Band 7 Practitioner Psychologist/Psychological Therapist - Plymouth
Posted 5 hours 40 minutes ago by NHS
OpCourage, the community veteran's mental health service in the Southwest, is seeking a Band 7 Psychologist or Psychological Therapist to join our dedicated team. This role is based in Plymouth and Paignton, offering an exciting opportunity to provide psychological assessments, evidence-based therapies, and tailored interventions to veterans experiencing mental health issues, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
The successful candidate will collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams, fostering a supportive environment for veterans and their families. Responsibilities include conducting comprehensive psychological assessments and collaborative formulations, developing personalized treatment plans, and delivering individual or group therapy sessions. In addition, effective communication and strong interpersonal skills are essential for engaging with veterans and stakeholders, ensuring a community-centred approach to care.
Candidates should possess a relevant postgraduate qualification in psychology or psychological therapy, demonstrating experience in complex clinical settings, particularly with trauma-informed care for veterans or similar populations. A commitment to professional development and adherence to ethical guidelines in practice is required.
This role offers opportunities for ongoing training, supervision, and the chance to make a meaningful impact in the lives of those who have served the UK's armed forces.
Main duties of the jobThe post holder will provide face-to-face, evidence-based psychological therapy at an AWP/NHS site or other community setting in Plymouth and Paignton, and surrounding areas. Psychological therapy will also be offered to veterans in our wider geographical area via an online platform; both modes support consistent access to care and treatment.
Job Summary (to be read alongside the key local information):
Assess and treat a specialist caseload of clients (military veterans with complex mental health needs) and maintain associated records on the electronic case record system.
Provide high-intensity, evidence-based psychological interventions as part of the NHSE Op Courage Integrated Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service, South West; these will include at least Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and/or EMDR for complex presentations (i.e., Step 3 and above).
Provide consultation, liaison, and, where appropriate, clinical supervision to other professionals, including less experienced therapists, Assistant Psychologists, and Trainee Clinical Psychologists.
Undertake clinical audit and service evaluation activities to support the development of services relevant to client needs.
Develop best-practice knowledge in working with veterans and promote expertise in this area, including supporting research projects where appropriate, with the guidance of the psychology lead.
Please see the attached job description for a full list of duties and responsibilities.
About usWe are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust): a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care.
We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset.
Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.
AWP is committed to support and create a positive research and evidence-based environment and culture, which can have a beneficial impact on everyone who works for the organisation and the care we provide to those who use our services.
At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.
Job responsibilitiesBe part of the MDT to discuss the suitability of therapy and therapy pathways with practitioners, and arrange joint appointments when appropriate.
Provide comprehensive psychosocial assessments as required, taking into account issues of safety and suitability for psychological therapy, to formulate, implement, and evaluate treatment or support programmes for clients.
Provide a psychological therapy service for individuals and groups as appropriate (e.g., mindfulness workshops).
Educate and involve family members and others in treatment and support, as appropriate.
Adhere to an agreed activity contract/job plan relating to the number of client contacts offered and clinical sessions carried out per week, in order to minimise waiting times and ensure treatment delivery remains accessible and convenient.
Ensure timely and accurate recording of all data required by the Trust, and maintain accurate records on the electronic patient record system.
Ensure that client confidentiality is protected at all times.
Monitor clinical workload using agreed systems.
Complete all requirements relating to data collection within the service.
Provide a specialist consultancy service to multidisciplinary teams and other agencies providing care for the client group (military veterans).
Participate in clinical and caseload supervision arrangements provided by the service.
Attend and, where appropriate, chair multidisciplinary/professional meetings relating to referrals or clients in treatment.
Carry out clinical audits of service performance, including service user surveys and evaluations, and help collate and disseminate the results for feedback.
Please see the attached job description for a full list of duties and responsibilities.
Person Specification Qualifications- Doctoral qualification in clinical or counselling psychology, or BABCP-accredited therapist.
- Post-qualification training in CBT, NET, or EMDR.
- Experience working with adult mental health presentations.
- Experience working with military trauma.
- Experience working within the NHS or the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
- Clinical research experience.
- Evidence of providing evidence-based assessments and therapeutic interventions to individuals with complex needs, including PTSD.
- Experience in teaching and training.
- Ability to engage in clinical supervision and personal development positively and effectively.
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.