Are you an Clinical /Forensic Psychologist who would like an opportunity to work within a new specialist service?

An opportunity has arisen for an experienced Clinical or Forensic Psychologist, who is passionate about working with individuals who are in the process of, or have recently, transitioned out of secure care to live in the community. This is a full time band 7 post based in our Specialist Community Forensic Team (SCFT), a new and innovative service. We welcome applications from Psychologists with forensic mental health experience with adults with severe and enduring mental health problems and personality disorder.

The applicant will be a key member of the SCFT multi-disciplinary team, providing high quality forensic psychological assessment, risk assessment, formulation, and treatment planning; and where appropriate, implementing psychological interventions for individuals and groups, to our cohort of patients with complex forensic mental health needs.

The role includes offering forensic advice, guidance and consultation on psychological aspects of case management to colleagues and other service providers (eg inpatient MDTs, housing providers, and CMHT's).

Applicants would also benefit from skills in teaching/ training and in clinical and management supervision.

This post will be involved in designing training that may be required by the team, and to equip our key community stakeholders in working with individuals on our caseload.

Main duties of the job

Key role responsibilities will include:

• Delivering tiered levels of psychological assessment, formulation and intervention for the SCFT caseload.
• Building close links with colleagues throughout the South West Provider Collaborative.
• Autonomous work within professional guidelines.
• Utilising research skills for audit, policy, and service development.
• Providing individual / group supervision for SCFT staff or ward staff as appropriate.
• Delivering psychological based training to the MDT as identified.

The team office will be in Bridgwater, however there will be an expected element of reimbursed travel across the County of Somerset and the South West Provider Collaborative region.

About us

As an organisation, the NHS offers a wide range of benefits including flexible working, fantastic pension contributions, market leading annual leave allowance, career progression and regular conversations, not to mention our Blue Light Card and NHS exclusive discounts.

The benefits of working in Somerset include the idyllic countryside, with our areas of outstanding beauty and stunning coastlines. You will get to enjoy these perks whilst still only being a stone's throw away from bustling city centres like Bristol, Bath and Exeter and only two hours away from London.

There are excellent educational facilities in the area and, when compared to other regions, house prices are reasonable. You will experience the best of both in Somerset, the countryside and the cosmopolitan - there is truly something for everyone!

Job description Job responsibilities

Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details

Overview includes:

Communication and Key Working RelationshipsProfessional, courteous and clear communication with patients, colleagues, internal and external stakeholders via all modalities (email, Teams meetings, professionals meetings)

Clients, family and carers: To communicate in a highly skilled and sensitive manner with clients 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 with colleagues in the multi-professional integrated mental health and wellbeing service on a day to day basis.

Health & social care staff: To communicate with a wide range of health & social care staff in hospital and in community settings in a highly skilled and sensitive manner, complex and sensitive information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under the services care. 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 across Somerset Foundation Trust, South West Provider Collaborative, external stakeholders, etc. to foster a positive approach to the integrated mental health and wellbeing service and to enable effective negotiation.Attending identified SWPC meetings, SCFT team meetings and Somerset FT professionals meetings as appropriate

Key Relationships: SCFT Lead Psychologist Somerset Specialist Community Forensic Team Head of Forensic Service Forensic Operational Service Manager Community Psychology colleagues Inpatient psychology colleagues Other MDTs within the Forensic Service Somerset FT Forensic Locality Leads Criminal Justice agencies, including police and court staff South West Provider Collaborative colleagues Trust staff across professions Trust audit department Service users and their families SWPC commissioners

Responsibility for Patient / Client Care, Treatment & TherapyThe post holder will be expected to.

To formulate and deliver plans for agreed psychological treatment and/or management of a clients mental health problems. This may be for inpatients due to commence a discharge pathway and/ or for patients who had moved into community settings.

To make skilled evaluations and decisions about treatment options

To provide expertise and psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients assessments (including the management of risk), formulation, diagnosis, treatment plan and their legal status under the Mental Health Act.

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

To undertake risk assessment and risk management for all individual clients and to provide both general and specialist advice for psychologists and other professionals on psychological aspects of risk assessment and management. To feedback to the MDT in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care

To monitor and evaluate progress of interventions.

To provide advice, guidance and consultation on psychological aspects of patient care to colleagues, other service providers, patients, supporters and families.

Person Specification Knowledge and Experience Essential

• Significant experience of working with patients who present with a range of mental health difficulties.
• Further training in forensic psychology focussed assessments and interventions.
• Extensive understanding of the knowledge base, skills, and practice of clinical / forensic psychology in a forensic mental health setting.
• Competence in core psychological assessment formulation and intervention skills.
• Experience of working with clients with high-risk presentations within CAMHS settings, such as self-harm, suicidal thoughts and actions and harm to others.
• Experience of working in multi-agency teams and multi-agency service planning.
• Experience of teaching, training and/or professional and clinical supervision.
• Significant experience in assessing and managing risk and supporting teams in this process.

Desirable

• Relevant post-qualification training in work with high-risk patients
• Experience of working across service settings and agencies.
• Experience of service development/project work.
• Experience of leading staff.

Skills and Abilities Essential

• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
• Psychological/ neuropsychological assessment and formulation skills.
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
• Organisational and leadership skills.

Desirable

• Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological assessments and therapies for use with patients with high-risk presentations.

Qualifications and Training Essential

• Doctoral Clinical Psychology qualification or equivalent as accredited by the British Psychology Society (BPS).
• Eligible for Chartered Clinical Psychologist status.
• Registration with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Desirable

• Relevant specialist CPD qualification (Diploma/ Masters etc.).
• Management training/ qualification.

Personal Qualities Essential

• Well organised with good administration skills.
• Compassionate, empathic/engagement skills with client group.
• Ability to cope with workload pressure and prioritise workload.
• Ability to work independently.
• Self-awareness and emotional resilience. Consultancy skills to other professions/agencies.

Other Essential

• Must be a car driver with a valid driving licence or have access to transport with appropriate business insurance to travel throughout the South West region, to meet the needs of the service.

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

184-KP5018291-A