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Featured job: Head of Psychological Services, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

13 June 2017

Jane Duff and Nigel King (see the advert for their job roles) offer many reasons to apply for this job. ‘Working with people who have physical health problems encourages genuinely multidisciplinary teamwork and it’s an exciting area. We’re committed to research – the clinical psychologists in the services have published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles – and the staff group are very positive, forward-looking and supportive. We have a long-established, respected and experienced team across the service. This is certainly an enjoyable place to work and enables staff to be the wide ranging and innovative clinical psychologists we were trained to be – for instance, the two of us have worked here for 20 years.’

The role has responsibility for services in the community and High Wycombe, Amersham and Stoke Mandeville hospitals – the latter being home of the National Spinal Injuries Centre. ‘A number of the Trust’s psychology services have national and international recognition, and one of this role’s key tasks will be to develop other areas. We’ve already identified several areas – paediatrics, cystic fibrosis, transition services, diabetes, rheumatology, pain and fatigue in young people, head/neck cancer services and integrated IAPT services. A good candidate will have significant service development experience as well as specific strengths that will translate well to this job. As we’ve said, this role encompasses service development, but also education and training, revenue generation, leadership and research, covering both acute and community services. We’re not necessarily looking for someone with huge experience in every aspect of the job, but someone who will enhance the current services strengths we have as well as supporting development.’

‘The Trust is dynamic and on a very positive trajectory. With the Buckinghamshire Health Trust way and our CARE values underpinning service improvement, we’re currently in segment two of the NHS improvement oversight framework and are aiming for segment one. We are also two years into an exciting leadership training programme. This trust is a unique provider of integrated acute and community services; it provides a great opportunity for the new postholder to be part of our transformation. The clinical psychology service and other Trust staff have won a number of awards.’

This exciting working culture is coupled with the attractive natural environment noted in the advert, as well as the fact that Buckinghamshire reportedly has the highest quality of life, the highest life expectancy and the best education results in the country.

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