Job summary
We are seeking to recruit Practitioner Psychologists (clinical, forensic or counselling) at Band 8A to work within our multi-disciplinary teams. At present we are recruiting for:
- One permanent position, with a FTE between 0.6 and 1.0
- One fixed term (9 month) position to cover maternity leave, with a FTE between 0.6 and 1.0. We are happy to consider secondments within this opportunity
As a psychologist within our service, you will contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all patients of the service, across all settings and agencies serving the client group, and ensure that all members of multidisciplinary teams have access to a psychologically based framework for understanding clients of the service through the provision of advice, consultation and the dissemination of psychological research and theory.
Main duties of the job
The successful candidates will have integral roles in our multi-disciplinary teams with the remit to support team formulation, risk appraisal and management and to provide evidence-based interventions for patients in our multi-disciplinary teams, working with patients with complex needs including mental illness and personality disorder.
They will provide a range of assessments and interventions, promoting mental health and the minimisation of harm, and contributing to professional service development, including the supervision of assistant and trainee psychologists.
The successful candidates will be required to work flexibly on different wards where staff: patient ratios vary according to need and acuity, using a range of intervention modalities (e.g. group-work, team-building/consultation and individual therapy).
About us
West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse healthcare providers in the UK, delivering a range of mental health and physical healthcare and community services. The Trust runs Broadmoor Hospital, one of three high secure hospitals in the country, with an international reputation.
Our high secure services care for patients from South of England and we provide low and medium secure services across eight London boroughs. The Trust also provides mental and physical healthcare in three London boroughs (Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham). We employ 4,500 staff, of whom 56% are BME. Our turnover for 2023-24 is £426m.
The Trust is rated as 'Good' overallby the Care Quality Commission. Forensic services are rated as 'Outstanding'.
The Trust is an established partner and contributor in the development of the evolving North West London Integrated Care System and the Integrated Care Board. The Trust leads the NW London Children and Adolescent Mental Health provider collaborative.
Job description
Job responsibilities
As an integral part of the Forensic Clinical Service Unit within West London NHS Trust, Broadmoor Hospital provides assessment and treatment for patients detained under the Mental Health Act in conditions of high security.
The hospital recently moved to a new site as part of its commitment to responding to the needs and therapeutic challenges of the patients referred here. 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 self and/or others.
The psychology team within the hospital has a national reputation for delivery of care to this particularly challenging population, and is a tight-knit and highly-skilled team. We have significant ties to a range of teaching and research institutions, and strongly encourage an ethos of continuous research, evaluation and development.
The post-holder will be responsible, as a member of the psychology service, for the provision of full and comprehensive specialist clinical psychology services to culturally diverse male in-patients with severe and enduring mental health disorders and serious forensic histories, who are detained in a maximum security hospital. Responsibilities will include provision of specialist psychological assessments and therapies, the provision of specialist risk assessment and advice on risk management, and the provision of psychological advice and consultation to others involved in patient care.
The post-holder will work as a clinical member of a designated multi-disciplinary team, including appropriate attendance at team and other client related meetings. The role of team psychologist will include responsibility for ensuring the systematic provision and governance of a high quality specialist clinical psychology service to patients via the CPA process and liaison between the multidisciplinary team and psychological services, including the referral panel and psychologists and other professionals providing psychologically based care and input.
As an autonomous practitioner he/she will be responsible for their own work and interventions and for the interpretation of agreed guidelines and policies.
See full Job Description for further details.
Job description
Job responsibilities
As an integral part of the Forensic Clinical Service Unit within West London NHS Trust, Broadmoor Hospital provides assessment and treatment for patients detained under the Mental Health Act in conditions of high security.
The hospital recently moved to a new site as part of its commitment to responding to the needs and therapeutic challenges of the patients referred here. 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 self and/or others.
The psychology team within the hospital has a national reputation for delivery of care to this particularly challenging population, and is a tight-knit and highly-skilled team. We have significant ties to a range of teaching and research institutions, and strongly encourage an ethos of continuous research, evaluation and development.
The post-holder will be responsible, as a member of the psychology service, for the provision of full and comprehensive specialist clinical psychology services to culturally diverse male in-patients with severe and enduring mental health disorders and serious forensic histories, who are detained in a maximum security hospital. Responsibilities will include provision of specialist psychological assessments and therapies, the provision of specialist risk assessment and advice on risk management, and the provision of psychological advice and consultation to others involved in patient care.
The post-holder will work as a clinical member of a designated multi-disciplinary team, including appropriate attendance at team and other client related meetings. The role of team psychologist will include responsibility for ensuring the systematic provision and governance of a high quality specialist clinical psychology service to patients via the CPA process and liaison between the multidisciplinary team and psychological services, including the referral panel and psychologists and other professionals providing psychologically based care and input.
As an autonomous practitioner he/she will be responsible for their own work and interventions and for the interpretation of agreed guidelines and policies.
See full Job Description for further details.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Post-graduate doctorate in a relevant branch of applied 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 qualified capacity, as a training placement or as an Assistant Psychologist or an HCA or equivalent
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts and working within a multicultural framework and context.
Desirable
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
Knowledge
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 personality disorders)
- Post-graduate level knowledge of research design and methodology
- Evidence of continuing professional development
Desirable
- Specialist theoretical and practical knowledge of psychology applied to forensic issues
- Knowledge of relevant legislation and its implications for work with mentally disordered offenders
Skills
Essential
- Able to complete satisfactorily breakaway and Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression (PMVA) training
- 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 plan, prioritise and organise own patient caseload, treatment programmes involving other staff, and other aspects of the work such as research activity
- Psychomotor and IT skills necessary to administer complex psychological tests and make use of computer and audio-visual and video equipment, including database, word processing and test administration/scoring software
Desirable
- Ability to use statistical software e.g. SPSS
Other Requirements
Essential
- Able to sit for lengthy periods of time while demonstrating active listening skills
- Able to maintain light physical effort for short periods
- Able to maintain intense concentration frequently and for prolonged periods with unpredictable patients (eg in the assessment and treatment of mentally disordered offender patients)
- Able to function in potentially traumatic circumstances and in highly emotionally distressing circumstances on a frequent basis (eg in dealing with patients with serious mental illness, histories of homicide and serious violence, self-harm, sexual abuse)
- Able to provide services in a secure environment with patients who are disturbed and sometimes violent and where the awareness of the risk of assault must always be maintained
- Able to "hold" the stress of patients compulsorily detained in a secure hospital
- Able to respond adaptably to rapidly changing service demands
- Knowledge of the professional code of conduct of the BPS
- Must be capable of being guided by precedent, clearly defined policies, procedures and codes of conduct
- Able to reflect on own professional practice through the clinical supervision process
- Willing to participate actively in CPD in line with BPS guidelines
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
- Record of having published in either peer reviewed or academic or professional journals and/or books
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Post-graduate doctorate in a relevant branch of applied 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 qualified capacity, as a training placement or as an Assistant Psychologist or an HCA or equivalent
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts and working within a multicultural framework and context.
Desirable
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
Knowledge
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 personality disorders)
- Post-graduate level knowledge of research design and methodology
- Evidence of continuing professional development
Desirable
- Specialist theoretical and practical knowledge of psychology applied to forensic issues
- Knowledge of relevant legislation and its implications for work with mentally disordered offenders
Skills
Essential
- Able to complete satisfactorily breakaway and Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression (PMVA) training
- 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 plan, prioritise and organise own patient caseload, treatment programmes involving other staff, and other aspects of the work such as research activity
- Psychomotor and IT skills necessary to administer complex psychological tests and make use of computer and audio-visual and video equipment, including database, word processing and test administration/scoring software
Desirable
- Ability to use statistical software e.g. SPSS
Other Requirements
Essential
- Able to sit for lengthy periods of time while demonstrating active listening skills
- Able to maintain light physical effort for short periods
- Able to maintain intense concentration frequently and for prolonged periods with unpredictable patients (eg in the assessment and treatment of mentally disordered offender patients)
- Able to function in potentially traumatic circumstances and in highly emotionally distressing circumstances on a frequent basis (eg in dealing with patients with serious mental illness, histories of homicide and serious violence, self-harm, sexual abuse)
- Able to provide services in a secure environment with patients who are disturbed and sometimes violent and where the awareness of the risk of assault must always be maintained
- Able to "hold" the stress of patients compulsorily detained in a secure hospital
- Able to respond adaptably to rapidly changing service demands
- Knowledge of the professional code of conduct of the BPS
- Must be capable of being guided by precedent, clearly defined policies, procedures and codes of conduct
- Able to reflect on own professional practice through the clinical supervision process
- Willing to participate actively in CPD in line with BPS guidelines
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
- Record of having published in either peer reviewed or academic or professional journals and/or books
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).
