Care Cluster 3 to 8

Communication, Relationships and Inter-Personal Skills

    These skills reflect being able to communicate effectively with a range of people on a range of different matters, in whatever form that communication takes (verbal, non-verbal, spoken, written). This includes skills in understanding what others are communicating, skills in expressing oneself, and skills in establishing effective relationships.

    Progression of this skill is characterised by developments in the complexity of the subject matter, situation/context, purpose, number of people being communicated with, diversity/difference, and potential impact.

All Client-Facing, Clinical Staff


Psychological Awareness
Broad Definition of Skills

Building and maintaining positive working relationships with people. Being able to understand what is being communicated, both verbally and non-verbally, and being able to express oneself appropriately (including in writing).

    Building Trust and Respect

  • The ability to build and maintain trusting relationships with other people; this requires:

    • The ability to communicate a warm, courteous, respectful and non-judgemental approach when communicating with others
    • The ability to communicate acceptance and valuing of other people, irrespective of their behaviour, attitudes, beliefs, status or background
    • The ability to communicate an understanding that people are more than their problems or diagnoses
    Understanding verbal and non-verbal communication

  • A basic understanding of body language and nonverbal communication
  • The ability to identify different communication needs (e.g. those who are hearing or sight impaired; those whose first language is not English; those for whom there are differences in level of understanding) and seek help in overcoming related barriers
  • Understanding that verbal and non-verbal communication can be affected by factors such as age, capacity, cognitive ability, culture, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status and spiritual or religious beliefs
    Communicating Empathy

  • The ability to communicate empathy, which depends on the ability to experience empathy, defined as follows:

    • The ability to see things from, and be absorbed in, other people’s perspectives
    • The ability to understand other people’s thoughts, feelings and views of the world
    Engaging and networking with others

  • The ability to engage and maintain contact with a number of different parties (e.g. the person you are working with; families and carers; external agencies)
  • The ability to contribute to discussions in various settings such as multidisciplinary team meetings; multi-agency meetings; skills groups

    Maintaining therapeutic boundaries

  • Remain boundaried (e.g. resist following natural instincts to physically comfort, or to give advice, when this may not be in the person’s best long term interests)

    Basic Listening skills

  • The ability to apply basic listening skills (e.g. verbal and non-verbal attending behaviours; verbal and non-verbal encouragement)

    Accurate, confidential communication of basic information

  • The ability to communicate basic, accurate information (e.g. about services) to people/families/team members/other agencies, in verbal and written form
  • The ability to be clear and concise when writing notes/basic letters

    Responding to crises/Challenging situations

  • When receiving highly sensitive or contentious information, or in situations where there is high expressed emotion (e.g. if a person is suicidal/in crisis/discloses trauma/is in an active psychotic/delusional state) – the ability to:
    • Respond calmly and sensitively
    • Apply basic de-escalation skills

    Knowing limits of expertise and seeking supervision/advice

  • Know when to refer on to/seek advice from a qualified member of staff

Qualified
Mental Health Professionals

(Any graduate-level healthcare professional) Without further accredited training in delivering psychological interventions

Psychologically-Informed Healthcare
Broad Definition of Skills

More advanced communication skills with individuals pertaining to maintaining positive working relationships. Being able to communicate in circumstances that present particular difficulties.

    Maintaining trust and respect in challenging situations

  • The ability to build and maintain trusting relationships in situations where there are significant challenges, for example:
    • Where there are on-going difficulties with trust
    • Where there are on-going issues of conflict, difference of opinion or avoidance

    Communicating collaboratively

  • Form a working alliance through communicating and behaving in such a way as to demonstrate that the relationship is collaborative and equal
  • The ability to communicate collaboratively with people and their carers when planning and evaluating assessments and interventions

    Enhanced Listening skills

  • Skill in the choice and use of closed and open questions
  • The ability to communicate accurate listening by, for example, the use of summaries/ paraphrasing/the reflecting of feelings
  • The ability to actively monitor the effectiveness of one’s own communication, for example, by using feedback/clarifying questions

    Appropriate Self-Disclosure

  • The ability to use self-disclosure in an appropriate manner (to aid intervention/moving the person on)

    Negotiation skills

  • The ability to negotiate
  • The ability to handle differences of opinion sensitively
    Leading effective discussions in teams and networks

  • The ability to lead effective discussions in various settings such as multidisciplinary team meetings; multi-agency meetings; skills groups

    Communicating one’s professional opinion

  • The ability to clearly communicate one’s own professional opinion or view to people/families/team members/other agencies, in verbal and written form

    Giving clear advice/Instruction

  • The ability to give clear advice/instruction

    Modifying communication to meet specific needs

  • The ability to modify communication accordingly when different communication needs have been identified (including psychological factors that might impact on communication such as trust); this could involve:
    • Modifying the environment or context in which communication is taking place
    • Modifying the content or structure of communication (e.g. simplifying the content; pacing)
    • Finding alternative ways to communicate (e.g. in writing, using diagrams/ questionnaires etc.)
    • Involving an interpreter
    • Deciding what information/advice to give/not give as the communication proceeds

    Maintaining and understanding communication in challenging situations

  • The ability to maintain communication when receiving highly sensitive or contentious information or in situations where there is high expressed emotion (e.g. by communicating with the person within their frame of reference; by responding to emotion rather than content)
  • An ability to understand that people’s emotional expressions (including aggressive behaviour) are a form of communication
  • The ability to communicate about sensitive subjects, such as sexual functioning or continence
  • The ability to help people find a language with which to articulate and discuss feelings

    Leading effective discussions in teams and networks

  • The ability to lead effective discussions in various settings such as multidisciplinary team meetings; multi-agency meetings; skills groups

    Giving and receiving supervision

  • The ability to give (and receive) balanced feedback to supervisees

    Communicating complex information

  • The ability to communicate complex information (e.g. about conditions and intervention options), to people/families/team members/other agencies in verbal and written form

  • The ability to explain complex issues (e.g. risk assessment, care plans) in formal situations (such as courts)

Qualified (Uni-Model) Psychological Therapists

(Any graduate-level healthcare professional with further post-graduate accredited training in a recognised psychological therapy)

Delivery of
Evidence-Based Skills
Broad Definition of Skills

Ability to communicate effectively within the context of a specific psychological intervention relationship. Advanced communication skills.

    Advanced listening skills

  • The ability to notice and respond to subtle behaviours in the moment (e.g. shifts in emotion, usually in the context of psychological interventions)
  • The ability to use advanced questioning styles that aid intervention/moving a person on (e.g. ‘Socratic’ questions, ‘circular’ questions, ‘solution-focused’ questions, usually in the context of psychological work)

    Providing advice, supervision and consultation

  • The ability to adapt one’s communication style to provide support/supervision/ consultation/advice to staff of varying experience/knowledge/skill working with one particular psychological model

    Communicating a uni-model perspective

  • The ability to effectively communicate psychological ideas from the perspective of one model (e.g. cognitive behavioural assessment/techniques)
    • in an appropriate and flexible form (e.g. verbal/written/diagrammatic)
    • in an appropriate style (collaboratively/didactically)
    • to people who are using services, as well as in professional settings in order to assist multi-professional communication and understanding
  • The ability to deliver formal presentations about a range of issues from the perspective of one psychological model, whilst using strategies to maximise learning (e.g. encouraging audience participation)

Highly Trained Psychological Workers

(Any graduate-level healthcare professional with further post-graduate accredited training in a recognised psychological therapy)

Delivery of
Specialist Skills
Broad Definition of Skills

Ability to communicate in complex and difficult situations where a great deal of sensitivity and a high level of understanding is required.

Specialist advanced communication skills.

    Integrative/Multi-Modal supervision, advice, consultation and leadership to network

  • The ability to adapt communication style to provide integrative/multi-modal psychological support/supervision/consultation/advice/leadership to staff of varying levels of experience/knowledge/skill
  • The ability to deliver presentations about a range of highly complex issues from an integrative/multi-modal psychological perspective, whilst using strategies to maximise the learning of others (e.g. encouraging audience participation)
  • The ability to encourage reflection on systemic issues/team dynamics

    Communicating about complex issues and significant challenges at:

    An Individual Level

  • The ability to maintain positive relationships whilst communicating about highly complex issues (that require a multi-modal/integrative psychological perspective) in the context of particularly significant challenges e.g. with those who:
    • are hostile or suspicious
    • do not agree that their problems have a psychological element
    • hold very fixed beliefs
    • where dissociation and other symptoms of complex trauma make communication difficult

    A Network Level

  • The ability to communicate effectively regarding highly complex issues (e.g. co-existing difficulties/resistant difficulties), both verbally and in writing, within formal and informal settings, from a multi-modal/integrative psychological perspective, to people using services as well as in professional settings in order to assist multi-professional communication and understanding

Principal Psychologists



Delivery of
Specialist and Complex Skills
Broad Definition of Skills

Ability to work with the most challenging of interpersonal situations and contexts with confidence

    Communicating in complex and profoundly challenging situations

  • Highly specialised skills in communicating with those who present profound challenges to engagement (e.g. with those persons or systems where previous communication attempts have broken down through lack of skill, knowledge or experience)

    Exercising leadership and negotiation in complex, challenging situations

  • The ability to communicate a professional opinion/view within a multi-modal psychological framework, and maintain it in challenging circumstances
  • The ability to respond to/manage communication difficulties caused by, for example, clashes in communication styles, in systemic contexts
  • The ability to lead, negotiate, and contribute to decision making according to a number of competing interests

    Communicating a uni-model perspective

  • The ability to encourage other professionals to reflect on practice

Lead/Head Psychologists



Delivery of Organisational-Level and Competency Initiatives, Service Development, and Clinical Governance
Broad Definition of Skills

Ability to take position of ultimate responsibility regarding communication about psychological strategy, decisions, and governance.

    Communicating and building influence at a senior organisational/network level

  • The ability to communicate with and develop strong working relationships with directors and commissioners
  • The ability to develop and implement policy (taking into account the needs of the organisation, high level professional guidance, and the overall research base)
  • The ability to communicate about strategic and organisational decisions

Assessment and Formulation

    Assessment is the process of gathering relevant information and data in order to help understand a problem. Formulation is the process of using this information to inform an intervention plan, whatever form that may take.

    Assessment and formulation are core aspects of psychological work, and are normally ongoing processes rather than one-off events. As such, there are different levels of skill appropriate to different purposes and contexts. Increasing skill in this domain reflects greater ability to be able to access and synthesise information from a range of sources.

All Clinical Staff Who Deal With People


Psychological Awareness
Broad Definition of Skills

To have a basic awareness of holistic assessment principles, including psychological issues, capacity, and risk.

To be aware of how assessment information informs a formulation, and an ability to contribute to this process.

    Understanding Capacity and Consent

  • An understanding of Capacity and Consent issues

    Recognition of limits and when to access advice, support and supervision

  • An ability to recognise when to make use of further advice, support, and supervision

    Understanding risk assessment

  • A good understanding of the importance of risk assessment
  • An ability to recognise areas of risk and contribute to wider assessment of risk where appropriate
    Basic understanding of assessment and formulation

  • An understanding of the importance of comprehensive assessment and formulation in planning interventions
  • An understanding of the common areas to consider when conducting a psychological assessment and formulation, including:
    • A comprehensive understanding of the person’s problem(s) that require intervention
    • A person’s developmental history (including the presence of sexual/physical/emotional abuse; neglect; grief/loss; physical health; issues etc.).
    • A person’s thinking and behavioural patterns
    • Triggers relevant to the problem(s)
    • Modifying factors (factors that influence the presence/severity of the problem)
    • Coping styles and resources

    Accurate recording and collection of basic information

  • An ability to accurately collect and record basic information regarding the above; this might involve:
    • Collecting current and historical data from people/carers/family members/relevant staff members via structured interview or questionnaire method (staff at this level would not be expected to conduct assessments without a structured format to follow)
    • Observing and recording behaviour

Qualified
Mental Health Professionals

(Any graduate-level healthcare professional) Without further accredited training in delivering psychological interventions

Psychologically-Informed Healthcare
Broad Definition of Skills

To be able to carry out a basic holistic assessment, incorporating psychological factors alongside biomedical and social factors.

An ability to use assessment information to inform the development of basic formulations that can guide interventions or enhance understanding of problems.

    Awareness of factors in mental health assessment

  • An awareness of the basic/general psychological factors to consider when conducting a good mental health assessment

    Assessing carer’s needs

  • An ability to engage with and assess the needs of carers as well as the person themselves

    Sensitive collection of information about general psychological issues

  • An ability to work in a way that acknowledges and values the personal, social, cultural and spiritual strengths and needs of each individual
  • An ability to sensitively collect information (via semi structured interview/observation/use of other sources/use of self-report questionnaires), about general psychological issues, including:
    • A developmental/relationship history
    • The problem(s) from the perspective of the person
    • A person’s thoughts, feeling, behaviours, and physiological symptoms
    • Relevant environmental/triggering/moderating factors (e.g. when does the problem occur/not occur; where; with whom)
    • A person’s strengths and resources
    • The impact of the problem(s) (e.g. within different systems)
    • Sensitive areas (e.g. abuse)

    Scoring Questionnaires/Measures

  • An ability to score self-report questionnaires and use the data as a source of information.
    Recognition of social, physical health and related issues

  • Ability to take account of social and physical issues, including health, disability, finances, housing, issues of difference and diversity, substance misuse, cognitive impairment etc.
    Knowing limits of expertise and when to see further advice/supervision

  • Ability to appropriately seek and utilise supervision, consultancy and advice in order to make sense of assessment information, including that pertaining to risk

    Developing basic psychological formulation

  • An ability to utilise psychological assessment information in order to develop a basic psychological formulation (with some assistance from higher-skilled professionals where appropriate)
    • e.g. a “5 P” formulation (clear description of the Problem; historical Predisposing factors; triggering Precipitating factors; Perpetuating or maintaining factors including avoidance; Protective factors/resources)

    Knowing limits of expertise and when to see further advice/supervision

  • Ability to appropriately seek and utilise supervision, consultancy and advice in order to make sense of assessment information, including that pertaining to risk

    Assessing motivation and suitability for psychological intervention

  • Awareness of motivation and suitability factors in relation to psychological work (ability to differentiate psychological distress/need and ability to utilise psychological interventions)

    Assessing and formulating risk

  • Greater skill in assessing and formulating risk, particularly in relation to psychological formulations of risk (e.g. regarding intended function, what response the behaviour gets etc.)

    Ability to feedback assessment and agree intervention

  • Ability to feedback the results of assessment and agree an intervention plan with all relevant parties

Qualified (Uni-Model) Psychological Therapists

(Any graduate-level healthcare professional with further post-graduate accredited training in a recognised psychological therapy)

Delivery of
Evidence-Based Skills
Broad Definition of Skills

To be able to carry out comprehensive assessments that inform a psychological intervention plan. To be able to use assessment information to formulate from a psychological perspective that integrates theory with practice.

    Assessing from a specific therapy/ model perspective

  • An ability to carry out a thorough assessment to inform intervention from a specific theoretical perspective

    Contributing to multidisciplinary formulation from specific model approach

  • An ability to contribute to the process of multidisciplinary formulation with particular contribution from a specific model

    Assessing and formulating risk from the specific model approach

  • An ability to assess and formulate risk issues from the perspective of the psychological model being used (which may involve consultation, supervision, or advice from a more skilled psychological practitioner who is able to draw on multiple models and theories)
  • Where waiting lists for specific psychological interventions are in operation, an ability to assess and manage risk appropriately as part of this

    Theory based formulation

  • An ability to integrate assessment information with theoretical knowledge to develop an individually tailored psychological formulation
  • The ability to deliver formal presentations about a range of issues from the perspective of one psychological model, whilst using strategies to maximise learning (e.g. encouraging audience participation)

    Selection and interpretation and communication of assessment and outcome measures

  • An ability to select, administer, and interpret relevant measures that contribute to the assessment and formulation, including the monitoring of outcomes
  • Competence in sharing the outcome of assessment with people and developing collaborative formulations would be a feature of most (but not all) psychological approaches

Highly Trained Psychological Workers

Who are able to draw on multiple models and theories (e.g. clinical or counselling psychologists).

Delivery of
Specialist Skills
Broad Definition of Skills

Ability to assess a person’s psychological needs and functioning in a comprehensive and high individualised way.

To be able to use this information to derive idiosyncratic formulations and decide which, if any, psychological approaches are most relevant

    Multi-model, integrative and individualised assessment

  • Ability to assess and reassess psychological functioning in a sophisticated, comprehensive, and individualised way, drawing on and integrating perspectives from more than one theoretical position

    Integrating multiple information sources and factors

  • Ability to utilise a wide range of sources of information and modify formulations in light of this information (e.g. knowledge of co-existing and related problems, developmental disorders, brain injury, systemic factors)

    Selection and interpretation of specialist psychological assessment and formulation measures

  • Ability to select, administer and interpret relevant measures that contribute to assessment and formulation, including those measures that require specific training or skills (e.g. specialist personality assessment; cognitive assessments; formal functional analysis)

    Assessing motivation and suitability for psychological work

  • Assessing motivation & suitability for psychological work (including timeliness, appropriateness and safety) from a multi-model perspective, including prioritising and determining who should deliver what and when and in what context

    Multi-Model approach to risk assessment and management

  • Ability to apply a multi-model psychological understanding to the area of risk assessment and management, including being able to guide the work of others and contributing to team-level risk management plans

    Contributing to multidisciplinary team formulation from multiple psychological models

  • Able to contribute from multiple psychological models to the process of MDT formulation
  • Skill in ensuring that psychological formulation work is appropriately shared, understood, and used within the MDT context

    Identify and address inequalities in access and use of services

  • An ability to identify inequalities in access to services and take steps to overcome these:
    • An ability to consider ways in which access to, and use of, services may need to be facilitated for individual people with whom the clinician is working (e.g. home visiting, flexible working, linking families with community resources)
    • Where it is within the remit/role of the clinician, an ability to identify groups of people whose needs are not being met by current service design/procedures, to identify potential reasons for this, and to identify and implement potential solutions

    Developing highly individualised, tailored formulations

  • Ability to develop and use multi-model, highly individualised and tailored formulations
  • To be able to work effectively whilst holding alternative/competing explanations in mind

Principal Psychologists



Delivery of
Specialist and Complex Skills
Broad Definition of Skills

Ability to assess and formulate in situations where there is considerable complexity or difficulty.

    Leadership on psychological formulation

  • Ability to lead on psychological formulation within the team; supporting colleagues at all levels to understand and embed formulation in their practice

    Assessment and formulation in complex/contentious situations

  • An ability to assess and formulate in complex situations that require analysis, interpretation, and expert judgment, and where there may be a range of opinions
  • Ability to assess and formulate difficulties that arise within the multi-disciplinary team or between agencies (e.g. where there are differences of opinion or conflicting accounts)
  • Takes a lead role in planning for complex situations where risk has been assessed as a significant issue and multi-disciplinary or multi-agency coordination is required.
  • Ability to offer second-opinion assessments or reassessments where difficulties have been encountered

    Synthesising information from many sources and developing formulations at individual and team/network level

  • Ability to synthesise information from a wide range of sources and contexts and use this information to develop flexible formulations for a variety of different functions and purposes (e.g. to guide people, to help the team respond consistently and appropriately, to help plan coordinated interventions etc.).

Lead/Head Psychologists



Delivery of Organisational-Level and Competency Initiatives, Service Development, and Clinical Governance
Broad Definition of Skills

Ability to take an organisational overview and systems-level approach to assessment and formulation, taking responsibility for designing and implementing effective assessment processes.

    Coordinated effective assessment of need

  • Ability to formulate a system/service/organisation, and/or understand the dynamics of whole services

    Knowledge and application of organisation/ Management theory

  • Able to draw on organisational and managerial theory in addition to psychological theory

    Providing specialist, individualised complex assessments

  • The ability to communicate with and develop strong working relationships with directors and commissioners
  • The ability to develop and implement policy (taking into account the needs of the organisation, high level professional guidance, and the overall research base)
  • The ability to communicate about strategic and organisational decisions

Intervention

    Intervention can take many forms, but should always be underpinned by a level of assessment and formulation. However, it is possible that the person who assessed and formulated may not be the person delivering the actual intervention, which allows for flexibility in skill mix within teams. Intervention is commonly with individuals, although may be in a couple or group context.

    Intervention may not always be in the context of a formal psychological relationship, but may take place in more informal or implicit ways, especially at lower levels.

    For each level except level 1, there is an implicit assumption that the professional will be expected and able to advise, guide, and supervise the work of those in lower levels

All Clinical Staff Who Deal With People


Psychological Awareness
Broad Definition of Skills

Delivering specific psychosocial interventions under instruction/guidance, or supporting people with self-help. Focus especially on social inclusion and recovery.

    Basic understanding of assessment and formulation

  • An understanding of the importance of comprehensive assessment and formulation in planning interventions

    Support and delivery psychological intervention under supervision

  • An ability to support and deliver psychological interventions that are delegated and specified by colleagues with higher levels of psychological knowledge, e.g.
    • Problem solving
    • Basic psychoeducation
    • Supporting people through the use of worksheets and guided self-help
  • Able to co-facilitate group psychoeducational or basic skills-based interventions in conjunction with a more skilled colleague

    Recognising need for support/Supervision

  • Recognising when planned work needs to be modified and seeking support and supervision (e.g. when response is not as expected, when there is a crisis etc.)

    Delivering practical and supportive interventions

  • Able to form and run non-psychological groups based on social inclusion and recovery (e.g. reading for wellbeing group; sports groups)
  • Deliver practical and supportive interventions based around social inclusion
    • helping people who are being supported to maintain positive relationships and family contact, peer support, active community involvement
    • enabling carer involvement
    • Promote creative, cultural and recreational activities that are meaningful to the individual to enable the best possible quality of life and fulfilment
    • tackling social isolation
    • enhancing social networks and sources of social support
    • Increasing physical activity

    Contributing to team intervention

  • Contributing to a team approach to delivering psychological interventions (e.g. being able to focus on one part of an intervention in the context of a bigger picture that might involve other approaches and people)
    Suicide intervention skills

  • Basic suicide intervention skills, including:
    • Ability to recognise the signs of distress, including suicidal thoughts and intentions
    • Ability to provide an appropriate response to support a person at risk of suicide to remain safe
    • Ability to recognise the need to seek further advice/support as required.

    Identify information relevant to crisis plan

  • Identify information relevant to contribute to a crisis plan

Qualified
Mental Health Professionals

(Any graduate-level healthcare professional) Without further accredited training in delivering psychological interventions

Psychologically-Informed Healthcare
Broad Definition of Skills

Delivering psychologically-informed interventions, protocol-based interventions, helping people with skills acquisition.

    Flexible management of co-Existing issues

  • Being flexible in the management of co-existing issues (e.g. depression, anxiety, substance misuse, trauma, eating disorders, learning disabilities, psychosis, “personality disorders” etc.)

    Coordinating casework

  • Ability to co-ordinate casework or intervention across different agencies and/or individuals
    Application of sound psychological principles in general interventions

  • Able to adhere to sound psychological principles even when not engaging people in formal psychological interventions
    • Agree goals - a person’s goals need to be of a kind that can be put into practice, adhering to SMART principles (Specific, Measurable, Agreed, Realistic, Timed)
    • Managing non-compliance or testing of boundaries
    • Managing between-session contacts
    • Understanding and managing ruptures (difficulties in the relationship with people that could lead to disengagement in the absence of improvement)
    • Managing endings
    • Achieve balance in helping maintain optimal level of contact with emotions – enough, but not overwhelming.=
    • Promote change through tasks between sessions where possible
    • Match the structure and pace of the work to the needs of the person
    • Session planning and management, working to timescales within and across appointments
    • Sensitively interrupting people and redirecting the conversation
    • Maintaining adherence to tasks without unnecessary switching when minor difficulties arise
    • Using appropriate measures to monitor change

    Working with risk

  • Working positively and in partnership with people who are at risk of, or do self-harm, using a problem solving approach and jointly agreed goals
    • Able to promote safety as well as positive risk taking.
    • Empowering the person to decide the level of risk they are prepared to take with their health and safety
    • Able to promote harm minimisation in the context of self-harm and substance misuse

    Delivery of specific standardised psychological interventions

  • Delivering specific interventions for specific problem areas – under guidance, or using standard formulations
  • Able to draw on and use brief or generic psychological intervention skills (e.g. motivational interviewing, brief solution focused approaches, basic CBT techniques, and psychosocial interventions such as coping strategy enhancement and relapse prevention)
  • Respectfully challenging beliefs, behaviours and practices within the logic of the cultural system
  • Using standard packages and written protocols for individuals or groups
    • Technical interventions rather than formal psychological interventions (as individual formulation is not required in order to deliver the intervention)
    • e.g. concordance training; anger management, anxiety management
  • Co-facilitate or lead on group psychoeducational or skills-based interventions that are within the clinician’s area of knowledge/specialism
  • Able to engage group members and contribute to managing group processes that arise

    Ability to provide and adapt information for intervention

  • Adapting approaches to work with people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds
  • Able to provide basic information in order to allow consideration of the range of different approaches that might be helpful (including those not able to be offered by the professional themselves)
  • More advanced psychoeducation and problem solving – demonstrating ability to adapt information and integrate information rather than simply presenting pre-written information
  • Although not expected to be able to do this autonomously, through the mechanism of effective clinical supervision with those at higher skill levels, professionals should be able to:
    • Select the most appropriate intervention
    • Reflect on and attend to interpersonal process issues
    • Adapt intervention methods to meet individual people’s needs
    • Identify and respond to obstacles

    Ability to understand and respond to emotional content and distress in sessions

  • Ability to understand and respond to emotional content of sessions – including management of strong emotions such as anger and related aggressive behaviour, and where there is avoidance of strong emotions.
  • Ability to work with high levels of distress – allowing appropriate venting of emotions, de-escalating emotional reactions, containing emotions, without unnecessary use of personal disclosure or unnecessary boundary violations.

    Responding to and managing crises

  • Ability to respond to and manage crises
    • work with people to develop a crisis plan, identifying recurrent patterns and strategies that can be implemented to help deal with any emerging crises.
    • specifies the role the person, family and friends and services will play in the plan
    • Reviewing these plans (and identifying any ways in which they need to be revised)

    Managing and reviewing endings and transitions

  • Ability to manage endings and service transitions positively - both planned endings and premature or unplanned endings where the person terminates contact with the service earlier than planned
    • Being outcome-focused, collaborative, reviewing and monitoring, seeking feedback
    • Link with communication dimension, especially written communication about care planning, reviews, ruptures, and endings

Qualified (Uni-Model) Psychological Therapists

(Any graduate-level healthcare professional with further post-graduate accredited training in a recognised psychological therapy)

Delivery of
Evidence-Based Skills
Broad Definition of Skills

Delivering evidence based or recommended psychological interventions in a more formalised or structured way.

    Delivering formal psychological interventions

  • Ability to deliver formalised psychological interventions in a structured way
    • Individualised formulation-driven psychological interventions, rather than relying on standard/generic formulation
    • Expert interventions from an appropriately trained and supervised psychological practitioner, who has demonstrated competence and skill through a formal accreditation process
    • Delivery of recommended model-specific interventions based on NICE guidelines and other professional guidelines (e.g. EMDR, CBT, DBT, CAT etc.)

    Lead on psychoeducational, skills and basic therapeutic groups

  • Lead on psychoeducational, skills-based, or basic therapeutic groups
    • Able to plan the group structure and content and recruit appropriate people
    • Knowledge of and ability to manage the group process, group dynamics

    Advanced psychological intervention skills

  • More advanced psychological intervention skills
    • Psychoeducation – drawing on specific theories and more advanced psychological knowledge
    • Support people through practice, role play, rehearsal
    • Able to engage people in a discussion about the range of different approaches that might be helpful (rather than simply presenting information)
    • Adjust the pace and direction of the work in response to feedback and observations
    • Engaging in empathic confrontation (challenging the person from a position of empathy and compassion)
    • Ability to understand and respond to emotional content of sessions - reflect on the meaning of the individual’s emotional expression/behaviour, and elicit emotions that facilitate change.
    • Ability to be responsive and flexible in what is happening in the moment (rather than only within supervision)
    • Ability to maintain adherence to a psychological intervention without inappropriate avoidance
    • Able to identify when resistance to the work is a manifestation of the person’s difficulties and when the person is responding to an accurate perception of differences of opinion between themselves and the psychological practitioner
    • Recognising when psychological work has reached the limits of its usefulness
    • Promote change between sessions by developing effective tasks in collaboration with the person, their current needs and level of understanding
    • Recognising and responding to subtle behaviours (including shifts in affect)

Highly Trained Psychological Workers

Who are able to draw on multiple models and theories (e.g. clinical or counselling psychologists).

Delivery of
Specialist Skills
Broad Definition of Skills

Delivering specialist or complex psychological interventions that draw on more than one psychological model, and is underpinned by a good understanding of theory and evidence.

    Selection of psychological intervention approach

  • Ability to assess and reassess psychological functioning in a sophisticated, comprehensive, and individualised way, drawing on and integrating perspectives from more than one theoretical position

    Provision of advice, consultation and supervision

  • Provide advice, consultation, and supervision in specialist area

    Integrative approach and specialist to intervention in complex cases

  • Skill in delivering formulation driven psychological work in complex cases
  • Expert interventions from an appropriately trained and supervised psychological worker, who is able to draw upon multiple theoretical orientations and has experience of integrating skills from different models
  • Specialist or advanced skills in one or more areas of psychological intervention
  • Able to work with complexity, where interventions need to be highly tailored and adapted to the person due to e.g.
    • chronicity
    • acute distress
    • multiple problem areas
    • co-existing problems
    • cognitive problems (memory, attention, comprehension etc.)
    • substance misuse
    • developmental and learning difficulties
    • physical health issues etc.

    Adapting interventions to changing needs

  • Ability to adapt the pacing and focus of interventions according to changes in need and priority
  • Ability to maintain overall focus without inappropriate switching between modalities when difficulties arise

    Complex group interventions

  • Able to lead on design and running of complex group interventions

Principal Psychologists



Delivery of
Specialist and Complex Skills
Broad Definition of Skills

Highly specialist or complex psychological interventions in situations where especially high levels of skill, knowledge and experience are required.

    Design of specialist, bespoke psychological interventions

  • Highly specialist psychological interventions (complex/multi-model interventions)
  • Able to work in specialised areas that require significant skill, knowledge and experience (e.g. dissociative identity; fixed delusional beliefs; chronic complex trauma; serious challenging behaviour)
  • Able to develop tailored, specialised programme of care/care packages for delivery by others
  • Ability to work with presentations where the evidence base is lacking or absent, by drawing on sound psychological principles and theory to inform the work
  • Able to work with the team, or with the person directly, in cases where people may be regarded as unsuitable for psychological work, but where a psychologically-informed intervention may nevertheless be helpful

Lead/Head Psychologists



Delivery of Organisational-Level and Competency Initiatives, Service Development, and Clinical Governance
Broad Definition of Skills

Overseeing the psychological approach and clinical governance of the team, service, or organisation.

    Development, implementation and management of specialist services

  • Ability to develop and implement psychological interventions in specialised areas or manage specialist services

    Advising senior management and commissioners on clinical governance of psychological services

  • Able to advise directors/commissioners on speciality clinical standards / skill mix / safe evidence based clinical practice / resources necessary to deliver safe and effective care

Psychological Knowledge and Awareness

    This domain is about having the underlying knowledge and awareness of psychological theory, psychological processes, and psychological understanding of mental health to enable effective working.

    Although all of the dimensions of the model are closely inter-related, this dimension in particular underpins several of the other dimensions. For instance, the ability to communicate information rests on having an understanding of that information; the ability to assess, formulate and intervene depends on having sufficient knowledge in order to do so. Increasing skill in this domain is reflected by having higher levels of formal education, more in-depth training, accreditation in specific areas of psychological skill, and higher level critical thinking.

All Clinical Staff Who Deal With People


Psychological Awareness
Broad Definition of Skills

Basic knowledge, understanding and awareness of mental health issues and relevant psychological theory.

Able to act on knowledge that is provided, and know how to access further information.

    Basic understanding of assessment and formulation

  • Basic knowledge and awareness of the range of mental health problems, including those referred to as “personality disorders”
  • Basic knowledge and awareness of frequently-encountered co-existing problems, such as physical illness, cognitive impairment, developmental disorders, substance misuse
  • Awareness of the concept and possibility of long term mental health conditions, and the potential impact on people's behaviour, feelings and perceptions of living with a long term mental health conditions

    Awareness of stigma and discrimination

    • Understanding of the stigma and discrimination faced by people with mental health problems.

    Understanding recovery

  • Understanding of the concept of recovery and recovery-based approaches in mental health care, including an understanding that recovery is a process unique to each individual
    • Understanding of the individual’s wider social and support networks and the contribution made by carers, family and friends to the recovery process.

    Promoting wellbeing and resilience

  • Understand the importance of good mental health and wellbeing and have good knowledge of how to promote these with people who need care and support.
  • Familiarity with factors that protect good mental health and wellbeing
  • Basic understanding of the concept of resilience

    Understanding of factors related to mental health crises and risk

  • Awareness of the concept and possibility of mental health crisis, and the potential impact on people's behaviour, feelings and perceptions when experiencing such a crisis.
    • Understanding of concepts of risk, risk assessment and risk management
    • Basic understanding of why people self-harm and the different functions it can serve
    • Understanding the relationship between mental health crisis and other crises (e.g. physical health crisis, social crisis, financial crisis)
    • Understand that it is likely that different approaches may be needed at different points to support people with mental illnesses and problems.
    • Recognise that symptoms, wellbeing, and capacity can change, in different settings, in different contexts, and over time

    Knowledge of network support services

  • Knowledge of appropriate sources of help and support for people with a range of mental health, within the local area
    • Knowledge of local systems and frameworks, policies and procedures, to enable them to seek necessary help and support to ensure the immediate safety of someone experiencing a mental health crisis
    • Enable people who need care and support to get hold of up-to-date appropriate information and advice about looking after their mental health
    • Awareness of information and local services that can assist in promoting good mental health such as access to leisure centres, welfare rights advice, opportunities for paid work or volunteering, information about healthy eating, etc.,
    Respecting diversity

  • Ability to understand and respect diversity relating to: age; race; culture; disability; sex, gender and gender reassignment; spirituality, religion or belief; sexual orientation; pregnancy, maternity and parenthood; marriage, marital status, civil partnership and civil partnership status.
    Understanding the impact of people’s life histories

  • Understanding that people’s histories and life experiences are crucial when making sense of their mental health
    • Basic understanding of the impact of trauma, abuse, neglect, loss etc.
    • Understanding that the impact of life events is individual, and cannot be generalised based on your or others’ experiences

Qualified
Mental Health Professionals

(Any graduate-level healthcare professional) Without further accredited training in delivering psychological interventions

Psychologically-Informed Healthcare
Broad Definition of Skills

Good understanding of the field of mental health. Able to draw upon basic psychological theory and knowledge and apply this to their work.

    Continuing professional development and learning

  • Responsible for meeting the Continuing Professional Development requirements of their role by engaging in ongoing learning using a variety of methods

    Addressing challenges in therapy

  • Understanding of the concept of a “interpersonal rupture”, and why it is important to think critically about what has occurred and what the response should be

    More advanced knowledge of mental health

  • More advanced knowledge of the range of mental health problems and related areas
    • Knowledge of the range of presenting issues & commonly encountered problem areas in people with problems referred to as “personality disorders”
    • A full and balanced understanding of the biopsychosocial model
    • Awareness of the process of “differential diagnosis”, and how psychological information can help inform this
    • An understanding of the need to exclude physical causes for apparent mental health problems
    • Awareness of dementia and other physical health conditions, and the relationship between physical and mental wellbeing.

    Acknowledging limits to competence

  • Understanding of limits of own competence in relation to psychological assessment, formulation, and intervention

    Basic knowledge of psychological concepts and theories

  • Basic psychological knowledge and awareness
    • Basic knowledge of attachment and transitions, and the relevance of this theory to how people interact with services
    • Basic knowledge of learning theory, and how it is relevant to certain psychological interventions
    • Basic knowledge of models of interpersonal processes, and how this relates to the work (e.g. an understanding of the concept of transference and counter-transference, unconscious material)
    • Basic knowledge of the main psychological models, how they are applied to selected interventions, and what models are likely to be most helpful in certain circumstances
    Understanding self-harm and its management

  • Knowledge and understanding of why people self-harm when experiencing distress
    • Able to reflect on the function or effect, and the aim/intention
    • Understands harm reduction approaches to self-harm
    • Understands the concept of positive risk taking and why this is sometimes necessary

    Diversity and links to mental health presentations

  • Awareness of key issues and differences in particular populations, for example:
    • functional mental health problems and differences in risk in the elderly
    • differences in presentations between men and women
    • issues for younger people
    • the effect of culture and religion

    Knowledge of network support services

  • Knowledge and understanding of how best to help carers and relatives, resources and other local services that can support them
  • Understanding of working arrangements and referral pathways with other related services, for example:
    • Learning disability services, Child and Adolescent services, especially shared-care arrangements and transitions
    • Specialist services where they exist (e.g. eating disorder, physical health)
    • Support services, including those in the third sector
    • Speech and language, physiotherapists, dieticians, epilepsy specialists, diabetic services etc.

    Understanding evidence based practice

  • Understanding the concept of evidence-based and values-based best practice guidance from a range of bodies (e.g. NICE, Royal Colleges, mental health charities etc.)
    • Ability to understand and apply guidance relevant to their role and practice

Qualified (Uni-Model) Psychological Therapists

(Any graduate-level healthcare professional with further post-graduate accredited training in a recognised psychological therapy)

Delivery of
Evidence-Based Skills
Broad Definition of Skills

Specific knowledge and understanding of a particular psychological model. Ability to draw upon more advanced knowledge of psychological processes and complex issues in mental health.

    General knowledge of psychological theory and links to practice

  • Knowledge and understanding of group processes in addition to individual work
  • Ability to reflect on and apply knowledge to clinical situations
  • Enhanced understanding of attachment theory, learning theory, interpersonal relationships, boundaries, interpersonal processes

    Supervision skills

  • Sufficient knowledge in an area of psychological practice to provide specialist supervision or teaching to others in that area (e.g. specific skills, techniques)

    Comprehensive understanding of theory and practice of one psychological model

  • A comprehensive understanding of the theory underlying at least one area of psychological intervention
    • Sophisticated knowledge of the skills, techniques, methods, and approaches that form part of the model
    • Ability to think critically about the model, and critically appraise the literature (i.e. to judge whether the findings of a study in their area are valid, generalizable, applicable to their work etc.)
    • Ability to judge when the model is likely to be more helpful or less helpful to understanding or intervening with a particular person
    • Ability to explain the rationale behind interventions that form part of their model

    Continuing professional development

  • Responsible for meeting the CPD requirements of both the role and further ongoing accreditation requirements
    • Understanding the evidence base for their work in a constantly evolving context

Highly Trained Psychological Workers

Who are able to draw on multiple models and theories (e.g. clinical or counselling psychologists).

Delivery of
Specialist Skills
Broad Definition of Skills

Specialist knowledge across the field of applied psychology. Ability to apply critical thinking skills to learning.

Ability to support other people’s learning at different levels.

    Grounded specialist knowledge of mental health

  • Highly developed specialist knowledge of the full range of mental health problems, underpinned by theory and experience
  • Specialist applied knowledge of complex areas of mental health, such as medically-unexplained symptoms, dissociation, over-valued ideas, and areas that can be thought of as on a continuum with psychosis

    Understanding and appraisal of research evidence base for psychological theory and practice

  • An ability to understand and critically appraise research, literature, and the broad evidence base for a range of approaches and theories
  • Understanding of research methodology and statistics in relation to outcome measures, service evaluations, and audits
  • Ability to be self-sufficient in researching and understanding applied psychology in areas that fall outside current expertise, seeking further education and training where appropriate

    Broad knowledge of psychology specialisms

  • Broad base of general psychological knowledge that helps underpin applied practice (knowledge that is typically acquired via an undergraduate psychology degree), e.g.:
    • developmental psychology
    • functional neuroanatomy
    • sensation and perception
    • memory and attention

    Knowledge of psychometric assessments, their selection and application

  • Knowledge of a range of psychometric tests and ability to apply these to the clinical area e.g:
    • Tests of intellectual functioning; personality traits; memory; concentration; diagnostic-based tests (e.g. ADHD, Autism)
    • Able to select appropriate tests, including specialist neuropsychological tests
    • Able to administer, or oversee the administration, of tests that require specialist training
    • Able to interpret and report critically on the outcome of tests
    • Able to determine when testing is not appropriate, or where findings cannot be interpreted

    Knowledge and experience of a range of client groups services

  • Knowledge and experience of working in different settings, including:
    • Child and adolescent services
    • Learning disability services
    • Services for older people and/or dementia

    Knowledge of psychological supervision and consultancy

  • Knowledge and understanding of models of psychological supervision and consultancy

    Knowledge and understanding of multiple psychological models/ theories

  • Knowledge and understanding of more than one model of applied psychology

    Understanding of complex presentations

  • Understanding of functional behaviour, maladaptive coping, and self-defeating patterns that can underpin assessment, formulation and intervention (especially to do with risk)

    Creative application of psychological knowledge in novel situations

  • Ability to reflect on and apply knowledge in a creative way, in novel clinical situations

Principal Psychologists



Delivery of
Specialist and Complex Skills
Broad Definition of Skills

Expert knowledge based on extensive learning and experience. Ability to apply psychological knowledge at the level of the team, ensuring that psychological knowledge is embedded throughout the service.

    Expert knowledge of multiple models of psychological theory and practice

  • Expert knowledge and experience in more than one model of applied psychology
  • Knowledge and experience of managing the highest levels of risk

    Knowledge of leadership and management theory

  • Knowledge and awareness of leadership and management theory and basic organisational psychology

    Understanding organisational policies and impact on delivery

  • Understanding of NHS Trust/Organisation direction and policies that impact on the delivery of psychological services

Lead/Head Psychologists



Delivery of Organisational-Level and Competency Initiatives, Service Development, and Clinical Governance
Broad Definition of Skills

Expert knowledge that includes the wider health context, national frameworks, future direction, and knowledge of commissioning processes in relation to mental health and psychology specifically.

    Knowledge of local and national policies, guidance service models and systems and best practice evidence

  • Intimate knowledge of NHS systems
  • Knowledge of national drivers, frameworks, guidance
  • Knowledge of local and national commissioning arrangements and opportunities

Professional Development, Supervision and Training

    This domain covers three related areas. Professional development and training includes taking responsibility for one’s own continued skills and knowledge development needs in relation to psychological practice, which may not be already adequately specified by the minimum standards for different professional groups.

    At higher levels, there is the expectation that training will also include an ability to train others. Supervision is included here both from the perspective of being able to receive and utilise supervision, and also the ability to offer and deliver supervision to those at lower levels.

All Clinical Staff Who Deal With People


Psychological Awareness
Broad Definition of Skills

To be aware of the purpose and importance of clinical supervision and how to utilise it effectively.

To be aware of individual CPD needs in relation to role, and how these align with agreed service delivery.

    Understanding the role clinical and management supervision

  • An understanding of the difference between clinical supervision and other forms of supervision e.g. managerial supervision, line management
  • An awareness of the purpose of various forms of supervision (professional development and reflective practice/caseload management etc.)
  • An ability to use supervision appropriately as follows:
    • To confidentially discuss and reflect on one’s work including one’s personal and professional responses to it
    • To discuss and form intervention plans and overcome problems that arise
    • To promote one’s own personal and professional development
  • The ability to recognise the limits of one’s own individual competence/gaps in one’s knowledge and seek help or signpost on when appropriate.
  • Staff at this level would not normally be expected to be supervising others

Qualified
Mental Health Professionals

(Any graduate-level healthcare professional) Without further accredited training in delivering psychological interventions

Psychologically-Informed Healthcare
Broad Definition of Skills

Ability to use clinical supervision more effectively and collaboratively. More detailed understanding of individual CPD needs and how these align with agreed service delivery.

Able to deliver basic training to carers & staff, and able to supervise aspects of the work of those at Level 1.

    Delivery of safe and effective clinical supervision

  • To be able to deliver clinical supervision to less skilled or knowledgeable colleagues following appropriate training
  • An ability to support the supervisee’s capacity to manage risk, and to ensure the safety of the person they are working with as well as their own
  • Ensuring that practise is safe with respect to limits of competence
    • To recognise limits of competence in other junior colleagues and support them in seeking help or signposting on
    • An ability to use professional judgment to take appropriate action when the supervisee’s clinical practice raises serious concerns
  • An ability to recognise problematic interactions between supervisor and supervisee and to seek consultation in order to identify an appropriate way forward (including making alternative arrangements for supervision)
  • Able to support others through mentoring and coaching (following appropriate training)

    Continuing Professional Development

  • To have a more detailed understanding of individual Continuing Professional Development needs and of personal responsibility in meeting these, and to be able to engage in ongoing learning using a variety of methods
  • Seek and apply learning in specialist areas relevant to the area of work (e.g. training in working with older people, young people, substance misuse, difference and diversity)

    More advanced understanding of effective clinical supervision

  • To have a more detailed understanding of the effective use of clinical supervision
    • Awareness of different supervision methods, and ability to seek, set-up, and utilise them as appropriate
    • E.g. peer supervision, group supervision, one-to-one supervision, specialist supervision
    • Understanding that being an effective supervisee is an active process, requiring a capacity to be reflective and open to criticism, willing to learn and willing to consider (and remedy) any gaps in competence which supervision reveals.
    • Ability to prioritise material for discussion within supervision, selecting the most important and relevant material
    • Understanding of the need to recognise, address, and overcome avoidance in relation to supervision
  • Awareness of the difference between consultation and supervision, and when each might be appropriate
    • Consultation usually focused on seeking advice, suggestions, or opinion
    • Supervision being broader in focus with more depth of detail, usually in the context of an ongoing developmental relationship

Qualified (Uni-Model) Psychological Therapists

(Any graduate-level healthcare professional with further post-graduate accredited training in a recognised psychological therapy)

Delivery of
Evidence-Based Skills
Broad Definition of Skills

Be able to provide specialist clinical supervision to unqualified or qualified staff from the perspective of a specific psychological model.

To be able to deliver training in a specific psychological model to unqualified and qualified staff.

    Continuing Professional Development

  • To be able to demonstrate ongoing supervision and CPD in line with professional accrediting organisations requirements (e.g. BABCP)

    Enhanced ability to make effective use of supervision

  • Enhanced ability to make effective use of supervision
    • Ability to give and receive accurate and constructive feedback
    • Working productively with clinical supervisor to manage difficulties within the supervisory relationship
    • Utilising a variety of methods within supervision, including direct observation and/or audio/video recording clinical sessions for viewing within supervision
    • Self-rating and peer-rating of in-session competence

    Training psychological skills

  • To be able to train staff in skills and techniques in a specific psychological model
  • To be able to deliver group presentations/facilitate case discussions

    Delivery of effective clinical supervision and mentorship

  • Able to demonstrate effective skills in clinical supervision & mentorship following appropriate training
  • Able to set up and structure an approach to supervision that is appropriate to the psychological model they are delivering
    • Supervisors need to have direct knowledge of the models they are applying and personal expertise in the psychological approaches they are supervising
  • Able to develop and work in accordance with terms of a specified supervision contract
  • Work with the supervisor or supervisee to establish learning needs, boundaries, concrete issues (such as timing, frequency) as well as appropriate content
  • To be able to supervise the application and understanding of psychological skills of Level 1 and Level 2 staff from within the model that they are accredited in
    • an ability to identify and discuss any misconceptions that the supervisee may hold regarding the model and its associated techniques

  • Ability to help the supervisee practice and develop specific skills within the supervisory relationship
  • An ability to help the supervisee judge how to balance risk aversion against appropriate risk taking
  • Able to support other staff in achieving accreditation through close supervision, which would normally include an evaluative element
  • Able to offer consultation to others regarding issues relating to the specific psychological intervention they are accredited in
  • An ability to balance a focus on the supervisee’s educational development with an obligation to identify and prevent practice which could be harmful or unhelpful to others
  • Skill in delivering group supervision, including being able to recognise and address group dynamic issues, support and maximise engagement of supervisees with each other, and ability to take an active, assertive but non-authoritarian leadership role

Highly Trained Psychological Workers

Who are able to draw on multiple models and theories (e.g. clinical or counselling psychologists).

Delivery of
Specialist Skills
Broad Definition of Skills

Able to co-ordinate and provide clinical supervision to qualified staff, senior practitioners, other less experienced psychologists, trainees and assistants from a multi-model perspective. Able to offer consultation as well as clinical supervision.

Able to deliver training in specialist areas.

    Development and evaluation of training

  • Greater knowledge of learning needs and styles and how to develop education and training to meet these needs and interests
  • Recognising the purpose and limitations of training and have an awareness of specialist training available
  • Able to conduct meaningful evaluation of training

    Advanced supervision skills utilising multiple models

  • Able to supervise staff at lower and same level from a multi-model perspective following appropriate training
  • Able to be flexible in adapting supervision to the different needs of supervisees, maximising learning and engagement
  • An ability to use professional judgment in order to balance the need to ensure that the supervision agenda is comprehensive in its coverage against the need to be responsive to current and specific supervisee needs
  • Knowledge of different supervision models and when to use them
  • Able to offer supervision of clinical supervision delivered by others
  • Able to offer consultation on a wide range of areas
  • Able to carry out the coordination of clinical supervision within a team
  • Able to support the education & learning of other staff members through clinical supervision, training, and mentoring relationships

Principal Psychologists



Delivery of
Specialist and Complex Skills
Broad Definition of Skills

Provide clinical supervision to those at lower levels and same level, & be able to develop and co-ordinate a service-wide clinical supervision strategy.

To be able to develop and co-ordinate Service/Specialism-wide psychological training strategy.

    Contributing to clinical governance

  • Skill in contributing to clinical governance throughout the NHS Trust/Organisation

    Developing and implementing plan for psychological skills within the service

  • Plan, develop, monitor and review the recruitment, deployment and management of psychological skills within the service
  • Able to lead specific organisation-wide developments in specific areas of psychological practice

    Development and implementation of supervision and consultation

  • To be able to develop and implement supervision strategies within specialism/service
  • Able to provide consultation in specialist areas

    Delivery of training in clinical skills

  • Able to develop and deliver training across a service
  • Able to advise on staff competency and development in psychological practice skills

    Demonstrating clinical leadership

  • Able to demonstrate clinical leadership skills within the service, including aspects such as:
    • understanding and rising to the challenges of service improvement
    • understanding the context in which services are to be improved – local politics, national policy imperatives, the local environment and the people in it
    • understanding the characteristics of the people involved and building on their diversity
  • Ability to attend to broader workforce issues which cannot be managed by training and development of current team members alone (e.g. high turnover, retention of staff with specialist accreditation, inability to attract people of the necessary calibre)
  • Taking responsibility for implementing agreed changes - increasing knowledge and skills in leading others, managing change and partnership working

Lead/Head Psychologists



Delivery of Organisational-Level and Competency Initiatives, Service Development, and Clinical Governance
Broad Definition of Skills

Able to develop and co-ordinate NHS Trust/Organisation-wide clinical supervision strategy and NHS Trust/Organisation-wide psychological training strategy.

    Plan and implement psychological skills and training strategy

  • Plan, develop, monitor and review the recruitment, deployment and management of psychological skills and strategy across the NHS Trust/Organisation
  • Able to develop and co-ordinate a NHS Trust/Organisation-wide psychological training strategy.

    Senior supervision and consultation

  • Able to offer clinical supervision and consultation at the most senior level
  • Able to develop and coordinate a NHS Trust/Organisation-wide supervision Policy in line with national guidance and best practice
  • Able to governance the delivery of safe and effective clinical supervision across the organisation.

    Knowledge and application of organisation/ Management theory

  • Able to set the context which guides and informs service improvements
  • Able to identify direction in the longer term over a number of years rather than only in the short-term
  • To be able to guide and advise from a specialism perspective on psychological needs for different strategies (e.g. Organisation Development, Staff Well-being, Sickness and Absence)

Intra-Personal / Self-Care / Psychological Mindedness

    This domain is about skills in relation to one’s own mind and wellbeing, both on a professional and personal level. A basic level of skill in emotional intelligence underpins skill in all of the other domains, particularly communication with others (interpersonal skills).

    However, increasing levels of this skill reflect greater ability to be aware of one’s own thought processes and emotional reactions, including being able to choose how to respond in challenging situations rather than simply reacting, but also being able to access and use this information within supervision and in the moment with people with whom they are working. Self-care is also included here as an important component of being able to apply psychological skills in challenging environments whilst minimising burn-out and reduction in effectiveness.

All Clinical Staff Who Deal With People


Psychological Awareness
Broad Definition of Skills

A basic awareness of emotional intelligence, and knowledge of self in relation to common emotional triggers and reactions in this field of work.

For staff to have an awareness of stress levels and effective ways of managing these.

    Understanding links and impact of own and others’ emotional states and behaviour

  • A basic understanding of the relationship between intrapersonal and interpersonal processes (for example, basic insight into the potential for others people’s behaviours/experiences to evoke sometimes strong feelings in oneself)
    Basic identification and self-management of emotional states

  • A basic ability to identify different emotional states within oneself and others
  • A basic ability to recognize one’s own personal signs of stress
  • A basic awareness of the use of effective coping skills for stress management
  • An understanding of how to access appropriate support/supervision as well as how to self-care/manage when required.
  • A basic awareness of one’s own triggers for intense emotional reactions
  • A basic understanding of how one can choose to respond to (as opposed to immediately react to) the triggering of strong emotions
  • A basic understanding of the concept of resilience as well as the common factors that underpin it (internal and external)

Qualified
Mental Health Professionals

(Any graduate-level healthcare professional) Without further accredited training in delivering psychological interventions

Psychologically-Informed Healthcare
Broad Definition of Skills

Staff have a more detailed understanding of emotional intelligence, and are able to utilise this information more effectively in relation to themselves.

Staff to have a more detailed and balanced knowledge of stress, resilience, and compassion, and are able to utilise this knowledge to manage themselves effectively.

    Supporting others

  • An understanding of how to support effective coping skills in others

    Developed understanding of and self-management of emotional reactions

  • Greater understanding of one’s own triggers for emotional reactions and sensitivities – as well as one’s own ways of dealing with difficult emotions
    • Greater skill at being able to choose an appropriate response based on one’s own emotional reactions (this may often be about recognising personal challenges and taking these to supervision)

    Developed understanding of relationship between intra- and interpersonal processes, their impact and management

  • A greater understanding of the relationship between intrapersonal and interpersonal processes (for example, a more advanced ability to recognise and distinguish personal issues from professional issues and deal with these appropriately, e.g. within clinical supervision, managerial supervision, or via external support
  • A more advanced understanding of how to recognise signs of stress in oneself and others, especially those for whom one has a supervisory or line management responsibility
  • A more advanced understanding of how to prevent and manage personal stress and respond to stress in others

Qualified (Uni-Model) Psychological Therapists

(Any graduate-level healthcare professional with further post-graduate accredited training in a recognised psychological therapy)

Delivery of
Evidence-Based Skills
Broad Definition of Skills

Sophisticated understanding of emotional intelligence, and an ability to apply this understanding effectively within formal psychological relationships.

Awareness of how the personal and professional interact in the delivery of psychological interventions.

    Supporting self-Reflection and self-Care for others

  • An ability to help support others in attending to emotional triggers and reactions through clinical supervision
    • An ability to deliver self-care initiatives to staff

    Enhanced self-Reflection abilities

  • An ability to recognise and utilise one’s own emotional reactions within the moment, rather than only within the context of supervision
  • An ability to reflect upon and evaluate personal values, clinical competence and limitations as psychological practitioners

Highly Trained Psychological Workers

Who are able to draw on multiple models and theories (e.g. clinical or counselling psychologists).

Delivery of
Specialist Skills
Broad Definition of Skills

Ability to apply emotional intelligence in more challenging contexts.

Ability to apply knowledge and skills about stress and resilience to the Team context.

    Emotional self-Awareness in challenging situations

  • An ability to recognise and utilise one’s own emotional reactions within the moment, in particularly challenging contexts

    Advanced supervision skills

  • A sophisticated ability to attend to different levels of need within the supervisory relationship, both from the position of supervisee and supervisor

    Understanding stress in teams and building resilience

  • An ability to identify, assess, and formulate stress within the team
  • An understanding of systemic issues that influence staff stress and use models to inform understanding in teams.
  • An ability to advise on/develop team interventions/specialised programmes for the management of team stress/to enhance team resilience.

Principal Psychologists



Delivery of
Specialist and Complex Skills
Broad Definition of Skills

As in Level 4, but also to be able to consider the Service level of context.

    Identifying and addressing systemic sources of stress in services

  • To have the ability to identify, assess and formulate stress within the service/specialism.
  • To have an understanding of systemic issues that influence staff stress and use models to inform understanding within the service.
  • To advise and develop interventions for the management of stress within the service/specialism and to enhance resilience.

Lead/Head Psychologists



Delivery of Organisational-Level and Competency Initiatives, Service Development, and Clinical Governance
Broad Definition of Skills

As in Level 4 & 5, and also be able to consider stress from an organisational perspective across the NHS Trust/Organisation.

    To identify and address systemic sources of stress in the organisation

  • To have the ability to identify, assess and formulate stress within the NHS Trust/Organisation.
  • To have an understanding of systemic issues that influence staff stress and use models to inform understanding within the NHS Trust/Organisation.
  • To advise and develop interventions for the management of stress within the NHS Trust/Organisation and to enhance resilience.