Job summary
We are seeking to recruit an experienced, innovative and enthusiastic Band 8B Clinical, Counselling or Forensic Psychologists, to join a large and dynamic psychology department in the Forensic Directorate, covering medium and low security, as well as forensic community services.
The post holders will provide psychological leadership in the autism service within the medium secure unit, and will be embedded in a full MDT. Their clinical work will be supported by an Assistant Psychologist.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for someone who has extensive experience of working with people with autism. Experience of a comparable setting would be desirable, but is not essential.
As a senior member of staff, the post holder will be expected to take on some supervision and line-management responsibilities, and to provide clinical leadership on relevant issues to the wider service.
The department has excellent links with the North Thames Clinical Psychology training courses and other academic institutions.
There are many opportunities to get involved in teaching and training, as well as excellent CPD opportunities.
About us
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
Job description
Job responsibilities
We encourage potential applicants to get in touch to propose any specific personal requests (such as part-time or flexible working patterns; particular training requirements) which we would be happy to consider.
Job description
Job responsibilities
We encourage potential applicants to get in touch to propose any specific personal requests (such as part-time or flexible working patterns; particular training requirements) which we would be happy to consider.
Person Specification
Education/ Qualification/ Training
Essential
- Post Graduate Doctoral level training in Clinical, Forensic or Counselling Psychology or equivalent accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). Evidence of CPD in accordance with BPS recommendations Either: Recognized qualification or training in psychotherapy supervision or Clinical supervision training for doctoral clinical /counselling psychology trainees. Registered as a practitioner psychologist by the HCPC.
Desirable
- Additional training in intellectual disability or Autism Spectrum Disorders.
- Formal training in Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)
- Post Qualification Training in a Psychotherapy Modality: e.g. DBT, CFT, EMDR, CBTp, CBT for trauma or Schema Therapy.
Experience
Essential
- Substantial experience of working with service users with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder or Intellectual Disability and of assessing for Autistic Spectrum Disorder or Intellectual Disability
- Experience of providing specialist psychological assessments and treatment interventions to patients with complex problems, including severe mental illness, personality disorder, substance misuse, offending behaviour and/or dual diagnosis
- Providing specialist psychological assessment and intervention across a range of care settings including community and inpatient
- Experience of devising and implementing PBS plans.
- Exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan.
- Representing psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary and inter agency care.
- Facilitating therapeutic groups.
- Providing teaching, training and clinical supervision.
- The application of psychologically informed interventions in different cultural contexts including working with interpreters.
- Experience of providing clinical supervision
- Providing management supervision.
- Co-produced clinical care, including goal setting, using a Recovery approach
Desirable
- Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team
- Experience of representing psychology in various teams and working groups
- Experience of recruitment and selection and other HR processes. Leading audit and research project.
- The operational delivery of Integrated care pathways
- The use of QI or other improvement methodology in clinical settings
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management, including the use of theoretical models to analyse information and develop formulations upon which to base choice of treatment.
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies when working with people with autism or learning disabilities
- Skills in delivering psychological interventions in individual and group formats, adapted to meet the needs of the individual or group
- Ability to identify risk relevant to forensic work. Skills in risk assessment and risk management
- Knowledge of the evidence base for psychological interventions with a (forensic) learning disability or autism client group.
- Ability to adapt psychological therapies to client's needs, taking into account specific communication difficulties.
- Knowledge of theories underpinning Positive Behaviour Support and experience of carrying out functional assessments, designing and implementing Positive Behaviour Support plans.
- Additional relevant clinical and/or managerial knowledge and skills acquired through formal training, long or short courses, formal supervision (individual and/or group), structured self-study, or experience - or a combination of these - to an appropriate level approved by the Head of Psychology and demonstrated by certification, documented supervision logs, management appraisal documentation and/or assessment at interview.
- Knowledge and understanding of guidance around equal opportunities and diversity as it relates to both staff and service users and their carers.
- Ability to plan and deliver teaching and training of psychology and non-psychology staff
- Knowledge of the evidence base for psychological interventions with the forensic client group.
- Skills in effective oral and written communication of complex and/or clinically sensitive information to a wide range of recipients both within and outside the NHS, including the ability to produce letters, reports, and associated documentation appropriate to its readership, and to overcome barriers to understanding and acceptance
- Skills in providing advice and consultation to other professionals and carers
- Ability to plan, organise and prioritise own work
- Basic computing skills: word processing, email, Internet.
- Knowledge of the legal framework in which forensic services operate, and of other agencies and systems involved in the treatment/management and care of mentally disordered offenders
- Postgraduate level knowledge of research methodology, including research design, and complex statistical analysis: audit skills
- Ability to plan and deliver teaching and training sessions; high level presentation skills
- Ability to produce high quality professional results to specified deadlines and other time constraints
- Ability to effectively manage verbal aggression and the risk of physical aggression from patients or carers
- Ability to effectively manage frequent exposure to highly distressing/ emotional circumstances.
Desirable
- Knowledge of team and organisational dynamics
- Ability to use advanced IT packages
- Ability to use multi-media presentation materials
- Knowledge of National and Government directives relevant to the development and delivery of forensic mental health services
- Understanding of the principles of integrated care
- Understanding of the principles of co-production and service user/ care involvement and demonstrable skills in involving service users in service development and delivery.
- Training in Quality Improvement (QI) methodology
- Knowledge of recent legislation/ guidance relevant to service users with a learning disability
Other
Essential
- Ability to recognise, contain and work with organisational and personal stress
- Ability to work creatively, co-operatively, reliably and consistently both as an independent practitioner and in multi-disciplinary and team settings
- Respectful approach to patients, carers, colleagues, and others
- Willingness to negotiate and ability to handle confrontation effectively
Person Specification
Education/ Qualification/ Training
Essential
- Post Graduate Doctoral level training in Clinical, Forensic or Counselling Psychology or equivalent accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). Evidence of CPD in accordance with BPS recommendations Either: Recognized qualification or training in psychotherapy supervision or Clinical supervision training for doctoral clinical /counselling psychology trainees. Registered as a practitioner psychologist by the HCPC.
Desirable
- Additional training in intellectual disability or Autism Spectrum Disorders.
- Formal training in Positive Behaviour Support (PBS)
- Post Qualification Training in a Psychotherapy Modality: e.g. DBT, CFT, EMDR, CBTp, CBT for trauma or Schema Therapy.
Experience
Essential
- Substantial experience of working with service users with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder or Intellectual Disability and of assessing for Autistic Spectrum Disorder or Intellectual Disability
- Experience of providing specialist psychological assessments and treatment interventions to patients with complex problems, including severe mental illness, personality disorder, substance misuse, offending behaviour and/or dual diagnosis
- Providing specialist psychological assessment and intervention across a range of care settings including community and inpatient
- Experience of devising and implementing PBS plans.
- Exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan.
- Representing psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary and inter agency care.
- Facilitating therapeutic groups.
- Providing teaching, training and clinical supervision.
- The application of psychologically informed interventions in different cultural contexts including working with interpreters.
- Experience of providing clinical supervision
- Providing management supervision.
- Co-produced clinical care, including goal setting, using a Recovery approach
Desirable
- Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team
- Experience of representing psychology in various teams and working groups
- Experience of recruitment and selection and other HR processes. Leading audit and research project.
- The operational delivery of Integrated care pathways
- The use of QI or other improvement methodology in clinical settings
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management, including the use of theoretical models to analyse information and develop formulations upon which to base choice of treatment.
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies when working with people with autism or learning disabilities
- Skills in delivering psychological interventions in individual and group formats, adapted to meet the needs of the individual or group
- Ability to identify risk relevant to forensic work. Skills in risk assessment and risk management
- Knowledge of the evidence base for psychological interventions with a (forensic) learning disability or autism client group.
- Ability to adapt psychological therapies to client's needs, taking into account specific communication difficulties.
- Knowledge of theories underpinning Positive Behaviour Support and experience of carrying out functional assessments, designing and implementing Positive Behaviour Support plans.
- Additional relevant clinical and/or managerial knowledge and skills acquired through formal training, long or short courses, formal supervision (individual and/or group), structured self-study, or experience - or a combination of these - to an appropriate level approved by the Head of Psychology and demonstrated by certification, documented supervision logs, management appraisal documentation and/or assessment at interview.
- Knowledge and understanding of guidance around equal opportunities and diversity as it relates to both staff and service users and their carers.
- Ability to plan and deliver teaching and training of psychology and non-psychology staff
- Knowledge of the evidence base for psychological interventions with the forensic client group.
- Skills in effective oral and written communication of complex and/or clinically sensitive information to a wide range of recipients both within and outside the NHS, including the ability to produce letters, reports, and associated documentation appropriate to its readership, and to overcome barriers to understanding and acceptance
- Skills in providing advice and consultation to other professionals and carers
- Ability to plan, organise and prioritise own work
- Basic computing skills: word processing, email, Internet.
- Knowledge of the legal framework in which forensic services operate, and of other agencies and systems involved in the treatment/management and care of mentally disordered offenders
- Postgraduate level knowledge of research methodology, including research design, and complex statistical analysis: audit skills
- Ability to plan and deliver teaching and training sessions; high level presentation skills
- Ability to produce high quality professional results to specified deadlines and other time constraints
- Ability to effectively manage verbal aggression and the risk of physical aggression from patients or carers
- Ability to effectively manage frequent exposure to highly distressing/ emotional circumstances.
Desirable
- Knowledge of team and organisational dynamics
- Ability to use advanced IT packages
- Ability to use multi-media presentation materials
- Knowledge of National and Government directives relevant to the development and delivery of forensic mental health services
- Understanding of the principles of integrated care
- Understanding of the principles of co-production and service user/ care involvement and demonstrable skills in involving service users in service development and delivery.
- Training in Quality Improvement (QI) methodology
- Knowledge of recent legislation/ guidance relevant to service users with a learning disability
Other
Essential
- Ability to recognise, contain and work with organisational and personal stress
- Ability to work creatively, co-operatively, reliably and consistently both as an independent practitioner and in multi-disciplinary and team settings
- Respectful approach to patients, carers, colleagues, and others
- Willingness to negotiate and ability to handle confrontation effectively
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).
