Band 8a Psychologist - Fixed Term Contract up to September 2024

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a HCPC registered Clinical, Counselling or Forensic Psychologist to join our multi-disciplinary team at Edward House in Chelmsford, Essex on a Fixed Term Contract up to September 2024. Edward House is a 20 bed male Low Secure Unit for adults with severe and enduring mental health difficulties.

Role Overview:

To provide a qualified psychology service (registered psychologist) to service-users detained under the Mental Health Act at Edward House as part of the forensic psychological service at EPUT. To offer specialist psychological assessments and treatments, as well as advice and consultation on the psychological care of service-users to non-psychologist colleagues and to non- professional carers. To work autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the team's and Trust's policies and procedures. To utilise research skills for audit, policy and service development and research within the areas covered by psychology service.

Main duties of the job

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES CLINICAL

To provide specialist psychological assessments of inpatients on the forensic ward 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, direct and indirect structured observations and semi- structured interviews with clients and others involved in the client's The post- holder will also be responsible for the safe use of any equipment used during assessments (e.g. test batteries).

To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a client's mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the client's problems and employing evidence based

To be responsible for implementing a range of highly specialised psychological interventions for people on the forensic unit families and groups, within and across teams, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.

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.

Please see full 'Job Description' and 'Person Specification' attachments for full details of the role.

About us

The post holder would join the multidisciplinary team at Edward House in providing psychological assessments and psychological interventions at the unit. The post holder would also be part of the wider Forensic Psychological Services team which includes: Brockfield House, a 98 bed Medium Secure Unit in Wickford, Essex Robin Pinto Unit, an 18 bed male low-secure unit in Luton and Wood Lea Clinic, a 10 bed Low Secure Unit in Bedford for males with learning disabilities. Video conferencing facilities between sites are also used to assist departmental communication.

BENEFITS AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

• Up to �8,000 relocation support for those that meet the criteria
• Excellent Training and CPD opportunities for career development
• Season Ticket Loans
• NHS discounts for staff
• Buying and Selling annual leave scheme
• The opportunity to work bank shifts and expand knowledge and experience in other areas
• Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see full 'Job Description' and 'Person Specification' attachments for full details of the role.

Person Specification

Education & Qualifications

Essential

• Doctoral training in Clinical/Counselling/Forensic psychology (or equivalent)
• HCPC Registered as practitioner psychologist
• Postgraduate training including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by HCPC.
• Postgraduate level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the applied fields of psychology.

Desirable

• Knowledge of models of forensic psychology, including theories and models of offending, risk assessment (including Structured Professional Judgement approaches), and knowledge of theories of offence related therapy.

Skills and Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups with presenting mental health difficulties that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
• Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.
• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management.
• 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 both within and outside the NHS.
• Well developed, confident IT skills.
• Good oral communication skills based on fluency in the English language

Desirable

• Experience of providing teaching and training to mental health staff around topics pertinent to working with offenders.
• Experience of providing clinical supervision to staff carrying out group and individual work with forensic mental health patients.
• Experience in the administration and interpretation of Structured Professional Judgement risk assessments (including the HCR-20, RSVP and SARA), as well as experience in formal assessments of personality (including PCL-R and IPDE).
• Experience in the administration, interpretation and appropriate application of neuropsychological tests.
• Skills in providing consultation to professional and non-professional groups
• Experience of working successfully as a ward psychologist as part of a multi-disciplinary team, and providing psychological formulations to team members from different disciplines (psychiatrists, nursing staff, social workers, occupational therapists) in an understandable way.

Employer details

Employer name

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Edward House

Pudding Wood Lane

Chelmsford

CM1 7LF

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

364-A-6316-B