Department: Adult Mental Health
Location: To be determined with the successful applicant
Contract and hours: Temporary / Full-Time (37.5 hpw)
Job summary
We welcome applications for this 8a Practitioner Psychology position within the Personality Disorder Service. We also welcome applications from newly qualified psychologists and those that are already currently working in a Band 7 position and do not meet criteria for the 8a position. We will provide a comprehensive and fully supported Preceptorship Programme that will allow the candidate to progress to a Band 8a, over a set period of time, depending on previous experience and meeting certain set milestones/objectives.
The Practitioner Psychologist will be responsible for providing a high quality specialist Psychology service to the clients of the Personality Disorder Service within the Western Health and Social Care Trust. This will be across all sectors of care; providing highly specialist psychological assessment and therapy at the same time as offering advice and consultation on clients’ psychological care to non-psychology colleagues and to other, non-professional carers, working autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the team’s policies and procedures. Utilise research skills for audit, policy and service development and research within the area served by the team/service.
Key Opportunities
Service Development
The team is implementing Structured Clinical Management (SCM), offering involvement in quality improvement, outcome monitoring, and training, supporting career progression to Band 8a.
Therapy Delivery
Provide 1:1 therapy using SCM, with opportunities to train in and deliver other specialist models, e.g., DBT, EMDR, Schema.
Systemic Work
Engage in systemic formulation and consultation through the Positive Action Plan (PAP) approach, working alongside services such as PSNI, housing, ED, and third sector organisations to manage high-risk, complex cases.
Innovation
Lead on an exciting Virtual Reality (VR) therapy project, with scope to integrate and evaluate its clinical impact.
PD Network Involvement
Contribute to shaping PD services regionally, with access to funded training in specialist therapies.
This is a dynamic and supportive team offering excellent clinical, systemic, and service development opportunities, ideal for those interested in specialising in complex case management.
Successful Band 7 Candidates will progress to Band 8a following a fully supported preceptorship programme, over a set period of time and upon meeting all competencies detailed above at points 1, 2 and 3. These competencies will be continuously reviewed through clinical and line management supervision and the Trust appraisal process.
For more details and each Band specification view the full job description in the Additional Information section below.
