Black Country LMNS Neonatal Psychology Hub

Aims and objectives of service:

The service aims to provide psychological leadership to the four neonatal units in the Black Country. Through a consultation model and clinical activity including case consultation, reflective practice, supervision, debrief, teaching, training and quality improvement work, the service aims to support neonatal MDTs within the Black Country LMNS to deliver psychologically informed care to infants and their families. By providing clinical and professional supervision and oversight to other psychological professionals working as part of the four neonatal MDTs in the Black Country (and managing psychologists across the system where appropriate and agreed within subsequent unit service specifications), the service aims to deliver the professional infrastructure required for the four neonatal MDTs to establish the specialist psychological support recommended in the BAPM Quality and Service Standards (2022).

Service description/care pathway:

The Black Country LMNS Neonatal Psychology Hub will consist of one part time senior practitioner psychologist (AfC band 8b). This role will provide clinical activity, including case consultation, reflective practice, supervision, debrief, teaching, training and quality improvement work, to the four neonatal MDTs, on a request basis. The role will provide clinical supervision (and management where appropriate and agreed within subsequent unit service specifications) to neonatal clinical psychologists working across the system at New Cross, City, Russells Hall and Walsall Manor hospitals.

Interdependence with other services/providers:

This service will interface closely with the four Neonatal teams in the Black Country. The post holder should have honorary contracts for the four neonatal Provider Trusts within the Black Country ICB (Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust; Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust; Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust; Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust). Clinical responsibility for the care of individual infants and family members will be held by the neonatal MDTs, with the Black Country LMNS Neonatal Psychology Hub holding clinical responsibility for the advice and recommendations it provides. Key relationships will be with senior members of the clinical teams from the four neonatal units listed above, including clinical leads, matrons, unit managers, as well as other members of the four MDTs (including Allied Health Professionals and nursing staff in quality roles such as Family Integrated Care Lead, infant feeding leads).