Clinical/Forensic Psychologist

Job responsibilities

Clinical

To provide specialist psychological assessments of patients referred to the unit 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, directand indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with patients, family members and others involved in the patients care.

To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a patients psychological problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the patients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy.

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 where appropriate.

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 exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of patients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans.

To provide specialist psychological advice guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to patients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plans.

To ensure that all members of the clinical team have access to a psychologically based framework for understanding and care of patients of the service, through the provision of advice and consultation and the dissemination of psychological research and theory.

To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual patients and to provide both general and specialist 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 patients under their care and to monitor progress during the course of both uni and multidisciplinary care.

To provide expertise, advice and support to facilitate the effective and appropriate provision of psychological care by all members of the team.

Teaching, Training and Supervision

To provide post-qualification training (CPD) and clinical professional supervision to recently qualified clinical and/or forensic or counselling psychologists attached to the team.

To provide advice, consultation and training and clinical supervision to other members of the team for the provision of psychologically based interventions to help improve patients functioning.

To provide pre- and post-qualification teaching of clinical or forensic psychologists and/or other psychological services staff as appropriate.

To maintain and develop skills in the area of professional pre- and post-graduate training and clinical supervision.

To provide advice, consultation and training to staff working with the patient group across a range of agencies and settings, where appropriate.

To receive regular professional supervision from a senior psychologist in the team and where appropriate other senior colleagues.

To continue to gain wider post-qualification experience of clinical or forensic psychology in line with BPS requirements.

To develop skills in the area of professional post-graduate teaching, training and supervision, and to provide supervision to the psychological work of other multidisciplinary team staff, as appropriate.

To provide professional and clinical supervision to assistant psychologists and, as appropriate, supervise Doctoral level.

To contribute to the pre and post-qualification teaching of all relevant staff, as appropriate.

To provide advice, consultation, supervision and training to staff working with the patient group across a range of agencies and settings, where appropriate

Management, Recruitment and Service Development

To participate as appropriate in staff recruitment, both in the short-listing process and as a member of interview panels for assistant, trainees and qualified clinical psychologists.

To participate as a senior clinician in the development of a high quality responsive and accessible service, including proposing and implementing changes within the psychological service.

To exercise delegated responsibility for managing psychology staff based within the psychology service.

Research and Service Evaluation

To take the psychology lead, as a senior clinician, in the evaluation, monitoring and development of the teams operational policies through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit and ensuring incorporation of psychological frameworks for understanding and provision of high quality care.

To utilise theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members.

To undertake appropriate research as agreed with the line manager and Lead Consultant Clinical Psychologist and provide research advice to team colleagues undertaking research.

To initiate project management, including complex audit and service evaluation with colleagues within and across the service to help develop and improve services to patients and their families.

To undertake a defined role in Service Governance structures if/when agreed.

Qualifications

Essential

• For Clinical Psychologists: Doctoral level training in clinical psychology or equivalent for those who trained prior to 1996, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by the BPS. For Forensic Psychologists: Will have completed Stage I (MSc in Forensic Psychology (or DFP qualifying exam), and Stage II post qualifying training and therefore have full membership and Chartered status of the Division of Forensic Psychology or will have completed the Forensic Psychology Doctorate and therefore have full membership of the Division of Forensic Psychology and Chartered status.
• HCPC Registration as a Practitioner Psychologist based on the above.

Desirable

• oPost-doctoral training in one ormoreadditional specialisedareasof psychological practice

Knowledge

Essential

• oExperience of working with patients with complex mental health needs in a forensic setting.
• oWorking as part of a multi- disciplinary team, undertaking specialist assessment, formulation, care planning and interventions.
• oExperience of working with a wide variety of patient groups, across a range of mental health needs and presenting problems.
• oExperience of working with presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threats of physical abuse.
• oAbility to work independently on own initiative and as an effective member of complex multi-disciplinary teams.
• oExperience of teaching, training and/or professional and clinical supervision.
• oExperience of leadership, management and supervision of others.

Desirable

• oExperience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.
• oKnowledge of organisational dynamics and institutional factors relevant to the delivery and effectiveness of secure inpatient mental health services. Research/publications on relevant issues.
• Experience of with complex mental health needs in a forensic setting would be beneficial.
• Experience of utilising structure risk assessments, e.g. HCR20

Values

Essential

• oContinuous Improvement
• oAccountability
• oRespectfulness
• oEnthusiasm
• oResponsive to service users
• oEngaging leadership style
• oStrong customer service belief
• oTransparency and honesty
• oDiscreet

Skills

Essential

• Well-developed skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment incorporating a range of methodologies, e.g. clinical interview, psychometrics, structured clinical tools. Well developed intervention and management skills frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
• Ability to assimilate complex information from a range of sources to complete psychological formulation and clinical risk assessment in order to develop effective treatment plans for clients with complex mental health problems.
• Experience of delivering psychological intervention in a range of formats to complex client groups.
• Ability to effectively engage clients who may present with significant clinical obstacles to engagement.
• Ability to maintain clear and appropriate personal and professional boundaries and to recognise own limitations.
• Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical and clinically sensitive information to service users, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS. Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non professional groups.
• Knowledge of research design and methodology
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the patient group and mental health.
• Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS

Desirable

• oCompletion of training in specialist clinical and risk assessment tools e.g. HCR-20, START, PCL-R.
• oWell developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (eg dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc).
• oPrevious training and experience of recognised specialised therapies e.g. CBT, DBT, Schema therapy
• oManagement and leadership skills.
• Formal training in supervision and supervision methods

Other

Essential

• oAbility to identify, provide and promote appropriate means of support to carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and severely challenging behaviours.
• oAbility to identify and employ, as appropriate, clinical governance mechanisms for the support and maintenance of clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
• oAbility to self-reflect, use clinical supervision appropriately and consider complex organisational team dynamics.
• oAbility to develop and use complex multi-media materials for presentations in public, professional and academic settings.

Desirable

• oExperience 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.

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).