MANCHESTER MENTAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE TRUST and

DIVISION OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY

UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER

Doctorate of Clinical Psychology

Post of Trainee Clinical Psychologist

JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title : Trainee Clinical Psychologist

Accountable to : Programme Director & Head of Clinical Psychology Division

Doctorate in Clinical Psychology Programme
The University of Manchester

Managed by : Head of Clinical Psychology

Grade : Trainee Clinical Psychologist, Agenda for Change

Terms and Conditions. Band 6

Leave : 27 days per year, plus (normally) 8 days Statutory Holidays.

Leave taken by arrangement with the Clinical Directors
and Placement Supervisor.

Locality : Variable, dependent on current placement.

Termination : Normally after three years. Registration for the Doctorate in

Clinical Psychology is a condition for continued employment.

Base : Zochonis Building, University of Manchester

Last updated : August 2010

Job Purpose

1. To undertake a structured programme of learning including personal study, academic

work, research, placement learning and assessment leading to the award of Doctor of
Clinical Psychology.
2. To undertake specialised psychological assessments, treatments and other types of
clinical intervention with individual clients, carers, families, groups of clients, etc.;
staff training; research and development activity.
3. To work independently on a day to day basis. This work will be supervised and
reviewed at regular intervals, in accordance with the Health Professions Council
(HPC) and British Psychological Society (BPS) guidelines; supervision will usually
be offered by a qualified clinical psychologist (although other qualified healthcare
professionals may also contribute).

Key Relationships
Reports to various members of the University programme staff team. Managed by assigned
Personal Tutors and ultimately accountable to the Programme Director and the Head of the
Division of Clinical Psychology, who acts as Line Manager. Whilst on placement, trainees
report to the placement supervisor and ultimately to the Trust’s Head of Psychological
Services.

Dimensions
1. Work as part of a multi-disciplinary community team or in specialised clinical settings
involving largely uni-professional practice; experience of a broad range of clinical
and organisational settings is expected.
2. Carries out complex psychological assessments sensitively and independently with a
broad range of client groups including individual psychometric testing sessions.
3. Formulates the nature, causes and maintaining factors of highly distressing
psychological difficulties and presentations informed by a broad range of potentially
conflicting clinical, theoretical and conceptual models, the empirical, experimental
and clinical literature base and the results of assessment. Communicates such
formulations professionally, sensitively and diplomatically frequently in an emotive
atmosphere to clients, relatives, carers and other healthcare professionals relevant to
the case.
4. Plans and implements bespoke, formulation-driven psychological interventions, or
programmes empathically, sensitively and independently with a broad range of client
groups, carers (including relatives), families, groups of clients, etc. and evaluates the
impact of such intervention.
5. Plans and delivers group sessions for clients or their carers.
6. Provides advice and support for carers and other professionals.
7. Networks and consults with relevant external agencies such as social services,
independent and voluntary sector, to facilitate and enable intervention at multiple
levels.
8. Plans and provides formal and informal training to other psychologists, other
professionals, and carers, including the presentation of complex and sometimes
contentious psychological and research material.
9. Formal and informal research and development activities designed to inform service
development are a major feature of the work, culminating in the award of Doctorate
of Clinical Psychology. Disseminates research findings from own Doctorate,
including journal publication and conference presentation.
10. Special emphasis is placed on personal and professional development activity such as
weekly clinical supervision, shadowing, joint working, personal study and reflection.
Work is managed and goals agreed and reviewed at intervals; works independently
on a day to day basis.
11. Attends formal teaching and training sessions provided by the university and
completes assessment and evaluation procedures as required by the university
programme.
12. Brings to bear a greater level of knowledge, training and experience on clinical
activity than the assistant psychologist.
13. Is required to travel to placements across a large geographical area and visits a range
of settings on placement, including home visits – ability to drive is desirable.
14. Most face to face clinical work is sedentary.

Key Result Area 1

Clinical:

1. To undertake structured interviews, psychological assessments (including complex

psychometric tests) and observations of individuals and groups.
2. To assist in the development of psychological formulations of clinical problems and
the development and delivery of care plans, which include psychological treatment
and/or management of clients’ problems.
3., To determine appropriate psychological intervention, taking into account a range of
potentially conflicting clinical information and dynamics.
4. To carry out psychological and psychometric tests, to develop interview and
observation skills and to assess needs and eligibility for services.
5. To design, implement and modify as appropriate, bespoke psychological interventions
with clients, carers, families, groups, etc.
6. To communicate confidential and personal information concerning ability level and
psychological needs, obtained through assessments and interventions, to referring
agents and to the client themselves, who may have limited understanding and
difficulties with acceptance, and where appropriate to relatives and carers.
7. To provide advice and clinically based supervision to carers about care and
management of clients’ problems.
8. To assist in the coordination and running of therapeutic groups.
9. To provide emotional support for clients, their carers and families.
10. To keep appropriate records of work and inform referrers and relevant others through
letters or reports.
11. To work as a member of a multidisciplinary team.
12. To follow a person-focused and evidence based approach.
13. To work in partnership with service users.
14. To work in accordance with National NHS and placement providers’ policies and
regulations, as well as those of relevant professional bodies.
15. To work in a variety of settings including the client’s own home, out-patient, in-
patient, residential and day centre facilities.
16. The post holder will be required to work in a highly emotive atmosphere, frequently
encountering highly distressing problems and circumstances and must maintain a high
degree of professionalism at all times.
17. The post holder will be required to work in situations where there are barriers to
acceptance and possible exposure to aggression.
18. Receives regular clinical supervision in accordance with HPC and BPS guidelines and
criteria and university procedures.
Key Result Area 2
Human Resources: Professional

1. To follow the advice and policies of the placement provider, including knowledge,
awareness of and compliance with the legal framework relevant to the placement and
client group.
2. To be familiar with and abide by confidentiality and information handling and storage
guidelines of the placement provider and university.
3. To participate in regular developmental reviews with their Personal Tutor, identifying
CPD needs, agreeing objectives, identifying training needs and formulating a personal
plan.
4. To cooperate in the use of rooms, books, tests and other equipment needed to carry
out duties.
5. To attend and participate in administrative and service planning meetings, as
determined by the clinical supervisor(s).
6. To undertake any other duties as requested by the Programme Director, such as
participation in trainee and staff selection procedures, or service on programme and
national committees.
7. To participate in evaluation and monitoring of the university programme and
associated placements as required by the health service commissioners, the university,
the QAA, the HPC and the BPS.
8. To practise and conduct themselves in accordance with the HPC, BPS and university
codes of conduct.

Human Resources: Clinical Supervision, Teaching and Training

1. In conjunction with placement supervisor and university programme staff, to plan and
prioritise own workload, research, and individual and group sessions.
2. May plan and deliver formal training sessions on psychological aspects of health care
to mixed groups of relatives, care staff and other professional staff.
3. May provide practical training and supervision to care staff with respect to planned
interventions.
4. May assist with providing specialist training to other psychologists, trainees and
assistants as appropriate.
5. May be required to demonstrate own duties to other graduate psychologists.
Key Result Area 3
Research and Development Activity

1. To plan, monitor and evaluate own work, using clinical outcomes assessments, small-
scale research methodology and statistical procedures.
2. To plan and undertake formal Doctoral research, as agreed with the university
programme staff.
3. To manage expenditure from a small research budget.
4. To develop an advanced knowledge base and practical skill in the design,
implementation and statistical analysis of a wide variety of types of research, which
could include quantitative and qualitative, single case, small N and group comparison
studies.
5. To plan and undertake clinical audits or service evaluations, using appropriate
methodology and analytical procedures as appropriate, as agreed with the placement
supervisor(s).
6. May plan and undertake practice-based research using or developing validated
questionnaire.
7. To enhance own knowledge of clinical psychology, specific client groups and types of
psychological difficulty through reading, literature searches and personal study.
8. To comply with the requirements of research governance and evidence-based
practice.

Key Result Area 4

Information Technology

1. To maintain appropriate records of own work, in electronic and hard copy in line with
NHS and Social Care policies and professional guidelines.
2. To maintain relevant administrative systems of own work, electronic and hard copy,
in line with relevant guidelines.
3. To submit statistical information, activity and quality data of own work as required by
the university programme, regional, national bodies or NHS.
4. To word process material relevant to the Doctoral programme (such as essays, case
studies, service-oriented research projects, clinical audits and the doctoral thesis),
using suitable word processing and spreadsheet software.
5. To use information technology as appropriate, within direct clinical work, research
and treatment interventions.
6. To undertake clerical functions requiring some familiarity with applied psychology,
including literature searches, developing and maintaining training packs, information
leaflets, inputting data and other tasks necessary for the efficient running of the
service and/or training needs.
7. To undertake computerised literature searches using major clinical databases such as
PsychInfo, Medline and Cochrane, to inform routine clinical work as preparation for
the design of major doctoral research and smaller scale placement-based projects.
8. To develop competence in advanced statistical software (such as (SPSS) for the
analysis of clinical research and research data.
Communication and Working Relationships

See ‘Key Relationships’. Trainees will develop working relationships with the University
Programme staff who generally remain constant throughout their training. These
relationships encompass all facets of their training. In addition trainees will develop
circumscribed supervisory relationships with a number of service-based clinical and research
supervisors with responsibility for supervision of specific aspects of their clinical and/or
research work.

Most Challenging Part of the Job

Throughout their clinical psychology training trainees will need to develop a capacity for
accurate self-awareness about their current knowledge and skills and use this to determine
their own learning needs. The generic nature of training is such that trainees will need to do
this in multiple organisational and professional contexts and in respect of several client
groups.

The post holder will be required to comply with regulations relating to the Health &
Safety at Work, AIDS/Hepatitis B procedures and Data Protection Act.

The post holder will be required to comply with policies and procedures issued by and
on behalf of the Trust and the regulations and requirements of the University.

The Trust has a No Smoking Policy in all buildings and work areas, including vehicles,
which must be adhered to at all times.

This Job Description may be subject to review and change by agreement with the post
holder according to training needs and requirements of the University programme and
local services.

Since this post will involve working with and caring for vulnerable adults you will be required to
consent to an enhanced disclosure (under the provisions of the Police Act 1997). The Trust will
require you to give permission to carry out a disclosure.