Job Purpose
The principal purpose of the job is to improve the psychological health & wellbeing of people with a history of childhood sexual abuse. This will be achieved through undertaking the following areas of responsibility:
- Carry out consults in the specialist area of work with professionals wishing to make referrals, to determine suitability.
- Undertake independent specialist assessments of individuals and their needs, leading to advice and guidance for individuals and referrers, as well as assessment of suitability for specialist interventions and contribute to the development and review of risk management plans with professional colleagues.
- Design and provide a groupwork model of Psychological Therapy to people with a history of childhood sexual abuse, including any individual work that may be a part of that model.
- Provide clinical supervision where appropriate in a highly specialist area.
- Provide specialist advice and information to service users, their family members, and carers.
- Provide information and training to colleagues within DPT in relation to the model of therapy and the suitability of service users to take part in a model of trauma therapy for people with a history of childhood sexual abuse.
- Work within professional guidelines.
Communication and Working Relationship Skills
- Clients, family, and carers: Communicate in a highly skilled and sensitive manner with clients who may have specific difficulties in understanding and/or communicating, and who may be hostile, antagonistic, or highly emotionally disturbed.
- Multidisciplinary team colleagues: Work closely with colleagues in the multi-professional integrated mental health and wellbeing service on a day-to-day basis.
- Health & social care staff: Communicate with a wide range of health & social care staff in hospital and community settings in a highly skilled and sensitive manner, conveying complex and sensitive information concerning the assessment, formulation, and treatment plans of clients under the service's care.
- Provide support & guidance in the application of psychological principles and techniques, and foster reflective practice.
- Senior managers & professional staff: Maintain and build good working relationships with senior professional staff and managers across the Psychology and Therapy service and in DPT to foster a positive approach to the integrated mental health and wellbeing service and to enable effective negotiation.
Analytical and Judgemental Skills
- Provide specialist psychological therapy expertise and advice to people with a history of childhood sexual abuse within PPT.
- Develop specialist psychological formulations and assessments of clients, offering specialist assessments of individuals and their needs, leading to advice and guidance for individuals and referrers, as well as assessment of suitability for specialist interventions, formulating plans for their psychological treatment, and implementing psychological interventions for people with a history of childhood sexual abuse as individuals and in groups.
- Undertake risk assessments and develop a formulation of risk which will contribute to the development of risk management plans with professional colleagues as appropriate.
- Ensure the continuous re-evaluation of individuals' needs and clinical risk situations and use clinical judgement to formulate the most appropriate clinical plan, with professional colleagues as appropriate.
- Provide specialist clinical therapies expertise and advice.
Planning and Organisational Skills
- The service: Plan and prioritise own workload, balancing the demands of individual care, support and guidance of carers and professionals, and service research and development activities.
- Contribute to the planning and organising of the delivery of psychological trauma therapies within Devon Partnership NHS Trust, and to the development and improvement of the provision of psychological therapy for people with a history of childhood sexual abuse within services to best meet the organisation's strategy and priorities.
- The multidisciplinary service: Provide trauma therapy model Psychological Therapies knowledge to the multi-professional planning, development, and marketing of mental health and wellbeing services.
Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment, and Therapy
- Assessment & intervention: Make highly skilled evaluations and decisions about assessment, treatment, and discharge, including the management of risk.
- Formulate plans for psychological therapy and implement specialist psychological interventions for women as individuals and groups, demonstrating awareness of diversity issues.
- Consultation & guidance: Provide specialist advice, guidance, and consultation on psychological therapy aspects of individual care to people with a history of childhood sexual abuse to colleagues and other service providers.
Responsibility for Policy and Service Development Implementation
- The post holder is responsible for their own professional actions, acting within Trust policies and procedures and Professional Practice Guidelines, working within clearly defined occupational procedures.
- Utilise theory, evidence-based literature, and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work within the PPT and local mental health services.
- Support project work including specific areas of audit, research, or service evaluation as appropriate.
- As a clinician, be responsible for collecting clinical practice and outcome data that contributes to building practice-based evidence and service evaluation.
Responsibility for Finance, Equipment, and Other Resources
- Careful use of equipment.
Responsibility for Human Resources, e.g. Supervision, Training, HR Advice, and Management
- Leadership & supervision:
- Clinically supervise the work of less experienced psychological therapy practitioners, trainees, and assistants as required.
- Provide training as required and continuing professional development in therapies/treatments for people with a history of childhood sexual abuse.
Responsibility for Information Resources and Administrative Duties
- Maintain accurate and timely records compliant with Trust Practice Standards.
- Be responsible for using an email account to generate, monitor, and respond to the e-mail traffic by which the Trust conducts much of its internal communication.
Responsibility for Research and Development
- Utilise theory, evidence-based literature, and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work within the PPT and local mental health services.
- Support project work including specific areas of audit, research, or service evaluation.
- As a clinician, be responsible for collecting clinical practice and outcome data that contributes to building practice-based evidence and service evaluation.
Freedom to Act
- The post holder is accountable for their own professional actions, acting within Trust policies and procedures and Professional Practice Guidelines.
- Work autonomously within the code of conduct and professional guidelines and ensure governance is embedded within PPT.
- Implement policies in conjunction with peers, Head of Profession, and General Manager.
- Provide specialist expertise and guidance and consultation on psychological aspects of patient care to other service providers, clients, supporters, and families.
Any Other Specific Tasks Required
- Contribute to ensuring all clinical care and treatment provided by Psychological therapists is carried out under appropriate supervision and leadership.
- Contribute to ensuring that all Psychological therapists continuously update the skills and techniques relevant to their clinical work.
