Job summary
Dorset Pathways Project and STRIVE Team based across Dorset
An exciting opportunity has arisen to recruit a Band 8b Principal Clinical/Forensic Psychologist (37.5 hours) covering two Dorset services under the national Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) Pathway which input into the Probation Service. The Dorset Pathways Project (DPP) is a consultation, formulation and training service to Probation staff and the STRIVE Team is an Intensive Integrated Risk Management Service (IIRMS), providing psychological and occupational therapy interventions to individuals under the Probation Service who are high risk to others and have complex trauma / personality difficulties. The two services are linked and are psychologically led but multidisciplinary including forensic/clinical psychologists, occupational therapists, administrators, and qualified probation staff. A base for this post is offered in Poole but travel will be expected as the role operates across Dorset, inputting into all the Probation offices including Weymouth, Dorchester, Bournemouth & Poole.
Main duties of the job
This role is twofold; one part will be providing direct and indirect clinical interventions (consultations, formulations, training and therapeutic work) and the other part will be providing operational leadership, including line management and supervision to staff. You will be required to collate and present service updates and outcomes to commissioners and input into and support the Clinical Lead with strategy and service development. You will have specialist skills in risk assessment, formulation and the delivery of highly specialised psychological interventions for individuals who are considered high risk of serious harm to others with significant personality difficulties. You will provide highly specialised consultations to several agencies including the Probation Service, the Courts, the Prison Service and the Police. The Principal Clinical/Forensic Psychologist will need to be able to plan and prioritise their clinical and management workload.
There is a strong emphasis on supervision, CPD and training. Research projects are encouraged.
About us
At Dorset HealthCare we're on a mission to empower people to make the most of their lives through our outstanding, joined-up healthcare services. We're a dynamic, forward-looking Trust, running 12 community hospitals, specialist inpatient facilities and a wide range of integrated community and mental health services for a population of almost 800,000 people.
We do things differently here - it's one of the reasons the CQC rated us 'outstanding' in 2019. It's also why 95% of patients across our services say they have a good or very good experience of our services and 89% of staff feel they can really make a difference. Whether you're looking to work with us in one of our bustling market towns, vibrant urban locations, thriving seaside spots, or among the rolling hills of Dorset, there are lots of ways you can make a difference in our communities.
Our 7,000-strong workforce is at the heart of what we do and our success is a testament to our brilliant people. We're all about building a workplace for the future, we believe in equal opportunities and we celebrate diversity. We're an inclusive workplace, where everyone is welcome, everyone can be authentic, and we are all encouraged to be the best version of ourselves.
Working with us you'll be part of a strong team, challenge yourself, build a career, and teach us what we don't know. And you'll be working towards our vision to be better every day through excellence, compassion and expertise in all we do.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For the main duties and responsibilities for this role please read the attached job description and person specification. When completing your application please ensure your supporting statement reflects the criteria set out in these documents by showing how your experience and skills apply to this post.
Person Specification
Knowledge, skills and training
Essential
- Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCP) as a Practitioner Psychologist Clinical or Forensic
- Doctorate Degree in Clinical Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996), with specialist knowledge and application of two or more distinct psychological therapies.
- To have received further specialist training in risk assessment and management including the use of complex psychometrics
- Specialist knowledge in research and clinical/forensic psychometrics
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities, forensic, etc.)
- Skills and experience of working with individuals with complex offending and personality presentations
- Skills and experience of working with people with complex, severe or treatment resistant mental disorders
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment (including psychometric assessment), intervention and management, frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Skills in and experience of developing and implementing strategic service development plans.
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
- Accredited Master's degree in Forensic Psychology
- Qualifications dependant on whether Clinical or Forensic Psychologist
Desirable
- To be qualified as a schema therapist accredited by ISST or otherwise undertaking such training
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts
Job specific experience
Essential
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of individuals who have offended and have significant mental health difficulties such as personality disorder, trauma, psychosis etc. Ideally this experience would be across the full range of care settings, including secure settings, the community, and prison.
- Significant experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
- Experience of risk assessment and management.
- Planning and organisational skills; developing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and adapting complex strategies for service development.
- Skills and experience in being able to formulate complex case presentations and share that formulation with other disciplines to develop overall care management packages
- Experience of running groups, preferably with adults, covering a range of problems such as anxiety and anger management, as well as skills teaching.
- Skills and experience of teaching, training and clinical supervision.
Information Technology
Essential
- Good knowledge of word processing and spreadsheet applications.
Personal qualities/attributes
Essential
- Able to work under pressure and to tight deadlines.
- Able to deal calmly with difficult situations and people, e.g. verbal/physical aggression in a clinical setting
- Ability to work supportively and collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary culture.
Person Specification
Knowledge, skills and training
Essential
- Registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCP) as a Practitioner Psychologist Clinical or Forensic
- Doctorate Degree in Clinical Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996), with specialist knowledge and application of two or more distinct psychological therapies.
- To have received further specialist training in risk assessment and management including the use of complex psychometrics
- Specialist knowledge in research and clinical/forensic psychometrics
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities, forensic, etc.)
- Skills and experience of working with individuals with complex offending and personality presentations
- Skills and experience of working with people with complex, severe or treatment resistant mental disorders
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment (including psychometric assessment), intervention and management, frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Skills in and experience of developing and implementing strategic service development plans.
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
- Accredited Master's degree in Forensic Psychology
- Qualifications dependant on whether Clinical or Forensic Psychologist
Desirable
- To be qualified as a schema therapist accredited by ISST or otherwise undertaking such training
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts
Job specific experience
Essential
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of individuals who have offended and have significant mental health difficulties such as personality disorder, trauma, psychosis etc. Ideally this experience would be across the full range of care settings, including secure settings, the community, and prison.
- Significant experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
- Experience of risk assessment and management.
- Planning and organisational skills; developing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and adapting complex strategies for service development.
- Skills and experience in being able to formulate complex case presentations and share that formulation with other disciplines to develop overall care management packages
- Experience of running groups, preferably with adults, covering a range of problems such as anxiety and anger management, as well as skills teaching.
- Skills and experience of teaching, training and clinical supervision.
Information Technology
Essential
- Good knowledge of word processing and spreadsheet applications.
Personal qualities/attributes
Essential
- Able to work under pressure and to tight deadlines.
- Able to deal calmly with difficult situations and people, e.g. verbal/physical aggression in a clinical setting
- Ability to work supportively and collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary culture.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
