Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Highly Specialist Practitioner Psychologist/Psychological Therapist

The closing date is 31 August 2025

Job summary

Oxleas Forensic Psychological Therapies department is an unusually large, long established and nationally well-regarded specialty. Psychological therapists are highly valued within the wider directorate and trust and occupy a variety of service-wide leadership roles, including as Responsible Clinicians. Staff in the Forensic Directorate report the highest levels of job satisfaction in a Trust recognised for positive employee feedback. The Psychological Therapies team is warm and friendly, whilst also being dynamic and innovative.

Within the psychological therapies department, there is a focus on attachment, trauma, and systemic approaches with expert supervision available for several evidence-based therapy modalities such Mentalisation based Therapy (MBT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation therapy (EMDR).

This post is primarily based within Mariposa House (Women's Hostel at Goldie Leigh site) and Bracton Centre (Medium Secure Unit).

The postholder will supervise pre-qualified psychological therapists.

Main duties of the job

To provide highly specialist psychological assessments, formulations and interventions.

To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of community clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans, including taking responsibility for initiating planning and review of care plans with input from clients, their carers, referring agents and others involved in the network of care.

About us

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

We're Kind
We're Fair
We Listen
We Care

Date posted

05 August 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£61,631 to £68,623 a year pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

277-7390445-FOR

Job locations

Mariposa House, Goldie Leigh & Bracton Centre

Abbey Wood/ Dartford

SE2 0AY

Job description

Job responsibilities

To travel to clinical venues, training activities and meetings as appropriate and across the Trust when required.
To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the client group and follow Trust policies relating to its management.
To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations of people in distress or in crisis and who may be abusive and to support others involved in such situations.
To work flexibly which may include offering some regular commitment to late clinics or weekend working, within the overall Job Plan.
To be proficient in the use of IT for purposes such as email, electronic calendar, intranet, video calls and electronic clinical records.
To be familiar with word processing, database, and statistical packages, and to use such packages appropriately as necessary.
To maintain high standards of clinical record keeping, including electronic clinical records and report writing, in accordance with professional codes of practice and Trust policies and procedures.
To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues pertaining to the client group.
To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a senior psychological practitioner according to professional and Trust guidelines and, where appropriate, other senior professional colleagues.
To attend Reflective Practice reliably.
To maintain own Continuing Professional Development in line with registered body and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements.
To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.
To comply with the registered body Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics/Standards of Proficiency.
To ensure that all assistant for whom the post-holder has management responsibility maintain professional standards and adhere to all organisational HR policies and procedures.
Maintaining registration and standards of practice according to the employer and any regulating bodies e.g., the UKCP, BABCP & HCPC etc.
Ensuring all aspects of confidentiality relating to both the service and individuals are maintained at all times.
To ensure that all information generated by own work is recorded as required by Trust policies and local procedures.
To ensure the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry, in those parts of the service for which the post-holder has management or leadership responsibility.

Management responsibilities

To provide line management to pre-qualified staff and to supervise students and trainees.
To support recruitment of psychological therapies staff to the service.
For staff line managed, to ensure local standards are implemented for the allocation and review of work, job planning, review of performance, sickness management and initial stages of grievance or disciplinary action.
To oversee quality line management and supervision within the team structure, ensuring that assistant psychologists and trainees acquire the necessary skills, competencies, and experience to contribute effectively to health care, and to contribute to the assessment and evaluation of such competencies.
To supervise psychological work carried out by other professionals as appropriate.
To provide highly specialist advice, consultation and training of staff working with the client group across a range of agencies and settings, where appropriate. This may include work with the Criminal Justice System and Childrens Services.
To implement clinical governance standards within the service and ensure that these are maintained and improved.
Ensure that services to clients are of a high quality and are managed efficiently, according to the overall requirements of the Trust, NHS and government guidance and standards.
To undertake quality improvement projects relevant to the role.
To ensure the engagement of service users in planning and delivering services.

Leadership

To support the inpatient ward and Mariposa team in the effective working of the team and a psychologically informed framework for the team.
Deliver accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.
To be proactive in challenging discrimination.
To advise other members of the service on specialist psychological care of clients.
To liaise with the service/s MDT and other professionals including to liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals concerned with clients in order to develop and review care plans.
To utilise theory, evidence-based literature, and research.
Work within the remit of relevant policies and procedures for the safe running of the service.
To provide and support specialist clinical placements for students and trainees in applied psychological practice.
To contribute to the delivery of teaching and training to psychological practitioners and other professions.
To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within the service by maintaining an active awareness of current developments in psychological therapy and risk assessment / management and to implement knowledge gained in practice.
To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles.
To continue to gain wider post-qualification experience of psychological therapies and risk assessment, over and above that provided within the principal service area where the post-holder is employed.

Clinical

To provide highly specialist psychological therapy assessments, formulations and interventions.
To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment, and discharge of community clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans, including taking responsibility for initiating planning and review of care plans with input from clients, their carers, referring agents and others involved in the network of care.
To provide culturally appropriate psychological therapy interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.
To produce reports on clients, in a timely manner, that convey the key findings of psychological assessment and formulation and treatment outcome in a way that does justice to the complexity of the problems described, but that are understandable to the recipients of the reports, including clients and referrers.
To undertake psychometric and neuropsychological testing as appropriate, including selecting the appropriate tests, administering, and scoring the tests in accordance with the manual, and interpreting the findings in the context of all relevant information.
To undertake risk assessment, risk monitoring and risk management for individual clients in line with Trust and inter-agency policies and procedures, and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management.
To work in partnership with other disciplines and to maintain links with statutory and non-statutory agencies as appropriate.
To ensure that all services provided are acceptable and accessible to the diverse communities served.
Implement outcome measurement as determined by the local service.
Attend and contribute to psychological therapies and directorate meetings and forums.

Research

To undertake the planning, initiation and completion of research, service evaluation and audits, and quality improvement projects relevant to the service and the directorate research agenda.
To oversee the planning, initiation and completion of research, service evaluation and audits by students, trainees, and colleagues.
To utilise theory, evidence-based literature, and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other team members.

Communication

To communicate, in a highly skilled and sensitive manner, to clients, family carers and others as appropriate, information that may be contentious or highly distressing concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care.
Liaises with other team members, team leaders, service managers, and members of other disciplines and agencies responsible for a clients care.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To travel to clinical venues, training activities and meetings as appropriate and across the Trust when required.
To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the client group and follow Trust policies relating to its management.
To respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations of people in distress or in crisis and who may be abusive and to support others involved in such situations.
To work flexibly which may include offering some regular commitment to late clinics or weekend working, within the overall Job Plan.
To be proficient in the use of IT for purposes such as email, electronic calendar, intranet, video calls and electronic clinical records.
To be familiar with word processing, database, and statistical packages, and to use such packages appropriately as necessary.
To maintain high standards of clinical record keeping, including electronic clinical records and report writing, in accordance with professional codes of practice and Trust policies and procedures.
To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues pertaining to the client group.
To receive regular clinical and professional supervision from a senior psychological practitioner according to professional and Trust guidelines and, where appropriate, other senior professional colleagues.
To attend Reflective Practice reliably.
To maintain own Continuing Professional Development in line with registered body and Trust Personal Development Plan requirements.
To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of current developments in professional and clinical practice and of relevant legislation and policies.
To comply with the registered body Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics/Standards of Proficiency.
To ensure that all assistant for whom the post-holder has management responsibility maintain professional standards and adhere to all organisational HR policies and procedures.
Maintaining registration and standards of practice according to the employer and any regulating bodies e.g., the UKCP, BABCP & HCPC etc.
Ensuring all aspects of confidentiality relating to both the service and individuals are maintained at all times.
To ensure that all information generated by own work is recorded as required by Trust policies and local procedures.
To ensure the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines, including electronic data entry, in those parts of the service for which the post-holder has management or leadership responsibility.

Management responsibilities

To provide line management to pre-qualified staff and to supervise students and trainees.
To support recruitment of psychological therapies staff to the service.
For staff line managed, to ensure local standards are implemented for the allocation and review of work, job planning, review of performance, sickness management and initial stages of grievance or disciplinary action.
To oversee quality line management and supervision within the team structure, ensuring that assistant psychologists and trainees acquire the necessary skills, competencies, and experience to contribute effectively to health care, and to contribute to the assessment and evaluation of such competencies.
To supervise psychological work carried out by other professionals as appropriate.
To provide highly specialist advice, consultation and training of staff working with the client group across a range of agencies and settings, where appropriate. This may include work with the Criminal Justice System and Childrens Services.
To implement clinical governance standards within the service and ensure that these are maintained and improved.
Ensure that services to clients are of a high quality and are managed efficiently, according to the overall requirements of the Trust, NHS and government guidance and standards.
To undertake quality improvement projects relevant to the role.
To ensure the engagement of service users in planning and delivering services.

Leadership

To support the inpatient ward and Mariposa team in the effective working of the team and a psychologically informed framework for the team.
Deliver accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.
To be proactive in challenging discrimination.
To advise other members of the service on specialist psychological care of clients.
To liaise with the service/s MDT and other professionals including to liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals concerned with clients in order to develop and review care plans.
To utilise theory, evidence-based literature, and research.
Work within the remit of relevant policies and procedures for the safe running of the service.
To provide and support specialist clinical placements for students and trainees in applied psychological practice.
To contribute to the delivery of teaching and training to psychological practitioners and other professions.
To contribute to the development of the knowledge and skills base within the service by maintaining an active awareness of current developments in psychological therapy and risk assessment / management and to implement knowledge gained in practice.
To disseminate research and service evaluation findings through presentations and published articles.
To continue to gain wider post-qualification experience of psychological therapies and risk assessment, over and above that provided within the principal service area where the post-holder is employed.

Clinical

To provide highly specialist psychological therapy assessments, formulations and interventions.
To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment, and discharge of community clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans, including taking responsibility for initiating planning and review of care plans with input from clients, their carers, referring agents and others involved in the network of care.
To provide culturally appropriate psychological therapy interventions with carers or families of referred clients when required.
To produce reports on clients, in a timely manner, that convey the key findings of psychological assessment and formulation and treatment outcome in a way that does justice to the complexity of the problems described, but that are understandable to the recipients of the reports, including clients and referrers.
To undertake psychometric and neuropsychological testing as appropriate, including selecting the appropriate tests, administering, and scoring the tests in accordance with the manual, and interpreting the findings in the context of all relevant information.
To undertake risk assessment, risk monitoring and risk management for individual clients in line with Trust and inter-agency policies and procedures, and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management.
To work in partnership with other disciplines and to maintain links with statutory and non-statutory agencies as appropriate.
To ensure that all services provided are acceptable and accessible to the diverse communities served.
Implement outcome measurement as determined by the local service.
Attend and contribute to psychological therapies and directorate meetings and forums.

Research

To undertake the planning, initiation and completion of research, service evaluation and audits, and quality improvement projects relevant to the service and the directorate research agenda.
To oversee the planning, initiation and completion of research, service evaluation and audits by students, trainees, and colleagues.
To utilise theory, evidence-based literature, and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other team members.

Communication

To communicate, in a highly skilled and sensitive manner, to clients, family carers and others as appropriate, information that may be contentious or highly distressing concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care.
Liaises with other team members, team leaders, service managers, and members of other disciplines and agencies responsible for a clients care.

Person Specification

Education & Qualification

Essential

Entry-level qualification in applied psychological therapy/mental health/social welfare profession or equivalent and demonstrable practice in this field (i.e., professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level/supervised practice/additional training) that has been accepted for the purposes of professional registration. Additional training beyond entry-level qualification in a specialised area of psychological practice (through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses and/an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice-based learning in a specialist area of clinical psychological therapy practice, assessed by a registered body and/or an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma or higher. Registered with professional body or regulatory body as appropriate to psychological therapy discipline i.e., HCPC/UKCP/BACP/BABCP. Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the professional body.

Desirable

Training in an evidence-based treatment for the client group. Completed training course in clinical supervision. Training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology. Accredited training in structured professional judgement approaches to risk assessment (including but not limited to the HCR20)

Experience

Essential

Completion of a minimum of two years full-time (or equivalent part-time) post-doctoral / post qualification supervised experience. Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with the full range of clinical severity under supervision. Post-qualification of working with and addressing issues of diversity, including experience of working within a multicultural framework. Experience of maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse, and the threat of physical abuse.

Desirable

Experience of work or research undertaken in forensic / secure / locked settings. Experience of providing supervision to pre-qualified psychological therapies staff or students, or other professionals. Experience of carrying out post-qualification research, audit, or service evaluation projects.

Skills/Abilities/Knowledge

Essential

Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration. Ability to administer, score and interpret psychometric and neuropsychological tests with appropriate training and supervision. Understanding psychological formulation for complex high risk service users. Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers, and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS. Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group, mental health, and child protection. Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS, HCPC or equivalent regulatory body relevant to your profession. Knowledge of the theory and practice of psychological therapies relevant to the client group. Knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies and two assessment methodologies. Knowledge of current mental health legislation and initiatives and of safeguarding legislation. Knowledge of the principles and practice of clinical governance, clinical audit, and risk management. Knowledge of equal opportunities, confidentiality, and consent issues. Knowledge of key NHS policies and procedures. Knowledge of relevant Health & Safety legislation. Ability to manage severely challenging behaviour/crisis intervention. Ability to manage unpredictable workloads and frequent demands on concentration and attention. Report writing and presentation skills. Competent in Microsoft Office packages. Ability to manage within available, and sometimes limited, resources.

Effort and Environment

Essential

Physical Effort Light physical effort for several short periods/ sitting in constrained position for extended periods. Mental Effort Ability to manage unpredictable workloads and frequent demands on concentration and attention Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration. Working Conditions To face regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.

Other Requirements

Essential

Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings. Experience of working with diversity, including but not limited to a multicultural framework. 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 form good working relationships with others in a multi-disciplinary setting. Interest and ability to contribute to service development. Commitment to Equal Opportunities

Desirable

Personal experience of mental health problems.

Person Specification

Education & Qualification

Essential

Entry-level qualification in applied psychological therapy/mental health/social welfare profession or equivalent and demonstrable practice in this field (i.e., professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level/supervised practice/additional training) that has been accepted for the purposes of professional registration. Additional training beyond entry-level qualification in a specialised area of psychological practice (through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses and/an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice-based learning in a specialist area of clinical psychological therapy practice, assessed by a registered body and/or an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma or higher. Registered with professional body or regulatory body as appropriate to psychological therapy discipline i.e., HCPC/UKCP/BACP/BABCP. Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the professional body.

Desirable

Training in an evidence-based treatment for the client group. Completed training course in clinical supervision. Training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology. Accredited training in structured professional judgement approaches to risk assessment (including but not limited to the HCR20)

Experience

Essential

Completion of a minimum of two years full-time (or equivalent part-time) post-doctoral / post qualification supervised experience. Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients with the full range of clinical severity under supervision. Post-qualification of working with and addressing issues of diversity, including experience of working within a multicultural framework. Experience of maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse, and the threat of physical abuse.

Desirable

Experience of work or research undertaken in forensic / secure / locked settings. Experience of providing supervision to pre-qualified psychological therapies staff or students, or other professionals. Experience of carrying out post-qualification research, audit, or service evaluation projects.

Skills/Abilities/Knowledge

Essential

Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration. Ability to administer, score and interpret psychometric and neuropsychological tests with appropriate training and supervision. Understanding psychological formulation for complex high risk service users. Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers, and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS. Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group, mental health, and child protection. Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS, HCPC or equivalent regulatory body relevant to your profession. Knowledge of the theory and practice of psychological therapies relevant to the client group. Knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies and two assessment methodologies. Knowledge of current mental health legislation and initiatives and of safeguarding legislation. Knowledge of the principles and practice of clinical governance, clinical audit, and risk management. Knowledge of equal opportunities, confidentiality, and consent issues. Knowledge of key NHS policies and procedures. Knowledge of relevant Health & Safety legislation. Ability to manage severely challenging behaviour/crisis intervention. Ability to manage unpredictable workloads and frequent demands on concentration and attention. Report writing and presentation skills. Competent in Microsoft Office packages. Ability to manage within available, and sometimes limited, resources.

Effort and Environment

Essential

Physical Effort Light physical effort for several short periods/ sitting in constrained position for extended periods. Mental Effort Ability to manage unpredictable workloads and frequent demands on concentration and attention Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration. Working Conditions To face regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.

Other Requirements

Essential

Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings. Experience of working with diversity, including but not limited to a multicultural framework. 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 form good working relationships with others in a multi-disciplinary setting. Interest and ability to contribute to service development. Commitment to Equal Opportunities

Desirable

Personal experience of mental health problems.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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

Certificate of Sponsorship

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Mariposa House, Goldie Leigh & Bracton Centre

Abbey Wood/ Dartford

SE2 0AY

Employer's website

http://oxleas.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Mariposa House, Goldie Leigh & Bracton Centre

Abbey Wood/ Dartford

SE2 0AY

Employer's website

http://oxleas.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)