Job summary
Broadmoor Hospital's Psychological Services are seeking to recruit one or more Highly Specialised (8A; Chartered, Registered) Clinical Psychologists, Forensic Psychologists or Counselling Psychologists for fixed term posts over 12 months, available for immediate start. The post is negotiable between 0.6 - 1.0 FTE. Full-time equivalents below 0.6 can be considered as part of a job share where this is feasible, and we welcome applications from candidates wishing to explore secondment opportunities. We welcome applicants from background which are under-represented in the psychology professions.
You will work within a multi-disciplinary team to contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all patients in the service. You will also contribute to research, audit and clinical governance tasks within the hospital, as well as have opportunities to provide line management and clinical supervision to other members of the department.
As a highly valued member of our team, you will have access to a full and varied CPD programme, multiple modes of supervision and reflective practice, and the opportunity to develop within a well-established and supportive service.
Main duties of the job
Successful candidates will have integral roles in supporting their ward's in developing a psychologically-informed understanding of patients with difficulties such as mental illness, complex emotional needs, and complicated trauma and risk histories. Your role will include opportunities to lead team formulation and risk appraisal to support care and management that promotes mental health and the minimisation of harm. You will also act as a link person between your ward's multi-disciplinary team and the psychological services department.
You will have the opportunity to develop a range of clinical skills in assessment and therapeutic intervention, including group and individual work using a range of evidence-based theoretical frameworks, and you will be supported to work flexibly within these in order to be responsive to the complex and often challenging presentations of our patients. You will develop others through supervision, teaching and training, with opportunities to do so both within and outside of the service; and to contribute to professional service development. There will be opportunities to work flexibly on different wards where staff:patient ratios vary according to need and acuity. There will also be some opportunity to work flexibly to support your own work-life balance.
About us
West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse healthcare providers in the UK, delivering a range of mental health, physical healthcare and community services commissioned locally and nationally. The Trust runs Broadmoor Hospital, one of only three high secure hospitals in the country with an international reputation. Our patient group comprises of males over the age of 18 from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, who will usually be referred from a prison or medium secure setting and detained under the Mental Health Act.
The hospital recently moved to a new site as part of its commitment to responding to the needs and therapeutic challenges of the patients. The majority present with a history of high adversity, a range of complex psychological problems, and behavioural disturbances that relate to patterns of offending behaviour that have posed significant risks to themselves and/or others.
The Psychological Services Department within the hospital has a national reputation for delivery of care to this particularly challenging population, and is a tight-knit and highly-skilled group of warm and supportive individuals. We have significant ties to a range of teaching and research institutions, and strongly encourage an ethos of continuous research, evaluation and development.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical Work:
Overview:
- To provide a comprehensive psychology service to patients with severe and enduring mental health and personality difficulties, serious forensic histories, and a wide range of extremely complex needs.
Assessment:
- To provide specialist psychological assessments, including suitability for admission, formulation of treatment needs, general and forensic risk, progress (including barriers) and suitability for discharge, based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations, structured clinical judgement tools, and semi-structured interviews with patients and others involved in their care.
Formulation:
- To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a patients mental health problems/high risk behaviours, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the patients difficulties, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy.
Treatment Planning:
- To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group, the constraints and restrictions of a high secure environment and the demands of other agencies e.g. MSUs, Home Office.
- To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, initiation and termination of psychological treatment in accordance with CPA procedures.
As outlined above, this role is varied and will include tasks in the following areas (for a more detailed breakdown, please refer to the attached Candidate Information Pack, which includes a full Job Description
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical Work:
Overview:
- To provide a comprehensive psychology service to patients with severe and enduring mental health and personality difficulties, serious forensic histories, and a wide range of extremely complex needs.
Assessment:
- To provide specialist psychological assessments, including suitability for admission, formulation of treatment needs, general and forensic risk, progress (including barriers) and suitability for discharge, based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations, structured clinical judgement tools, and semi-structured interviews with patients and others involved in their care.
Formulation:
- To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a patients mental health problems/high risk behaviours, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the patients difficulties, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy.
Treatment Planning:
- To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group, the constraints and restrictions of a high secure environment and the demands of other agencies e.g. MSUs, Home Office.
- To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, initiation and termination of psychological treatment in accordance with CPA procedures.
As outlined above, this role is varied and will include tasks in the following areas (for a more detailed breakdown, please refer to the attached Candidate Information Pack, which includes a full Job Description
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Good honours degree (2:1 minimum) in Psychology. Eligibility for graduate membership of BPS
- Post-graduate doctorate in clinical psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996 or those in lateral transfer); or forensic psychology equivalent, as accredited by the BPS.
- Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council
Desirable
- Other related academic qualifications
Experience
Essential
- Experience of at least 6 months work in either a severe and enduring mental disorder or a forensic setting either in a training placement or as an Assistant Psychologist or an HCA or equivalent
Desirable
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
Knowledge/Skills
Essential
- Highly developed specialist knowledge, both theoretical and practical, of psychology applied to clinical practice, particularly in respect of adults with severe and enduring mental health disorders (including psychosis and personality disorders)
- Able to provide and receive highly complex, highly sensitive or highly contentious information, where there are significant barriers to acceptance which need to be overcome using the highest level of interpersonal and communication skills such as would be required when communicating in a hostile, antagonistic or highly emotive atmosphere
- Able to make judgements involving complex facts or situations, which require the evaluation of a range of options (eg the assessment of specialist clinical conditions and the determination of treatment options).
- Able to complete PMVA training
- Post-graduate level knowledge of research design and methodology
- Able to use database, word processing and test administration/scoring software
Desirable
- Evidence of continuing professional development
- Knowledge of SPSS
- Knowledge of relevant legislation and its implications for work with mentally disordered offenders
- Specialist theoretical and practical knowledge of psychology applied to forensic issues
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Good honours degree (2:1 minimum) in Psychology. Eligibility for graduate membership of BPS
- Post-graduate doctorate in clinical psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996 or those in lateral transfer); or forensic psychology equivalent, as accredited by the BPS.
- Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council
Desirable
- Other related academic qualifications
Experience
Essential
- Experience of at least 6 months work in either a severe and enduring mental disorder or a forensic setting either in a training placement or as an Assistant Psychologist or an HCA or equivalent
Desirable
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
Knowledge/Skills
Essential
- Highly developed specialist knowledge, both theoretical and practical, of psychology applied to clinical practice, particularly in respect of adults with severe and enduring mental health disorders (including psychosis and personality disorders)
- Able to provide and receive highly complex, highly sensitive or highly contentious information, where there are significant barriers to acceptance which need to be overcome using the highest level of interpersonal and communication skills such as would be required when communicating in a hostile, antagonistic or highly emotive atmosphere
- Able to make judgements involving complex facts or situations, which require the evaluation of a range of options (eg the assessment of specialist clinical conditions and the determination of treatment options).
- Able to complete PMVA training
- Post-graduate level knowledge of research design and methodology
- Able to use database, word processing and test administration/scoring software
Desirable
- Evidence of continuing professional development
- Knowledge of SPSS
- Knowledge of relevant legislation and its implications for work with mentally disordered offenders
- Specialist theoretical and practical knowledge of psychology applied to forensic issues
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
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).
