We are seeking a passionate Clinical, Forensic or Counselling Psychologist to join the inpatient service at West London Forensic Service (WLFS). This is full-time post (1.0wte) which can be appointed at Band 7 or Band 8a depending on experience and with responsibilities adjusted accordingly. For Band 7, this will be a preceptorship towards an 8a role.

The post will be attached to an admission ward in the male low secure service. The successful candidate will be responsible for the provision of a highly developed and comprehensive psychology service to culturally diverse service-users with enduring mental health difficulties and offending histories.

A relocation allowance may be available to a successful candidate.

Main duties of the job

You will be responsible for providing a high quality psychology service on an assessment (admissions) ward in the men's low secure service. As a core member of an experienced MDT, you will have a key role in defining the psychological care pathway for individuals admitted to the unit through conducting highly specialist psychological assessments and through the provision of highly specialist psychological therapy.

As well as individual ward-based work, you will contribute to a well-established cross-ward group therapy programme. You will also advise on risk assessment and risk management, and support psychological practice within the team through consultation, supervision, and training.

You will have the opportunity to utilise skills in research, service evaluation, and audit within the service.

You will provide line management and supervision to qualified, trainee and assistant psychologists as delegated by the lead psychologist.

About us

West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse providers of mental health, community and social care in the UK. It provides a broad range of forensic mental health care in adult male and female services, across high, medium and low security settings, as well as in a community and court diversion setting. The post is based in the low secure service, which provides 72 beds across assessment, rehabilitation, and pre-discharge wards. West London Forensic Service has been rated as outstanding by the CQC.

The psychological therapies department, which comprises a team of over 30 psychologists and psychological therapists, is well-established and supportive with high standards of clinical supervision and excellent opportunities for continuing professional development.

We are keen to ensure that our workforce reflects the community it serves, particularly in terms of ethnicity, gender, disability, LGBTQ+ and experience of mental illness.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The post holder will undertake clinical and risk assessments within a multi-disciplinary context, and will provide psychological advice and consultation to others involved in service user care. The post holder will have a key role in defining the psychological care pathway for individuals admitted to the unit through conducting highly specialist psychological assessments. As well as individual ward-based work, the post holders will contribute to a well-established cross-ward group therapy programme. There will be excellent opportunities to further develop skills of complex case assessment, formulation and application of evidence based psychological interventions. There will also be opportunities to gain experience from across the varied settings found within West London Forensic Service. The main duties and responsibilities will include:

• Providing specialist psychological assessments of service-users who present with enduring mental health difficulties and offending behaviour.
• Formulating and implementing plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a service-users mental health and high risk behaviours
• Delivering a range of evidence-based psychological interventions for individuals and groups
• Evaluating and making decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models
• Exercising autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, initiation and termination of psychological treatment
• Providing specialist consultation, advice and support on psychological approaches
• Undertaking on-going risk assessment and risk management, and providing advice to other professions on psychological aspects of forensic risk assessment and risk management
• Communicating the outcome of assessment and therapy to the referrer, the multi-disciplinary team and the wider health, social care and criminal justice system, as appropriate, including the production of formal written reports
• Supporting psychological practice within the team and the wider service through consultation, supervision, formulation and training
• Providing line management and supervision to qualified, trainee and assistant psychologists as delegated by the lead psychologist
• Utilising skills in research, service evaluation and audit to improve the understanding and effectiveness of services
• Upholding the Trust values of Togetherness, Responsibility, Excellence and Caring

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Good honours degree (2:i minimum) in Psychology. Eligibility for graduate membership of BPS.
• Post-graduate doctorate in clinical psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996 or those in lateral transfer), Forensic Psychology, or Counselling Psychology, as accredited by the BPS
• Training in clinical supervision for Doctoral, and equivalent, trainees

Desirable

• Other related academic qualifications
• Evidence of post-doctoral training in psychological therapy techniques

Skills

Essential

• Able to provide and receive highly complex, highly sensitive or highly contentious information, where there are significant barriers to acceptance which need to be overcome using the highest level of interpersonal and communication skills such as would be required when communicating in a hostile, antagonistic or highly emotive atmosphere
• Able to make judgements involving highly complex facts or situations, which require the evaluation of a range of options (e.g. the assessment of specialist clinical conditions and the determination of treatment options), Where expert opinions may differ
• Able to plan, prioritise and organise own service user caseload, treatment programmes (individual or group) involving other staff, and other aspects of the work such as research activity Keyboard skills
• Post-graduate level knowledge of research design and methodology

Desirable

• Knowledge of SPSS

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working as a qualified (specialist) psychologist for a minimum of one year in a forensic clinical setting (or equivalent)

Desirable

• Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
• Experience of having facilitated/co-facilitated psychological therapy groups
• Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.

Knowledge

Essential

• Advanced specialist knowledge, both theoretical and practical, of psychology applied to forensic clinical practice
• Completion of at least 1 year's supervised practice in specialist forensic clinical practice
• Knowledge of relevant legislation and its implications for work with mentally disordered offenders

Desirable

• Specialist theoretical and practical knowledge of the assessment and treatment of personality disorder

Other Requirements

Essential

• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Psychomotor skills necessary to administer complex psychological tests and video equipment
• Able to complete satisfactorily breakaway training
• Able to use database, word processing and test administration/scoring software

Employer details

Employer name

West London NHS Trust

Address

Psychology

Ealing

UB1 3EU

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

222-SF-549-A