Job Description

Closing Date:

13.07.25

Shortlisting to take place after closing date:

commencing 14.07.25



Interview expected to take place in the week following shortlisting: commencing 22.07.25



An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Assistant Psychologist, who is highly skilled in working with children and young people, to work within the Child Psychology Team in Bradford Hospital's Clinical Health Psychology service and Airedale Child Development Centre (CDC). The post holder will work as a member of two established multidisciplinary teams, providing specialist assessments of autism spectrum conditions (ASC), to children and young people aged 0-7y, and specialist therapeutic input to children and young people with diagnoses of long term physical health conditions.



Within the ASC pathway, the role will involve offering support to children and their parents/carers during the ASC assessment processes, the delivery of observations in education and home settings, undertaking a variety of assessments with clinical oversight from a qualified Clinical Psychologist, and providing follow-up support after assessment/diagnosis.



Within the General Paediatrics pathway, the role will involve delivering psychological support to children and young people with long term health conditions, supporting individual and group interventions, and service evaluations.



The post holder will work as a member of established multidisciplinary teams, within Bradford Clinical Health Psychology and CDC services. The teams provide specialist assessments of autism spectrum conditions (ASC), to children and young people aged 0-7y, and specialist therapeutic input to children and young people with diagnoses of long term physical health conditions.



To work within a multidisciplinary ASC assessment team to assist in assessment, to offer support to children and their parents/carers during the assessment processes, the delivery of observations in education and home settings, undertaking a variety assessments, with clinical oversight from a qualified Clinical Psychologist, and follow-up support after assessment/diagnosis.



To work within teams delivering psychological support to children and young people with long term health conditions, to support individual and group interventions, and service evaluations.



The post holder will work independently according to a plan agreed with their supervisor and within the overall framework of local policies and procedures.



Our People Charter outlines the behaviours we can expect from one another and what you can expect from Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust:



We value people



We are one team



We care



We're keen to meet people who share these values and are passionate about delivering the highest quality of care to our patients.

Clinical:

To provide specialist psychological input to patients with based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, clinical observation and clinical literature as appropriate.

To formulate and implement plans as appropriate for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a client/patient's psychological and parenting difficulties, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the client's/patient's presentation, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings. Assessment and treatment can be made more complex by having to work through interpreters.

To be responsible for implementing a range of specialised psychological interventions for parents, as well as carers and other family members as appropriate. These interventions can be employed individually and in synthesis, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.

To evaluate and make decisions about psychological treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and complex factors concerning developmental processes shaping the individual or family.

To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients/patients.

To provide psychological advice, guidance, support and consultation to other professionals.

To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework for the understanding and care of clients/patients, across all settings and agencies serving the client group.

To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients/patients and to provide general advice to other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and management.

To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, highly complex information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care and to monitor progress during the course of both uni- and multi-disciplinary care. Frequently communication requires sharing highly sensitive information with highly distressed patients or communicating about issues related to physical or terminal illness, or where there are significant barriers to acceptance.

To give explanations of a condition or difficulty when clients/patients are antagonistic to the opinions offered.

To provide emotional and psychological support to staff members to enable them to function effectively.

Teaching, training and supervision

To participate in regular clinical professional supervision.

To continue to gain wider post-qualification experience of clinical psychology over and above that provided within the principal service area.

To develop skills in the area of professional post-graduate teaching, training and supervision.

To contribute to the pre- and post-qualification teaching of clinical and/or counselling psychology, as appropriate.

To provide advice and consultation (and training) to patient groups and supervising and training to staff working with the client/patient populations across a range of agencies and settings, where appropriate.

Management and service development

To take responsibility under supervision for projects and service developments as required

To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the team's operational policies and services, through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit.

To advise the line manager on those aspects of the service where psychological and/or organisational matters need addressing.

To ensure careful use of psychological resources and facilities.



Research and service evaluation



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

To undertake appropriate research in consultation with their manager.

To undertake project work, in consultation with manager, including audit and service evaluation together with colleagues within the service in order to help develop service provision.

To participate in departmental Clinical Governance activities.



General



To contribute to the development and maintenance of high professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external continuing professional development training and development programmes, in consultation with the postholder's line manager.

To contribute to the development and articulation of best practice in psychology across the service, by continuing to develop the skills of a reflexive and reflective scientist practitioner, taking part in regular professional supervision and appraisal and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the field of clinical psychology and related disciplines.

To use computer software to develop or create reports, documents, drawings or materials for presentations.

To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry and recording, report writing and the responsible exercise of professional self-governance in accordance with professional codes of practice of the British Psychological Society, and policies and procedures of the Trust and other relevant agencies.

To manage workload to meet departmental targets for the post.

To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific client/patient population and psychological aspects of health.

To participate in the Psychology Department staff appraisal process and departmental meetings.

Health and Safety/Risk Management To comply at all times with Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Health and Safety policies, in particular by following agreed safe working procedures and reporting incidents using the Trust's Risk Incident Reporting System.

Equality and Diversity To abide by the Trust's polices and procedures and to actively support the Trust's commitment to equality and diversity in both employment and the delivery of services. All patients, staff and visitors must be treated equitably, with dignity and respect taking into account their race, gender, ethnic origin, age, disability, sexuality etc.

Training and Personal Development - Continuous Professional Development To take responsibility in agreement with his/her line manager for his/her own personal development by ensuring that continuous professional development remains a priority, to ensure the highest standards of professional practice are maintained. The jobholder will undertake all mandatory training required for the role.

Patient and Public Involvement All staff will be expected to comply with S.11 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001.

Respect for Client/Patient Confidentiality To respect client/patient confidentiality at all times and not divulge client/patient information unless sanctioned by the requirements of the role.

Environment and Sustainability All employees have a responsibility to promote sustainability and carbon reduction within the Foundation Trust adhering to our Sustainable Development Strategy and therefore ensuring that all our business is conducted in a sustainable manner

Safeguarding Children and Adults All employees have a responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and adults. The postholder will be responsible for ensuring they undertake the appropriate level of training in accordance with the safeguarding policy training strategy and that they are aware of and work within the safeguarding policies of the Trust

Infection Prevention and Control All staff have a personal responsibility to comply with Trust and departmental Infection Prevention and Control policies to protect their own health, that of patients, visitors and other employees and to prevent Health care associated infections.

This includes a requirement to maintain a safe, clean and tidy work environment and to complete mandatory Infection Prevention and Control training as provided by the Trust. All clinical staff must ensure rigorous and consistent compliance with standard infection control precautions including Hand hygiene, dress code and use of personal protective equipment and other clinical care policies and protocols applicable to infection prevention and control.

Employees are required to challenge poor performance or poor practice in relation to infection prevention and report any breaches using relevant Trust procedures such as the Incident reporting system.