual leave cannot be booked for UEA teaching days.
• All CAPs must be in post by Monday 11th September 2023 to allow them to undertake workplace inductions etc. prior to commencing the course on Monday 18th September 2023.
• All positions are fixed term for the duration of the apprenticeship.

We aim to attract and retain a diverse, talented and committed workforce, who are caring and compassionate, and therefore able to meet the demands of the modern NHS now and in the future. In return we can offer a dynamic, supportive working environment to build a career.

As an employed apprentice, you are entitled to the same NHS benefits as other employees. For example, 27 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays which increases with years of service, opportunity to join the NHS pension scheme, wellbeing support, NHS discounts, and many more.

We would love to hear from candidates who have a passion for working with children and young people with Learning Disabilities and Neurodevelopmental Disorders. We encourage informal discussion prior to application. Please contact Cherie Clayton (01603 272463) to arrange.

Apply now to join an organisation that has been awarded an ‘Outstanding’ rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the highest possible rating and the first stand-alone NHS community trust in the country to be awarded the title.

Clinical Contacts:
NDS: Dr Stephanie Summers, Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Lead, [email protected], 01553 668712

Starfish: Dr Lorna Christoforou-Hazelwood, Clinical Psychologist, [email protected], 01603 272319

Starfish Plus: Dr Melanie Bruce, Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Lead,[email protected], 01603 272319

• Note* - The Job Description is currently going through job matching and may be subject to change.

The NDS offers diagnostic assessment and a range of post diagnostic workshops to support the lives of children and young people who have suspected Neurodevelopmental disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

The Starfish Teams (Starfish and Starfish +) offers assessment and intervention for young people of school age (4-18 years) with a diagnosed learning disability who are experiencing significant behavioural and/or mental health difficulties.

Job Purpose

The CAP trainee role is a degree level apprenticeship which is a job with academic training to develop new knowledge & skills, gaining the qualification and practical experience for your long-term career path. As an apprentice, you are employed and paid a salary for the work that you do. You are entitled to the same rights as other employees: a contract of employment, 27 days paid holiday per year, plus bank holidays.

This CAP role is to provide assessment, formulation and intervention for children and young people with a diagnosed Learning Disability and to provide assessment of Neurodevelopmental conditions such as Autism and/or ADHD.

You will spend most of the week at work (minimum of 25 hours) developing skills, applying your academic learning, and making a significant contribution in the workplace providing care for the children and young people open to the Neurodevelopmental and Starfish Services. You will also have a nominated Clinical Psychologist to supervise your work and support your clinical practice.

CAP trainees will study for a master’s qualification at the partner academic training provider, The University of East Anglia. The 180-credit master’s programme will conclude with an End Point Assessment which will be completed within the 18 months. The trainee is expected to have their clinical practice observed regularly during the academic programme.

CAP trainees will be supervised by Clinical Psychologists within the Neurodevelopmental and Starfish Teams and work alongside the wider multi-disciplinary team including Occupational Therapists, Speech and Language Therapists, Specialist Nurses, Psychological wellbeing practitioners and Community Paediatricians. On qualification CAPs move to a band 6 role.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

Communication
1. Effective verbal and written communication, including assessment reports
2. Communicate effectively and engage positively with all contacts
3. Use positive persuasion and negotiation skills to communicate sensitive and sometimes complex information
4. May work with and communicate with children and their families/carers in their own home, school, in the community or hospital, or in any settings where their needs are supported and managed.
5. Develop the ability to explain the rationales to individuals, groups, and other healthcare colleagues, for evidence-based psychological treatment models and protocols
6. Develop communication with others on the core concepts of psychological theory, research, and practice in order to enhance their delivery of psychological interventions.
7. Develop the ability to set appropriate intervention goals and agreeing these with children, their families, and their caregivers
8. Actively engage children and young people in treatment regimens to address and resolve emotive contexts and circumstances.

Working Relationships
1. Interact with a range of healthcare professionals in a variety of services, nurses, social workers, allied health professionals (AHPs) and medical colleagues
2. Work as part of a multidisciplinary team, alongside assistant psychologists, and trainee clinical psychologists, while reporting to a Clinical Psychologist regarding psychological assessment, formulation, and intervention
3. Interact with professionals in schools, probation services, the police, and the courts, depending upon the appropriate training and supervised clinical practice delivered as part of their apprenticeship.
4. Act as a psychological resource to the wider health or social care teams including residential settings and schools.

Management, Supervision and Personal Development
1. Report to a Clinical Psychologist in terms of psychological assessment, formulation, and intervention
2. Undertake research in areas relevant to the Neurodevelopmental and Starfish services.
3. Complement the work of the Clinical Psychologists in the team
4. Provide training to others to inform psychological assessment and intervention
5. Act as a psychological resource providing support, guidance and supervision using psychological models to the wider health or social care teams
6. Manage a caseload while undertaking their own clinical programmes of work, within their scope of practice
7. Be responsible for own learning and development using reflection and feedback to analyse their own capabilities
8. Undertake regular clinical psychology supervision in accordance with CAP apprenticeship framework; understanding clinical supervision provides opportunities for others to review and modify their practice, maintain high professional standards of competence and to enhance the delivery of individualised care
9. Attend supervision on a weekly basis with clinical psychology supervisor or other HCPC accredited clinician.
10. Learn the principles of leadership theory to influence best psychological practice when working in teams
11. Develop understanding of the importance and impact of organisational culture in service delivery and development
12. Understand the appropriate boundaries of professional competency in offering support and supervision and work within the scope of practice of the role and within the bounds of professional competence, in line with employer’s requirements around values, conduct and ethics
13. In all clinical and professional activities, act in accordance with the BPS Professional Code of Conduct, identifying and challenging discriminatory behaviour
14. Ensure that the teams resources are managed effectively.
15. Participate in the delivery of audit and service improvement projects.
16. Engaging in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to maintain and update psychological scope of practice.

Clinical Activities
1. Develop the ability to professionally deliver psychological assessments, formulations, interventions, and research within defined scope of practice (children and young people)
2. Use applied service research and evaluation to inform interventions.
3. Work with individuals and groups with complex needs, such as Autism, ADHD, and Learning Disability..
4. Act as a psychological resource providing support, guidance and supervision using psychological models to the wider health or social care teams
5. Use psychological measurement tools to evaluate psychological treatments and improve the quality of clinical practice
6. Develop ability to deliver treatment interventions developed with a Clinical Psychologist who will review practice through supervision.
7. Responsible for providing psychological assessment and interventions within their scope of practice across a range of service settings, such as in the community or in hospital, and including individual or group settings. Scope of practice is determined by a range of factors and defines the procedures, actions, and processes that a CAP is qualified to deliver.
8. Perform assessments as well as planning and evaluating psychological interventions.
9. Develop ability to conduct risk management assessments and evaluations.
10. Maintain a compassionate, caring, and safe care environment
11. Develop a range of psychological treatments working within defined scope of practice, whilst the supervising Clinical Psychologist retains overall clinical responsibility, reporting to a Clinical Psychologist in terms of psychological assessment, formulation, and intervention
12. Develop understanding of how to analyse and appraise the range of cognitive-behavioural and other psychological assessment methods used within applied clinical practice to underpin assessment, drawing on formulations in psychological theory, providing a clinical framework describing an individual’s difficulty and/or needs, whilst providing a rationale for how difficulties have developed and are maintained
13. Develop ability to use a range of evidence-based psychological models and protocols within scope of practice
14. Develop understanding of how psychological interventions may impact upon self-management strategies and action plans already in place and that they should minimise harm, maximise benefits and result in improvement of overall quality of life indices
15. Develop ability to apply psychological interventions that are consistent with self-management strategies and action plans for people with complex and chronic needs.