Job Description

Communication and Working Relationship Skills Utilise and demonstrate sensitive communication styles, to ensure patients are fully informed and consent to treatment. Communicate with and support patients who are receiving bad news Communicate effectively with patients and carers, recognising the need for alternative methods of communication to overcome different levels of understanding, cultural background and preferred ways of communicating. Anticipate barriers to communication and take action to improve communication. Maintain effective communication within the practice environment and with external stakeholders.



Act as an advocate for patients and colleagues. Ensure awareness of sources of support and guidance (eg PALS) and provide information in an acceptable format to all patients, recognising any difficulties and referring where appropriate. Maintain effective communication with those responsible for the overall commissioning and procurement process. Analytical and Judgemental Skills Manage and assess risk within the areas of responsibility, ensuring adequate measures are in place to protect staff and patients.



Monitor work areas and practices to ensure they are safe and free from hazards and conform to health, safety and security legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines. Apply infection-control measures according to local and national guidelines. Advocate for policies that reduce environmental health risks, are culturally sensitive and increase access to health care for all. Planning and Organisational Skills Understand own role and scope and identify how this may develop over time Work as an effective and responsible team member, supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new ways of working.



Delegate clearly and appropriately, adopting the principles of safe practice and assessment of competence. Create clear referral mechanisms to meet patient need. Prioritise own workload and ensure effective time-management strategies are embedded within the culture of the team. Work effectively with others to clearly define values, direction and policies impacting upon care delivery.



Discuss, highlight and work with the team to create opportunities to improve patient care Manage and lead on the delivery of specifically identified services or projects as agreed with the practice management team using Quality Improvement tools. Agree plans and outcomes by which to measure success. Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment and Therapy Assessment & intervention: To make highly skilled evaluations and decisions about assessment, treatment and discharge, including the management of risk. To formulate plans for psychological treatment and implementing specialist psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups and to demonstrate awareness of diversity issues.

Consultation & guidance:

To provide advice, guidance and consultation on psychological aspects of patient care to colleagues, other service providers, patients, supporters and families. Produce accurate, contemporaneous and complete records of patient consultation, consistent with legislation, policies and procedures. Prioritise, organise and manage own workload in a manner that maintains and promotes quality. Assess effectiveness of care delivery through self and peer review, benchmarking and formal evaluation.



In partnership with other clinical teams, collaborate on improving the quality of health care responding to local and national policies and initiatives as appropriate. Evaluate patients response to health care provision and the effectiveness of care. Work alongside other management colleagues to ensure the whole team have skills and knowledge, providing guidance and support to ensure appropriate referral if required. Act as a clinical leader in the delivery of services ensuring that the needs of the patient are a priority.



Use a structured framework (eg root-cause analysis) to manage, review and identify learning from patient complaints, clinical incidents and near-miss events. Encourage others to make realistic self-assessment of their application of knowledge and skills, challenging any complacency or actions that are not in the interest of the public and/or users of services. Critically evaluate and review innovations and developments that are relevant to the area of work. Enlist support and influence stakeholders and decision-makers in order to bring about new developments in the provision of services Responsibility for Policy and Service Development Implementation Support and participate in shared learning across the service and wider organisation.



Assess the impact of policy implementation on care delivery. Working with management in order to monitor and develop the performance of the team in accordance with local policies. Initiate and participate in the maintenance of quality governance systems and processes across the organisation and its activities. Utilise the audit cycle as a means of evaluating the quality of the work of self and the team, implementing improvements where required.



Interpret national strategies and policies into local implementation strategies that are aligned to the values and culture of general practice. Contribute to the development of local guidelines, protocols and standards Responsibility for Human Resources, e.g. Supervision, Training, HR Advice and Management Day to day management; Allocate, place and supervise staff or students/ Line manager for single function or department Manages staff; organises student placements or allocates placement and supervision of staff, students/ Line management Undertake mentorship for more junior staff, assessing competence against set standards. Disseminate learning and information gained to other team members in order to share good practice and inform others about current and future developments (eg courses and conferences) Assess own learning needs and undertake learning as appropriate.



Provide an educational role to patients, carers, families and colleagues in an environment that facilitates learning. Take responsibility for own learning and performance including participating in clinical supervision and acting as a positive role model. Support staff development in order to maximise potential. Actively promote the workplace as a learning environment, encouraging everyone to learn from each other and from external good practice.



Work with management to ensure sufficient staff of appropriate ability, quality and skill-mix are available to meet current and future service delivery, that selection and recruitment processes are effective and that equality of treatment of the team incorporates quality HR principles and processes. Responsibility for Information Resources and Administrative Duties Use technology and appropriate software as an aid to management in planning, implementation and monitoring of care, presenting and communicating information. Review and process data to ensure easy and accurate information retrieval for monitoring and audit processes. Manage information searches using the internet and local library databases.



Collate, analyse and present clinical data and information to the team. Ensure care record systems are accurately input and in line with good record keeping standards Responsibility for Research and Development Undertakes research and development within their own area Freedom to Act Has discretion to work within defined parameters and within broad occupational policies. Lead specialist in their own area of work. Any Other Specific Tasks Required Identify patterns of discrimination and take action to overcome this and promote diversity and equality of opportunity Enable others to promote equality and diversity in a non-discriminatory culture.



Support people who need assistance in exercising their rights. Act as a role model in the observance of equality and diversity good practice Accept the rights of individuals to choose their care providers, participate in care and refuse care. Assist patients from marginalised groups to access quality care.