Assistant Psychologist, Persistent Pain Management Service

Job summary

Barts Health NHS Trust Clinical Health Psychology is delighted to be offering a B4 Assistant Psychologist post in the Waltham Forest Persistent Pain Management Service. This established and valued post presents an excellent opportunity to develop and extend psychological competencies in a specialist setting, supported by an experienced and enthusiastic team.

The current post holder will be leaving the service due to a successful application to a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology training course.

The successful candidate will contribute to and be a part of an evolving Persistent Pain Management Service and a wider Clinical Health Service within the trust and will support and work directly under the clinical supervision of a clinical psychologist to help enhance the psychological aspect of pain management within the Persistent Pain Management Service.

This will include carrying out assessments, facilitating group and individual interventions, and contributing to service evaluation.

We are looking for a psychology graduate who is highly motivated, with excellent communication and empathy skills who can work independently and integrate into the multidisciplinary Persistent Pain Service, as well as being proactive in establishing links with other Secondary and Primary Care services and local third sector organisations.

Applicants must have a recognised undergraduate degree in Psychology and have the Graduate Basis for Registration with the British Psychological Society.

Main duties of the job

The job involves working in the Community Persistent Pain Management Service, based at Whipps Cross University Hospital in Waltham Forest. The post holder will be responsible for brief manualised treatment, after assessment has been undertaken by the Clinical Psychologist. There will be an opportunity to develop assessment skills by observation of Clinical Psychologist.

As with other roles, the qualified Clinical Psychologist will retain clinical responsibility for clinical work carried out, provided that the clinical work is within the care plan specified. The post holder will also be involved in the Pain Education sessions and Pain Management Programme, by adding to the discussions and presenting some material under supervision.

There will also be involvement in developing service resources and managing waiting lists, audit, service evaluation and research. Specific duties will be determined on the basis of skills and experience and operational service requirements, which may vary occasionally as service needs and priorities change.The main approaches used in the service are Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Compassion Focused Therapy and Systemic approaches.

The post holder will receive 30 minutes' supervision every week but will also have an opportunity for informal supervision while joint working.

About us

Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain's leading healthcare providers. Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond.

That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.

We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.

Job responsibilities

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledgerequired. For both documents, please view the attachment/s below.

Person Specification

Qualifications · Essential

An upper second-class honours degree or higher in psychology Eligibility for Graduate registration with BPS

Desirable

Further post-graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis

Experience · Essential

Experience of work with people presenting with physical and / or mental health challenges or other relevant problems (e.g., persistent pain, depression, anxiety)

Desirable

Paid work in a setting providing direct care. Experience working with people with long term conditions Experience of working with people who may be deemed at risk with regard to safeguarding. Experience of delivering groups Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team. Experience of publication in a peer reviewed journal

Knowledge and Skills · Essential

High level of interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to work and effectively communicate complex or sensitive information in emotionally charged settings potentially involving conflict and significant personal distress. Effective communication when interacting with service users and colleagues, especially when information is sensitive.

An awareness and understanding of needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems and disabilities and of contemporary issues in the field. An ability to link and apply psychological theory - principles, understanding and knowledge - to applied practice. An awareness and understanding of working with a diverse population of service users and colleagues.

Particularly, the differential needs of people from black and minority ethnic communities and from other groups with protected characteristics. An awareness of the service issues arising within a multi-cultural urban area. Ability to respond safely to physical and verbal aggression, drawing on training in de-escalation and breakaway where provided. Awareness of boundary issues between professionals and service users and psychologists.

An understanding of statistical analysis commensurate with an honours degree in psychology. Experience using Microsoft and associated software for purposes of data analysis and reporting, including databases and statistical programmes such as SPSS. An ability to write articulate and comprehensible reports, letters and other correspondence. Experience of collecting research data, including questionnaire design and interviewing.

Desirable

Knowledge of cognitive and behavioural principles and how to apply these in practice. Ability to travel independently.

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 UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab) . 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. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab) .