Principal Psychologist
Connect Health Group Limited
The closing date is 31 May 2024
Job summary
This is a new and exciting opportunity for a Principal Psychologist to join our established interdisciplinary chronic pain team based in East Sussex. We are looking for an aspiring psychologist with a passion for working in the field of chronic pain management, and experience of managing a caseload within a physical health setting.
Main duties of the job
You will use your knowledge, experience and brilliant skills to provide advice and consultation on psychological aspects of pain management to other health professionals and to advance students and colleagues knowledge and practice of psychological theories and principles. You will proactively develop and promote a positive and dynamic image and culture and will be key in fostering productive relationships with key stakeholders such as NHS Talking Therapies service providers, patients and the public.
About us
Connect Health
is the largest and most experienced independent community healthcare provider
in the UK encompassing mental health, rehabilitation, physiotherapy, tier-2 MSK
(musculoskeletal), chronic pain, long Covid, First Contact Practitioners (FCP)
and rheumatology services, serving over 375k NHS patients pa across 29 NHS ICBs
(Integrated Care Boards).
Job description
Job responsibilities
ou will be a HCPC registered Clinical or Health Psychologist and will have experience of working within a physical health setting delivering individual and group interventions. You will preferably have good knowledge of the current evidence base in relation to psychological approaches to pain management. We are particularly keen to recruit an enthusiastic and high calibre candidate with interest in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
It is an exciting time to be joining Connect Health pain services, as we continue to grow and develop our interdisciplinary pain services across the UK. Connect Health are delivering the Flippin Pain public health campaign (https://www.flippinpain.co.uk/) and were highly rated by the NHS Change Challenge panel for their ehealth pain innovations in response to COVID-19. Connect Health are taking forward several exciting pain related quality improvement projects.
Job description
Job responsibilities
ou will be a HCPC registered Clinical or Health Psychologist and will have experience of working within a physical health setting delivering individual and group interventions. You will preferably have good knowledge of the current evidence base in relation to psychological approaches to pain management. We are particularly keen to recruit an enthusiastic and high calibre candidate with interest in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
It is an exciting time to be joining Connect Health pain services, as we continue to grow and develop our interdisciplinary pain services across the UK. Connect Health are delivering the Flippin Pain public health campaign (https://www.flippinpain.co.uk/) and were highly rated by the NHS Change Challenge panel for their ehealth pain innovations in response to COVID-19. Connect Health are taking forward several exciting pain related quality improvement projects.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- British Psychological Society Accredited post-graduate doctoral degree in an applied field of psychology (clinical or health) including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
- Registration with The
- Health and Care
- Professions Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist.
- Professional knowledge acquired through a British Psychological Society recognized postgraduate
- doctoral degree, supplemented by short specialist courses and clinical supervision.
- Skills for assessing patients and developing an appropriate formulation.
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment within a physical health setting, providing individual and group interventions
- Substantial experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, primary care, in-patient and residential care settings.
- Experience in the application of an
- Acceptance and
- Commitment Therapy / Cognitive-Behavioural approach to patients with general medical conditions with specialist supervision by a Pain Clinical Psychologist or Clinical Health Psychologist.
- Experience of team working
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS or HCPC
Desirable
- Experience working in an interdisciplinary chronic pain service
- Experience working with individuals
- Experience of delivering high quality Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Experience of running group based ACT/CBT pain management/rehabilitation groups
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts
- Pre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training, health psychology and/or other fields of applied psychology.
- Post-doctoral training in a psychological theory/model that is applicable to the area of chronic pain e.g. ACT
- Experience of representing psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary care.
- Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.
- Experience of teaching, training and of providing supervision.
- Experience of developing services
- Experience of audit, project work and research or further training.
Experience
Essential
- Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practiced within
- the field of clinical psychology.
- Possesses highly developed specialist knowledge, underpinned by theory and experience
- of clinical health psychology models / psychological aspects of chronic illness
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management
- frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration
- Competence in ACT/CBT.
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the organisation.
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological approaches for specific problems (e.g., traumatic reactions, bereavement, adherence difficulties)
-
- Knowledge of chronic/ persistent pain.
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the organisation.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and nonprofessional groups
Desirable
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological approaches for specific problems (e.g., traumatic reactions, bereavement, adherence difficulties)
- Knowledge of chronic/ persistent pain.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- British Psychological Society Accredited post-graduate doctoral degree in an applied field of psychology (clinical or health) including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
- Registration with The
- Health and Care
- Professions Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist.
- Professional knowledge acquired through a British Psychological Society recognized postgraduate
- doctoral degree, supplemented by short specialist courses and clinical supervision.
- Skills for assessing patients and developing an appropriate formulation.
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment within a physical health setting, providing individual and group interventions
- Substantial experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity across the full range of care settings including outpatient, community, primary care, in-patient and residential care settings.
- Experience in the application of an
- Acceptance and
- Commitment Therapy / Cognitive-Behavioural approach to patients with general medical conditions with specialist supervision by a Pain Clinical Psychologist or Clinical Health Psychologist.
- Experience of team working
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS or HCPC
Desirable
- Experience working in an interdisciplinary chronic pain service
- Experience working with individuals
- Experience of delivering high quality Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Experience of running group based ACT/CBT pain management/rehabilitation groups
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts
- Pre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training, health psychology and/or other fields of applied psychology.
- Post-doctoral training in a psychological theory/model that is applicable to the area of chronic pain e.g. ACT
- Experience of representing psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary care.
- Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.
- Experience of teaching, training and of providing supervision.
- Experience of developing services
- Experience of audit, project work and research or further training.
Experience
Essential
- Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practiced within
- the field of clinical psychology.
- Possesses highly developed specialist knowledge, underpinned by theory and experience
- of clinical health psychology models / psychological aspects of chronic illness
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management
- frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration
- Competence in ACT/CBT.
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the organisation.
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological approaches for specific problems (e.g., traumatic reactions, bereavement, adherence difficulties)
-
- Knowledge of chronic/ persistent pain.
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the organisation.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and nonprofessional groups
Desirable
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological approaches for specific problems (e.g., traumatic reactions, bereavement, adherence difficulties)
- Knowledge of chronic/ persistent pain.
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.
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
