WALK is expanding its Psychological supports, and this is a new opportunity for a Senior Psychologist with expertise in autism, low arousal, and trauma-informed care to join our Clinical team and be part of a social care-led service.
The successful candidate will join a progressive, growing multi-disciplinary team who support and empower people with disabilities to live meaningful lives through a shared values approach.
A detailed role description is attached. If you believe you have the necessary enthusiasm, competencies, and experience to bring to this role we would like to hear from you.
Role Details
Job Title: Senior Psychologist
Reports to: Director of Clinical Services.
Roles reporting: Assistant Psychologists
Location: The location of the work may vary within Dublin.
Working Hours: 39hrs per week, 5 days working week for full time.
Salary: In-line with current HSE pay scales, starting from €100,483(depending on Experience)
Contract Type: Applicants interested in full-time and part-time work will be considered.
Probation period: Minimum 6 months
A panel may be created from which vacancies of full or part time duration will be filled.
Job Purpose
WALK is a Section 39 organisation, supporting individuals and their families, living with intellectual disability, autism and other respective needs. WALK’s services encompass Day Support (inclusive of Careers and Employment Support) and Supported Living.
The successful candidate will work closely with the lead Consulting Psychologists at Studio 3, with the low-arousal philosophy at the heart of the support model.
The successful candidate will work in a Person Centred and Inclusive manner, supporting individuals to live self-determined, dignified, and meaningful lives in their community. Via a human rights-based, low-arousal approach/practices, ensure all individuals inherent value, worth, ability and needs are recognised, respected and optimised, and collaborate closely with the clinical team, families, staff-team leaders; and external agencies (statutory and non-statutory), to ensure safe, responsive, and high-quality care across the lifespan.
Key Responsibilities of the Job
Role-specific responsibilities:
Clinical / Professional
· Be responsible for the delivery of professional psychology services appropriate to the post in line with best practice
· Work within limits of professional competence in line with principles of best practice, professional conduct and clinical governance.
· Work in accordance with the principles of the Low Arousal Approach and with the values of WALK
· Carry a clinical caseload appropriate to the post.
· Provide Clinical support and Guidance in collaboration with the internal Clinical Director to the Assistant Psychologist Team.
· Lead multidisciplinary care teams, clinical audits, research initiatives, and the implementation of evidence-based care pathways.
· Act as a senior psychological voice within a multidisciplinary team (MDT), working alongside psychiatrists, occupational therapists, and social workers.
· Provide psychological assessments of the client group based upon the appropriate use, interpretation, and integration of data from a variety of sources, including psychological tests, self-report measures, direct and indirect observation, and interviews with clients, family members, and / or carers.
· Perform complex diagnostic assessments, formulate care plans, and deliver targeted therapies.
· Formulate and implement plans for psychological therapeutic intervention or management based on an appropriate conceptual framework, working in home, community and clinical settings as appropriate.
· Exercise professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed using psychologically based care and support plans.
· Communicate effectively and work in co-operation with other team members and others to ensure integrated service provision.
· Be aware of and refer the service user to other services as necessary.
· Contribute to and participate in inter-agency work practice and service delivery as required.
· Initiate and participate in needs assessment and health promotion as appropriate.
· Provide professional reports as required in accordance with professional standards.
· Foster an understanding of the role and contribution of psychology by providing professional consultation, education, guidance and support to others as appropriate.
· Attend meetings, committees and/or conferences as required.
· Work in an ethical and professional manner always.
· Promote a culture that values equality, diversity and respect in the workplace
· Input into and inform Risk Assessments and plans.
· Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) - Design and implement behaviour support plans for individuals presenting with complex needs and behaviours of concern.
Research & Evaluation
· Utilise evidence-base literature and research to support effective practice.
· Undertake appropriate research and provide research advice as appropriate.
· Publish research outcomes in professionally recognised journals and share information on outcomes at professional conferences where appropriate.
· Undertake project management including audit and service evaluation with colleagues within the service to help develop service provision.
· Participate in evaluation of all clinical / professional activity within the post and provide such information as required by the Clinical Director for the purpose of service monitoring and evaluation.
· Represent a professional viewpoint in relation to nationally accepted good practice, promoting high levels of ethical standards and professional conduct.
Education & Training
· Participate in continuous professional development initiatives and ensure compliance with statutory registration requirements.
· Contribute to developments and innovative practice in relation to training and support of frontline staff
· Be informed of advances in professional knowledge and practice.
· Attend mandatory training programmes.
· Engage in and utilise clinical supervision effectively.
· Support the education of those in postgraduate professional psychology training.
· Lead out on and support Psychology based staff training initiatives across the service
Quality and Risk, Health and Safety Management
· Adequately identify, assess, manage and monitor risks within their area of responsibility.
· Comply with and contribute to the development of policies, procedures and safe professional practice and adhere to relevant legislation, regulations and standards.
· Have a working knowledge of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) Standards as they apply to the role for example, Standards for Healthcare, National Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections, Hygiene Standards etc. and comply with associated HSE protocols for implementing and maintaining these standards as appropriate to the role.
Administrative
· Maintain appropriate service user records, databases and statistics in accordance with Freedom of Information Act, Data Protection Acts and other relevant legislation.
· Maintain professional standards about service user and data confidentiality.
· Actively participate in development and continuing improvement initiatives of psychological services in liaison with the Clinical Director.
· Contribute to policy development, performance monitoring, business proposals, service planning and budgetary control in conjunction with the Clinical Director and Senior Management Team.
· Contribute to the development and implementation of information sharing protocols, audit systems, referral pathways and integrated care arrangements.
· Assist in ensuring that the psychology service makes the most efficient and effective use of developments in Information and Communications Technology.
· Keep up to date with organisational developments within the Irish Health Service.
Other Specifications:
· Be responsible for the delivery of Professional Psychology Services post in line with best practice.
· Carry a clinical caseload appropriate to the post.
· Champion Low Arousal and Autism Informed Supports
· Provide psychological services including psychological assessment, formulation, intervention and management in home, community and clinic settings
· Contribute a psychological perspective to case planning and multi-agency case working and review and call multi-professional meetings when appropriate.
· Consult in family meetings and case reviews.
· Represent and advocate for the psychological needs of service users.
· Work within limits of professional competence in line with principles of best practice, professional conduct and clinical governance.
· Develop and collate professional reports as required in accordance with high professional standards.
· Work effectively within an interdisciplinary team structure.
· Ensure co-ordinated interdisciplinary and inter-agency service delivery.
· Provide advice and consultation to staff working with the client group across a range of supports
· Develop and deliver training for frontline staff as part of our model of service delivery.
· Develop standing operating procedures and clinical pathways.
· To ensure effective maintenance of client records in line with legislation and policy guidelines.
· Leadership & Supervision: Provide clinical supervision and guidance to staff grade psychologists and trainees.
Personal and Professional Development:
· Supervision and ongoing completion of CPD
Key Outcomes:
· A fully operational Psychology department development plan is established with clearly defined structures, including implemented Assistant Psychologist (AP) and Psychology Project Worker (PPW) roles, with documented functions and responsibilities.
· Staff teams have a strong understanding of our support planning model and consistently apply low-arousal, trauma-informed, and autism-informed approaches in daily practice in alignment with WALK values.
· Individuals across our Supported Living Services have personalized clinical formulations and interventions in place, resulting in measurable reductions in stress indicators and increased participation in community-based activities of their choice.
· A strengthened multidisciplinary approach to casework with appropriate onward referral pathways identified and in place.
The above Job Specification is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to them from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.
Person Specification
Specific Requirement for Qualifications and Experience
- Have a university degree of diploma (QQ1 level 8 equivalent) obtained with 1st or 2nd class honours in which Psychology was taken as a major subject and honour obtained in that subject And Have an Irish Postgraduate Professional Psychology Qualification accredited by the Psychological Society of Ireland in Clinical, Counselling, or Educational Psychology
- Or An equivalent management qualification from another jurisdiction validated by the Department of Health.
- Applicants must have at least five years satisfactory post-graduate experience in professional psychology, no more than three years of which was spent in gaining the postgraduate professional qualification and no less than two years full-time spent in post qualification experience as a professional psychologist. Years in excess of the permitted three years for completion of the post-graduate training or time not worked will not be taken into consideration when assessing the five years’ experience requirement.
- Experience supporting adults with complex needs (e.g. intellectual disability, mental health, autism, dementia care)
- Demonstrate competence in working with adults with intellectual disabilities - either as part of a professional qualification or as supervised practice as a basic grade psychologist.
- Full, clean driving license and access to own vehicle
- Knowledge of pertinent legislation, national policies and HIQA regulations and standards regarding disability and older person service-provision.
- Proven leadership and service development experience supporting adults with intellectual disabilities
- Ability to work independently
- Good understanding and base of knowledge about Intellectual Disability and Autism and ability to navigate interagency frameworks (e.g., HSE, CAMHS)
- Strong working knowledge of Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults policies and procedures
Specific Requirement for Skills
Networking and leadership Skills
- Strong ability to cultivate interpersonal relationships with colleagues’/families/ external stakeholders and work effectively in teams
- Possess and demonstrate qualities, including Empathy, tact, and diplomacy
- Maintain a positive attitude, outlook, and mindset when interacting with others, and remain solution-focused
- Ability to create a welcoming, comfortable environment that encourages others to engage with you
- Strong skills in staff management, decision-making, and technical expertise regarding complex needs, Autism, and mental health.
Communication and Interpersonal Skills
- The ability to convey complex ideas into understandable information for people we support and staff, in accordance with needs and/preference
- Demonstrate and cultivate Resilience, Openness to Change & Effective Teamwork
- To be able to communicate clearly and effectively with people we support, families, staff and professionals
- Maintain professional documentation and communication using Microsoft Office, email, and SharePoint, and internal record-keeping, as specified.
Problem-solving Skills
- The capacity to identify and cultivate strengths and solutions in a creative manner
- Utilising people’s skills and strengths to create opportunities for them to solve their own problems and grow.
- Possessing a solid understanding of health and social-care systems
- Strong IT skills
Values-based Specification
Human Rights Based Approach
- Adhering to non-discriminatory/anti-oppressive practice principles
- Actively challenging exclusion/promoting inclusion
- Understanding human rights and incorporating them in supports and practice
Socially Inclusive
- Maximise the participation of the people we work with in the ordinary life of the community
- Support active citizenship and the development of socially valued roles
Respectful of the Right to Self-Determination
- Understand person-centred care and can demonstrate treating people as individuals and respecting choices
- Promote independence and encouraging appropriate risk taking
- Facilitate capacity-building of supported individuals
Person Centred
- Understanding the value of others as leaders in their own lives
- Provide supports that are effective in meeting the needs, wishes and choices of the people we work with
- Understanding the importance of empathy in all areas of support.
Oriented Towards Learning and Continuous Improvement
- Striving for quality in everything we do, recognising and understanding what quality in care means for people we support.
- Valuing and implementing reflective practice.
- Being open to new opportunities for learning and identifying the limits of skills and knowledge
Flexibility, Resourcefulness and Creativity
- Contribute to ongoing service-development and sharing ideas
- Improving outcomes for people
NOTE: The extent and speed of change in service provision is such that adaptability is essential. The post holder will be required to maintain, enhance and develop their professional knowledge, skills and aptitudes necessary to respond to individual’s and organisational changing needs. This job description indicates the main functions and responsibilities of the post and is subject to review and amendment on an ongoing basis in the light of changing circumstances and may include other duties and responsibilities, as may be determined from time to time.
