Job summary
- Main area
- Clinical Health Psychology
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8a
- Contract
- Part permenant: 0.6wte and part fixed term 12 months: 0.4wte
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 363-CHB7334653
- Employer
- East London NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- MBH
- Town
- Dunstable,
- Salary
- £47,810 - £62,682 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 17/08/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Clinical/Counselling Psychologist Cancer & Palliative (Luton/Beds/MK)
NHS AfC: Band 8a
Bedfordshire Community Health Services are provided in partnership by East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) and Cambridgeshire Community Services (CCS) NHS Trust. This role is for an ELFT position within Bedfordshire Community Health Services. ELFT’s mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
Job overview
A fantastic opportunity has arisen for a Clinical/Counselling Psychologist to join the Cancer and Palliative Care Psychology (CPC) Team. We are seeking a Clinical/Counselling Psychologist who is enthusiastic, creative and wants opportunities to develop their skills to help deliver our vision for improved access and experience of psychological care for cancer patients, their families and carers. The post holder will join a supportive, ambitious CPC Psychology team (Level 3 & 4), including Clinical Psychologists, Systemic Family/Couples Therapist and CBT/Psychotherapist, who work closely with multidisciplinary colleagues across BLMK. The position offers a varied role including clinical casework, consultation, supervision groups, teaching and training, service development and research. The post holder will be supported within a broader thriving and diverse Clinical Health Psychology Team, and receive supervision by an experienced CPC psychologist, to deliver high quality services across organisational boundaries. Newly qualified psychologists are encouraged to apply and could be appointed on a band 7 development post working towards requirements for 8a. We would welcome your inquiries! ELFT is committed to providing CPD opportunities to maintain and develop specialist expertise. If this post has peaked your interest then please call for in formal chat, to hear more, 07733123334 / 07985990940, Dr Sara Rassool (CHPS, Lead Consultant Clinical Psychologist).
Main duties of the job
The post holder will work as part of the ELFT Macmillan Cancer & Palliative Care Psychology Services across BLMK. The post holder will be responsible for providing specialist clinical psychology services (assessment, formulation, interventions and evidence-based therapies) as an integrated member of various oncology and palliative care teams. The role promotes the full range of psychological skills, to include the provision of teaching/training, consultation and supervision, both with qualified/unqualified and non-psychology colleagues. The post holder will utilise research skills for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of individual & group interventions, quality improvement, & service developments. The post holder will work in collaboration with a range of voluntary sector agencies when needed and promote the well-established mental health care pathways across the system. The service is provided within a range of settings and modes to enhance the patient’s experience, including virtual clinics, hospital, hospices, inpatient and care homes when needed, community clinics and, where necessary, in patients’ homes. The post holder is expected to contribute to the wider thriving Clinical Health Psychology Department within the Bedfordshire Community Health Service Directorate. The post holder will work autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the Trust’s policies and procedures.
Working for our organisation
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
KEY RELATIONSHIPS:
- Macmillan Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Lead for Clinical Health Psychology Beds and Luton
- Clinical and administrative colleagues within the Cancer and Palliative Care Psychology Service
- Cancer Nurse Specialist and oncologists BLMK
- Secondary Care Mental Health Teams
- IAPT LTC leads across BLMK
- Macmillan charity Cancer Support
- Local Hospices
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Clinical
1. To provide specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to the Cancer & Palliative Care Psychology Team based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological tests, structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the client’s care.
2. To provide direct clinical evidence based interventions to clients, consultation and training to staff working with the clients across a range of agencies and settings, contributing directly to clients’ formulations and treatment plans.
3. To establish and maintain good relationships with service users, carers, voluntary sector colleagues and external agencies.
4. To keep abreast of developments in psychological treatment and care of those with cancer & palliative care needs.
6. To participate in service evaluation, audit and quality improvement activities, examining the effectiveness of current service delivery, as requested by managers and commissioners.
7. To be aware of, and adhere to Trust policies and professional code of conduct.
Responsibility for Patient/Client care
1. To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a client’s difficulties, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework, and employing methods based on evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings
2. To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and other targeted groups across BLMK.
3. To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group
4. To liaise and consult with other professionals and services.
5. To provide assessment formulation and intervention for carers and families.
6. To provide a specialist consultancy service regarding the care of those with cancer & palliative care needs, specifically to members of the Cancer & Palliative care MDTs, mental health professionals and other agencies, statutory and non statutory throughout the Trust and systems of care.
7. To attend multidisciplinary team meetings and case conferences as necessary and to advise staff on issues surrounding the psychological care of patients, families or carers.
8. To advise patients and carers on options for psychological care. This may involve careful negotiation with patients and their carers.
9. To convey unwelcome information to patients that may be rejected or where there are significant barriers to acceptance. To overcome cultural, knowledge-based or cognitive barriers to understanding.
10. To carry out appropriate specialist psychometric and neuropsychological assessment and interpret the results of assessments.
11. To work adaptively, in both outpatient clinics and when needed into inpatient wards, in care homes, and hospices and where necessary, in patients homes.
12. To be able and willing to travel to fulfil the demands of the post.
Teaching, Training and Supervision
1. To ensure that all members of the broader medical team have access to a psychologically based framework for understanding the care of patients, through the provision of advice, consultation, training and the dissemination of psychological skills.
2. To provide appropriate teaching, training and supervision to other members of the MDT for their provision of psychologically based interventions to help improve clients functioning and quality of life.
3. To maintain and further develop high standards of clinical psychology practice by engaging in continuing professional development, and both managerial and clinical supervision.
4. To participate in an annual performance appraisal.
Management, Human Resources and Service Development:
1. To contribute, with guidance from senior Psychologist to service developments and projects within the service.
2. To raise the level of practice of non-psychologist colleagues in their understanding and handling of psychological issues;
3. To increase colleagues’ knowledge and confidence about how to access the Macmillan Specialist Psychology service and how to refer appropriately.
4. To keep up to date with the developments in the specialism including NSF and NICE guidelines and to work towards the implementation of this guidance
5. To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific clinical health client group and broader mental health policy.
6. To contribute towards the evaluation, monitoring and development of the team’s operational policies, through the deployment of professional skills and research, service evaluation and audit and ensuring incorporation of psychological frameworks for understanding and provision of high quality multi-disciplinary care.
7. To carry out regular data collection as requested by managers and commissioners
8. To participate in the Departments internal and external CPD training and development programs to ensure the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards.
Research and Service Evaluation
1. To support and develop appropriate clinical audit, research and actively participate in the cancer and palliative care psychology service and Clinical Health Psychology Department development plans.
Information Technology
1. Provide accurate and timely clinical information as required and input into Trust electronic record systems.
2. Use information technology and virtual platforms in line with Trust and NHS information governance requirements, and maintain up to date knowledge of systems and governance requirements.
3. Collate and report on information across service area using information systems to a high standard.
4. Prepare teaching materials and presentations to a professional level.
Person specification
required
Essential criteria
- Doctorate Qualification DClinPsych. or able to provide date of completion for Preceptor applicants
Desirable criteria
- Quality Improvement Training
Experince of working with Physical Health
Essential criteria
- experience working with client group and MDTs
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Dr Sara Rassool
- Job title
- Head of Service CHPS BCHS
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 07985990940
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