Clinical/Counselling Psychologist (Learning Disabilities)

Job summary

Do you have experience of working with adults with learning disabilities who have additional mental health and/or behaviours that challenge? Would you like to further develop your therapeutic and consultation skills within a community team working with adults with learning disabilities and their networks? If you have an interest in using your skills and abilities to help improve the lives of local people with learning disabilities, we would love to hear from you. We are a supportive and friendly team and would welcome applications from those who are recently or newly qualified

Main duties of the job

You will be expected to work directly and indirectly with adults with learning disabilities, families, and staff teams to provide a range of high quality, collaborative assessments, including neuropsychological assessments, and interventions, and be skilled in psychological formulation. You will be expected to carry out research and audits as part of your work and encouraged to collaborate on service developments and quality improvement initiatives with local stakeholders, particularly service users and carers. We are looking for someone who is keen to work creatively and inclusively to work alongside people with learning disabilities and carers to improve health and wellbeing

About us

You would be part of the specialist borough MHLD community team comprising Clinical Psychologists, Behaviour Support Practitioner, Psychiatrists, Community Psychiatric Nurses, Administrators and a Team Leader. We are committed to multiagency working and work closely with health and social care colleagues and other stakeholders as part of LD Partnership.

You will be also part of the wider professional group of 15 Psychologists and Behaviour Support Practitioners working across the 3 boroughs of Lewisham, Southwark and Lambeth, with a Consultant Clinical Psychologist providing leadership within in each borough.

You will be encouraged to make use of regular CPD sessions within the Trust as well as special interest/supervision groups offered by MHLD Psychologists and Behaviour Support Practitioner within the service, aimed at further developing therapeutic skills and knowledge, such as systemic, CAT, neuropsychology and Positive Behaviour Support

Job description

Job responsibilities

You will be expected to work collaboratively to offer a range of psychological assessments and interventions for and with people with learning disabilities and their networks. This includes direct work with adults with learning disabilities, individually and in groups, and indirect work with carers, families and paid support staff. You may be expected to take on care coordinator role and facilitate network meetings. You will be required to take on team roles in some areas to support MDT and multi agency working, such as assisting in care pathway development.

We work closely with the IOPPN DClinPsy programme and the Estia Centre, a training, research and development resource for people with support adults with learning disabilities and additional mental health needs. This means there are opportunities to be involved in teaching and training others and supporting the development of others as part of your role and opportunities for working collaboratively on shared research interests

See job description for detailed information about role and responsibilities

Job description
Job responsibilities

You will be expected to work collaboratively to offer a range of psychological assessments and interventions for and with people with learning disabilities and their networks. This includes direct work with adults with learning disabilities, individually and in groups, and indirect work with carers, families and paid support staff. You may be expected to take on care coordinator role and facilitate network meetings. You will be required to take on team roles in some areas to support MDT and multi agency working, such as assisting in care pathway development.

We work closely with the IOPPN DClinPsy programme and the Estia Centre, a training, research and development resource for people with support adults with learning disabilities and additional mental health needs. This means there are opportunities to be involved in teaching and training others and supporting the development of others as part of your role and opportunities for working collaboratively on shared research interests

See job description for detailed information about role and responsibilities

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology (Doctorate in Clinical Psychology; MSc and PG Diploma in Counselling Psychology) OR Masters level qualification in Psychotherapy that has been accepted by the APC/BPC/UKCP/BACP/BABCP for purposes of professional registration

Knowledge

Essential

• Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment of adults with learning disabilities who have additional mental health needs, psychological distress or challenging behaviour
• Knowledge of psychological assessment, therapy and its therapeutic application as well as clinical psychometrics
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities
• Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care.
• To deliver psychological/psychotherapeutic therapy across cultural and other differences

Experience

Essential

• Experience of receiving clinical supervision across a range of client needs
• Experience of assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature within the specialty of learning disabilities
• Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and / or lived experience
• Experience of developing and carrying out audit/research projects
• Significant post-qualification/graduation experience including experience of individual and group therapy with people with complex mental health needs

Desirable

• The Trust encourages and welcomes applications from people with lived experience of mental health challenges. We see this as valuable and recognise the positive impact this experience can have on the work we do

Skills

Essential

• To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences and hostility to or rejection of information
• To plan and schedule assessment and interventions for individual clients and groups and carers (and for meetings such as CPA and case reviews where appropriate
• To be skilled in the administration of psychometric and neuropsychological tests, including those that require complex manipulation of test materials
• To plan allocation of tasks to assistants/trainees as appropriates
• Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data

Abilities

Essential

• Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate
• Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings
• Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions, and to deal with unexpected interruptions or changes during these
• Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour

Person Specification
Qualifications

Essential

• Entry-level qualification in Applied Psychology (Doctorate in Clinical Psychology; MSc and PG Diploma in Counselling Psychology) OR Masters level qualification in Psychotherapy that has been accepted by the APC/BPC/UKCP/BACP/BABCP for purposes of professional registration

Knowledge

Essential

• Theoretical knowledge of psychopathology and the evidence base for the relevant treatment of adults with learning disabilities who have additional mental health needs, psychological distress or challenging behaviour
• Knowledge of psychological assessment, therapy and its therapeutic application as well as clinical psychometrics
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health issues, child and adult protection, and equalities
• Knowledge of factors affecting acceptability and accessibility of mental health care.
• To deliver psychological/psychotherapeutic therapy across cultural and other differences

Experience

Essential

• Experience of receiving clinical supervision across a range of client needs
• Experience of assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature within the specialty of learning disabilities
• Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and / or lived experience
• Experience of developing and carrying out audit/research projects
• Significant post-qualification/graduation experience including experience of individual and group therapy with people with complex mental health needs

Desirable

• The Trust encourages and welcomes applications from people with lived experience of mental health challenges. We see this as valuable and recognise the positive impact this experience can have on the work we do

Skills

Essential

• To communicate skilfully and sensitively complex and sensitive information with clients, carers and colleagues overcoming barriers to communication including sensory, and emotional difficulties, cultural differences and hostility to or rejection of information
• To plan and schedule assessment and interventions for individual clients and groups and carers (and for meetings such as CPA and case reviews where appropriate
• To be skilled in the administration of psychometric and neuropsychological tests, including those that require complex manipulation of test materials
• To plan allocation of tasks to assistants/trainees as appropriates
• Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data

Abilities

Essential

• Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate
• Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic meetings
• Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions, and to deal with unexpected interruptions or changes during these
• Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the .

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. .
UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see

Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the .

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. .
UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see

Employer details

Employer name

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Address

Maudsley Hospital

Denmark Hill

London

SE5 8AZ

Employer's website