Welcome from our Chief Executive

Our organisation is expanding and we're looking for people with the right values, skills and/or potential to join us. We need people with energy, expertise, enthusiasm to help us provide the very best possible specialist NHS mental health and learning disability care. This involves helping us achieve our strategy to improve the quality of life for the communities we serve through People, Prevention and Partnerships.

So what can we offer you in return?

We're an organisation which puts people first. We'll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. We'll help you learn, acquire new skills and gain further experience to support your career development. And we'll provide the opportunity for you to bring your fresh ideas to work about how we can do things differently and continue improving.

You will also be joining a health and care system committed to working together to do the best we can for the communities we serve. Above all, at Sussex Partnership you'll have the chance to make a difference to the lives of the patients, carers and families across our communities.

If you like the sound of that, then come and join our team.

Job overview

Launched in January 2021, Sussex Staff in Mind (SSiM) is a mental health and wellbeing hub providing information, support and rapid clinical assessment for NHS and social care staff. Development of the hub and the communication and engagement strategy to promote it is being led by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust on behalf of the Sussex Health & Care Partnership Integrated Care System (ICS).

The hub is looking for a conscientious Senior Assistant Psychologist to support and develop the service.

To protect the health and safety of our staff/workers, patients, and those attending our sites, we encourage our workforce to get fully vaccinated against COVID

Main duties of the job

The Senior Assistant Psychologist role is varied, and utilises both clinical and non-clinical skills. The clinical element of this role will involve administering a CBT-based intervention which has been tailored for health and social care staff. Staff in Mind is working with the SHAPE Recovery programme to deliver evidence-based wellbeing support for staff who are experience symptoms of PTSD and/or depression. The Senior Assistant Psychologist will work directly within the SHAPE programme through administering interventions for staff.

Non-clinical elements include:

• Scoping the evidence base for staff well being and using research to promote service development and evaluation
• To use qualitative and/or quantitative research methods to evaluate data from Staff in Mind, and to report results in a relevant manner
• To communicate with other professionals within the Trust to support the website development (specifically in relation to content creation)
• To support the Psychology team with outreach and staff engagement projects
• To attend and contribute towards multi-disciplinary team meetings such as group supervision and/or business meetings
• To liaise with professionals from other UK wellbeing hubs to share ideas and collaborate on service evaluation projects

Working for our organisation

Sussex Staff in Mind

The Hub is made up of a small, diverse and supportive team working together to ensure our NHS and social care colleagues access the help they need.

Sussex Health and Care Partnership

The Sussex Health and Care Partnership brings together the organisations involved in the planning and provision of health and care services across the region. This includes CCGs, acute hospital trusts, mental health, community services, and local authorities.

Together they are focused on how the NHS and social care can work together to improve and join-up services to meet the changing needs of all of the people who live in our area. We want to do more to prevent illness, support people to manage existing health conditions and to stay independent. To do this we need seamless health and social care services.

This is a partnership and a new way of working. It ensures that all the health and care organisations in Sussex are working together in a joined-up way.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Sussex Staff in Mind is accessed via a standalone website (www.sussexstaffinmind.nhs.uk) providing information, an online screening questionnaire and access to rapid clinical assessment. People are offered a biopsychosocial assessment and supported into treatment. They are also offered follow up and review to support the staff journey into and during any required treatment or if in need of further support. The team also support teams and services that may be struggling with staff wellbeing.

In addition, SSiM works with health and care organisations across Sussex to reach those staff who are at risk and/or less likely to seek support, working with established networks and support groups to overcome barriers to accessing help.

Please see the job description for more detailed information about responsibilities.

Person specification

Qualifications
Essential criteria

• Honours degree at 2:1 or above in Psychology, or equivalent. Eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartership with the BPS

Knowledge/Experience
Essential criteria

• Experience of working with people with complex needs
• Experience of working with people with disabilities, in a health or Mental Health setting and or work with people with complex needs
• Relevant clinical and research skills
• Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Basic knowledge of databases, research skills and methodology
• Experience of group work and individual therapeutic contact
• Ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a health context
• An understanding of psychology applied to health care

Sussex Partnership NHS FT is committed to supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our communities. Our workforce is currently under-represented from Black and Minority, Ethnic and disabled communities and we would welcome applications from these communities.

We regret that we are unable to advise candidates if they have not been shortlisted. If you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date please assume that you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.

In the event of an excessive number of applicants the Trust reserves the right to close this vacancy earlier than indicated.

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust takes its responsibilities for the safeguarding and protection of children and young people and vulnerable adults very seriously and expects this of all its employees and bank workers. The Trust works with adult and children's social care to ensure that the integrated service has systems in place to equip staff and bank workers with the knowledge and skills to recognize abuse, and take action to safeguard and protect vulnerable adults and children and young people. It is expected that all staff and bank workers familiarise themselves with the appropriate structures and policies and with the Sussex child protection and safeguarding procedures and the Sussex multi-agency policy and procedures for safeguarding vulnerable adults and undertake the relevant essential training and further training appropriate to their role.

Successful candidates are normally offered salaries at the bottom of the relevant salary range. However, where previous or equivalent NHS experience in a similar role can be demonstrated and evidenced, this may be taken into consideration when setting the starting salary.