Practitioner Psychologist - East Sussex MSK Persistent Pain Service

About the East Sussex Community MSK Persistent Pain Service The East Sussex Community MSK Persistent Pain Service provides specialist, community-based support for people aged 16 years and over living with persistent musculoskeletal pain.

The service aims to help people:

• understand persistent pain;
• reduce fear and uncertainty whilst improving confidence, function and quality of life;
• participate in family, social, educational and working life;
• develop skills for managing persistent pain and flare-ups;
• make informed choices about treatment and medication; and
• live in accordance with the goals and values that matter to them.

Job purpose The post-holder will provide highly specialist psychological assessment, formulation and intervention for adults living with persistent pain within a multidisciplinary community persistent pain service.

A significant part of the role involves delivering and co-facilitating evidence-based Pain Management Programmes, alongside individual psychological interventions that support self-management, improve function and enhance quality of life.

The post-holder will work as an autonomous practitioner within professional guidelines and organisational policies and procedures. They will contribute to multidisciplinary assessment and treatment planning, provide consultation to colleagues, support service development and resilience, and participate in audit and continuous quality improvement activities.

Key working relationships Director of Operations, Clinical Leads; Pain Consultants; Physiotherapists; Occupational Therapists; Specialist Nurses; General Practitioners; Primary Care Networks; Mental Health Services; Community Services; VCSE Organisations; Service Users and Carers.

Job Description Clinical Responsibilities Assessment

• Undertake specialist person-centred assessment of patients referred to the MSK Persistent Pain Service to identify factors contributing to the pain and how this affects their life informed by NICE guidance and clinical practice.
• Develop comprehensive biopsychosocial formulations that draw on evidence-based approaches to consider how psychological, physical, social and occupational factors have contributed to and maintain difficulties. This will include lifestyle and daily activities (including work and sleep disturbance), physical and psychological wellbeing, stressful life events (including previous or current physical or emotional trauma, current or past substance misuse, social support and relationships and wider factors (housing, income, culture and faith).
• Utilise appropriate standardised psychometric and outcome measures, alongside clinical interview, history and other relevant information, to inform assessment, formulation, treatment planning and evaluation of outcomes.
• Explore current coping, skills, strengths and support, including attitudes and understanding of treatment options. Assess suitability for group-based and individual psychological interventions.
• Develop and document appropriate care and support plans, to support treatment planning (including the management of flare ups).
• Undertake specialist psychological triage and assessment of patients referred to the Community MSK Persistent Pain Service, including contributing psychological expertise to multidisciplinary assessment and decisions regarding suitability and appropriateness for individual or group psychological intervention.

Therapeutic interventions

• Deliver evidence-based psychological interventions for people living with persistent pain, including approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Compassion Focused approaches, mindfulness-informed interventions and behavioural pain management approaches.
• Promote self-management and rehabilitation principles, supporting patients to improve functioning and quality of life despite ongoing symptoms.
• Support patients to develop practical skills and confidence to manage persistent pain and flare-ups, reduce fear and avoidance, and engage in meaningful activities and valued life roles, including family, social, educational and occupational activities.
• Manage highly complex and emotionally challenging clinical presentations appropriately and safely.

Pain Management Programmes

• Lead and co-facilitate multidisciplinary Pain Management Programmes, including the design, development and delivery of psychoeducational and therapeutic group sessions.
• Contribute specialist psychological expertise to programme development, evaluation of outcomes and review of patient experience.
• Adapt programmes to meet the needs of diverse populations and individuals with protected characteristics and support the development of digital and hybrid delivery models where appropriate.

Multidisciplinary working

• Act as an active member of the multidisciplinary team, contributing to clinical discussions, MDT meetings and case reviews.
• Provide psychological consultation and guidance to colleagues managing individuals with persistent pain, working collaboratively across health and social care systems and supporting integrated care pathways and stepped-care models.

Risk management and safeguarding

• Assess and manage clinical risk in accordance with organisational policies, identifying and responding appropriately to safeguarding concerns.
• Escalate concerns regarding patient safety in line with procedures and maintain accurate clinical records and risk documentation.
• Support continuous quality improvement via logging and managing incidents on Incident Reporting System.
• Escalate risks and concerns via appropriate Governance frameworks.

Professional leadership, training and supervision

• Provide specialist psychological consultation regarding the management of persistent pain and contribute to psychologically informed practice across the multidisciplinary team.
• Support the development of staff skills through teaching, training, supervision, mentorship and reflective practice, including assistant psychologists, trainee psychologists or other staff where appropriate.
• Where appropriate and within professional competence, contribute to the safe delegation of clinical and therapeutic activities to appropriately trained staff, providing appropriate guidance and oversight in accordance with organisational policy.
• Participate in regular clinical supervision in accordance with HCPC and professional standards, and provide placement supervision where appropriately qualified.

Service development and audit

• Contribute to service evaluation, audit, outcome measurement and quality improvement initiatives, supporting the development of innovative psychological pathways within persistent pain services.
• Contribute to policy and pathway development, support implementation of national guidance and best practice, maintain awareness of current evidence relating to persistent pain, and disseminate learning within the service.

Professional responsibilities

• Work within HCPC Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics and in accordance with British Psychological Society standards and professional codes of practice.
• Maintain registration as a Practitioner Psychologist, maintain continued professional development and evidence of reflective practice, and ensure practice is evidence-based and informed by current research.

Person Specification E - Essential, D - Desirable

Qualifications

• Postgraduate professional qualification in Clinical, Counselling or Health Psychology, or equivalent recognised professional training, with eligibility for registration with the Health and Care Professional Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist. (E)
• Current HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist. (E)
• Eligibility for Chartered Status with the British Psychological Society. (D)
• Post-qualification training in ACT, CBT or other evidence-based approaches relevant to persistent pain. (D)
• Additional training in group facilitation (D)

Experience

• Post-qualification experience working as a practitioner psychologist, preferably within physical health, persistent pain, long-term conditions or a related setting. (E)
• Experience of using evidence-based psychological approaches, including CBT and/or ACT, with adults experiencing common mental health difficulties alongside long-term physical health conditions. (D)
• Experience working or training within persistent pain services, pain management programmes, long-term conditions and physical health services; quality improvement, audit or service development; and providing consultation and training to staff. (D)

Knowledge

• Knowledge of current evidence and best practice in persistent pain management; the biopsychosocial model of pain; CBT, ACT and behavioural approaches relevant to pain; clinical governance and safeguarding frameworks; equality, diversity and inclusion principles; and risk assessment and risk management. (E)
• Knowledge of national pain management guidance, rehabilitation and vocational principles in persistent pain, and outcome measurement within pain services. (D)
• Knowledge and understanding of commonly prescribed medication for anxiety, depression, common mental health difficulties and pain, including awareness of the interaction between psychological, physical and pharmacological approaches to persistent pain management. (D)

Skills

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