Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Clinical/Forensic/Counselling Psychologist to join our thriving Therapy Service at HMP Wormwood Scrubs. We are looking for someone who has a passion for clinical work in forensic settings, who can support the service in developing a trauma-informed approach to service delivery.
The post holder will support the MDT in delivering assessments and interventions for men with complex difficulties, including trauma and personality disorders, and will provide clinical supervision to Assistant Psychologists and Trainees.
The successful applicant will have the opportunity to engage in a range of activities including delivery of training and reflective practice, as well as service improvement initiatives. Additional opportunities in assessing and supporting men with neurodevelopmental needs are available, since the Therapy service leads on the assessment of and provision of intervention for men with ADHD, ASD and Intellectual Disability.
As an example of our commitment to staff development, we have secured a place for the postholder on EMDR training in 2023.
The successful applicants must have experience in working in forensic settings. We would welcome applications from Trainees coming to the end of their training, with forensic/secure setting placement experience.
Main duties of the job
1. To provide specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to the service
2. To formulate and implement plans for the psychological management of a client's mental health problems,
- To implement a range of psychological interventions for individuals and groups.
- To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options
- To support the implementation of a trauma-informed approach across the service and more broadly within the prison.
- To work alongside the MDT .
- To provide specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals
- To undertake risk assessment and risk management and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management.
- To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner
- Receive and provide clinical supervision
- To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry and recording, report writing
- To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the team's operational policies and services, through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit.
To be noted:
- This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, and the post holder may be required to undertake other duties which fall within the grade of the job, in discussion with the manager.
About us
BEH is a multiple award-winning, combined mental health and community Trust providing local, regional and national healthcare services. We are one of the largest employers in North London with over 3000 staff delivering a range of mental health and community services to a population of over one million. This post will sit in the community arm of the Specialist Services Division of Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust. The Specialist Services Division also incorporates the North London Forensic Service for a wide catchment area, namely Barnet, Enfield and Haringey, Camden & Islington. The psychological therapies provision covers a wide spectrum of services including admission and intervention inpatient care in both medium and low secure services, specialist outreach services, consultation with probation services and psychological input to specialist prison programmes. The service inputs to several large prisons in the London area, works with Metropolitan Police and British Transport Police units and provides diversion services from local courts. The service offers consultation and liaison and diversion in Threat Assessment services including FTAC, STAC and CTVSH. The department has strong links with psychology training courses, both clinical and forensic, providing regular placements to a number of trainees and students. The catchment area is exceptionally ethnically diverse with a high level of psychiatric morbidity and social deprivation.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical:
- To provide specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to the team based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the clients care.
- To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a clients mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings.
- To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals and groups, within and across teams employed individually and in synthesis, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
- 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.
- To support the implementation of a trauma-informed approach across the service and more broadly within the prison.
- To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans.
- To provide specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.
- To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings and agencies serving the client group.
- To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management.
- To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care and to monitor progress during the course of both uni- and multi-disciplinary care.
Communication
- To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, communication guidelines and treatment plans of service users and to monitor progress during the course of both uni- and multi-disciplinary care.
- To communicate with the MDT regarding care and treatment planning
- To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner during supervision and consultation with other staff.
Patient/Customer Care (if applicable) (both direct and indirect)
- Much of the day to day role will involve the provision of direct clinical input, as described above, and communicating with the wider team regarding the communication needs of the service user.
People (HR) Management
- Supervision of assistant psychologists (where appropriate).
- Providing training and consultation to the wider team as required.
Information Management
- To be able to use research databases and advanced tools for analysis at both quantitative and qualitative levels.
- To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry and recording, report writing and professional self-governance in accordance with professional codes of practice of the Health and Care Professions Council, British Psychological Society and Trust policies and procedures.
Policy Development
- To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the teams operational policies and services, through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit.
Service Development
- To advise both service and professional management on those aspects of the service where psychological and/or organisational matters need addressing.
Systems and Equipment
- To use and maintain all equipment relevant to the role
Effort, Mental and Environment
- To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the post holders professional and service manager(s).
- To contribute to the development and articulation of best practice in psychology across the service, by continuing to develop the skills of a reflexive and reflective scientist practitioner, taking part in regular professional supervision and appraisal and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the field of clinical and forensic psychology and related disciplines.
- To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific client group and mental health.
To be noted:
- This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, and the post holder may be required to undertake other duties which fall within the grade of the job, in discussion with the manager.
- This job description will be reviewed regularly in the light of changing service requirements and any such changes will be discussed with the post holder.
- The post holder is expected to comply with all relevant Trust policies, procedures and guidelines, including those relating to Equal Opportunities, Health and Safety and Confidentiality of Information.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical:
- To provide specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to the team based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the clients care.
- To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a clients mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings.
- To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals and groups, within and across teams employed individually and in synthesis, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
- 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.
- To support the implementation of a trauma-informed approach across the service and more broadly within the prison.
- To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans.
- To provide specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.
- To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings and agencies serving the client group.
- To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management.
- To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care and to monitor progress during the course of both uni- and multi-disciplinary care.
Communication
- To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, communication guidelines and treatment plans of service users and to monitor progress during the course of both uni- and multi-disciplinary care.
- To communicate with the MDT regarding care and treatment planning
- To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner during supervision and consultation with other staff.
Patient/Customer Care (if applicable) (both direct and indirect)
- Much of the day to day role will involve the provision of direct clinical input, as described above, and communicating with the wider team regarding the communication needs of the service user.
People (HR) Management
- Supervision of assistant psychologists (where appropriate).
- Providing training and consultation to the wider team as required.
Information Management
- To be able to use research databases and advanced tools for analysis at both quantitative and qualitative levels.
- To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry and recording, report writing and professional self-governance in accordance with professional codes of practice of the Health and Care Professions Council, British Psychological Society and Trust policies and procedures.
Policy Development
- To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the teams operational policies and services, through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit.
Service Development
- To advise both service and professional management on those aspects of the service where psychological and/or organisational matters need addressing.
Systems and Equipment
- To use and maintain all equipment relevant to the role
Effort, Mental and Environment
- To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the post holders professional and service manager(s).
- To contribute to the development and articulation of best practice in psychology across the service, by continuing to develop the skills of a reflexive and reflective scientist practitioner, taking part in regular professional supervision and appraisal and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the field of clinical and forensic psychology and related disciplines.
- To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific client group and mental health.
To be noted:
- This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, and the post holder may be required to undertake other duties which fall within the grade of the job, in discussion with the manager.
- This job description will be reviewed regularly in the light of changing service requirements and any such changes will be discussed with the post holder.
- The post holder is expected to comply with all relevant Trust policies, procedures and guidelines, including those relating to Equal Opportunities, Health and Safety and Confidentiality of Information.
Person Specification
EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS
Essential
- Doctoral level training in Clinical Psychology, Forensic Psychology or Counselling Psychology.
- Registration with HCPC
Desirable
- Pre/post-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
- Trained in ADOS or EMDR
EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE
Essential
- Experience of working in a forensic or secure setting
- Evidence of a high level of competent and autonomous clinical practice.
- Experience with working with complex individuals with multiple needs, i.e. mental health, trauma, affect regulation, intellectual disability etc
Desirable
- Experience of working in prisons
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Essential
- Skills in developing and facilitating group interventions
- Working knowledge of at least two specialised psychological therapies for example CBT, EMDR, Schema Therapy, ACT etc.
- Skills in developing and delivering teaching/training/
Desirable
- Skills in providing consultation or reflective practice to other professional and nonprofessional groups.
PERSONAL QUALITIES
Essential
- Ability to work both independently and cooperatively as part of a diverse team.
- Ability to contain work with organisational stress and ability to hold the stress of others as well as their own.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
Essential
- To be be able to be flexible and adaptable to the prison environment
Person Specification
EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS
Essential
- Doctoral level training in Clinical Psychology, Forensic Psychology or Counselling Psychology.
- Registration with HCPC
Desirable
- Pre/post-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
- Trained in ADOS or EMDR
EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE
Essential
- Experience of working in a forensic or secure setting
- Evidence of a high level of competent and autonomous clinical practice.
- Experience with working with complex individuals with multiple needs, i.e. mental health, trauma, affect regulation, intellectual disability etc
Desirable
- Experience of working in prisons
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Essential
- Skills in developing and facilitating group interventions
- Working knowledge of at least two specialised psychological therapies for example CBT, EMDR, Schema Therapy, ACT etc.
- Skills in developing and delivering teaching/training/
Desirable
- Skills in providing consultation or reflective practice to other professional and nonprofessional groups.
PERSONAL QUALITIES
Essential
- Ability to work both independently and cooperatively as part of a diverse team.
- Ability to contain work with organisational stress and ability to hold the stress of others as well as their own.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
Essential
- To be be able to be flexible and adaptable to the prison environment
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).
