Job Description
The post holder will be located across both Guy’s Cancer and Queen Mary Hospital Cancer centre at Sidcup. The main responsibilities, supported by a clinical psychologist and with the current Assistant in post, include:
- Triaging POST referrals to Guy’s Cancer through contacting patients to undertake a brief assessment of need, booking appointments and communicating via email, letter and/or phone with referrers, MDTs and GPs.
- Developing and co-facilitating the delivery of CBT / psycho-education groups
- Collecting and analysing outcome data and feeding back to relevant audiences
- Attendance at weekly MDT meetings including feedback of both clinical and audit information.
- Supporting psychological therapy services at Guy’s Cancer Centre, Guy’s Hospital (GSTFT) and Queen Mary Hospital Cancer Centre at Sidcup (QMS)
- Provision of psychological therapy to a small number of patients dependent on experience and development needs of the individual AP
The successful applicant will demonstrate a capacity to maintain a compassionate approach to patients and staff in the face of significant distress. You will be self-motivated and professional, enjoy working as part of a multidisciplinary team and interested in pursuing a career in applied psychology. An interest in oncology, palliative and end-of-life care is essential.
The Assistant Psychologist works alongside a team of Clinical Psychologists, Counselling Psychologists, Psychotherapists, a Consultant Psychiatrist and trainee psychologists and psychotherapists to contribute to the psychological care of patients and carers within DCC and the wider Oncology and Haematology Directorate. This is a challenging and exciting role, which offers the opportunity for development in a range of skills and competencies, for which there is excellent support.
The successful applicant will work as one of two Assistant Psychologists to manage and triage referrals to POST, communicate with multidisciplinary colleagues across the trust in relation to referrals, co-facilitate and contribute to the development of CBT / psycho-education groups, support with service project work and audit and support with the delivery of psychological therapy services under the supervision of the Psychology team. The role includes use of databases and undertaking statistical analyses to support the team to audit and research their work. Attendance at weekly MDT meetings is a key aspect of the role, and the AP team share and discuss both clinical and audit information with the broader POST team. The role involves significant contact with patients (and their carers) accessing cancer treatment across Guy's Cancer Centre (Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals and Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup).
This assistant psychology post sits operationally within the Psycho-oncology Support Team (POST) in Dimbleby Cancer Care Centre (DCC) and within the wider Oncology, Haematology and Cellular Pathology Directorate.
Established in 1997, DCC is committed to an interdisciplinary approach to supporting the needs of patients and families affected by cancer and complements the medical care, primary information and support provided by other medical and clinical staff.
The Psycho-oncology Support Team provides specialised psychological care to individuals affected by cancer and receiving on-going medical care across Guy's Cancer services across Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals, and Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup. The service is delivered to individuals as inpatients and outpatients, as well as their families and carers.
The Psycho-oncology Support Team provides specialised psychological care to individuals affected by cancer and receiving on-going medical care across Guy's Cancer (including Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals and Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup). The service is delivered to individuals as inpatient and outpatients, as well as their carers.
Clinical
1. To triage referrals to the service, assess risk under supervision of clinical psychologist, book appointments, communicate via email, letter and/or phone with referrers, MDTs and GPs.
2. To assist in the delivery of psychological interventions under the supervision of a Qualified Practitioner Psychologist.
3. To assist in the organisation and facilitation of CBT/self-management programmes.
4. To work within a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to enhance the quality of care to individuals, carers and families affected by cancer.
5. To attend and contribute as appropriate to multi-disciplinary meetings, specifically to the weekly team meeting at Dimbleby.
6. To help develop clinical resources for use by individuals seen within the service.
Teaching, Training and Supervision
1. To provide support and contribute to the supervision of undergraduate student psychologists on placement within the Directorate.
2. To contribute to the training and support of other staff providing psychological care including preparation of teaching resources and other materials.
3. To receive regular clinical supervision in accordance with professional practice guidelines.
4. To gain an experience of professional psychology within the NHS through attendance at training workshops/meetings, departmental psychology meetings and by attending regional assistant psychology meetings.
5. To develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties.
Management, Recruitment and Service Development
1. To assist in the implementation of service development projects within the service as required.
2. To attend meetings in which service developments are planned and discussed.
Research and Service Evaluation
1. To assist in the design and implementation of audit and research projects.
2. To undertake data collection, entry and analysis and assist in the presentation of reports and summaries, using IT and computerised statistical programmes.
3. To undertake evidence-based literature searches and research to assist qualified Practitioner psychologists in evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members.
Professional Development
1. To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the Consultant Clinical Psychologist in DCC.
1. To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping (in both medical notes and psychology case notes) and report writing in accordance with professional codes of practice of the BPS and Trust policies and procedures.
The post holder is required to follow Trust policies and procedures which are regularly Updated.
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