Director of Psychology Secure Acute and Crisis Division
2 days ago
Solihull
Job summaryTo ensure the systematic provision of high quality and highly specialist Psychological Services to the Division, this includes all AMH acute care inpatient services, CRHT, rehab, forensic and secure services for patients and their families, with other clinical work organised according to service needs, across the Division.The Director of Psychology will provide strategic, professional and clinical leadership for psychology across the Secure, Acute and Crisis Division, ensuring that psychological thinking, formulation and evidence-based psychological intervention are integral to the delivery of safe, effective, recovery-focused and least-restrictive mental health care.The postholder will work as a key member of the Divisional leadership team and will contribute to the development and delivery of the Division's clinical strategy, workforce strategy, quality and safety agenda, transformation programme and operational objectives. To ensure that systems are in place, and working effectively, for all staff providing psychological interventions including, but not limited to, the clinical and professional supervision and support of Psychological Services staff.Main duties of the jobThe postholder will ensure psychological services are clinically effective and evidence based, in line with Trust MH transformation initiative - trauma informed, integrated within multidisciplinary care, focused on recovery, rehabilitation and least restrictive practice. Equitable across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, aligned with national psychological practice standards, responsive to patient, carer and staff experience; and demonstrably contributing to improved outcomes and flow of patients.Working closely with CPPO, Divisions leadership and consultant psychologists, the postholder will take the lead in modernising Divisions psychological services in line with left shift agenda. Supporting neighbourhood and community-based approaches where appropriate, developing alternatives to hospital admission by strengthening transitions between crisis, acute, secure and community services, supporting digital and innovative psychological interventions and developing psychologically informed models of care.The postholder will work closely with CPPO, to provide professional leadership to psychology staff across the Division, creating a coherent divisional psychology service while maintaining strong links with the Trust-wide psychological professions leadership structure.About usHampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides joined-up mental and physical healthcare for around two million people across our communities. With over 13,000 staff working in the community and local hospitals, we deliver care at every stage of life, helping people live their best and healthiest lives.Our mental health services include community-based support and early intervention in psychosis (EIP) for both adults and young people, alongside a network of specialist inpatient wards covering forensic, learning disability, eating disorder and older person's care.We deliver extensive physical health services too, from urgent community response teams helping frail and older patients remain safely at home, to hospitals at home teams providing acute-level care in familiar surroundings. Our neurological services offer rehabilitation and treatment for conditions including Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, Motor Neurone Disease, Head Injury, Cerebral Palsy and Stroke. Across Hampshire, our community hospitals provide inpatient rehabilitation as a step down from acute care, and our dedicated teams also staff Treetops Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Portsmouth, offering expert, compassionate support.Everything we do is underpinned by our CARE values of compassion, accountability, respect and excellenceDetailsDate posted23 October 2026Pay schemeAgenda for changeBandBand 8dSalary Is this the next step in your career Find out if you are the right candidate by reading through the complete overview below. 94,356 to 108,814 a year ContractPermanentWorking pattern Full-time Reference number348-SAC-12874Job locationsTatchbury MountCalmoreSouthamptonHampshireSO40 2RZUnited KingdomJob descriptionJob responsibilitiesFurther information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached. It is important to us that we ensure our recruitment processes are accessible and inclusive to everyone - if as a potential candidate you are concerned a person specification may prevent or restrict your application for employment as a result of unintentional barriers on the grounds of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, religion/belief or disability please initially contact the Trust's Recruitment team - detailed in the advert. The Trust will seek to resolve this issue wherever possible.We are happy to talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process.To provide highly developed specialist psychological assessments of patients referred to the service, based upon the appropriate use, interpretation, and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the patients care.To be responsible for the delivery of high specialist assessment, formulation and stabilisation work, (direct and indirect) and where appropriate implement a range of highly specialised psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across teams employed individually and in synthesis, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.To act as Lead Professional, where appropriate, ensuring the provision of a care package appropriate for the patients needs, co-ordinating the work of others involved with care, arranging patients care reviews as required and communicating effectively with the patient, his/her family and all others involved in care; and to monitor progress during the course of multi-disciplinary interventions.To facilitate timely, safe discharge planning and execution where required.To communicate in a highly skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of patients and families under their care and to monitor and evaluate progress during the course of both uni- and multi-disciplinary care.Provides and receives complex, sensitive information to patients/relatives and colleagues and with empathy, persuasion and reassurance and ensure information is clearly understood, where there maybe barriers to understandingCollaborate with multidisciplinary teams to formulate and agree on the purpose and structure of therapeutic admissions ensuring decisions are grounded in clinical evidence compassionate practise and a culture of relational care.To ensure that all members of the clinical teams have access to a psychologically based framework for the understanding and care of patients of the Service, through the provision of advice and consultation and the dissemination of psychological knowledge, research and theory.Continue to develop and implement a coherent model of psychological informed care across the Division that is aligned with the Divisions & Trust's clinical strategy and the Trust-wide psychological professions strategy as directed by the Chief Psychological Professions Officer.To be responsible for the development of the service on behalf of the Division.To ensure the provision of high quality and responsive psychological service to the Division.Ensure that psychology is embedded within the Division's clinical operating model and contributes directly to divisional priorities.Ensure an effective and mutually respectful relationship between psychological professionals and wider MDT across the Division.Ensure psychological services contribute measurable value to the wider Division/system rather than operating as a standalone specialist service.Provide expert psychological advice to the Divisional leadership team and all relevant agencies with the Division as required and including themes around: risk and formulation, trauma-informed care, restrictive practice, inpatient flow; rehabilitation; admission avoidance, discharge and transition, staff wellbeing, service transformation.To contribute to the design of Trust frameworks that define therapeutic admissions, embedding the principles of a positive culture of care equity and person centeredness into strategic planning and service delivery.Identify opportunities to shift psychological intervention upstream and support earlier intervention, admission avoidance, shorter inpatient stays and successful transition into community services.Help raise profile of psychologically informed care across the Division.To be responsible for responding to agreed Trust, local and national initiatives, and developments as appropriate and as delegated by the Chief Psychological Professions Officer.Responsible for the development and implementation of Service policies and clinical model in line with Trust and National Policies including NICE guidelines.Represent the Division and psychological services in relevant meetings as required by the Division leadership and/or CPPO.To ensure that systems are in place and working effectively for the clinical and professional supervision and support of all applied psychologists and other disciplines within the service including clear systems for effective recruitment, professional appraisal and the identification of CPD needs.Responsible for audit, policy and service development and research activities within the Division.Advise the Managing Director and Chief Psychological Professions Officer with regard to the psychology budget.Responsible for managing the psychological resources available to the division both, of psychological staff and psychological materials employed in the assessment and the treatment of patients and their families.Responsible for the systematic governance of psychological practice within the service, including maintaining systematic records of appraisals, clinical record keeping standards and the transcribing of minutes and records of appropriate professional meetings.Manage complaints and disciplinary actions as required.To alert the Chief Psychological Professions Officer of any concerns in relation to psychological practice or matters that need addressing.Lead the psychological professional workforce development across the Division, developing strategy for effective recruitment, retention, development and wellbeing.Support succession planning, advanced practice, leadership career development, preceptorship and early career development.To ensure the provision of placements and clinical supervision to trainee clinical psychologist and to evaluate trainees performance in line with University and HCPC regulations.Responsible for the induction of new staff as appropriate.To oversee specialist clinical placements for trainee psychologists, ensuring that they acquire the necessary clinical and research skills to doctoral level where appropriate, and competencies and experience to contribute effectively to good psychological practice, and contributing to the assessment and evaluation of those competencies.To ensure that members of the psychology teams have access to appropriate estate space to ensure uninterrupted or uncompromised delivery of patient care.To take the psychological lead, in planning and implementing systems for the evaluation, monitoring and development of the service, through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit and ensuring incorporation of psychological frameworks for understanding and providing high-quality care.To ensure the development, maintenance and dissemination of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes.Contribute with other consultant psychologists through the Psychology Professionals Leadership group the development and articulation of best practice in psychology across the Trust.To be an integral part of the Trust Divisional Directors of Psychological Professionals and take a lead on area of Trust wide portfolio.Take a lead in psychology-related transformation programmes redesigning pathways around patient need rather than professional boundariesEnsure service users and carers are actively involved in the development, evaluation and improvement of psychological services.In common with all psychologists, receive clinical supervision in accordance with good practice. Job description Job responsibilitiesFurther information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached. It is important to us that we ensure our recruitment processes are accessible and inclusive to everyone - if as a potential candidate you are concerned a person specification may prevent or restrict your application for employment as a result of unintentional barriers on the grounds of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, religion/belief or disability please initially contact the Trust's Recruitment team - detailed in the advert. The Trust will seek to resolve this issue wherever possible.We are happy to talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process.To provide highly developed specialist psychological assessments of patients referred to the service, based upon the appropriate use, interpretation, and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the patients care.To be responsible for the delivery of high specialist assessment, formulation and stabilisation work, (direct and indirect) and where appropriate implement a range of highly specialised psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across teams employed individually and in synthesis, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.To act as Lead Professional, where appropriate, ensuring the provision of a care package appropriate for the patients needs, co-ordinating the work of others involved with care, arranging patients care reviews as required and communicating effectively with the patient, his/her family and all others involved in care; and to monitor progress during the course of multi-disciplinary interventions.To facilitate timely, safe discharge planning and execution where required.To communicate in a highly skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of patients and families under their care and to monitor and evaluate progress during the course of both uni- and multi-disciplinary care.Provides and receives complex, sensitive information to patients/relatives and colleagues and with empathy, persuasion and reassurance and ensure information is clearly understood, where there maybe barriers to understandingCollaborate with multidisciplinary teams to formulate and agree on the purpose and structure of therapeutic admissions ensuring decisions are grounded in clinical evidence compassionate practise and a culture of relational care.To ensure that all members of the clinical teams have access to a psychologically based framework for the understanding and care of patients of the Service, through the provision of advice and consultation and the dissemination of psychological knowledge, research and theory.Continue to develop and implement a coherent model of psychological informed care across the Division that is aligned with the Divisions & Trust's clinical strategy and the Trust-wide psychological professions strategy as directed by the Chief Psychological Professions Officer.To be responsible for the development of the service on behalf of the Division.To ensure the provision of high quality and responsive psychological service to the Division.Ensure that psychology is embedded within the Division's clinical operating model and contributes directly to divisional priorities.Ensure an effective and mutually respectful relationship between psychological professionals and wider MDT across the Division.Ensure psychological services contribute measurable value to the wider Division/system rather than operating as a standalone specialist service.Provide expert psychological advice to the Divisional leadership team and all relevant agencies with the Division as required and including themes around: risk and formulation, trauma-informed care, restrictive practice, inpatient flow; rehabilitation; admission avoidance, discharge and transition, staff wellbeing, service transformation.To contribute to the design of Trust frameworks that define therapeutic admissions, embedding the principles of a positive culture of care equity and person centeredness into strategic planning and service delivery.Identify opportunities to shift psychological intervention upstream and support earlier intervention, admission avoidance, shorter inpatient stays and successful transition into community services.Help raise profile of psychologically informed care across the Division.To be responsible for responding to agreed Trust, local and national initiatives, and developments as appropriate and as delegated by the Chief Psychological Professions Officer.Responsible for the development and implementation of Service policies and clinical model in line with Trust and National Policies including NICE guidelines.Represent the Division and psychological services in relevant meetings as required by the Division leadership and/or CPPO.To ensure that systems are in place and working effectively for the clinical and professional supervision and support of all applied psychologists and other disciplines within the service including clear systems for effective recruitment, professional appraisal and the identification of CPD needs.Responsible for audit, policy and service development and research activities within the Division.Advise the Managing Director and Chief Psychological Professions Officer with regard to the psychology budget.Responsible for managing the psychological resources available to the division both, of psychological staff and psychological materials employed in the assessment and the treatment of patients and their families.Responsible for the systematic governance of psychological practice within the service, including maintaining systematic records of appraisals, clinical record keeping standards and the transcribing of minutes and records of appropriate professional meetings.Manage complaints and disciplinary actions as required.To alert the Chief Psychological Professions Officer of any concerns in relation to psychological practice or matters that need addressing.Lead the psychological professional workforce development across the Division, developing strategy for effective recruitment, retention, development and wellbeing.Support succession planning, advanced practice, leadership career development, preceptorship and early career development.To ensure the provision of placements and clinical supervision to trainee clinical psychologist and to evaluate trainees performance in line with University and HCPC regulations.Responsible for the induction of new staff as appropriate.To oversee specialist clinical placements for trainee psychologists, ensuring that they acquire the necessary clinical and research skills to doctoral level where appropriate, and competencies and experience to contribute effectively to good psychological practice, and contributing to the assessment and evaluation of those competencies.To ensure that members of the psychology teams have access to appropriate estate space to ensure uninterrupted or uncompromised delivery of patient care.To take the psychological lead, in planning and implementing systems for the evaluation, monitoring and development of the service, through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit and ensuring incorporation of psychological frameworks for understanding and providing high-quality care.To ensure the development, maintenance and dissemination of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes.Contribute with other consultant psychologists through the Psychology Professionals Leadership group the development and articulation of best practice in psychology across the Trust.To be an integral part of the Trust Divisional Directors of Psychological Professionals and take a lead on area of Trust wide portfolio.Take a lead in psychology-related transformation programmes redesigning pathways around patient need rather than professional boundariesEnsure service users and carers are actively involved in the development, evaluation and improvement of psychological services.In common with all psychologists, receive clinical supervision in accordance with good practice.Person Specification Qualifications EssentialDoctoral level qualification in Clinical or Counselling Psychology, or equivalent recognised professional qualification.HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist.Evidence of post-qualification specialist psychological training.DesirableQualification/training in supervision.Registered with the British Psychological Society. Experience EssentialExtensive experience working with complex mental health presentations.Experience of working at a Consultant level.Significant experience of leading psychology services.Experience of working across multidisciplinary and professional boundaries.Experience of strategic service development.Experience of workforce planning.Experience of clinical governance and quality improvement.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 - including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and threat of physical abuse.Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients psychological care/treatment, as a professionally qualified care co-ordinator and also within the context of a multi-disciplinary care plan.Experience of developing business cases and securing investment.Experience of leading organisational change.DesirableExperience of multi-professional management of teams or services within the designated specialty.Experience of representing the Profession in local policy fora.Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.Experience of system-wide transformation.Experience of reducing restrictive practice, inpatient length of stay or admission avoidance.Experience within acute, secure, crisis, rehabilitation or other complex mental health environments.Experience of working at senior Trust/divisional level. Demonstrable ability to lead across organisational boundaries.Ability to influence senior clinical and operational leaders.Ability to manage complex professional relationshipsAbility to lead large-scale change.Ability to translate psychological evidence into operational strategy.Ability to work effectively under significant pressure and uncertainty.High-level communication, presentation skills.Enthusiasm for a broad range of psychological phenomena, an interest in models of service delivery, and an ability to articulate the value added by psychology services within the context of multi-disciplinary mental health services.Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and ability to 'hold' the stress of others.Ability to demonstrate leadership and management skills.Ability to identify, provide and promote appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and severely challenging behaviours.Ability to identify, and employ, as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic settings.Ability to articulate and interpret clearly the role of the profession of psychology based upon a good understanding of the framework of government and national professional policy. Additional Criteria EssentialDoctoral level knowledge of psychology including highly developed knowledge of lifespan developmental psychology, models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, and two or more distinct psychological therapies.Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentrationA high-level ability to communicate effectively at both written and oral level complex, highly technical and clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and a wide range of lay and professional persons.Advanced understanding of complex mental health.Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis practiced within clinical psychology.Knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to the client group and mental health.Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS and HCPC.Expert knowledge of psychological formulation.Knowledge of secure and/or acute mental health pathways, crisis and admission avoidance models.Knowledge of professional and regulatory requirements, NHS governance and quality frameworks.Understanding of health inequalities and culturally responsive practice.Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.Attributes emotionally intelligent; calm under pressure skilled in conflict resolution, influencing, negotiation at executive level.Commitment to Trust values, trauma informed principles, and principles of equity, inclusion, compassion and integrity.Role model for restorative, compassionate, transparent, and inclusive leadership.Adaptive under pressure.DesirableProactive and innovative approach to problem solving. Person Specification Qualifications EssentialDoctoral level qualification in Clinical or Counselling Psychology, or equivalent recognised professional qualification.HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist.Evidence of post-qualification specialist psychological training.DesirableQualification/training in supervision.Registered with the British Psychological Society. Experience EssentialExtensive experience working with complex mental health presentations.Experience of working at a Consultant level.Significant experience of leading psychology services.Experience of working across multidisciplinary and professional boundaries.Experience of strategic service development.Experience of workforce planning.Experience of clinical governance and quality improvement.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 - including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and threat of physical abuse.Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients psychological care/treatment, as a professionally qualified care co-ordinator and also within the context of a multi-disciplinary care plan.Experience of developing business cases and securing investment.Experience of leading organisational change.DesirableExperience of multi-professional management of teams or services within the designated specialty.Experience of representing the Profession in local policy fora.Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.Experience of system-wide transformation.Experience of reducing restrictive practice, inpatient length of stay or admission avoidance.Experience within acute, secure, crisis, rehabilitation or other complex mental health environments.Experience of working at senior Trust/divisional level. Demonstrable ability to lead across organisational boundaries.Ability to influence senior clinical and operational leaders.Ability to manage complex professional relationshipsAbility to lead large-scale change.Ability to translate psychological evidence into operational strategy.Ability to work effectively under significant pressure and uncertainty.High-level communication, presentation skills.Enthusiasm for a broad range of psychological phenomena, an interest in models of service delivery, and an ability to articulate the value added by psychology services within the context of multi-disciplinary mental health services.Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and ability to 'hold' the stress of others.Ability to demonstrate leadership and management skills.Ability to identify, provide and promote appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and severely challenging behaviours.Ability to identify, and employ, as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.Ability to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic settings.Ability to articulate and interpret clearly the role of the profession of psychology based upon a good understanding of the framework of government and national professional policy. Additional Criteria EssentialDoctoral level knowledge of psychology including highly developed knowledge of lifespan developmental psychology, models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, and two or more distinct psychological therapies.Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentrationA high-level ability to communicate effectively at both written and oral level complex, highly technical and clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and a wide range of lay and professional persons.Advanced understanding of complex mental health.Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis practiced within clinical psychology.Knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to the client group and mental health.Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS and HCPC.Expert knowledge of psychological formulation.Knowledge of secure and/or acute mental health pathways, crisis and admission avoidance models.Knowledge of professional and regulatory requirements, NHS governance and quality frameworks.Understanding of health inequalities and culturally responsive practice.Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.Attributes emotionally intelligent; calm under pressure skilled in conflict resolution, influencing, negotiation at executive level.Commitment to Trust values, trauma informed principles, and principles of equity, inclusion, compassion and integrity.Role model for restorative, compassionate, transparent, and inclusive leadership.Adaptive under pressure.DesirableProactive and innovative approach to problem solving.Disclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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.UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window). Additional information Disclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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.UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration. xrnqpay For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).Employer detailsEmployer nameHampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustAddressTatchbury MountCalmoreSouthamptonHampshireSO40 2RZUnited KingdomEmployer's websiteEmployer detailsEmployer nameHampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustAddressTatchbury MountCalmoreSouthamptonHampshireSO40 2RZUnited KingdomEmployer's website
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