Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a 0.6wte / 3 day per week Band 7 Clinical / Counselling Psychologist or High Intensity CBT Therapist to join our friendly HIV psychology team comprising of clinical psychologists and CBT therapist.

The post-holder will work will support our creative, vibrant multi-disciplinary clinical team (consultants, doctors, nurses, research nurses and pharmacists) to deliver integrated care.

The successful applicant will assist in the provision of offering assessments and interventions to people living with HIV within the Ian Charleson Day Centre, the first open-access HIV clinic in the UK, which is based at Royal Free Hospital.

You will be joining a team of clinical and counselling Psychologists with a particular expertise in health psychology for HIV populations. You will have access to supervision (clinical or cognitive-behavioural supervision).

You will have a clear expression of interest in working within health psychology and a desirable interest in working with people living with, affected by HIV. You will need to be adaptable, confident and able to prioritise a combination of diverse demands on your time and be able to work autonomously.

Main duties of the job

To provide a qualified psychological therapy to patients of the HIV service including psychological assessments and intervention for common mental health problems (depression, anxiety, sleep, stress). The postholder will primarily provide psychological assessment and therapy for issues that fall outside of the HIV condition but may have an effect on the HIV condition and management.

To provide advice and consultation on clients’ psychological care to non- psychologist colleagues and working autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the team’s policies and procedures.

The post holder may offer clinical supervision to trainee clinical / counselling psychologists. The postholder will work on-site on Mondays and offer remote telephone and video appointments on the second day.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see attached Job Description for more information about this role and working at royal free London NHS foundation Trust

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Person specification:

Other

Essential

• Ability to identify, and employ, as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
• Knowledge and understanding of confidentiality issues.

Desirable

• Experience of working within a multicultural framework.

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working as a qualified / trainee clinical psychologist and/or CBT therapist.
• Experience of working with a wide variety of patient groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, primary care, in-patient including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems.
• Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for patients’ psychological care and treatment.

Desirable

• Desirable: experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.
• Desirable: experience within HIV / health settings.

Skills and aptitudes

Essential

• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management, including the use of theoretical models to analyse information and to develop formulations upon which to base choice of treatment.
• A high-level ability to communicate effectively at both a written and oral level to patients and professional persons within and outside the NHS.
• Ability to act as a clinical psychologist / CBT therapist and work autonomously in hospital settings.

Desirable

• Knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to the patient group and mental health
• Highly developed knowledge of the psychological theory and practice.
• Doctorate level knowledge of research design and methodology practiced within the field of clinical psychology.

Royal Free Shared Commitments

Essential

• Demonstrable ability to meet the Trust shared commitments

Education & professional Qualifications

Essential

• Doctoral level training in counselling/clinical psychology including specifically, models of psychopathology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
• Registration with Health and Care Professions Council

Desirable

• BABCP accreditation or strong evidence of interest and further training in CBT