Clinical Associate in Psychology - South Bedfordshire

We are excited to have a post available for a Clinical Associate in Psychology (CAP) to work in our Community Mental Health Services over 2 sites in Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard.

The CAP will work alongside psychologists and therapists and other colleagues from ELFT, with partnership agencies, and the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise sector to offer trauma-informed and psychologically-informed assessment and formulation-driven brief interventions in our neighbourhood mental health services. They will work in partnership to co-design, develop and deliver a range of psychological interventions to individuals, couples, families and communities under the supervision of a registered practitioner psychologist.

We are keen to hear from people who have ties with and a commitment to working in our local area, from those with diverse backgrounds and from people with lived experience of recovery from mental health difficulties.

The post holders will work in an MDT with people who use our services and their carers to develop a shared understanding of the complex issues the person is facing, how they cope and the impact this has on their mental, physical health and well-being and those around them (psychological assessment and formulation). Under supervision, they will explore social, psychological and other potential options which may improve health outcomes and help them achieve agreed goals.

The characteristics of the core population being supported in our mental health services include people with complex psychological and emotional needs who may have experienced adverse life events, and/or people who may experience psychosis. Psychological based provision is offered to the local/identified population at the individual, group, couple and family level through to teams, systems and community level.

Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are:
We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

Please see the detailed Job Description and the Person Specification attached for further information.

• oStrong ability to engage with a variety of services and community partners and stakeholders, and to expand existing networks, nurturing and maintaining strong working relationships with stakeholders from a wide range of backgrounds
• oAbility to communicate effectively, share information and check understanding using clear language and appropriate, written materials, making reasonable adjustments where appropriate in order to optimise people's understanding
• oAbility to assess and formulate someone's experiences and complex difficulties, needs and risks, drawing on a range of psychological models and theory
• oAbility to develop and review risk assessments and formulations when working with people with complex mental health and forensic needs within scope of practice
• oAbility to assess limits of professional boundaries and capacity, and to understand when to seek appropriate supervision/advice on practice and whom to refer to so as to ensure best care
• oKnowledge and understanding of the principles of clinical supervision, using them to provide a safe and supportive environment to reflect, review and discuss personal and professional responses to work
• oSkilled in continuous self-reflection, seeking and responding to support and feedback to develop professional knowledge and skills
• oAbility to evaluate and audit clinical practice through conducting service evaluations/QI projects and to inform change through dissemination of findings.
• oAwareness of diversity of cultural norms across Bedfordshire and Luton, and the ability to respond to this appropriately
• oKnowledge and implementation of local, regional and national policy

• oAn approved qualification in psychology conferring eligibility for graduate basis for registration with the British Psychological Society, (Class 2.2 or higher)
• oCompletion of BPS [British Psychological Society] accredited CAP integrated degree apprenticeship training programme that includes end-point assessment (EPA) to Institute for Apprenticeships (IfA) standards
• oEligibility for registration on the BPS Wider Psychological Workforce register as a Clinical Associate in Psychology

• oExperience of working in a multi-disciplinary community team with service users with complex mental health needs
• oRelevant supervised experience of conducting psychological assessments, developing shared formulations and delivering interventions to people with complex mental health needs.
• oLived experience of using services, and/or being a carer for someone
• oExperience of working closely with…