Help for Heroes – Consultant Clinical Psychologist/Consultant Counselling Psychologist and Head of Hidden Wounds Service

Job Purpose

To lead the operational and strategic development, quality, and continuous improvement of the digitally delivered Hidden Wounds Service within an integrated, highly collaborative, interdisciplinary, and holistic model.

To ensure significant contribution of the Hidden Wounds Service to positive mental health outcomes and wider quality of life impact for veterans, their families/loved ones, and other groups with complex needs, in line with the charity’s objectives.

The role is pivotal in ensuring the team culture, learning and performance aspirations create a thriving environment for clinicians in which they can deliver the highest standards of evidence based practice and psychological care up to and including Step 3 and Step 4 level interventions.

Accountabilities

The post holder will provide functional Hidden Wounds Service leadership and corporate leadership as a member of both the Recovery Services Leadership Team and the wider charity Leadership community. They will work cross-functionally within the Services directorate contributing to service development and design as part of the integrated model, and with Communications, Public Affairs, and Fundraising colleagues.

The role carries professional and clinical governance accountability, of the Hidden Wounds Service across all delivery methods and environments in which it is delivered (primarily digital delivery).

Professional and leadership responsibilities for qualified psychological therapies colleagues working with adult service users, as well as operational support colleagues. The postholder will have the support of Hidden Wounds Service management colleagues including Deputy Head and Psychological Wellbeing Managers.

Main Responsibilities

• Ensuring the systematic and effective provision of high quality, evidence-based psychological therapies to veterans and adult family members and other groups that fall within the charity’s Objects and purpose
• Setting and assuring the standards of delivery across the Hidden Wounds Service and championing and adopting integrated Recovery Services processes
• Overseeing operational and strategic Risk for the service, ensuring it delivers against best practice, including in relation to Safeguarding matters, and in line with the charity’s Safeguarding Policies and Procedures
• Leading on service evaluation, utilising data for continuous improvement, and for impact reporting
• Ensuring systems are in place and working effectively for clinical and professional supervision and support of service colleagues, including delegated systems for effective recruitment, professional appraisal and identification of CPD needs
• Providing line management to the Hidden Wounds Service management roles
• Supporting the delivery of a range of psychological interventions within the stepped care model, including psychoeducation through the Veteran and Families Recovery College
• Carrying a small caseload where appropriate, providing highly developed psychological assessments and formulating plans for psychological treatment or management
• Maintaining an up to date knowledge of best practice for clinical and service delivery for this speciality service
• Continuing to develop expertise in the area of professional pre and post-graduate training and clinical supervision
• Providing research oversight and advice to other colleagues undertaking research
• Proposing and implementing policy changes and service developments
• Being the charity’s subject matter spokesperson on Mental Health matters across media and communications platforms, and contributing towards the development of messaging and communications
• Exploring with and engaging in opportunities with delivery partners and stakeholders in Government, and the third, statutory and higher education sectors

Essential Qualifications

• Post graduate doctorate in Clinical Psychology/Counselling Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS)
• Registration as an HCPC regulated Practitioner Psychologist

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Essential Knowledge, Skills & Experience

Able to demonstrate:

• Extensive leadership experience; managerial/professional of a range of qualified psychological therapy staff, including recruitment, appraisal, performance management, talent management and clinical supervision,  wider service design and delivery.
• Operational planning, service evaluation, development and design
• Ability to think strategically, build strong, cross-functional working relationships and engage and influence with confidence at all levels
• Experience of and commitment to integrated models and interdisciplinary working, including with non-clinical teams
• Extensive experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for service users’ psychological care and treatment
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
• Knowledge, experience and practical capabilities of delivering evidence-based interventions for the military veteran population
• Training and experience in delivering clinical Supervision
• Presentation and teaching skills
• Experience in working with the media
• Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Office software

Desirable Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Experience of the full holistic and experiential approach to Mental Health
• Knowledge and experience of military and/or NHS mental health service provision and agencies
• Experience of working with Charity sector

Key Competencies & Behaviours

• Displays the highest levels of integrity, confidentiality and commitment and Leadership level behaviours relating to the charity ‘ICARE Values’ (Innovative, Collaborative, Authentic, Resourceful, Energetic)
• The interpersonal skills and credibility to liaise with and influence key internal and external stakeholders
• Displays a positive, empathetic, professional manner
• Lead and drive work forward
• Manage challenging situations in a calm and appropriate manner
• Respond quickly to changing demands and demonstrate strong skills in work organisation, prioritisation, and time management
• Work within a range of environments and working cultures, adapting personal style accordingly
• Analyse information quickly and communicate in a concise and articulate manner
• Demonstrates an ability to work as part of a team and be a flexible team player
• Demonstrates self-motivation
• Flexible re. hours of work

*Please note, whilst this role is homebased there will be regular business travel for face to face working with colleagues and travel to fulfil the full scope of duties including external communications and charity representation.