Job description
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NHS Borders Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service are delighted to invite applications for a permanent Band 8A Clinical Psychologist.

1WTE service preference but shorter hours may be possible. If in doubt please call for discussion.

We wish to recruit a colleague with enthusiasm for a range of evidence based therapeutic interventions and the flexibility to integrate psychological knowledge and models to meet our service users’ needs and who will find working with us a good fit themselves.

The post contributes to the delivery of a comprehensive Psychology service to children, young people and families across the Scottish Borders, embedded within a multidisciplinary integrated CAMHS and Neurodevelopmental service.

The CAMHS Psychology team is a small, friendly and collaborative group comprising the service Lead, 2 part-time 8Bs, 4 8A colleagues, 4 CAAPs, Trainees and Assistant Psychologists. We provide rich core and specialist placements for Trainee CAAPs and Clinical Psychologists on the East of Scotland courses. We are based in the CAMHS MDT base at the Andrew Lang Unit in Selkirk, but we work throughout the Borders rural area, providing clinics across the region.

We welcome applications from qualified Clinical Psychologists with experience in CAMHS or in closely related practice in the UK. We also welcome applications from final year Trainee Clinical Psychologists with a strong interest in a career in CAMHS, learning disability or neurodevelopmental service provision.

This role just like our service, has a broad and inclusive remit. It included the delivery of quality evidence based Psychological Therapies for children and young people with mental health presentations, the assessment of and interventions for young people with suspected intellectual disability, and collaborative multidisciplinary work for those with neurodevelopmental differences.

Alongside your own clinical work, you will contribute to multidisciplinary core tasks, such as referral management, supervision, consultation, training and service development. Your job plan will develop with you to take account of your individual areas of strength, expertise and developmental needs. Supervision, peer collaboration, continued professional development and mentoring for individualised career progression are features of our culture.

We are a small, friendly multidisciplinary CAMHS service with a positive working culture and a broad service remit. We provide support for community partners through consultation, CPD support, coaching/mentoring (LIAM/BBA), direct neurodevelopmental assessments and interventions including CAMHS LD/ID, direct Tier 3 multidisciplinary and psychological interventions, and Tier 4 intensive community treatment. The CAMHS service includes Psychiatrists, CPNs, LDNs, ND Specialist nurses, sessional AHPs and Administrative staff (with guest appearances from Therapets).

We have close links with NHS Borders Psychology colleagues across specialities and we are part of the NHS Borders Psychology Directorate.

We have shared boundaries with one local authority, and as the smallest mainland health-board in Scotland we aim to be agile and to innovate with our multiagency partners and the third sector to meet the needs of our rural community.

We have an office base with some clinic rooms at the Andrew Lang Unit, Selkirk. We run numerous face to face clinics at the Borders General Hospital (near Melrose) and at various health centre across the Scottish Borders, alongside NearMe clinics most commonly from home. Many Psychology jobplans currently include a hybrid pattern with some planned working from home, but mostly face to face provision (in line with our service user’s preferences). Use of a motor-vehicle is almost essential in providing a service across our rural catchment.

The Scottish Borders is a beautiful rural region with affordable housing and small towns which can support an excellent quality of life. NHS Borders can offer a relocation package to some eligible applicants moving into the area. However, many of the team commute from the Lothians.

Informal enquiries, pre-application discussions or visits are warmly encouraged.

Please contact: Dr Andy Gentil (Consultant Clinical Psychologist / Lead for CAMHS Psychology, NHS Borders): 01750 23715
• PLEASE NOTE: We cannot accept late applications so please ensure your application is submitted early***

NHS Scotland is reducing their full-time working week from 37.5 to 37 hours per week from 1 April 2024 but with no change in pay. This reduction will also be applied pro rata for part time staff. This advert and any subsequent offer/contract of employment therefore reflects the new working hours. However, as not all service areas will be able to adopt the 37 hour working week immediately from 1 April 2024, you may be required to work up to an additional 30 minutes per week for a temporary period, for which you would be paid, until the service you are working in changes rosters or working patterns to accommodate the new reduced working week. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Hiring Manager.

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.