Clinical / Counselling Psychologist | NELFT NHS Foundation Trust

The Adult Autism team is seeking a Clinical or Counselling Psychologist with experience in multidisciplinary collaboration, assessment, differential diagnosis, and intervention. Key responsibilities include triaging new referrals, conducting neuropsychological assessments, and managing adult patients on the Neurodevelopmental pathway. The ideal candidate should understand cognitive impacts on daily activities and vocational/educational performance. Working independently within HCPC and BPS guidelines, they will participate in joint schedules, supervise colleagues, and contribute to defined outcomes. Essential skills include clinical assessment, risk management, psychological interventions, and the ability to manage a caseload and provide team consultations. ASD Assessment & Intervention: Provide specialized assessments and interventions for individuals, families, and groups in line with evidence-based practice for those with suspected ASD. Caseload Management: Manage a clinical caseload, performing autonomous assessments, making recommendations, and coordinating treatments and discharges within service policies. Risk Management: Conduct risk assessments and offer guidance on psychological aspects of risk management to other professionals. Clinical Decision-Making: Use analytical skills to make clinical decisions, particularly in complex cases. Supervision & Mentorship: Receive supervision from senior psychologists and oversee assistant psychologists and trainees within ASD services. Training & Education: Provide teaching, training, and clinical supervision to ASD team members and offer support and training to carers, residential staff, and families. Starting with NELFT NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop in sessions focusing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex. Probationary Period This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently part way through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).,

• To provide a qualified, high-quality specialist autism assessment and intervention to individuals, carers, families and groups, in line with best, evidence-based practice and trust care pathways for clients with suspected autism.
• To be responsible for holding and managing a clinical caseload to clients referred to the Autism service and utilising planning and organisational skills, to exercise autonomous assessment, treatment and discharge of clients, within the parameters of the service operational policy and professional responsibility for the planning and prioritising of own workload
• 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
• Under supervision, to employ analytical and judgment skills and be responsible for taking clinical management decisions in complex clinical issues.
• To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a senior clinical/counselling psychologist and, where appropriate, other senior professional colleagues specialising in specific disorders or therapeutic modalities.
• To clinically supervise assistant psychologists and trainee Psychologist working in Autism Services
• To when appropriate, manage, assistant psychologists and allocated Trainee Psychologists working in Autism Services
• To plan, organise and provide teaching, training, consultation and as appropriate, clinical supervision to other professionals and disciplines within the Autism team in the psychological aspects of their work.
• To plan and organise education, training and support for carers groups, staff of residential settings and family members in connection with autism clients' identified needs.
• To provide advice, consultation and training on the psychological aspects of autism, to a range of agencies working with the autism client group.
• Working autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the team's policies and procedures, to provide consultation and advice about autism issues to other professionals working with service users.
• Working within the agreed policies and procedures, to facilitate the access of people with autism to appropriate mental health services through:
o Teaching and training front line mental health practitioners on the identification of Autism o With mental health practitioners, developing reasonable adjustments to the service protocols to enable access for Autism clients to other mental health service. o Providing consultation and advice to mental health practitioners working with Autism clients to assist in assessment and treatment within their own services o Providing consultation and advice to mental health service on how and when to refer onward to specialist Autism service or another appropriate pathway.
• To contribute as directed by the professional lead, to audit policy and service developments within the area served by the Autism service.
• To identify and implement service improvements in areas of Autism service where there is need for development and to contribute to service developments in policy, procedure and practice as agreed by the professional lead
• To utilise research skills to undertake service evaluation and clinically relevant research as agreed under the supervision of the professional lead and to disseminate the results across the Autism service, NELFT and where appropriate, nationally.
• To work autonomously within professional guidelines and to exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice within the service/team.
  
  This post attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (minimum payment of £4,551 and a maximum payment of £5,735 per annum pro rata).
Certificates of Sponsorship Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for all job roles. Please check your eligibility under the UKVI points based system. If you come and work as part of the NELFT Adult Autism team, your knowledge and skills will be valued. Come join NELFT named in 2021 as a 'Working Families Top Ten Employer' and Winner at the RIDI Awards for 'Making a Difference - Public Sector'. Benefits to the postholder joining the BHR Adult Autism service and NELFT will be the offer of the following: - Structured annual education, training, and development package through several funded clinical and non-clinical courses to support you through own career development and progression in your own career path - Opportunity to learn and apply the latest research evidence in the field of autism - Leadership, coaching and mentoring opportunities - Flexible and Agile working - Family friendly policies and procedures - Substantial number of staff benefits - Resources and support to your own health, emotion and wellbeing