Senior Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner

Job summary

22.5 hours per week.

The Clinical Neuropsychology Service and Early Supported Discharge Service (ESD) are delighted to advertise for the position of Senior Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner. This is a new post which is funded as part of a regional Quality Improvement fund for improving stroke rehabilitation.

Stroke patients are at high risk of experiencing a range of emotional difficulties, including clinical depression, anxiety, apathy, and emotionalism. The new National Clinical Guidelines for Stroke (2023) recommends that all stroke patients are screened for depression and anxiety and provided with timely access to appropriate psychological interventions to support their well-being. We would like to employ a Senior Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner to provide standard psychological interventions, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Motivational Interviewing to our patients, and meet this need within our service.

We are also working of developing a neuro-rehabilitation pathway between our services and the Long-Term Conditions arm of Plymouth Options, so that patients with ongoing or more complex psychological needs can be provided with appropriate stepped psychological care. The new role will play an instrumental role in this development, and we would like to foster closer working relations between ourselves and Plymouth Options.

Main duties of the job

The primary role of this job will be to flexibly deliver low-intensity psychological interventions to stroke patients who are experiencing low mood, anxiety or sleep related difficulties. Given the nature of stroke related difficulties, the delivery of psychological interventions will require a combination of face-to-face and remote sessions, home-visits, and group therapy sessions, depending on the needs of the client. Additionally, interventions will need to be adapted for patients with significant cognitive or communication difficulties, including aphasia, memory difficulties, slow processing, mental fatigue, etc.

The Senior PWP will also be responsible for managing the mood screening pathway in the ESD service, which will involve staff training and providing consultation to the ESD therapy team (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists) and nurses.

About us

Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise providing integrated health & social care services for people across Plymouth, South Hams & West Devon, as well as some specialist services for people living in parts of Devon & Cornwall. With teams in community hospitals, GP practices, sports centres, health & wellbeing hubs.

As an organisation with a strong social conscience, we always value being kind, respectful, inclusive, ambitious, responsible and collaborative. Transforming services to make them sustainable, ensuring that we value, support & empower each other.

We are committed to involving the people we care for, families & carers in everything that we do, working towards co-production where we can. Helping us to deliver the right care for people, in the right place & at the right time. By putting people at the centre of what we do, we ensure to support people to lead, healthy independent lives & be the very best at helping people to live well.

Valuing our employees making an investment in their development a priority. We offer:

Protected CPD time for registered staff

Various development pathways and ongoing regular training packages for all staff

Leadership & mentoring programmes

Access & funding for training including Care Certificate, Assistant Practitioners Course & Scholarship Into Nurse Training

A Robust Preceptorship

A bespoke induction programme

Existing members of the NHS Pension Scheme can continue their membership when they join the organisation.

Date posted

24 May 2023

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£35,392 to £42,618 a year pa, pro-rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

1 years

Working pattern

Part-time, Job share, Flexible working

Reference number

B9832-2023-SP-973

Job locations

Livewell South West

Mount Gould Road

Plymouth

PL4 7QD

Job description

Job responsibilities

Service Area

Adult Frailty and Specialist Services

Job Title

Senior Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner

One-Year Fixed-Term (0.6 WTE)

Pay Band

Band 6

Base and Service (this needs to reflect the service and where the work is delivered):

The primary base will be the Early Supported Discharge (ESD) Office, which is located in Robin Offices, in Mount Gould Hospital. The post holder will be expected to deliver therapy interventions remotely via video consultation or face to face either in the Local Care Centre at Mount Gould Hospital, or in patients home and community settings.

Reports to (Line Manager):

Dr Donnchadh Murphy, Clinical Neuropsychologist and Amanda Eddy, ESD Service Manager

Accountable to (Professionally/managerially): (optional)

Dr Donnchadh Murphy, Clinical Neuropsychologist

Dimensions and Context of Role

Livewell Southwests provides Early Supported Discharge (ESD) service is a community rehabilitation service for stroke patients after their discharge from hospital. We are looking to expand our provision of psychological input to stroke survivors by recruiting an experienced Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) to join the service.

The post-holder will provide assessment and low intensity psychological interventions, including supported self-help, anxiety management and behavioural activation, to clients using the NICE-recommended stepped care model.

Additionally, the role will involve some patient triage, and potential onward referrals to either Clinical Neuropsychology Service or the Long-Term Conditions pathway within Plymouth Options, depending on patient need.

We strive to run an inclusive service, and therefore client work may involve a combination of face-to-face clinic appointments in our base at the Local Care Centre, remote appointments using Livewell Connect, and/or travelling to clients home or community clinics. These interventions may need to be adapted for clients with communication, cognitive and/or physical impairments.

The clinical work will involve a combination of direct one-to-one therapy sessions, group-based therapy, and jointed sessions with our rehabilitation staff (i.e., physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities of the Post

1.0 Clinical

1.1 To provide suitability assessments for Patients at ESD service via range of means ie via telephone or face to face.

1.2 To provide LI interventions to patients with mild to moderate presentations of anxiety and depression.

1.3 Interventions will be via cCBT (Silvercloud), face to face LI sessions, and psycho-educational groups.

1.4 To clinically work within the ESD structure and guidance.

1.5 Use appropriate NICE recommended treatments for presentations of anxiety and depression.

1.6 Use appropriate outcome measures, i.e., PHQ-9, GAD-7, Goal Setting and direct patient feedback

1.7 Provide interventions to a broad range of clients who are accessing the ESD service and have common mental health problems who are over 16.

1.8 To work in collaboration with other agencies and professionals

1.9 To follow safeguarding procedures when required, ensuring accurate , objective recording of information.

1.10 On completion of treatment review the patients journey and ensure appropriate signposting/referral on is provided as required for patients, i.e., referring to either High Intensity Therapy in Plymouth Options or to the Clinical Neuropsychology Service.

1.11 To understand the mental health network of Plymouth in order to best support patients.

1.12 To be able to assess patients who are at risk of harm to themselves or others via a recognised tool and make appropriate action plans for their needs.

1.13 Complete accurate contemporaneous records in line with Livewell SW clinical record keeping policy.

1.14 To clinically support junior psychological staff (i.e., psychology assistants, trainee clinical psychologists and undergraduate assistant psychologists) in their clinical work being available to be able to support and challenge when required to embed safe , effective treatment plans for patients.

2.0 Management

2.1 Provide oversight of the PWP team alongside other post holder.

2.2 Act as a professional leader for the PWP team.

2.3 Provide information to the Service Manager/Clinical lead which may impact on Service Delivery and / or patient safety.

2.4 To provide line management to an agreed number of psychological staff, including monitoring of sickness absence, performance, record keeping, and providing oversight and support for staff development by completing annual appraisal with staff. To follow Livewell SW policies and procedures in respect of Line management processes.

2.5 Have oversight of PWP provision, including volume of assessment, treatment appointments, and group/workshop facilitation.

2.6 To represent ESD in a positive manner and supporting the profile of ESD and the provisions available.

2.7 To support the ongoing change process that is inherent in a health care environment, reporting challenges to the Service Manager.

2.8 Provide feedback to the Service Manager as to training requirements for team in order to sustain safe effective delivery of interventions.

2.9 Represent the PWP team positively and proactively at relevant meetings or forums.

2.10 To support developing staff complete competencies. To report to Service Manager and concerns with clinical competence so a plan can be implemented for that individual.

2.11 Attend locality meetings as requested by the Service Manager.

2.12 To communicate concerns/risks to the Service Manager ensuring that online incident report is completed.

3.0 Professional

3.1 Ensure the maintenance of standards of practice according to the employer and any regulating body, and keep up to date on new recommendations/guidelines set by the department of health (e.g NHS plan, National Service Framework, National Institute for Clinical Excellence).

3.2 Ensure that client confidentiality is protected at all times.

3.3 Be aware of, and keep up to date with advances in the spheres of treatment for common mental health problems.

3.4 Ensure clear objectives are identified, discussed and reviewed with senior therapists on a regular basis as part of continuing professional development.

3.5 Attend clinical/managerial supervision on a regular basis as agreed with Manager.

3.6 Participate in individual performance review and respond to agreed objectives.

3.7 Keep up to date all records in relation to Continuing Professional Development and ensure personal development plan maintains up to date specialist knowledge of latest theoretical and service delivery models/developments.

3.8 Attend relevant conferences / workshops in line with identified professional objectives.

3.9 Act as a role model for other staff demonstrating high standards of professional conduct and clinical practice based on NICE guidance.

3.10 Positively promote the model of IAPT to other service areas, and referrers.

4.0 Communication

4.1 To demonstrate excellent communication skills, with clients, staff, family members, and wider health network.

4.2 To ensure information about clients assessment/treatment is accurately recorded using the clinical record system - SystmOne.

4.3 Provide support to team members to develop efficient record keeping.

4.4 Is able to impart complex and sensitive information to patients and families/carers and related health care professionals.

4.5 To escalate areas of concern to relevant Manager/Supervisor.

4.6 To report incidents according the Livewell policy.

5.0 Education and Training

5.1 To assume responsibility for own personal development.

5.2 To provide support to new post holders, and identify training needs via mode of PDP.

5.3 To ensure Livewell SW mandatory training is completed at scheduled times.

5.4 To have oversight of teams training schedule.

6.0 Human resources

6.1 To support in conjunction with the other postholder to deliver case management to the PWP team.

6.2 To support the recruitment and selection of new post holders.

7.0 Physical Effort

7.1 Role will involve a lot of sitting with clients in therapy rooms. May require some standing for 2 hours at a time whilst delivering groups.

8.0 Mental Effort

8.1 Frequent requirement for intense concentration in the delivery of high quality low intensity intervention by being closely attuned to the Service Users psychological state, assessing this and responding appropriately.

9.0 Emotional Effort

9.1 Frequent exposure to distressing or emotional circumstances arising from therapeutic contact with Service Users (including relatives and carers) requiring emotional engagement with the material discussed, emotional self-regulation by the therapist and the delivery of a therapeutic response within professional boundariesPlease note, additional information is provided in the Job Description attached to this advert.