Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

PLANNING, MANAGING AND EVALUATING THE DELIVERY OF COUNSELLING SERVICES WITHIN LEWISHAM TALKING THERAPIES

• Assessing the service need and current and future capacity requirements
• Leading the development of a triage assessment and signposting process that creates a good match between internal counselling referrals and our treatment capacity
• Developing good links with third sector counselling providers in Lewisham to support signposting and onward referral
• Monitoring and evaluating service activity and outcomes
• Managing the induction, training and development of staff
• Developing and updating policies and procedures for the delivery of high-quality clinical services
• Commissioning and monitoring external provision of services as agreed

 TEAM MANAGEMENT

·       To contribute to the development of a culture within the team that values the use of goal-oriented, time-limited and focused interventions and the use of outcome measures and patient feedback as a way of evaluating progress.

·       Supporting clinicians within the service to meet activity requirements as set by commissioners, whilst retaining a focus on patient centred care.

·       To participate in recruitment for Band 7 Counsellors and other team members as required.

·       Support clinicians within the service to meet activity requirements as set by commissioners, whilst retaining a focus on patient centred care.

·       To agree job plans, performance targets and development goals with your team through the appraisal process, and monitor and support staff in their achievement

• To foster a supportive and performance focussed team ethos through your interaction and communication with the team, your own behaviour, team meetings and supervision
• To provide day to day line management for your team (annual leave, sickness etc)
• Ensuring good two-way communication between your staff and the service management, through monthly team meetings and informal links

SERVICE LEADERSHIP

• To share responsibility for the direction and development of the service, taking an active role in the monthly service management meeting, leading team and whole team meetings
• To ensure that the counselling perspective is considered in service management discussions and plans
• To provide regular reports on the activity and performance of the team, and any issues that need attention
• To identify aspects of the service, which could be improved and initiate and implement service development projects
• To take the lead in agreed areas of development and service delivery
• To participate in the recruitment process of staff
• To contribute to the consultation and engagement of service users in planning and developing services
• To listen and respond to, and appropriately manage patient complaints
• To participate in clinical governance initiatives as agreed by the directorate clinical governance committee.
• Contribute to the development of a culture within the team that values the use of outcome measures and service user involvement as ways of improving clinical practice

IMPROVING OUTCOMES for GLOBAL MAJORITY CLIENTS

·       Leading the implementation of the service diversity strategy within the counselling team

·       Identifying and taking forward opportunities to improve outcomes for global majority clients from service outcome analysis

·       Identifying therapist and supervisor development needs in working with global majority clients and organising an ongoing programme of induction and CPD to meet these needs.

·       Ensuring that the needs of global majority clients have a strong focus within the counselling team.

CLINICAL

·       To maintain professional accreditation with relevant professional body eg the BABCP, UKCP; keep an updated CPD and reflective practice log and attend training to maintain skills and competencies as appropriate

·       To exercise professional responsibility for the assessment, intervention and discharge of clients, using highest level of interpersonal and communication skills when presenting and receiving complex, sensitive and contentious information to clients, family, support workers and other professionals

• To provide expertise in a highly specialist clinical area which will contribute to the treatment of clients presenting with anxiety disorders or depression within a Talking Therapies framework
• To deliver NICE recommended, formulation driven psychological interventions for depression, adapting interventions for the specific needs and clinical setting.
• Assess and integrate issues surrounding social support, voluntary work and employment into therapy
• To provide highly specialist assessment and clinical formulation to clients with complex mental health needs, including personality disorders, addiction and trauma
• To provide psychological reports, including relevant formulation, opinion and interventions, in order to inform referrers and, where appropriate, service users
• To select and deliver highly specialist evidence based psychological treatments, monitoring outcomes and modifying and adapting interventions, drawing on a range of theoretical models
• To collect and enter clinical outcome data on a sessional basis; select and interpret outcome measures to inform treatment planning
• To work as an autonomous professional within BPS/HCPC guidelines and the policies and procedures of the service, taking full responsibility for own work including treatment and discharge decisions
• To travel to community settings as appropriate and across the Trust when required
• To contribute to the effective working of the team and to a psychologically informed framework for the service area, taking on specific roles or duties as agreed
• To communicate skilfully and sensitively highly complex and sensitive information with clients, carers, colleagues and other professionals taking account of sensory and cultural barriers to communication
• To keep clear, accurate and up to date records of all clinical activity in line with service protocols
• To confidently assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans
• To confidently advise other members of the service on specialist psychological care of clients
• To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations such as distressed clients or abusive behaviour and to support others involved in such situations
• To provide services at various locations in the borough of Lewisham
• To provide information and signposting for patients who do not meet the service’s eligibility criteria, including referral to secondary care psychological therapies service
• Work closely with other members of the Talking Therapies team to ensure that patients referred on to the Talking Therapies service have a clear referral pathway
• Maintain a clinical caseload in line with activity targets agreed with line manager

 TEACHING, TRAINING AND SUPERVISION

• To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior psychologist/psychotherapist according to BABCP/BPS/HCPC and Trust guidelines
• To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within Lewisham Talking Therapies by maintaining an active awareness of current developments in counselling and Talking Therapies and by implementing knowledge gained in practice
• To provide professional managerial, and clinical supervision to counsellors for all aspects of their work.
• To provide post-qualification training (CPD) and clinical professional supervision to Band 6 trainee and band 7 Counsellors and Psychotherapists.
• To deliver and promote outcome-focussed supervision
• To provide service level risk management, taking part in the on-call risk rota, and developing and recording risk management plans
• To provide specialist training to other professions as appropriate
• To plan and undertake teaching and training of pre- and post- qualification psychologists and specialised training to other professions as appropriate
• To provide supervision for the psychological work of other multi-disciplinary staff as appropriate

RESEARCH AND SERVICE DEVELOPMENT

• Assist in the development and maintenance of a strong research culture that values the use of outcome measures as a way of improving clinical practice
• Encourage the critical evaluation of practice, and undertake research
• Use theory and literature to support evidence-based practice in clinical work, supervision, teaching and consultations
• Communicate and disseminate research and service evaluation information so that clinical practice is appropriately informed
• To contribute to the development of services through initiating, undertaking and supervising service evaluation and audit
• To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles

PROFESSIONAL

• Work as an autonomous professional and maintain standards of practice adhering to HPC or BABCP guidelines and the policies and procedures of the service, taking responsibility for own work including treatment and discharge decisions
• To ensure Continuing Professional Development in line with BPS/BABCP/UKCP and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements
• Be aware of advances in counselling other psychological therapies and the Talking Therapies programme
• Work in accordance with the principles of counselling and within the parameters of good practice, in accordance with the policies and procedures of the Clinical Governance Framework

GENERAL

• To participate in business and professional meetings within the Talking Therapies service and Lewisham Directorate
• To travel to the GP practices, service meetings and other meetings as appropriate

To regularly work one evening as required