CAMHS Assistant Psychologist (Lewisham NDT)

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Neurodevelopment (NDT) Team at Lewisham CAMHS. We are seeking to recruit a full-time permanent Band 4 Assistant Psychologist.

The service provides specialist assessment and treatment for children with an autism or learning disability diagnosis and comorbid mental health needs. The post-holder will work closely with senior and experienced clinicians in the team, including, Clinical psychologist, Child & Adolescent Consultant Psychiatrist, and Occupational Therapists, as well as trainees from a variety of disciplines. There is an emphasis on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.

Research is strongly supported as part of the multi-disciplinary team approach.

We are looking to appoint an individual with excellent organisation and communication skills and a keen eye for detail. The post-holders’ duties will be varied, including administrative, clinical and research responsibilities. The key areas of responsibilities are:

• Data collection, input and database management for clinical and research purposes.
• Participation in specialist clinical assessments and in treatment planning.
• Supporting clinical work with families and young people, working jointly with and receiving supervision from a clinical psychologist.
• Ensuring treatment and assessment protocols are maintained.

Flexible working: As one of the few Trusts in London we are proud to offer flexible working as part of our new ways of working, and we are happy to discuss flexible working at the interview stage. In this role you will be able to work Monday to Friday within the time frame of 8:30AM to 6:30PM, (you will not be expected to work in excess of 7.5 hours a day) giving you the very best of good work life balance. (This may include working early mornings, late evenings or some Saturdays as part of the core working hours/working pattern for this post)

About our locations:

The post is based at the Kaleidoscope Children Centre, next to University Hospital Lewisham, easily accessible by several Zones 2/3 train stations, is within walking distance from the beautiful green spaces and vibrant high-streets that offer great shopping opportunities and with a wide range of eateries. Our Trust headquarters is located at Denmark Hill, less than 5 minutes from the train station

Job Purpose:

• To assist in clinically related administration, conduct of audits, collection of statistics, development of audit and/or research projects, teaching and project work.
• To assist practitioners in the delivery of a specialist assessment and treatment.
• To provide clinical assessments as required by the service, under the direct guidance, close clinical and professional supervision.
• To work following clinical guidelines and the policies and procedures of the service, while closely supervised and regularly seeking help from clinical/professional supervisor or manager.

Essential requirements:

• A First-class or Upper-second class Bachelor’s degree with Honours in Psychology that is accredited by the British Psychological Society and confers the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society.
• Sufficient post-graduate experience of psychological assessment and treatment in a mental health setting and able to work clinically with close direct supervision.
• Post-graduate experience of conducting research projects or audits.
• Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and / or lived experience.
• Graduate level knowledge of psychological research methodology and statistical analysis.
• Good theoretical knowledge of the problems experienced by and needs of young people with autism and related disorders and of methods of assessment and treatment.
• Skills in relevant psychological assessment and interventions that enable working as a pre-qualified practitioner with close clinical supervision.
• Well-developed verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex, information to clients, families and colleagues.
• Well-developed IT skills including proficient use of Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, data entry and management and analysis of research data (SPSS, Excel spreheets).
• Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, participating in effective team functioning and holding team roles.
• Ability to identify and follow relevant clinical governance procedures.
• Ability to manage occasional emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour.