Job summary

Our Clinical Neuropsychology Service is offering a development role, starting as Senior Clinical Psychologist (Band 8a) with preceptorship to Principal Clinical Psychologist (Band 8b). There will be a clear pathway to acquire the experience, skills and knowledge required to secure the 8b banding once agreed competencies have been met. This will include undertaking the PG Diploma in Clinical Psychology knowledge component or equivalent. We will offer supportive environment to acquire level of clinical and leadership skills to progress to the 8b banding.

You will play a key part in our service and new service developments. We are an evolving, innovative service.

The post is a permanent position.

We aim to attract a diverse and talented workforce who are passionate about working in neuropsychology settings. The successful candidate will work as part of a friendly and supportive team, where there are opportunities to access peer support and develop your career.

The service is based primarily Pinderfields Hospital. However, clinical sessions at other sites may also be required. We offer a flexible working approach and depending on service need there are likely to be opportunities to work from home.

There will be CPD opportunities, and the potential to develop the post in line with your own neuropsychology interests.

For further information or an informal chat, please contact Dr Charlotte Baker: cbaker@nhs.net. Interviews to take place on 18 December.

Main duties of the job

Applicants must be HCPC registered and hold a Doctorate Degree in Clinical Psychology. As part of the development in the post, we would expect you to gain the knowledge component of Clinical Neuropsychology training or equivalent. We are keen to support candidates who want to continue to work towards the practice Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Neuropsychology.

In addition to this summary, please familiarise yourself with the full job description and person specification documents attached to this advert.

The Clinical Neuropsychology service provides neuropsychological intervention to people with a range of neurological conditions. In addition to direct client work (individual and group), you will work closely with medical and nursing teams, providing consultancy, education, clinical supervision and input to MDTs. You will contribute to service development, audit and research. As part of the development into 8b you will also support professional development, supervision/line management of junior colleagues.

The post holder will be able to develop specialist skills with supervision from a Consultant Neuropsychologist. We have strong teaching and research links with University of Leeds, research interests are encouraged.

We welcome applications from enthusiastic, motivated and resourceful individuals with strong skills in neuropsychology assessment and therapy, and experience of working effectively in multi-disciplinary teams in a physical health setting.

About us

We provide care and support to over a million people in Wakefield and Kirklees in their homes, community settings and across our three hospital sites at Pontefract, Dewsbury and Pinderfields (Wakefield).

Always striving for excellence, we are at the forefront of innovation and research, and we invest in teaching and the development of our workforce.

We live by our values of caring, improving, being respectful and maintaining high standards. We listen and learn because we aim to make Mid Yorkshire the best place to work and receive care.

We value diversity and welcome talent and enthusiasm irrespective of age, disability, neurodivergence, sex, gender identity and gender expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or other personal circumstances including providing unpaid carers support to someone with a health and care need. As ethnic minority groups, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and people with a disability/neurodivergence are currently under-represented across the organisation, we encourage applications from members of these groups. We have policies and procedures to ensure all applicants are treated fairly and consistently.

We are proud of our staff networks - who offer valuable guidance and feedback from those with lived experience.

We have a clear vision and you could be part of this! If you share our values and you want to make a difference to the lives of our patients and their families and carers, we would love to hear from you.

Date posted

24 November 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8b

Salary

£58,972 to £68,525 a year pro-rata, for preceptorship will start at 8a

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

C9377-FCS1169

Job locations

Pinderfields Hospital

Aberford Road

Wakefield

West Yorkshire

WF1 4DG

Job description

Job responsibilities

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

To formulate and implement specialist neuropsychological rehabilitation for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a clients cognitive and mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings.

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

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.

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

To provide highly specialist psychological advice guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.

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

To communicate in a skilled 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 individual and multi-disciplinary care.

To receive regular clinical professional supervision from a Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist and, where appropriate, other senior professional colleagues.

To continue to provide highly specialist experience and skills relevant to the Clinical psychology and Neuropsychology service.

To continue to develop skills in the area of professional post-graduate teaching, training and supervision and to provide supervision to other MDT staffs psychological work as appropriate.

To provide professional and clinical supervision of Clinical Psychologists, Doctoral Trainee, and assistant clinical psychologists. To provide clinical training placements for Doctoral Trainees in Clinical Psychology from appropriate courses, undertaking clinical supervision, teaching on placement, organising and monitoring workload and, ultimately, assessing clinical competence (where feasible within the fixed term timeframe).

To contribute to the pre- and post-qualification teaching of clinical psychology, as appropriate.

To provide advice, consultation and training to staff working with the client group across a range of agencies and settings, where appropriate. To maintain and develop skills in the area of teaching, training and supervision.

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

To contribute to management of Clinical Neuropsychology Service, leading on aspects of service operation and/or service governance as specified by the Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist.

To undertake service development tasks which impact beyond own area of practice including the wider neurology service, inpatient and community neurorehabilitation services.

To contribute and/or manage responsibility for screening of referrals made to relevant specialities and communicate outcome of triage with referral agent.

Plans and co-ordinates specialist services within the Clinical Neuropsychology department liaising with wider systems e.g. commissioner, patient service managers etc to review and develop the service.

To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other team members.

To undertake appropriate research and provide research advice to other staff undertaking research in Neuropsychology.

To undertake project management, including complex audit and service evaluation, with colleagues within the service to help develop service provision.

To participate in the routine collection of patient data for purposes of outcome evaluation.