Principal Clinical / Counselling Psychologist

We are seeking to appoint a Principal Psychologist to join the Adult Autism team. The Psychologist should enjoy working with other professionals, have experience of active multidisciplinary participation and working to integrate psychological mindedness with assessment, formulation, and intervention as a core component of the post. This role will require knowledge, experience, and skills in triaging new patient referrals, neuropsychological assessment and diagnostics and clinical management of adults presenting on the Neurodevelopmental pathway. The post holder should have experience and a good understanding of cognitive factors impacting on recovery and rehabilitation. The post holder will undertake service evaluation, audit, research, and policy development if required. They will work as an autonomous professional within HCPC and BPS guidelines and codes of conduct. He/she will be guided by principles, systems, and procedures of the service, taking responsibility for interpreting policies, within defined parameters in delivery of defined outcomes. The post holder will have clinical expertise working psychologically within physical health care settings and/or neuropsychology settings. Experience is required in clinical assessment, interventions, and signposting. The postholder will manage one's own caseload, undertake risk assessment/management and individual/group psychology programmes, within a timely and professional manner., The post holder will support the autism team by:

• Participating in the development and implementation of high standards of clinical care ensuring the service provided is needs led, compliant with national guidance and is viewed positively by service users.
• Contribute to the strategic development and transformation of Specialist Adult autism services in NELFT and maintenance of high-level quality of delivery of therapeutic provision across the borough. This includes improving the integration within specialist teams and across primary and secondary care.
• Deputise for the Deputy Director of Psychological Professions including complex clinical cases, leadership, line management and service development.
• Conduct high quality assessments, treatments and systematic outcome measurement in the specialist Autism care pathway.
• Support delivery of complex specialist psychological assessment, intervention and support service for service users referred within the specialist care pathway.
• Provide specialist consultation and clinical input to complex cases presenting with significant distress associated with autism with co-morbid psychosis, anxiety, mood disorders, such as depression, Forensic involvement and enduring difficulties that may have been given the diagnosis of 'personality disorder' across the directorate.
  
  Starting with NELFTNELFT 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.
  
  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).