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

We are looking for a keen, hard-working assistant Assistant Psychologist to join our Specialist CAMHS Children in Care Service. The service focus is to work together to develop positive relationships across multiagency networks and to make plans for interventions based on a shared understanding of the needs, vulnerabilities and strengths of children and young people in care who have experienced developmental trauma.

The service works closely alongside Children's Services colleagues in Brighton and Hove , providing support, consultation and training to professionals, including Social Workers, foster carers and teaching staff. The successful applicant will need to negotiate working across different teams, services and locations to support the development of this service.

Main duties of the job

The role will involve responsibility for co-ordination of network consultations and other administrative responsibilities that form part of the service delivery. We are therefore looking for someone who is well organised, able to prioritise in the event of competing demands, a good time keeper, and able to work using their own initiative, but know when to ask for help. As the successful applicant will work alongside large networks including Children's Services, CAMHS and education colleagues, good relationship and organisational skills are essential.

There will be opportunity to be involved in outcome measurement, audit and service development. Good audit and evaluation skills are therefore essential, together with knowledge about the application of client outcome measures and feedback tools and how they inform service change. The successful applicant will have excellent IT skills, be proficient in the use of Excel, Power Point, and data analysis and presentation.

Working for our organisation

Sussex Partnership provides mental health and learning disability care for all age groups across Sussex and for children and young people. We'd love you to join our Trust, rated good overall and outstanding for caring by the CQC. Our staff agree; in our recent staff survey 82% told us that they recognise that care for patients is our top priority.

Other key survey results:

• 70% highlighting flexible working as a key point for satisfaction at work
• 79% reporting feeling able to make suggestions to improve the work in their team
• 77% identifying opportunities to show initiative in their roles

Professional development is encouraged through supervision, training, team CPD and wider CAMHS and Trust events. We welcome contact from interested candidates to find out more about the team and the role.

See the attached 'Partnership Perks' document for details about our benefits package.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities
REQUIREMENTS

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

-Relevant clinical and research skills

-Experience of working as part of a team

-Basic knowledge of databases, research skills and methodology

-A good understanding of the impact of developmental trauma and attachment.

-It would also be advantageous if you have experience of working closely with social care partners and of co-facilitating groups.

MAIN DUTIES

• To co-ordinate network consultations for networks of children in care
• Organisation of clinic diary, outcome measures, data recording and audit/service evaluation processes
• To contribute to the production and writing of quarterly and annual service reports
• To support and co-facilitate running of a therapeutic parenting group for foster carers
• The role involves the opportunity to join the Lead Clinical Psychologists in some of their clinical work, which in the main involves consultations to multi-agency colleagues, across health, Children's Services, education and voluntary services, to help further understanding of the emotional needs of Children in Care. The post-holder will also participate in providing training and group work regarding Therapeutic Parenting and understanding attachment and complex trauma to key professionals involved in supporting Children in Care, such as foster carers and Social Workers. Hence it is important that the post holder is able to relate well to young people, their carers and professionals in different services while maintaining appropriate boundaries, as well as being able to relate to other members of the immediate team.
  
  There will also be opportunities to be involved in service development at this exciting time in the growth of the service.
  
  Supervision will be provided by a clinical psychologist.
  
  Base: CiC Psychology Service - Moulsecoomb Hub North, Brighton & Hove City Council Hodshrove Lane, Brighton BN2 4SE (note office move planned to Portslade in Summer 2022)
  
  

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.