Job summary
12 MONTHS FIXED TERM CONTRACT
We are pleased to be able to offer an exciting opportunity for a Higher Assistant Psychologist.
Our diverse team work together to provide an innovative, trauma focused treatment programme for male offenders within a high secure prison. Our cutting-edge treatment relies upon people skilled and interested in using research, evaluation and audit practice.
Post-holders will support a number of exciting projects that help our therapeutic team to monitor treatment quality and the progress of patients in our service. You will also have involvement in service development projects and support our responsivity treatment programme.
You will be supported with regular supervision, access to varied training opportunities and encouraged to build relationships with our external research links. The role is fixed for one year, with the possibility of extension. Scope to work from home on a weekly basis exits.
**Please note - this post is subject to CTC security clearance checks which require residency in the UK for the last 3 years, with no more than a break of 6 months abroad**
Main duties of the job
To support the professional psychological care of individual high risk patients who have a history of acute developmental trauma, under the supervision of a qualified professional psychologist. The successful candidate will contribute to the implementation of research projects on the unit, as well as assisting in a number of assessment and evaluation activities that require direct patient contact. We deliver a neuro diverse treatment that you will be attached to by delivering structured support sessions outside of the group setting. In addition there are a number of clinically related administration and audit tasks attached to the post. The post-holder will be required to work independently according to a plan agreed with a qualified psychologist and within the overall framework of the team's policies and procedures.
The post involves working with patients within the OPDP Fens Services, situated within a High Secure male prison. The working environment includes exposure to extremely high levels of distress in others. A major element of the job is the constant potential for direct exposure to verbal and physical aggression, and high levels of emotional distress. There is a requirement for substantial periods of concentration and sitting. The nature of the working environment requires routine exposure to security procedures such as searches.
About us
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high-quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting andempowering them to lead a fulfilling life.
Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services, not only via inpatient and primary care settings, but also within the community. These services include children's, adult and older people's mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development.
To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high-calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including disabled people and members of ourethnic minority andLGBTQ+ communities.
For further information on CPFT, please visit our website at www.cpft.nhs.uk
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities.
- To provide brief structured interventions to support axis 1 difficulties or where psychological barriers are preventing the patient from engaging in the trauma model offered on the OPDP Fens service. This to be agreed and supervised by a qualified psychologist.
- To provide individual sessions for responsivity treatment to support the learning from groups through repetition and tailored adaptions. This is to be directed by a qualified psychologist leading the responsivity group and supervised by a qualified psychologist.
- To act as a co-facilitator for group interventions within the OPDP Fens service. This to be supervised at all times by a qualified clinician.
- To deliver mindfulness and virtual reality sessions to individual high risk patients within the Fens service, working independently according to a plan agreed with a qualified psychologist.
- To deliver virtual reality interventions to operational and clinical staff, as appropriate.
- To deliver key assessments to support the evaluation of virtual reality and neurofeedback interventions.
- To contribute to staff training in relation to research, evaluation and audit interventions.
- To contribute to protocol based psychological assessments of clients including neuropsychological tests, risk assessments, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with prisoners, under the close supervision of a qualified psychologist.
- In common with all psychologists, to receive regular clinical supervision in accordance with professional practice guidelines.
- To gain wider experience of professional psychology within the NHS over and above that provided within the principal service area where the post holder is employed.
- To develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties.
- To undertake, within the Trusts IPR, PDP and Clinical Governance policies, CPD through teaching, clinical supervision, discussions, visits, study days, courses and relevant reading as agreed with professional and line managers.
- To participate in the Trusts annual Appraisal process.
To attend all relevant mandatory training as and when required to do so.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities.
- To provide brief structured interventions to support axis 1 difficulties or where psychological barriers are preventing the patient from engaging in the trauma model offered on the OPDP Fens service. This to be agreed and supervised by a qualified psychologist.
- To provide individual sessions for responsivity treatment to support the learning from groups through repetition and tailored adaptions. This is to be directed by a qualified psychologist leading the responsivity group and supervised by a qualified psychologist.
- To act as a co-facilitator for group interventions within the OPDP Fens service. This to be supervised at all times by a qualified clinician.
- To deliver mindfulness and virtual reality sessions to individual high risk patients within the Fens service, working independently according to a plan agreed with a qualified psychologist.
- To deliver virtual reality interventions to operational and clinical staff, as appropriate.
- To deliver key assessments to support the evaluation of virtual reality and neurofeedback interventions.
- To contribute to staff training in relation to research, evaluation and audit interventions.
- To contribute to protocol based psychological assessments of clients including neuropsychological tests, risk assessments, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with prisoners, under the close supervision of a qualified psychologist.
- In common with all psychologists, to receive regular clinical supervision in accordance with professional practice guidelines.
- To gain wider experience of professional psychology within the NHS over and above that provided within the principal service area where the post holder is employed.
- To develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties.
- To undertake, within the Trusts IPR, PDP and Clinical Governance policies, CPD through teaching, clinical supervision, discussions, visits, study days, courses and relevant reading as agreed with professional and line managers.
- To participate in the Trusts annual Appraisal process.
To attend all relevant mandatory training as and when required to do so.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential
- An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology.
- Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society
Desirable
- Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis.
Experience
Essential
- Experience working clinically with people with people with mental health difficulties.
- Experience of delivering structured risk assessment tools
- Experience of completing specialised psychological assessments
- Practical experience working on audit, evaluation or research projects within a healthcare setting.
Desirable
- Experience working within a forensic setting
- Experience of working with individuals with personality disorders and trauma
- Experience of working with patients with cognitive difficulties
- Previous experience as an Assistant Psychologist, or working under the supervision of a qualified psychologist
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- High level communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive.
- Ability to communicate sensitive information to patients and colleagues in a way that addresses psychological resistance
- Good organisational and time managements skills.
- Able to communicate material of a specialist research nature to populations without any previous knowledge
- Abilities in use of databases or data-analysis, including SPSS for Windows and Excel.
Desirable
- Practical experience of using Virtual Reality interventions
- High standard of report writing.
Knowledge and Understanding
Essential
- Possess sufficient knowledge of research methods and techniques to work within and implement research programmes on the unit.
- An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge, underpinned by theory, to the forensic context
- Ability to adapt style and/or intervention strategies to meet the challenges of complex and highly sensitive situations.
- Ability to liaise with clinical and academic teams
- Ability to work independently, reliably and consistently
- Ability to accept and use supervision appropriately and effectively
- Ability to recognise limits of competence and seek support and supervision when needed.
Desirable
- Knowledge of literature pertaining to personality disorders and forensic settings
Other
Essential
- An interest in the use of technology applied to health care and forensic settings
- A minimum of 3 years UK residency with no longer than a 6 month break abroad.
Desirable
- A desire to explore a career in Professional Psychology
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential
- An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology.
- Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society
Desirable
- Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis.
Experience
Essential
- Experience working clinically with people with people with mental health difficulties.
- Experience of delivering structured risk assessment tools
- Experience of completing specialised psychological assessments
- Practical experience working on audit, evaluation or research projects within a healthcare setting.
Desirable
- Experience working within a forensic setting
- Experience of working with individuals with personality disorders and trauma
- Experience of working with patients with cognitive difficulties
- Previous experience as an Assistant Psychologist, or working under the supervision of a qualified psychologist
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- High level communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive.
- Ability to communicate sensitive information to patients and colleagues in a way that addresses psychological resistance
- Good organisational and time managements skills.
- Able to communicate material of a specialist research nature to populations without any previous knowledge
- Abilities in use of databases or data-analysis, including SPSS for Windows and Excel.
Desirable
- Practical experience of using Virtual Reality interventions
- High standard of report writing.
Knowledge and Understanding
Essential
- Possess sufficient knowledge of research methods and techniques to work within and implement research programmes on the unit.
- An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge, underpinned by theory, to the forensic context
- Ability to adapt style and/or intervention strategies to meet the challenges of complex and highly sensitive situations.
- Ability to liaise with clinical and academic teams
- Ability to work independently, reliably and consistently
- Ability to accept and use supervision appropriately and effectively
- Ability to recognise limits of competence and seek support and supervision when needed.
Desirable
- Knowledge of literature pertaining to personality disorders and forensic settings
Other
Essential
- An interest in the use of technology applied to health care and forensic settings
- A minimum of 3 years UK residency with no longer than a 6 month break abroad.
Desirable
- A desire to explore a career in Professional Psychology
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).
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).
Employer details
Employer name
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Fens Service, HMP Whitemoor
Longhill Road
March, Cambridgeshire
PE15 0PR
Employer's website
https://www.cpft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
