Job summary
Are you a qualified and experienced mental health professional looking to develop your leadership skills? Are you passionate about bringing trauma-informed approaches to women in the criminal justice system?
A unique and exciting new role has arisen within the Thames Valley Integrated Offender Personality Disorder Pathway, leading a brand new service focused on improving custody-to-community transitions of women with complex mental health needs.
Transitions are recognised as a time of increased anxiety, stress and sadly often relapse and recall. By building relationships with prison and community mental health services and carrying a small caseload of women in custodial settings, you will improve continuity of mental health care and increase access for this high risk, yet vulnerable group. You will join a highly specialist and supportive team with regular CPD and excellent opportunities for career development.
This post will be a pilot for 24 months initially and will involve a mixture of remote working and travel across a wide geographical area.
WE WOULD WELCOME A CONVERSATION PRIOR TO APPLICATION. Please contact Dr. Rosie Winder, Principal Clinical Psychologist & Thames Valley WOPD Lead at rosie.winder@justice.gov.uk in the first instance.
Main duties of the job
Women in the criminal justice system commonly present with complex mental health difficulties and additional vulnerabilities such as domestic violence, child removal, substance misuse and the risk of sexual exploitation. The Women's OPD Pathway seeks to identify and ameliorate the impact of these factors in order to improve mental health and reduce further offending and recalls to custody .
You will be responsible for building relationships with prison and community mental health teams, probation staff and other professionals in order to facilitate the timely and smooth transition of high risk women with complex mental health needs from custody to the community, with a particular focus on transitions to Elizabeth Fry Approved Premises in Reading in the first instance.
You will link in with the four women's prisons in the South East of England and at Elizabeth Fry in Reading and so will need to be able to travel across a wide geographical area. This will be balanced with home working and all travel to locations other than your base will be covered.
About us
You will join the highly specialist Thames Valley Integrated Offender Personality Disorder Pathway team, where you will receive regular supervision, CPD and excellent opportunities for career development. We are a very friendly and collaborative team who are passionate about what we do. This role offers hybrid working.
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust provides physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset.
Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people's homes, delivering care as close to home as possible
Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive:"Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team"
Our values are:"Caring, safe and excellent"
At Oxford Health we offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:
- Excellent opportunities for career progression
- Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and development
- 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
- NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
- Competitive pension scheme
- Lease car scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Mental Health First Aiders
- Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists may apply)
- Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Building a network with prison and community mental health teams, third sector services, probation staff and Approved Premises within Thames Valley.
- Mapping mental health need and provision across a large geographical patch extending beyond Thames Valley.
- Offering direct clinical support to a small caseload of women transitioning from prison to Elizabeth Fry Approved Premises, potentially extending this to women settling within the wider community as you become established.
- Offering direct support to prison and community offender managers via liaison and consultation.
- Building relationships with community mental health services, Third Sector and other organisations, in order to facilitate access for women with complex mental health needs re-entering the community.
- Attending MAPPA and other professionals' meetings where appropriate.
- Supporting the Women's Lead in developing and implementing other recall and reoffending prevention initiatives as required.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Building a network with prison and community mental health teams, third sector services, probation staff and Approved Premises within Thames Valley.
- Mapping mental health need and provision across a large geographical patch extending beyond Thames Valley.
- Offering direct clinical support to a small caseload of women transitioning from prison to Elizabeth Fry Approved Premises, potentially extending this to women settling within the wider community as you become established.
- Offering direct support to prison and community offender managers via liaison and consultation.
- Building relationships with community mental health services, Third Sector and other organisations, in order to facilitate access for women with complex mental health needs re-entering the community.
- Attending MAPPA and other professionals' meetings where appropriate.
- Supporting the Women's Lead in developing and implementing other recall and reoffending prevention initiatives as required.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Qualified Clinical, Counselling or Forensic Psychologist registered with the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC).
- Registered Mental Health Nurse or other registered health or social care professional.
- Relevant additional professional qualification (e.g. master's level) or equivalent experience of working at a senior level in specialist area.
Experience
Essential
- Detailed knowledge of legal issues pertaining to specialised mental health services, including MHA 1983, S117 after care, DOLS, MCA, safeguarding and child protection legislation.
- Detailed knowledge of specialist area acquired through postgraduate training or experience
- Knowledge and understanding of forensic community mental health
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups or all ages, presenting problems and severity
Desirable
- Experience of working in a secure environment
- Experience of working with clients with personality disorder
Skills
Essential
- Ability to build strong working relationships
- Strong and sensitive negotiation skills
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- A high degree of professionalism and ability to reflect on own and others' emotional reactions
- Skills in providing consultation and advice
- Ability to formulate risk to self and others
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Ability to work independently, reliably and consistently
- Effective interpersonal skills to negotiate successfully with clients and professionals
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Qualified Clinical, Counselling or Forensic Psychologist registered with the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC).
- Registered Mental Health Nurse or other registered health or social care professional.
- Relevant additional professional qualification (e.g. master's level) or equivalent experience of working at a senior level in specialist area.
Experience
Essential
- Detailed knowledge of legal issues pertaining to specialised mental health services, including MHA 1983, S117 after care, DOLS, MCA, safeguarding and child protection legislation.
- Detailed knowledge of specialist area acquired through postgraduate training or experience
- Knowledge and understanding of forensic community mental health
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups or all ages, presenting problems and severity
Desirable
- Experience of working in a secure environment
- Experience of working with clients with personality disorder
Skills
Essential
- Ability to build strong working relationships
- Strong and sensitive negotiation skills
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- A high degree of professionalism and ability to reflect on own and others' emotional reactions
- Skills in providing consultation and advice
- Ability to formulate risk to self and others
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Ability to work independently, reliably and consistently
- Effective interpersonal skills to negotiate successfully with clients and professionals
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).
