Job Description

Job responsibilities You will be a member of the East Sussex Healthcare (ESHT) Critical Care team. As the Principal Practitioner Psychologist, you will also be a member of the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust's Clinical Health Psychology team, which holds the leadership, governance and supervision for the post on behalf of ESHT. The role necessitates on-site working. However, there may be scope for occasional remote access therapy sessions.

To join our team, you will:

Be passionate about supporting critical care patients and/ or their relatives with understanding and managing the psychological experiences of critical illness, recovery and care; Confident working with a range of clinical professionals and communicating complex psychological concepts in an understandable way; Be compassionate and passionate about supporting individuals who are critically unwell, recovering or supporting a loved one who is caring for someone who is/ has been critically unwell; Understand the impact of 'hidden illness', long term recovery, the psychological sequalae of critical illness - especially grief, loss, transition and trauma reactions; Have knowledge and skill in the application of psychological theory and practice in physical health settings; Be aware of the latest evidence base and national strategies in critical care. Knowledge/Experience Essential You will have completed post-graduate/ doctoral level training in applied psychology [or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996 or outside the UK] as approved by the HCPC; You will have experience of working with a range of models including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology; You will have extensive experience of working with patients with a wide range of mental health presentations, including those with complex difficulties, and of working with wider multidisciplinary teams; You will have experience of taking full clinical responsibility for a patient's psychological care plan and intervention; You will have experience of managing and supervising other clinical staff, including trainee clinical psychologists and physical health staff. Desirable Prior experience of working in a critical care context; Experience of working with patients who present with grief, loss and trauma reactions; Experience of working within a physical healthcare setting. See JD and PS for full details.

For further information please contact hiring manager:

Dr Susan Hennessey, Consultant Clinical Lead for Clinical Health Psychology, susan.hennessey@nhs.net