Highly Specialist Practitioner Psychologist in Cancer
6 hours ago
London
Job summaryThe post will provide a psychologically informed approach and service as part of the Psycho-oncology Support Team (POST) within Dimbleby Cancer Care, for cancer and palliative care patients and significant involved others at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals. The post will be based at Guy's hospital site (with possibility of some working on St Thomas' site), and is suitable for someone starting out in their career, or is keen to specialise in cancer and palliative care. You will provide highly specialist psychological assessment and therapy, offering advice and consultation on clients' psychological care to medical teams, and work autonomously within professional practice guidelines and the overall framework of the psychological support team's policies and procedures. You will see outpatients, and significantly connected others.Main duties of the jobThe post will provide a psychologically informed approach and service as part of the Psycho-oncology Support Team (POST) within Dimbleby Cancer Care, for cancer and palliative care patients and significant involved others at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals. You will provide highly specialist psychological assessment and therapy, offering advice and consultation on clients' psychological care to medical teams, and work autonomously within professional practice guidelines and the overall framework of the psychological support team's policies and procedures. You will see outpatients, and significantly connected others.In addition to an individual caseload, you will have an opportunity to contribute to the delivery and evaluation of a psychological skills training programme to oncology staff across Guys and St Thomas hospitals. You will also work closely with a senior practitioner on development of our patient involvement pathway; which will proactively seek meaningful involvement of the people and communities that we serve, value peoples' lived experience, and promote equality and diversity in access to our services.Our clinical services draw upon multiple therapeutic approaches including a number of psychotherapy models, CBT, systemic, and third wave approaches. You will provide supervision to our AHP and medical colleagues. Forming creative, compassionate and collaborative relationships within POST, Dimbleby and our wider cancer service colleagues is key.About usDimbleby Cancer CareDimbleby Cancer Care has been providing a service to people with cancer, and their friends and families for 20 years at Guy's and St Thomas's including at Queen Mary Hospital cancer Centre at Sidcup. The service includes, Information team, Welfare Benefits advice, Complementary Therapy and Psychological therapy, support and education. Support is provided for both outpatients and inpatients, and to those bereaved, and who have received support from our palliative care teams at Guy's and St Thomas.' As well as direct clinical work we also provide staff training, supervision and support.Psychology Department informationGSTT has a large group of applied psychologists working across many areas of specialisms within both paediatric and adult populations. The psychology department has, Clinical, Counselling, Health, Educational Psychologists and Neuropsychologists. There is well-organised professional support from other applied psychologists working for the Trust. The Psychology Department is within the Therapies directorate that includes Speech and Language Therapists; Occupational Therapists and Physiotherapists.DetailsDate posted11 August 2026Pay schemeAgenda for changeBandBand 7Salary 58,133 to 65,261 a year Per annum inc of H.C.A. (pro-rata of full time) ContractPermanentWorking pattern Part-time Reference number196-LIS10698DJob locationsGuys Cancer Centre, Dimbleby cancer careGreat Maze Pond RoadLondonSE1 9RTUnited KingdomJob descriptionJob responsibilitiesClinical:1. To provide specialist psychological/therapeutic assessment and therapeutic intervention with people with a cancer or palliative diagnosis, their family members and others involved in the clients care. To refer on where appropriate for an alternative therapy approach.2. To collaboratively use psychological/therapy resource and knowledge to inform a timely response to adjustment and distress within a cancer and palliative care context.3. To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological/therapeutic interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across teams.4. To evaluate and make decisions regarding options for a person/couple/family following a therapeutic assessment.5. To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, ongoing therapy and discharge of clients, liaising with other professionals when and if necessary.6. To provide specialist advice guidance and consultation to other professionals regarding psychological approaches to managing a persons care.7. To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings and agencies serving the client group.8. To employ knowledge of safeguarding, undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and families, and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management.9. To communicate in a respectful, considered and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients and to monitor progress within a multi-disciplinary context.Teaching, training, and supervision1. To receive regular clinical professional supervision in line with professional regulatory body.2. To gain any additional highly specialist experience and skills relevant to the post and/or the service (as agreed with the professional psychology manager).3. To develop skills in the area of professional post-graduate teaching, training and supervision and to provide supervision to placement trainees according to your level of post qualification.4. To provide professional and clinical supervision of junior colleagues where appropriate.5. To contribute to the various patient support programmes across the cancer directorate.6. To provide advice, consultation and training to staff working with the client group across a range of agencies and settings, where appropriate.Management and service development1. To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the teams operational policies and servicesGeneral1. To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the post holders professional and service managers.2. To contribute to the development and articulation of best practice in psychological practice across the service, by continuing to develop competencies, taking part in regular professional supervision and appraisal and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the post holders therapy field and related disciplines.3. To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry and recording, report writing and the responsible exercise of professional self governance in accordance with professional codes of practice.4. To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific client group and mental health Job description Job responsibilitiesClinical:1. To provide specialist psychological/therapeutic assessment and therapeutic intervention with people with a cancer or palliative diagnosis, their family members and others involved in the clients care. To refer on where appropriate for an alternative therapy approach.2. To collaboratively use psychological/therapy resource and knowledge to inform a timely response to adjustment and distress within a cancer and palliative care context.3. To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological/therapeutic interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across teams.4. To evaluate and make decisions regarding options for a person/couple/family following a therapeutic assessment.5. To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, ongoing therapy and discharge of clients, liaising with other professionals when and if necessary.6. To provide specialist advice guidance and consultation to other professionals regarding psychological approaches to managing a persons care.7. To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings and agencies serving the client group.8. To employ knowledge of safeguarding, undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and families, and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management.9. To communicate in a respectful, considered and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients and to monitor progress within a multi-disciplinary context.Teaching, training, and supervision1. To receive regular clinical professional supervision in line with professional regulatory body.2. To gain any additional highly specialist experience and skills relevant to the post and/or the service (as agreed with the professional psychology manager).3. To develop skills in the area of professional post-graduate teaching, training and supervision and to provide supervision to placement trainees according to your level of post qualification.4. To provide professional and clinical supervision of junior colleagues where appropriate.5. To contribute to the various patient support programmes across the cancer directorate.6. To provide advice, consultation and training to staff working with the client group across a range of agencies and settings, where appropriate.Management and service development1. To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the teams operational policies and servicesGeneral1. To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the post holders professional and service managers.2. To contribute to the development and articulation of best practice in psychological practice across the service, by continuing to develop competencies, taking part in regular professional supervision and appraisal and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the post holders therapy field and related disciplines.3. To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry and recording, report writing and the responsible exercise of professional self governance in accordance with professional codes of practice.4. To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific client group and mental healthPerson Specification Training and Qualifications EssentialDoctoral level training in clinical psychology (or its equivalent) OR Counselling PsychologistRegistered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist OR UKCP registered Psychotherapist or equivalentDesirableSpecialist training in cancer and/or palliative care e.g. specialist placement. Experience EssentialSubstantial experience of working at a highly specialist level with people showing a range of psychosocial needsExperience of highly specialist psychological assessment and therapy intervention across a range of care contexts, including outpatient, community, primary care and inpatient settings.Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and with concerns that reflect the full range of clinical severity.Experience of maintaining a high degree of professionalism and compassion when being with difficult emotion and associated behaviours which may appear unusual or threatening.Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for a client's psychological therapeutic care, working alongside and sharing your perspective with medical professionals when indicated and needed.Experience of managing a complex and busy caseload and being responsive to urgent requests for support/help from colleagues.Experience of representing psychological therapy within a multi-disciplinary team.Experience of and willingness to explore the personal professional intersect both in a one:one and group context, and to reflect on the impact of the self on work and work on the self.Experience of meaningfully engaging people who find it difficult to access psychology services.Experience of facilitating group based psychological therapy and/or educationExperience of patient engagement work and co-production of services.DesirableExperience of working in cancer and palliative care/or physical health care settingExperience of providing therapy via phone or videoExperience of working with people with appearance related concernsExperience of providing teaching, training, consultation and/or supervision to other professionals within a physical or mental health context. Knowledge and Skills EssentialSkills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment to inform therapeutic focus.Knowledge of how power and privilege may be exercised in discriminatory ways within healthcare and psychology, and to show skill in addressing acts of discrimination at the level of the individual and organisation.Ability to communicate complex and/or technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS in a non-jargonistic and accessible manner.Skill to be adaptive and flexible in your psychological approach.Willingness to talk about and be with death and dying using psychologically informed approaches both clinically, and in supervision/training of others, as well as your own supervision and training.DesirableKnowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in relation to those who show chronic and complex inter-personal ways of relating that may make it difficult for them to engage with medical teams/receive medical treatment/care.Interest in learning and developing specialist knowledge about the psychosocial, relational and economic issues associated with physical and mental health concerns.High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.Knowledge of policy and guidelines within cancer and palliative care which inform psychological ways of working with both individuals living with cancer/palliative condition and the wider system supporting them (professionals and significant others). Other EssentialAbility to teach and train others, using a variety of multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.You understand and can work within the framework of clinical governance for psychological therapies and the NHS.Willingness to work across to Guy's and St Thomas' hospital sites if needed.Hold and show respect for different psychological approaches, a desire to work collaboratively and to enhance team cohesion and support Person Specification Training and Qualifications EssentialDoctoral level training in clinical psychology (or its equivalent) OR Counselling PsychologistRegistered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Practitioner Psychologist OR UKCP registered Psychotherapist or equivalentDesirableSpecialist training in cancer and/or palliative care e.g. specialist placement. Experience EssentialSubstantial experience of working at a highly specialist level with people showing a range of psychosocial needsExperience of highly specialist psychological assessment and therapy intervention across a range of care contexts, including outpatient, community, primary care and inpatient settings.Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and with concerns that reflect the full range of clinical severity.Experience of maintaining a high degree of professionalism and compassion when being with difficult emotion and associated behaviours which may appear unusual or threatening.Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for a client's psychological therapeutic care, working alongside and sharing your perspective with medical professionals when indicated and needed.Experience of managing a complex and busy caseload and being responsive to urgent requests for support/help from colleagues.Experience of representing psychological therapy within a multi-disciplinary team.Experience of and willingness to explore the personal professional intersect both in a one:one and group context, and to reflect on the impact of the self on work and work on the self.Experience of meaningfully engaging people who find it difficult to access psychology services.Experience of facilitating group based psychological therapy and/or educationExperience of patient engagement work and co-production of services.DesirableExperience of working in cancer and palliative care/or physical health care settingExperience of providing therapy via phone or videoExperience of working with people with appearance related concernsExperience of providing teaching, training, consultation and/or supervision to other professionals within a physical or mental health context. Knowledge and Skills EssentialSkills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment to inform therapeutic focus.Knowledge of how power and privilege may be exercised in discriminatory ways within healthcare and psychology, and to show skill in addressing acts of discrimination at the level of the individual and organisation.Ability to communicate complex and/or technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS in a non-jargonistic and accessible manner.Skill to be adaptive and flexible in your psychological approach.Willingness to talk about and be with death and dying using psychologically informed approaches both clinically, and in supervision/training of others, as well as your own supervision and training.DesirableKnowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in relation to those who show chronic and complex inter-personal ways of relating that may make it difficult for them to engage with medical teams/receive medical treatment/care.Interest in learning and developing specialist knowledge about the psychosocial, relational and economic issues associated with physical and mental health concerns.High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.Knowledge of policy and guidelines within cancer and palliative care which inform psychological ways of working with both individuals living with cancer/palliative condition and the wider system supporting them (professionals and significant others). Other EssentialAbility to teach and train others, using a variety of multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.You understand and can work within the framework of clinical governance for psychological therapies and the NHS.Willingness to work across to Guy's and St Thomas' hospital sites if needed.Hold and show respect for different psychological approaches, a desire to work collaboratively and to enhance team cohesion and supportDisclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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.Certificate of SponsorshipApplications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window). Additional information Disclosure and Barring Service CheckThis 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.Certificate of SponsorshipApplications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).UK Registration Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).Employer detailsEmployer nameGuy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation TrustAddressGuys Cancer Centre, Dimbleby cancer careGreat Maze Pond RoadLondonSE1 9RTUnited KingdomEmployer's websiteEmployer detailsEmployer nameGuy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation TrustAddressGuys Cancer Centre, Dimbleby cancer careGreat Maze Pond RoadLondonSE1 9RTUnited KingdomEmployer's website
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