Job summary
Psychologist Specialist Clinical, Counselling or Forensic
Are you interested in providing clinical expertise in services for women with personality disorder and complex needs? We are seeking a full time Psychologist or Psychologist in Training in final 6 months of training, for our well developed and highly regarded multidisciplinary PIPE Services at HMP Send.
Vaccination: The successful applicant will be an NHS employee and may therefore have contact with vulnerable service users. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been necessary to take significant steps to protect the health and safety of our staff, service users and those attending our sites. In order to comply with our duty of care, we require our staff to have the COVID vaccine and we will ask for proof of vaccination during the recruitment process. Vaccination will be a condition of employment unless an exemption applies.
Main duties of the job
PIPE stands for Psychologically Informed Planned Environment and our services form part of the national Women's Offender Personality Disorder Pathway. The service includes a Progression PIPE, Preparation PIPE and PIPE outreach. The Progression PIPE was first established some time ago and holds an Enabling Environment (EE) status. We are working towards EE status on our Preparation Service which was established more recently.
Qualified Psychologist or Psychologist in Training in final 6 months of training
HCPC registration or eligible for registration pending completion of training
Experience of working with those with complex needs and offending histories.
About us
CNWL Heath and Justice Services provide healthcare in numerous secure settings and employ a range of psychologists with clinical, counselling and forensic trainings. Psychologists work within the mental health services in eleven sites, across prisons, IRCs and secure hospitals, with children and adults, men and women and across the range of security categories. Psychologists lead on an additional two specialist Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) services and the Sexual Behaviour Service in the youth estate. Joining a large, forward-thinking Trust will bring the successful candidate excellent development opportunities, an exciting career structure, and job satisfaction. Working alongside experienced in-reach team and Offender Personality Disorder Pathway colleagues, psychologists from across Health and Justice Services come together for professional and clinical development and supervision.
Job description
Job responsibilities
You will be joining and providing psychological input to a well-established, enthusiastic and committed team of clinical and operational staff. Working in prison-based services is challenging and rewarding, it involves working with women serving sentences, many of whom have experienced traumatic and disadvantaged backgrounds. You will require excellent communication skills to manage relationships and work closely with partner agencies including prison governors and senior managers. You must also have a desire to contribute to the delivery of high-quality services for women residing within the PIPE and be well organised and motivated. You will receive regular support to further develop your strengths in working in this busy and exciting service.
Job description
Job responsibilities
You will be joining and providing psychological input to a well-established, enthusiastic and committed team of clinical and operational staff. Working in prison-based services is challenging and rewarding, it involves working with women serving sentences, many of whom have experienced traumatic and disadvantaged backgrounds. You will require excellent communication skills to manage relationships and work closely with partner agencies including prison governors and senior managers. You must also have a desire to contribute to the delivery of high-quality services for women residing within the PIPE and be well organised and motivated. You will receive regular support to further develop your strengths in working in this busy and exciting service.
Person Specification
Training and qualifications
Essential
- Doctoral level training in clinical, counselling or forensic psychology or its equivalent, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the BPS.
- HCPC Registered
Desirable
- Other relevant CPD qualifications, pre- or post-training.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with those with a diagnosis of personality disorder and/or a history of self-harm and experience of working with complex trauma.
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical presentations.
- Experience of teaching and training.
- Experience of working effectively in multidisciplinary settings.
- 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 working in secure settings, either prison or secure hospitals.
- Experience of the application of clinical, counselling or forensic psychology in different cultural and specialist contexts.
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- 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.
- Skills in providing training, advice and psychological information and consultation to other professional and non-professional groups
- Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within fields of psychology.
- Broad knowledge of models of assessment, management and treatment of mentally disordered and PD offenders.
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses).
- Ability to work intensively with people who present challenges in the complexity of their problems and needs, including sexual and violent offending and self-harming and suicidal behaviours.
Desirable
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
Other
Essential
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
- 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.
- Good understanding of the current context of service provision within the NHS.
- Willingness to work flexibly to meet demands of contracts, commissioners and other stake-holders to provide high-quality and effective services.
- Ability to work in a secure environment, in line with HMPPS policy and procedure - to obtain and maintain enhanced security clearance.
Desirable
- Experience of working within a multicultural framework.
Person Specification
Training and qualifications
Essential
- Doctoral level training in clinical, counselling or forensic psychology or its equivalent, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the BPS.
- HCPC Registered
Desirable
- Other relevant CPD qualifications, pre- or post-training.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with those with a diagnosis of personality disorder and/or a history of self-harm and experience of working with complex trauma.
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical presentations.
- Experience of teaching and training.
- Experience of working effectively in multidisciplinary settings.
- 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 working in secure settings, either prison or secure hospitals.
- Experience of the application of clinical, counselling or forensic psychology in different cultural and specialist contexts.
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- 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.
- Skills in providing training, advice and psychological information and consultation to other professional and non-professional groups
- Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within fields of psychology.
- Broad knowledge of models of assessment, management and treatment of mentally disordered and PD offenders.
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses).
- Ability to work intensively with people who present challenges in the complexity of their problems and needs, including sexual and violent offending and self-harming and suicidal behaviours.
Desirable
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
Other
Essential
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
- 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.
- Good understanding of the current context of service provision within the NHS.
- Willingness to work flexibly to meet demands of contracts, commissioners and other stake-holders to provide high-quality and effective services.
- Ability to work in a secure environment, in line with HMPPS policy and procedure - to obtain and maintain enhanced security clearance.
Desirable
- Experience of working within a multicultural framework.
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).
