Counselling/Clinical Psychologist

We are looking for a hard-working and dedicated candidate to join our outstanding school as a Counselling/Clinical Psychologist.

About Kensington Aldridge Academy

KAA is an 11 – 18 academy situated in the heart of Notting Hill.  We opened in brand new buildings in 2014 with just Year 7 and have grown year by year and are now a full school with 1,250 students in Years 7 to 13. 

KAA has grown to become one of the top academies in the UK. DfE performance tables show we are in the top 5% of schools nationally in terms of KS5 Progress. Our Ofsted report grades us outstanding in all categories and describes standards as “exceptional”. In 2018 we were awarded TES Secondary School of the Year.  

Background

The Kensington Aldridge Academy school community was seriously impacted by the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower on June 14 2017. The academy was displaced in temporary buildings immediately following the fire and returned to its original home in September 2018. The academy has played a pivotal role in supporting young people and their families and have put in place enhanced trauma and mental health support, in partnership with local agencies such as the Grenfell CAHMS team.

The Role

Doctorate in clinical or counselling psychology plus additional training in evidence based therapies for PTSD.

We are looking to recruit an experienced clinical or counselling psychologist to lead and manage the psychological therapies service within KAA

To oversee clinical decisions about accepting referrals, decisions about the appropriate therapeutic treatment for the students, decisions about further treatments and services to offer. To line-manage the current mental health external service provision

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• To undertake risk assessment and risk management for relevant individual students and to provide both general and specialist consultation and advice for other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and management.

• To provide expertise and specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to school staff and other professionals contributing directly to the analysis of clients’ problems to ensure accurate formulations, reflecting an in-depth understanding, diagnosis and treatment plan.

• Supporting the academy leadership to make evidence-based decisions about the best models and provisions for affected students

• Working strategically and systemically with the school to design and implement systems and processes to manage the increased and complex profile of need

• Management responsibility for external mental health service provision.

• Opportunity for multi-agency working and liaison with specialist therapeutic support services (CAMHS, Place2be, Educational Psychology, MIND etc.)

• Support the school to think creatively about ways to build resilience and support wellbeing for staff, students and families

• Carry out clinical assessments of young peoples’ needs, and support the school and local agencies to allocate the right level of support

• To work as an autonomous professional within BPS and HCPC guidelines and codes of conduct, and guided by principles and policies or procedures of the service, taking responsibility for interpreting policies within defined parameters.

• To agree outcomes/results with your line managers and to decide how they are best achieved

• To monitor and evaluate the psychology service provision with the service/clinical team to ensure that it meets required service and practice standards.

• To identify gaps or resource issues in the service and to initiate and implement developments.

• Use I.T. systems to maintain up to date records of; clinical activity, caseload, waiting list etc and to report on the performance of psychologists within the service/team.

Staff benefits

• 180 school days, 10 training days (not 5 as you find in most schools) & 5 planning days per year, which include the opportunity for teachers to work from home.

• Two week half term in October. 

• Professional development that is of a national standard. In Ofsted’s words: “Staff morale is exceptionally high. Staff enjoy working at the school and benefit from high-quality training. Teachers new to the profession feel very well supported in settling into the school quickly and developing their practice.”

• Free weekly staff wellbeing activities; yoga, circuits, staff choir and art classes etc.

• Discounted membership of the brand new Kensington Leisure Centre. 

Download the full candidate pack for more information about this position and the academy.

Please send completed applications to Alice Olive at recruitment@kaa.org.uk by 9am on Monday 2nd September 2019.

Early applications are encouraged and in the event that the academy is able to fill the vacancy before the deadline, it reserves the right to close the vacancy and won’t review further applications.