Practitioner Psychologist Bariatric Surgery Service Job In London

This is an exciting opportunity to join the UCLH Centre for Weight Management, Metabolic and Endocrine Surgery. We are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic psychologist to join the Multi-Disciplinary Team (consisting of surgeons, dietitians, clinical nurse specialists, specialist physician, anaesthetist). This is an incredibly rewarding area to work in, providing support to a population of people who have often experienced stigma and shame because of their weight.

We hope to provide a compassionate and understanding service, working with people both pre- and post-operatively to start making changes towards caring for themselves in a way that is in line with their values. This is within a context of exploring motivations for, and understanding of, surgery, supporting reflective decision-making and setting and achieving goals in line with preparing for and living with weight loss surgery.The post holder will contribute to the assessment and treatment of individuals referred for bariatric surgery and patients requiring further support in the pre- or post-operative period, under the supervision of an 8a psychologist. Experience of working with people affected by obesity in a weight management or bariatric surgery service, surgical services more generally or with people who have struggled with disordered eating or eating disorders, is essential.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will also contribute to service development and evaluation initiatives, including service user involvement.Please be advised that we will only accept applications from candidates qualified to use the protected title of Clinical or Counselling Psychologist.

To provide specialist psychological assessment in relation to mental health, history of obesity and eating difficulties in people referred for bariatric surgery and using a range of assessment methods as appropriate, making recommendations to the multi-disciplinary team.

To formulate and devise psychological treatment and management plans for referred clients and to provide psychological treatment using a range of specialist psychological interventions (group and individual).

To provide specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals e.g. dieticians and clinical nurse specialists, to assist in the formulation, diagnosis and treatment of clients.

To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the psychological assessment and treatment of patients within the service, referring to the Senior Psychologist for guidance where appropriate.

To provide reports and communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients. To communicate across language and cultural barriers (utilising interpreters) remaining respectful of difference and responding to these appropriately within clinical contexts.

About us

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically led acute and specialist services, to people from the local area, from throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. Our vision is to deliver top-quality patient care, excellent education, and world-class research.

We provide first-class acute and specialist services across eight sites:

• University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing)
  
• National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
  
• Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals
  
• University College Hospital Grafton Way Building
  
• Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine
  
• University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre
  
• The Hospital for Tropical Diseases
  
• University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street

We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. UCLH specialises in women's health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological, gastrointestinal and oral disease. It has world class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclear medicine and pathology.

We are committed to sustainability and have pledged to become a carbon net zero health service, embedding sustainable practice throughout UCLH. We have set an ambitious target of net zero for our direct emissions by 2031 and indirect emissions by 2040.

Job description

Job responsibilities

For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.

Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff*

UCLH top trust to work at in England for the second year running! : University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

*In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England for the second year in a row.

UCLH top trust to work at in England for the second year running! : University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Once again, UCLH has received the highest score of all general acute and acute/community NHS trusts in England for staff that would recommend us as a place to work.

Person Specification

Knowledge and Qualifications

Essential

• Honours degree in psychology or related disciplines, and a Doctorate and/or PhD level in clinical/counselling psychology (or equivalent doctorate level clinical training)
• Registered Practitioner Psychologist by the HCPC to use the protected title practitioner psychologist (clinical/counselling).
• High-level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management.
• Knowledge of specialised assessment and therapeutic approaches in weight management.
• Ability to make diagnostic decisions, give second opinions and make differential diagnoses as part of multidisciplinary assessments

Desirable

• Experience working in an obesity or bariatric surgery service.
• Experience working with disordered eating and/or eating disorders.
• Experience assessing and treating people with complex mental health needs, including those with a background of trauma.
• Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision of junior staff (e.g. trainees, assistants).

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with adults who are overweight/obese and an understanding of the associated medical comorbidities and the potential social and psychological implications of obesity.
• A knowledge of the different types of bariatric surgery and the complexity involved when assessing people for this type of intervention as a treatment for obesity.
• A knowledge of mental health difficulties potentially associated with severe obesity and an understanding of when it may be appropriate to refer to other agencies.
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with physical health problems in a hospital based (outpatient and inpatient) setting.
• Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity.
• Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
• Ability to work with interpreters.
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
• Knowledge of research methodology, research design and data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.

Skills & Abilities - Communication

Essential

• Advanced professional verbal and written communication skills with patients, carers and other health professional staff in service delivery
• Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS where information may be highly sensitive and there may be barriers to acceptance

Academic and research

Essential

• Previous experience of research indicating the ability to conduct research autonomously, with supervision as required.
• Ability to critique and evaluate scientific data and best practice clinical guidelines

Quality and service improvement

Essential

• Evidence of working well in multidisciplinary teams
• Evidence of a commitment to service improvement from patients' perspectives

Desirable

• Evidence of designing and implementing Quality Improvement, service development or service user involvement initiatives to improve patient experience of services

Information processing (IT skills)

Essential

• Competent IT skills (word processing, spreadsheets, statistical packages)

Personal Qualities

Essential

• A good understanding and appreciation of the effects of stigma on people living with obesity.
• A high level of interpersonal and communication skills.
• Must be able to cope with highly emotive and psychologically challenging demands of working with people in distress for long periods of time.
• Must be able to risk assess patients with confidence, requesting appropriate support where needed.
• Must be able to communicate effectively with a wide range of people in a sensitive, caring and non-judgemental manner.
• Balanced capacity between autonomy and appropriate request for support.

Employer details

Employer name

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

UCLH

235 Euston Road

London

NW1 2BU

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

309-UCLH-4474