Assistant Psychologist – CUH Medical Haematology Service - Cambridge, United Kingdom - Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

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    Fixed-Term
    Description

    Job summary

    Paid Clinical Experience Opportunities for Disadvantaged Aspiring Clinical Psychologists-Cambridge University Hospital (CUH) Medical Haematology Service

    Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) is looking for a number of candidates for Assistant Psychologist roles, working part-time (3 days a week) for a fixed term of 6 months. This is part of the Health Education England provision for Paid Opportunities for Aspiring Clinical Psychologists.

    Heath Education England (HEE) plans to improve equity of access and inclusion for entrants to Clinical Psychology training for groups who are currently under-represented. Part of the NHS Long Term Plan is to improve diversity in the workforce to better represent the users that it supports. These posts, funded by Health Education England, are intended to give opportunities to develop initial clinical experience for aspiring clinical psychologists who would otherwise be excluded from entering the profession through unpaid work experience ( from voluntary or honorary Assistant Psychologist roles).

    To fulfil the ambitions of these posts to expand representativeness, we are seeking applicants who may be disadvantaged in entering the profession because they are unable to take the financial burden of an unpaid role to gain experience that is needed to further their career.

    Please see application guidance for more details.

    We may close the vacancy early if we receive a high number of applicants.

    Main duties of the job

    The working activities of Assistant Psychologists will correspond with this generic job description. However, exact tasks will vary depending on the specific role and context.

    In addition to the support and supervision provided in the local service / team, post holders will be supported in their career development through a series of webinars, peer-reflective practice groups, and opportunities to link with other Assistant Psychologists and Trainee Psychologists employed by the Trust.

    The key elements of the job role are:

  • To support and enhance the professional psychological care of service users within the service, across all sectors of care.
  • Undertake clinically supervised work with service users on a one-to-one basis delivering psychological /therapeutic interventions, both individual and group based.
  • Under supervision, the postholder will plan, organise, and teach on a variety of psycho-educational courses.
  • Work independently according to a plan agreed with HCPC registered Clinical Psychologists and within the overall framework of the team's policies and procedures.
  • Undertake Research and Development (R&D) activities under the supervision of responsible Clinical Psychologist or others, for example: to assist in clinically related administration, conduct of audits, collection of statistics, and development of audit and/or research projects, and teaching and project work.

    About us

    Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high-quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting andempowering them to lead a fulfilling life.

    Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services, not only via inpatient and primary care settings, but also within the community. These services include children's, adult and older people's mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development.

    To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high-calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including people with long term conditions and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.

    Job description

    Job responsibilities

    Please see job description for detailed list of responsibilities.

    To support the psychology team and wider team in psychological assessment, care provision, planning, and delivery of evidence-based interventions, under the supervision of a Practitioner Psychologist.

    To provide psychological interventions and maintain a clinical caseload under supervision.

    To assist the psychology team in the development of individual or group clinical materials or training materials, such as the development of treatment manuals and group interventions.

    Person Specification

    Education / Qualifications

    Essential

  • Graduated with at least a Second Class Psychology undergraduate degree
  • Entitlement to Graduate Basis for Chartership with the British Psychological Society
  • Applicants must not be currently salaried or post graduate trainees in a university programme
  • Applicants have not studied and are not currently studying a Masters' degree* (MSc 4 year combined undergraduate and postgraduate degree is accepted. MSc as a conversion from a non-psychology undergraduate degree is accepted). *see guidance document
  • Experience

    Essential

  • Applicants must NOT have been employed as an Assistant Psychologist, Research Assistant, Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) or similar / equivalent role. (Very brief - less than 4 weeks - paid roles can be disregarded).
  • Lived experience of membership with a group/ identity that is currently underrepresented within Clinical Psychology.
  • Desirable

  • Experience of working with people with complex needs.
  • Experience of completing research projects or audits.
  • Experience of working with children or families.
  • Skills & Abilities

    Essential

  • Able to demonstrate commitment to high quality care and service provision.
  • High level communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive.
  • Ability to communicate sensitive information to people with different needs, patients, their families/carers, and staff.
  • Ability to manage occasional emotionally stressful situations.
  • An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to mental and physical health contexts.
  • Ability to understand research materials.
  • Ability to interpret data as part of service evaluation, audit, and possible research.
  • Ability to recognise limits of competence and seek support from supervisors and other sources when needed.
  • Ability and willingness to reflect on work practice and be open to constructive feedback
  • Ability to work independently, reliably, and consistently with work agreed and managed at regular intervals.
  • Desirable

  • An ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines.
  • Able to contain and work with high levels of distress from service users.
  • Knowledge & Understanding

    Essential

  • An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental or physical health problems or disabilities.
  • An understanding of psychology applied to health care.
  • Desirable

  • An understanding of multidisciplinary therapeutic approaches to intervention.
  • An understanding of current, evidence based, stepped-care models of care as detailed in NICE guidance.
  • Physical Requirements

    Essential

  • Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments, and psychological interventions.
  • Desirable

  • Ability to travel across CPFT locality.
  • Other

    Essential

  • Demonstrate an interest in a career in Clinical Psychology.
  • Evidence of personal values in accordance with those of the Trust and the NHS.
  • A positive approach to work and learning.
  • Recognise people's right to privacy and dignity, treating every person with respect.
  • Willingness to embrace an integrated model and new ways of working.
  • Willingness to be flexible in approach and attitude.