This is a newly restructured post for a band 8a or band 7-8a preceptorship Clinical/Counselling Psychologist to join the Macmillan cancer psychological service (MaPS – 2.5 days) and the Rapid Diagnostic Clinic (RDC – 1.5 days) within Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust. These psychological teams are highly valued and have considerable support to develop services which are creative, flexible and tailored to the needs of a diverse local patient population. Both teams have a cancer focus but the RDC also allows the post-holder to retain some breadth of clinical experience in covering a wide range of psychological presentations.

We work closely with multi-disciplinary colleagues and we are responsive and flexible in our work to support our patient and staff community. We have no waiting list. This post provides an excellent opportunity for an early or mid career psychological therapist to develop clinical and leadership skills within a committed, supportive clinical team, where there is a strong sense of belonging and where we offer a patient-centred, compassionate response.

The MaPS team (two psychologists, two psychotherapists and an assistant psychologist) provides specialist psychological assessment and interventions for people with a cancer diagnosis and their loved ones, at all stages of their experience with cancer, as well as teaching, supervision, consultation and support to multi-disciplinary colleagues.

The RDC is a new MDT which offers fast-track assessment to patients with suspected symptoms of cancer. The psychology team is a pioneering addition, which supports the small, supportive, psychologically-minded team to provide a holistic psychologically-informed service. We are now in the process of moving out of the pilot phase and the post-holder will play an exciting role in continuing to develop the service in innovative ways.

Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:

Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development

Widening access (anchor institution) and employability

Improving the experience of staff with disability

Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development

Making equalities mainstream

Job Summary:
To provide a highly specialist clinical psychology service to adults with a cancer diagnosis, and their loved ones, referred to the Macmillan Psychological Support Team (MaPS), and to adults with non-specific medical symptoms referred to the Rapid Diagnostic Clinic (RDC) as part of the suspected cancer pathway, including specialist assessment and treatment, training other staff and planning, implementing and monitoring outcomes.

To provide clinical supervision and consultation as appropriate as well as contribute to service evaluation, audit, research, and policy development.

Key Result Areas & Performance:
Clinical

1) CLINICAL:
To provide expertise in a highly specialist clinical area, which will contribute to psychological services in the MaPS and RDC teams.

To provide highly specialist assessment and clinical formulation for clients with complex mental health needs associated with non-specific medical symptoms (RDC) and a cancer diagnosis (MaPS).

To select, administer and interpret psychometric tests, requiring skilled manipulation of test materials, and interpretation and integration of complex data.

To provide psychological reports, including relevant formulation, opinion and interventions, in order to inform referrers and, where appropriate, service users.

To select and deliver highly specialist evidence based psychological treatments, monitoring outcome and modifying and adapting interventions, drawing on a range of theoretical models.

To work as an autonomous professional within BPS and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) guidelines and the policies and procedures of the service, taking full responsibility for own work including treatment and discharge decisions.

To be responsible for psychological interventions with carers of patients with a cancer diagnosis such as family members or friends involved in the client’s care.

To contribute to the effective working of the MaPS and RDC teams and to a psychologically informed framework for the service area, taking on specific roles or duties as agreed. 9. To communicate highly complex information in a skilful and sensitive manner with clients, carers and colleagues taking account of sensory and cultural barriers to communication.

To be aware of risk relating to suicide as well as aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the client group, and follow Trust policies relating to its management.

To assess and monitor risk and draw up appropriate risk management plans.

To advise other members of the MaPS and RDC teams and other health care professionals on specialist psychological care of clients with cancer or on the suspected cancer pathway.

To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations and to support others involved in such situations.

Teaching, training and supervision

To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a more senior psychologist according to HCPC, BPS and Trust guidelines.

To provide specialist training to staff in local services and other professions as appropriate.

To provide clinical supervision for psychological work undertaken by more junior MaPS team members and trainee psychologists as appropriate and agreed with supervisor.

To provide supervision for the psychological work of other multi-disciplinary staff as appropriate.

To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within the MaPS and RDC Services by maintaining an active awareness of current developments in psychology and cancer and mental health and by implementing knowledge gained in practice.

Management, recruitment, policy and service development

To identify aspects of the service which could be improved and initiate and implement service development projects.

To manage the workload and contribute to the appraisal of more junior qualified psychologists and assistant psychologists as required.

To contribute to recruitment, short-listing and interviewing of more junior posts as required.

To contribute to the consultation and engagement of service users in planning and developing services.

To participate in clinical governance initiatives as agreed by the relevant bodies.

Research and service evaluation

To provide expertise in a specialist research area which will contribute to the service provided by the MaPS and RDC Services

2.To contribute to the development of services through initiating, undertaking and supervising service evaluation and audit.

To initiate appropriate research and provide research advice and supervision to other staff undertaking research within the service.

To initiate the development of outcome measurement, assessment/implementation and assist other staff in the implementation of same.

To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles.

To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members.

Partnerships

Communications and Relationships

To disseminate highly complex and sensitive information to external agencies, staff, patients, relatives and carers when appropriate.

To be highly skilled in both verbal and written communication.

To maintain good working relationships with professionals, patients and others both within the service, the Trust and the wider community.

Professional standards and patient experience:
To ensure own Continuing Professional Development in line with HCPC requirements and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements.

To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.

To contribute to the strategic development and implementation of new initiatives e.g. national guidelines including NICE.

To comply with the HCPC ‘Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics’ and ensure professional development in line with the HCP ‘Standards for Continuing Professional Development’ and ‘Standards of Proficiency’.

To adhere to the BPS Psychology’s Professional Practice Guidelines and Trust policies and procedures.

To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing in line with professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry where appropriate.

To participate fully and implement standards devised from Trust’s clinical and research governance activity.

To ensure that the service provided is acceptable and accessible to the diverse communities which attend the MaPS and RDC services.