Job summary
We
are looking for a 12
month fixed term Band 8a Clinical /
Forensic / Counselling Psychologist to join the Support to Succeed Team. The role is to cover a
member of staff on maternity leave.
This role is based across multiple Probation sites, with base location dependant on preference as well as WFH
The successful applicant will also be subject to Probation vetting
checks prior to start dates being agreed
Support to Succeed forms the
community part of the offender personality disorder (OPD) pathway in Devon. The
OPD pathway is based in prison and probation, with NHS and HMPPS staff working
together to increase the wellbeing and reduce the risk of those screened into
the pathway, whilst improving the knowledge and attitudes of wider workforce.
STS offers support to probation staff through consultation, formulation and
training; and psychologically-informed intervention and risk management (IIRMS)
for those leaving prison, including a hub service with activities and
psycho-education/skills groups.
This is a cohesive and enthusiastic team
including a probation practitioner, psychologist, assistant psychologists,
social worker, a peer support worker, support time and recovery workers and
admin support. Space is protected for supervision, reflective practice and
training, including both whole-team training and the opportunity to undertake
training in specific areas of interest relevant to the service.
Main duties of the job
The role will include offering
psychological intervention, developing and facilitating psycho-educational
and/or skills-based groups, and providing psychologically-informed and
relational support to people with complex presentations including significant trauma,
difficulties with interpersonal relationships and emotion regulation, substance
misuse, history of offending sexually and/or violently and often isolated/stigmatised
by society. IIRMS is a growing and evolving service, allowing opportunities to
support service development in this post.
The role will also include facilitating consultation,
reflective practice and training for probation practitioners; offering clinical
supervision and line management to assistant psychologists and others; and
helping to oversee the day-to-day running of the service.
We welcome
applications from motivated individuals who are keen to have an opportunity to work
with complex presentations, balancing clinical need with risk management. A core part of the role will be to work
alongside colleagues from a range of disciplines sharing psychological
knowledge and consistently improving the psychological mindedness of the probation
and other services. To be successful in
this role, you will need to be enthusiastic, forward thinking and emotionally
resilient with a passion and commitment to supporting people with personality
difficulties.
The post-holder will receive
regular clinical and managerial supervision from the clinical lead.
About us
About Devon Partnership Trust
We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.
We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do
Our values
We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.
We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job
Purpose
Devons Support to Succeed
(STS) service combines the existing probation consultation service and the new
Intensive Intervention and Risk Management service (IIRMs). The probation
consultation arm of the service offers mainly indirect work with probation practitioners
and includes: psychological consultation to probation practitioners; devising
psychological formulations; workforce development; and limited joint working. It
principally aims to enhance probation practitioners practice. IIRMs aims to
provide a community based service that delivers individually tailored and
psychologically informed interventions directly to people on probation as they
transition out of prison and settle in the community. Both services seek to
enhance the management of risk of serious harm to others and reduce re-offending,
but also to develop psychological wellbeing and social engagement among users.
While probation consultation largely offers indirect work with people on
probation, the IIRMs service will work directly with clients.
The role will consist:
1. Being an autonomous practitioner responsible for your own clinical
activity and accountable for observing and interpreting professional and Trust
guidelines for professional conduct including accurate record keeping
2. Providing
consultation, advice, and clinical supervision to other professionals and
agencies including Band 5 Assistant Psychologists, Trainee Psychologists and
others
3. Devising,
supervising and formulating a clients presenting difficulties(s), based upon
the appropriate theoretical and conceptual frameworks and evidence based
practice
4. Delivering
individual and group interventions
5. Organising
and agreeing each clients intervention plan including risk management and
crisis-planning arrangements for people being released from prison into Devon
or otherwise i.e. agreeing across agency arrangements for high risk people on
probation released to out-of-area Approved Premises and / or IIRMs
6. Overseeing
the weekly drop-in, custodial in-reach, referral consultation and joint
assessment and clinical aspects of the role
7. Ensuring
that frequent case and risk reviews occur and are recorded for all clients
8. Agreeing
plans for the management of non-attendance and eventual discharge of
individuals engaged in the OPD Pathway
9. Meeting
appropriate standards of practice in the quality and timeliness of the service
provided. Standards of practice will include
those defined by: the British Psychological Society (including the Division of
Clinical Psychology); the HCPC; and Devon Partnership Trust
10.
Keeping adequate clinical records in accordance
with Trust guidance
11.
Undertaking risk and other assessments (where
relevant) and collaborating on the risk management of individuals together with
His Majestys Prison and Probation Service
12. Undertake
other responsibilities e.g. quality improvement initiatives or service
development / evaluation projects the ensure an ever improving, high quality,
professional service
13. Liaise
with a range of other services relevant to the STS Service (including health,
criminal justice, prison and third sector agencies).
14. Communicating
in a clear, professional, skilled and sensitive manner.
Duties and Responsibilities
Communication & Working Relationships
- Clients, family and others: To communicate in a
highly skilled and sensitive manner with service users with a mental health,
learning disability, challenging behaviour and/or personality disorder who
may have specific difficulties in understanding and/or communicating and who
may be hostile, antagonistic or highly emotionally disturbed.
- Multidisciplinary team colleagues: To work closely,
collaboratively and supportively with colleagues in the multi-professional
integrated psychological consultation and intervention service on a day to
day basis.
- Health, social care, CSJ and third sector staff: To
communicate with a wide range of health & CSJ and other staff in
community settings in a highly skilled and sensitive manner, complex and
sensitive information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment
plans of individuals. To provide support & guidance in the application of
psychological principles and techniques, and to foster reflective practice.
- Senior managers & professional staff: To
maintain and build good working relationships with senior professional staff
and managers in the OPD Pathway and secure directorate to foster a positive
approach to the Support to Succeed service and to enable effective negotiation.
Planning & Organisation
- The psychology service: To plan and organise the
work of the psychology provision of the Support to Succeed service and to
contribute to the development and improvement of provision of psychological
services within the commissioned service to DPT, to best meet the
organisations strategy and priorities.
- The multi-disciplinary service: To provide
psychology leadership to the multi-professional planning, development and
marketing of Support to Succeed.
- The directorate: To work as part of the psychology
management structure and contribute to the planning and implementation of
service developments.
Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment &
Therapy
- Assessment & intervention: To provide expert
psychological assessment (including risk assessment) and group / individual
and support interventions, developing specialist psychological formulations
and assessments of service users, formulating plans for their psychological
treatment and implementing specialist psychological interventions for
individuals, carers, families and groups, and to demonstrate awareness of
diversity issues.
- Consultation & guidance: To provide advice,
guidance and consultation on psychological aspects of people with personality
difficulties, including probation service colleagues, other service
providers, and relevant other agencies (e.g. Approved Premises).
Policy, Service, Research & Development Responsibility
- The post holder is accountable for their own professional
actions, acting within Trust policies and procedures and Professional
Practice Guidelines. Supervision and
line management structures are in place to support the implementation of
Trust policy and professional practice guidelines.
- Policy & service: To interpret and contribute
to the development of policies and procedures for the provision of
psychological consultation and intervention service in collaboration with HMPPS
and DPT.
- R&D / audit: To contribute to and support the
organisation of the R&D activities of the psychology service, and to
undertake a research programme as agreed. To ensure all psychology staff
participate in appropriate audit and evaluation of outcomes of the psychology
service.
Responsibility for Finance, Equipment & Other
Resources
- Responsible for managing resources for psychologists and
other assigned staff under the direction of the professional manager. To use
resources appropriately, including psychometric tests.
Responsibility for Supervision, Leadership &
Management
- Management: Responsible for line management of allocated
staff as part of the psychology department structure.
- Leadership & supervision: To provide leadership
as a qualified psychologist and to professionally supervise psychology staff,
trainees, assistants and volunteers as required.
- Other: To
ensure high quality consultation, individual / group intervention and joint
working within the Support to Succeed service. To provide psychology leadership in the
integrated multi-professional service.
Information Resources & Administrative Duties
- To maintain accurate records in accordance with local and
professional guidance.
- To be responsible for using an email account to generate,
monitor, and respond to the e-mail traffic by which the Trust conducts much
of its internal communication.
Any Other Specific Tasks Required
- To ensure all clinical care and treatment provided by
psychologists and other colleagues is carried out under appropriate
supervision and leadership.
- To ensure that all relevant staff groups continuously
update the skills and techniques relevant to their clinical work.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job
Purpose
Devons Support to Succeed
(STS) service combines the existing probation consultation service and the new
Intensive Intervention and Risk Management service (IIRMs). The probation
consultation arm of the service offers mainly indirect work with probation practitioners
and includes: psychological consultation to probation practitioners; devising
psychological formulations; workforce development; and limited joint working. It
principally aims to enhance probation practitioners practice. IIRMs aims to
provide a community based service that delivers individually tailored and
psychologically informed interventions directly to people on probation as they
transition out of prison and settle in the community. Both services seek to
enhance the management of risk of serious harm to others and reduce re-offending,
but also to develop psychological wellbeing and social engagement among users.
While probation consultation largely offers indirect work with people on
probation, the IIRMs service will work directly with clients.
The role will consist:
1. Being an autonomous practitioner responsible for your own clinical
activity and accountable for observing and interpreting professional and Trust
guidelines for professional conduct including accurate record keeping
2. Providing
consultation, advice, and clinical supervision to other professionals and
agencies including Band 5 Assistant Psychologists, Trainee Psychologists and
others
3. Devising,
supervising and formulating a clients presenting difficulties(s), based upon
the appropriate theoretical and conceptual frameworks and evidence based
practice
4. Delivering
individual and group interventions
5. Organising
and agreeing each clients intervention plan including risk management and
crisis-planning arrangements for people being released from prison into Devon
or otherwise i.e. agreeing across agency arrangements for high risk people on
probation released to out-of-area Approved Premises and / or IIRMs
6. Overseeing
the weekly drop-in, custodial in-reach, referral consultation and joint
assessment and clinical aspects of the role
7. Ensuring
that frequent case and risk reviews occur and are recorded for all clients
8. Agreeing
plans for the management of non-attendance and eventual discharge of
individuals engaged in the OPD Pathway
9. Meeting
appropriate standards of practice in the quality and timeliness of the service
provided. Standards of practice will include
those defined by: the British Psychological Society (including the Division of
Clinical Psychology); the HCPC; and Devon Partnership Trust
10.
Keeping adequate clinical records in accordance
with Trust guidance
11.
Undertaking risk and other assessments (where
relevant) and collaborating on the risk management of individuals together with
His Majestys Prison and Probation Service
12. Undertake
other responsibilities e.g. quality improvement initiatives or service
development / evaluation projects the ensure an ever improving, high quality,
professional service
13. Liaise
with a range of other services relevant to the STS Service (including health,
criminal justice, prison and third sector agencies).
14. Communicating
in a clear, professional, skilled and sensitive manner.
Duties and Responsibilities
Communication & Working Relationships
- Clients, family and others: To communicate in a
highly skilled and sensitive manner with service users with a mental health,
learning disability, challenging behaviour and/or personality disorder who
may have specific difficulties in understanding and/or communicating and who
may be hostile, antagonistic or highly emotionally disturbed.
- Multidisciplinary team colleagues: To work closely,
collaboratively and supportively with colleagues in the multi-professional
integrated psychological consultation and intervention service on a day to
day basis.
- Health, social care, CSJ and third sector staff: To
communicate with a wide range of health & CSJ and other staff in
community settings in a highly skilled and sensitive manner, complex and
sensitive information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment
plans of individuals. To provide support & guidance in the application of
psychological principles and techniques, and to foster reflective practice.
- Senior managers & professional staff: To
maintain and build good working relationships with senior professional staff
and managers in the OPD Pathway and secure directorate to foster a positive
approach to the Support to Succeed service and to enable effective negotiation.
Planning & Organisation
- The psychology service: To plan and organise the
work of the psychology provision of the Support to Succeed service and to
contribute to the development and improvement of provision of psychological
services within the commissioned service to DPT, to best meet the
organisations strategy and priorities.
- The multi-disciplinary service: To provide
psychology leadership to the multi-professional planning, development and
marketing of Support to Succeed.
- The directorate: To work as part of the psychology
management structure and contribute to the planning and implementation of
service developments.
Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment &
Therapy
- Assessment & intervention: To provide expert
psychological assessment (including risk assessment) and group / individual
and support interventions, developing specialist psychological formulations
and assessments of service users, formulating plans for their psychological
treatment and implementing specialist psychological interventions for
individuals, carers, families and groups, and to demonstrate awareness of
diversity issues.
- Consultation & guidance: To provide advice,
guidance and consultation on psychological aspects of people with personality
difficulties, including probation service colleagues, other service
providers, and relevant other agencies (e.g. Approved Premises).
Policy, Service, Research & Development Responsibility
- The post holder is accountable for their own professional
actions, acting within Trust policies and procedures and Professional
Practice Guidelines. Supervision and
line management structures are in place to support the implementation of
Trust policy and professional practice guidelines.
- Policy & service: To interpret and contribute
to the development of policies and procedures for the provision of
psychological consultation and intervention service in collaboration with HMPPS
and DPT.
- R&D / audit: To contribute to and support the
organisation of the R&D activities of the psychology service, and to
undertake a research programme as agreed. To ensure all psychology staff
participate in appropriate audit and evaluation of outcomes of the psychology
service.
Responsibility for Finance, Equipment & Other
Resources
- Responsible for managing resources for psychologists and
other assigned staff under the direction of the professional manager. To use
resources appropriately, including psychometric tests.
Responsibility for Supervision, Leadership &
Management
- Management: Responsible for line management of allocated
staff as part of the psychology department structure.
- Leadership & supervision: To provide leadership
as a qualified psychologist and to professionally supervise psychology staff,
trainees, assistants and volunteers as required.
- Other: To
ensure high quality consultation, individual / group intervention and joint
working within the Support to Succeed service. To provide psychology leadership in the
integrated multi-professional service.
Information Resources & Administrative Duties
- To maintain accurate records in accordance with local and
professional guidance.
- To be responsible for using an email account to generate,
monitor, and respond to the e-mail traffic by which the Trust conducts much
of its internal communication.
Any Other Specific Tasks Required
- To ensure all clinical care and treatment provided by
psychologists and other colleagues is carried out under appropriate
supervision and leadership.
- To ensure that all relevant staff groups continuously
update the skills and techniques relevant to their clinical work.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience of work in Forensic Services in a range of service settings or agencies
- Skills in applying complex methods of psychological assessment, formulation, intervention and management including risk assessment
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision of psychologists.
- Experience in undertaking leadership roles within clinical psychology services in the NHS, and in contributing to the development, implementation and evaluation of strategies and clinical policies in multi-disciplinary, multi-agency contexts.
- Experience, and/or training in diversity awareness and social inequality
- Experience of providing a range of assessments, formulation and therapies to address forensic as well as mental health difficulties.
- Experience of providing supervision for qualified psychologists, trainees and assistant psychologists in psychological therapies to address forensic and mental health difficulties.
Desirable
- Experience of leadership and proven outcomes in service development.
- Innovation and creative development and implementation of evidence based therapies.
Communication Skills
Essential
- Excellent verbal, nonverbal and written communication skills.
- Strong leadership qualities, resilience and ability to handle ambiguity and uncertainty.
- Skills in managing conflict, negotiation & achieving consensus in complex situations in the pursuit of agreed strategic aims
Planning & Organising Skills
Essential
- Organisation and time management skills.
- Ability to prioritise and work responsively and flexibly to manage individual, supervisee and organizational goals.
Desirable
- Project management experience
Other
Essential
- Highly skilled in specialist interventions with the client group.
- Ability to work as a member of a clinical team, to work collaboratively, flexibly and supportively, and to work independently.
- Ability to tolerate ambiguity, and maintain own morale and motivation in challenging service delivery contexts.
- Ability and experience of reflecting on practice and to understand, to respond and to be receptive to the process of professional development.
Qualifications
Essential
- Qualified Clinical Psychologist (D.Clin.Psychol.) or equivalent e.g. Forensic Psychologist or Counselling Psychologist, with eligibility for Chartered Psychologist Status in the British Psychological Society.
- Further training in one or more psychological therapies, e.g. CBT, EMDR, CAT, Schema.
Desirable
- Further training in forensic psychology or specialist area relevant to forensic settings
- Supervision Training
- Management / Leadership training
Analytical & Judgement Skills
Essential
- Ability to integrate complex data; make highly skilled evaluations and decisions; and take a long term perspective.
Knowledge
Essential
- Broad knowledge of forensic services; and of the services in the NHS where clinical psychology is commonly applied.
- Extensive knowledge of the evidence base, skills and practice of Clinical/Forensic/Counselling Psychology
Desirable
- Knowledge of the policy context of services to DPT and of leadership in this setting.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience of work in Forensic Services in a range of service settings or agencies
- Skills in applying complex methods of psychological assessment, formulation, intervention and management including risk assessment
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision of psychologists.
- Experience in undertaking leadership roles within clinical psychology services in the NHS, and in contributing to the development, implementation and evaluation of strategies and clinical policies in multi-disciplinary, multi-agency contexts.
- Experience, and/or training in diversity awareness and social inequality
- Experience of providing a range of assessments, formulation and therapies to address forensic as well as mental health difficulties.
- Experience of providing supervision for qualified psychologists, trainees and assistant psychologists in psychological therapies to address forensic and mental health difficulties.
Desirable
- Experience of leadership and proven outcomes in service development.
- Innovation and creative development and implementation of evidence based therapies.
Communication Skills
Essential
- Excellent verbal, nonverbal and written communication skills.
- Strong leadership qualities, resilience and ability to handle ambiguity and uncertainty.
- Skills in managing conflict, negotiation & achieving consensus in complex situations in the pursuit of agreed strategic aims
Planning & Organising Skills
Essential
- Organisation and time management skills.
- Ability to prioritise and work responsively and flexibly to manage individual, supervisee and organizational goals.
Desirable
- Project management experience
Other
Essential
- Highly skilled in specialist interventions with the client group.
- Ability to work as a member of a clinical team, to work collaboratively, flexibly and supportively, and to work independently.
- Ability to tolerate ambiguity, and maintain own morale and motivation in challenging service delivery contexts.
- Ability and experience of reflecting on practice and to understand, to respond and to be receptive to the process of professional development.
Qualifications
Essential
- Qualified Clinical Psychologist (D.Clin.Psychol.) or equivalent e.g. Forensic Psychologist or Counselling Psychologist, with eligibility for Chartered Psychologist Status in the British Psychological Society.
- Further training in one or more psychological therapies, e.g. CBT, EMDR, CAT, Schema.
Desirable
- Further training in forensic psychology or specialist area relevant to forensic settings
- Supervision Training
- Management / Leadership training
Analytical & Judgement Skills
Essential
- Ability to integrate complex data; make highly skilled evaluations and decisions; and take a long term perspective.
Knowledge
Essential
- Broad knowledge of forensic services; and of the services in the NHS where clinical psychology is commonly applied.
- Extensive knowledge of the evidence base, skills and practice of Clinical/Forensic/Counselling Psychology
Desirable
- Knowledge of the policy context of services to DPT and of leadership in this setting.
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).
