Job Description

This is an exciting opportunity to join an experienced national team of researchers to pilot and evaluate a joint response for young people experiencing mental health crisis. The response includes a collaboration between Greater Manchester Police and young people's mental health services. This three-year pilot will provide one three-year full-time post or two part-time posts to Senior Mental Health Practitioners/Clinical Psychologists/Equivalent who are committed to improving crisis are for young people. The appointee(s) will have the opportunity to work flexibly across the Greater Manchester area, collaborate closely with the research team and associated stakeholder groups, and experience first hand the live evaluation of an innovative and collaborative approach to care.



The post advertised will be instrumental in the success and development of crisis pathways for children and young people. Learning from this study will inform future planning at a national level, offering an exciting opportunity to contribute towards the development of future clinical practice for young people experiencing mental health crisis

Working alongside clinical staff and the research team, you will respond rapidly to requests for assistance when a young person presents in crisis. You will contribute to the assessment and management of young people in crisis within a clear and structured Risk Assessment and Risk Reduction framework, and identify therapeutic goals to support the young person and families/carers You will refer on to specialist in-patient services as necessary or work collaboratively with other services to reduce the need for inpatient care. You will develop holistic, safety and recovery focused care plans and mobilise support around the child and family to promote resilience and reduce the likelihood of future crisis episodes. As a research based practitioner, you will feed into the wider multi-disciplinary team and liaise with the research and clinical teams Direct work with young people will take place in the family home or out of home placement, clinical areas, community settings, or neighbourhood environments. Hours will be set within a 24-7 crisis context. Travel across Greater Manchester with the designated police officer will be required



To ensure the systematic provision of a high-quality, evidence based

and psychologically informed services for young people experiencing a

mental health crisis.

To facilitate increased psychological awareness, particularly in relation

to triggers and trauma, offering case-based consultation and bespoke

training with the police, NHS practitioners, and vulnerable young

people and families.

To create opportunities within the team to encourage staff to reflect on

the emotional impact of the work both individually and as a team and to

take steps to mitigate some of these risks.

To work with colleagues through crisis response impacted by critical

incidents and other traumatic events.

To provide expert consultation, advice and support in formulating and

understanding the behaviours and presentations of children and young

people.

To contribute to multi-agency working arrangements designed to

support the health, well-being and safety of children, young people and

families.

To work autonomously within professional guidelines, liaising as

appropriate between the research team and clinical team.

To take responsibility for developing strong, collaborative relationships

with staff and managers associated with emergency responses and

crisis care.

To utilise research skills for audit, evaluation, policy, and service

development purposes, within the context of the NIHR HS&DR funded

pilot



Main Duties & Responsibilities

Clinical

To work with members of the crisis teams and CAMHS to rapidly

develop psychological formulations about children and/or families in

crisis.

To use psychological formulations to provide sound, evidence-based

guidance to colleagues, families, carers and young people.

To provide clinical advice and notes that accurately outline the

information being used to guide the formulation and have clear

guidance about any mental health risk and any next steps.

To ensure any mental health risks discussed in attendance to crisis call

outs are shared appropriately within the parameters of the crisis

pathways and working relationships with members of GMP.

To help the appropriate teams use the formulation to inform other

professionals of how to understand and work in accordance with the

formulation in order to improve outcomes and reduce risk for young

people.

To contribute to the multi-disciplinary team's psychological

understanding of young people and their families and offer guidance to

improve mental health and other important outcomes.

To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the entirety of

your work.

To take an active role in the process of multi-disciplinary risk

assessment, utilising clinical guidelines to support consultation and

formulation processes, documenting formulations and

recommendations as appropriate.

To support the family and multidisciplinary professionals to understand

and take positive risks, as part of an agreed plan.

To report adverse incidents (for clinical and research purposes) and

ensure documentation is detailed and supported by evidence.

To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the advice,

consultation and formulation provided.

To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based

framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the

service across all settings and agencies serving the client group.

To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information

concerning the assessment, formulation, and treatment plans of young

people engaging with crisis services.

To provide expertise, brief evidence-based therapeutic support,

enhance coping skills, advice, and support to facilitate the effective and

appropriate provision of psychological care to the young people.

To create a psychologically safe space in which individuals or the team

consider the impact of the work and to think about ways to mitigate the

potential risks to their own wellbeing.

To utilise their expert knowledge about vicarious trauma to help teams

take steps to reduce the risk of secondary trauma while doing this

work.

To gain, evaluate, disseminate, and implement research findings. in, evaluate, disseminate, and implement research findings. te, and implement research findings. To review and reflect upon own practice through participation in and

effective use of professional and operational supervision and appraisal.

To fully engage in research team and clinical team meetings. To keep detailed clinical and research notes to inform the young

person's ongoing care and role within the research study.

To proactively support young people's engagement in the research

study, alongside their parents/carers, or other relevant trusted adults in

the young person's life.

To obtain informed assent/consent for inclusion from prospective

participants in research activities.

To conduct and document risk assessment in therapeutic and training

situations, hospital, and community settings, balancing the conflicting

interaction of the individual needs of the children and adolescents,

those who care for them, therapeutic goals, and risk minimisation.

Teaching, training, and supervision

To provide training and workshops to professionals working within the

Greater Manchester, particularly in relation to psychological trauma

and research findings.

To work with managers to contribute to the identification of the clinical

training needs of staff working in crisis pathways and to work towards

addressing such training needs as appropriate.

To maintain and develop skills in the area of own professional post

graduate training and clinical supervision skills.

To receive regular clinical and research supervision from a senior

clinical psychologist and, where appropriate, other senior professional

colleagues.

To contribute to the pre and post qualification teaching and training of

clinical and counselling psychologists, as appropriate and with

agreement from senior management. This may include contributing to

the supervision of clinical psychology trainees on placement.

To receive regular individual and peer group clinical supervision in

accordance with the good practice guideline of the appropriate

registered Professionals Standards Authority.

To participate in and develop an up-to-date personal development plan

reflecting on own needs and engaging in development of clear

objectives.

To maintain and develop specialist psychological knowledge and skills,

using appraisal and continuing professional development systems.

To provide clinical supervision to psychologists/psychological

therapists and other professionals, as agreed with the Clinical Leads

To undertake any available and appropriate management training

within the service.

To represent senior clinical psychology colleagues at service meetings,

as directed by the Lead Psychologist for the service/Chief Investigator

for the study.

To adhere to the Code of Conduct as outlined by the BPS and the

Division of Clinical Psychology and by the Health and Care Professions

Council and other registered Professionals Standards Authority.

To adhere to the Code of Practice for the Mental Health Act, as

required.

To take part in regular audit and peer review. To provide a positive role model to staff and enable a high level of

support in order to deliver high quality care to the client group.

Management, Recruitment, Policy, and Service development

To maintain the spreadsheet of activity for the research team and

utilise feedback mechanisms for all training, consultation and staff

support and where necessary develop bespoke feedback mechanisms.

To contribute to the writing and development of reports, policy

documents, and to provide overall support to the research process.

To carry out regular reviews of services delivered (e.g., 111/999 call

outs, staff support) to the clinical lead and chief investigator.

Support the chief investigator with refining the treatment protocol and

associated documents to ensure the service is being delivered to a

high quality with treatment integrity, incorporating suitable

psychological models.

To identify good practice, to share it and promote it regionally and

nationally with the research team.

To contribute to research, policy and practice development as

identified, and to seek proactively opportunities to engage in the same.

To participate as a senior clinician in the development of a high quality,

responsive and accessible service.

To exercise delegated responsibility for managing, alongside senior

management, the resources available, according to the SoECAT and

project budget.

To exercise responsibility for recording and implementing the

systematic governance of psychological practice within the

service/team.

Research and service evaluation

To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support

best practice in clinical research and practice.

To undertake appropriate research with the team and provide research

advice to other staff undertaking research through the Young People's

Research Centre.

To initiate project management, including complex audit and service

evaluation with colleagues.

To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the

team's operational policies and service, keeping detailed records to

inform the overarching research process.

General

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



To take 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 maintain and promulgate the highest standards of clinical records

keeping in accordance with professional codes of practice of the British

Psychological Society and Trust policies and procedures.

To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local

policies, and issues in relation to both the specific client group and

wider child psychology

This job description is not exhaustive, but is intended to give an overall picture of the role. Other duties within the general scope of the post may be required from time to time. The duties of the post and job description can be reviewed through the agreed process