Clinical Psychologist

The post holder will work alongside an experienced and enthusiastic Community Mental Health Team and Memory Assessment Service and will be responsible for providing a high quality clinical psychological service to older people in the Sedgemoor Neighbourhood (Bridgwater and Burnham areas).

There is a strong emphasis on working alongside CMHT and Dementia Assessment & Support Service (DASS) staff to help develop formulations and support staff to implement psychologically informed interventions for older adults with both organic and functional difficulties.

This post also involves delivering highly specialist psychological therapy and neuropsychological assessment.

This post is part of a well-established Older People's Clinical Psychology Service in Somerset which employs twelve qualified Clinical Psychologists, five Assistant Psychologists and hosts five - six Trainee Clinical Psychologists each academic year.

There also are good links with other later life practitioners across the Trust and the opportunity to link with psychology colleagues working across other specialisms.

Main duties of the job

You'll be responsible for providing a high-quality clinical psychology service to older people, conducting specialist assessments, including neuropsychological assessments and rehabilitation, and providing psychological therapy and interventions.

Clinical psychology services are valued for their work with colleagues, providing supervision and training.

We maintain good links with our clinical psychology colleagues across the Trust and there are excellent opportunities for career development., The following staff working and providing services in the Older Persons Mental Health Service and the Memory Assessment Service, and related Trust services :

• Head of Older Adult Clinical Psychology


• Head of Older Persons Mental Health Services


• Sedgemoor Neighbourhood CMHT and DASS


• Clinical Neuropsychologists in the Older Persons Service


• Other Clinical Psychologists contributing to the MAS


• Clinical Psychologists in Older Persons Psychology and other specialities


To provide a consultancy service to CMHT, DASS and Inpatient Older Persons teams and to other professionals in the service, regarding complex functional and organic assessments, and complex case formulation.

To liaise with appropriate professionals and to contribute to multi-disciplinary case discussions and planning meetings.

To be responsible for own caseload, work and interventions with even the most complex presentations and for interpretation of agreed guidelines and policies as an autonomous practitioner and to seek consultation and supervision appropriately from peers, the Head of Older Adult Psychology and Consultant Clinical Psychologists and Clinical Neuropsychologists

To provide specialist clinical supervision to practitioners, trainees in clinical psychology, assistant psychologists, and other professionals, as appropriate.


• Registered with the HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist


• Doctorate Clinical Psychology or equivalent


• Eligible for Chartered Clinical Psychologist status


Desirable

Relevant specialist training in Neuropsychology, Psychological Therapy, Supervision and Research Methods

Experience

Essential

• Clinical and audit work in Older Adults


• Teaching and training psychologists and other professional staff


• Supervision experience with a range of staff


• Consultancy experience in a range of settings


• Experience of working in multi-professional / multiagency settings


Desirable

• Research and development work in area relevant to Older Adults


• Experience of providing a psychological service in the community, Skills in the use of complex methods and tests in psychological and neuropsychological assessment frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration


• Ability to provide rapid psychological assessment and brief psychological interventions, especially in the management of risk


• Ability to maintain intense concentration for complex


Desirable

• Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multimedia materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings


• Strong leadership qualities, resilience and ability to handle ambiguity and uncertainty
  
  As an organisation, Somerset NHS Foundation Trust offers employees a wide range of benefits including flexible working, NHS pension scheme, generous annual leave allowance and a commitment to career will be eligible for our Blue Light Card and a wide range of NHS exclusive shopping & leisure are proud of our skilled, diverse workforce and as an inclusive employer we welcome applications from all backgrounds.


Working in Somerset enables you to enjoy the idyllic countryside, areas of outstanding beauty and stunning coastlines whilst still only being a stone's throw away from bustling city centres like Bristol, Bath and Exeter and only two hours away from are excellent educational facilities in the area and, when compared to other regions, house prices are reasonable.

Somerset offers the countryside and the cosmopolitan there is truly something for everyone!