Our substance misuse services are dedicated to helping reduce the harm caused by substance misuse dependency; helping people overcome their dependency on substances and helping clients and their families rebuild their lives and enable recovery. We are committed to working in partnership with other providers and service users in local systems of treatment and recovery.

CNWL is committed to providing high-quality, evidence-based treatment options and is a learning organisation which promotes staff competence and training and values clinical governance, audit, and research. We are linked with Imperial College, University of London, and are committed to evaluating our services and developing new and innovative approaches.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we receive a high volume of applications. Please apply as soon as possible.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

For further information about the advertised role, please refer to the job description & person specification included in the documents section of this advert.

• To plan and undertake assessments of clients. This may include using motivational interviewing techniques, self-report measures, risk assessment, rating scales, direct and indirect observations, and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members, and others involved in the client’s care. Assessments will involve making judgments involving complex facts or situations, which require the analysis, interpretation, and comparison of a range of options, as well as requiring prolonged concentration.
• To write clinical summaries and care plans based on information gleaned at assessment and present these to the multi-disciplinary team.
• To work in a highly emotive atmosphere with clients with gambling problems on a regular basis, and be able to communicate sensitive and complex information, whilst maintaining a high degree of professionalism at all times.
• To assist in the co-ordination and running of therapeutic groups, under the supervision of a qualified member of staff.
• To liaise with referrers and clients and facilitate the referral process along with administrative staff. To maintain an oversight of client engagement from first contact to discharge.

Research and Clinical Governance

• To utilise theory, evidence-based literature, and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work.
• To assist in the design and implementation of audit and research projects on a regular basis in order to help develop and improve service provision. This may include complex audits / service evaluation using qualitative or quantitative methods.
• To undertake production of questionnaires, data collection, setting up of databases and spreadsheets, data analysis, and the production of reports and presentation of summaries to colleagues using IT and statistical programmes, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and SPSS.
• To undertake searches of evidence-based literature and research using the internet and online databases e.g., Psychinfo, to assist qualified clinical psychologists in evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other multi-disciplinary team members.
• To carry-out practice-based research using validated questionnaires, reflective scientist-practitioner skills, etc, as routine.

Person Specification

Training & Qualifications

Essential criteria

• A 2:1 honours degree or higher in psychology
• Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society

Desirable criteria

• Further post-graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology including mental health practice and/or research design and analysis

Experience

Essential criteria

• Previous direct work in a clinical setting with clients experiencing addiction or mental health problems
• Experience of research

Desirable criteria

• Experience of paid work in direct care provision.
• Experience of working in a prison or Addictions setting

Knowledge And Skills

Essential criteria

• High-level communication skills (written and verbal) including the ability to communicate around subjects that may be highly emotive
• Ability to communicate sensitive information to patients, carers, and colleagues in a way that addresses psychological resistance.
• An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems or other disabilities.
• An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a mental health context
• An understanding of psychology applied to health care

Desirable criteria

• High standard of report writing
• Experience of using SystmOne

Personal

Essential criteria

• An ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines.
• An ability to interact with people with mental health problems or disabilities.
• Ability to work reliably and consistently with work agreed and supervised at regular intervals.
• Ability to work independently and in new environments with a resilient and self-motivated attitude

Desirable criteria

• An interest in working with people with mental health problems or other disabilities.

Other

Essential criteria

• Ability to accept and use supervision appropriately and effectively

Desirable criteria

• A desire to explore a career in Professional Psychology