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Job summary

Main area
Forensics
Grade
Band 7
Contract
6 months (Fixed Term contract for 6 months)
Hours
  • Full time
  • Part time
37.5 hours per week (Full & Part time considered)
Job ref
277-6743744-FOR-A
Employer
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Bracton Centre
Town
Dartford
Salary
£51,883 - £58,544 pa inc
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
03/12/2024 23:59

Employer heading

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust logo

Specialist Clinical/Counselling/Forensic Psychologist/Psych Therapist

Band 7

Job overview

We are delighted to offer a position in Inpatient Forensic Psychology, rated CQC Outstanding. You would hold responsibility for psychological therapies delivery to an acute medium secure ward at the Bracton Centre (DA2 7AF). You should have interests in working with psychosis and complex trauma where there is associated risk, often co-occurring with substance dependency, neurodevelopmental disorders and attachment difficulties. You will have opportunities to provide direct psychological assessments and interventions, engage with families and loved ones, and to work closely with nursing and the wider MDT. You will have input into cross-service psychological activities including groups. You will promote an environment in which therapeutic relationships facilitate safety and change, by offering psychological perspectives, emotional support and promoting psychological thinking in teams.

In addition, a significant aspect of the role is input to the community psychology service based at the William Morris Centre (DA2 7AF). This is a psychological assessment and intervention service specialising in working with people in the community seeking to address their difficulties with interpersonal functioning and risk of harm to others.

Oxleas operates a probationary period. We offer a relocation package. Information on request.

***Full & Part time considered***

Main duties of the job

Further to the above, you will supervise and manage assistant psychologists, supervise psychological interventions delivered by MDT colleagues, and supervise psychology students and doctoral trainees.

The Forensic Psychological Therapies department in Oxleas provides a breadth of professional opportunities across community, prison and hospital settings and opportunities for research and career progression through ongoing professional development. The post holder will be encouraged to consolidate and develop their skills and clinical interests in a friendly and supportive multi-professional and multi-agency context. Aside from the stimulating clinical work, benefits of the post include monthly psychology teaching sessions, monthly peer supervision in addition to regular individual supervision, a range of CPD opportunities and opportunities for future career progression within the department. There is access to a network of specialist psychological supervision groups across the forensic directorate. Professionally, psychologists in Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust are highly valued and occupy a variety of directorate and Trust-wide leadership roles, including quality assurance, quality improvement, and operating as Responsible Clinicians.

We welcome applicants who are newly qualified or are approaching qualification who are enthusiastic and dedicated to working in this field, with or without prior experience in secure or forensic services.

Working for our organisation

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children’s centres, schools and people’s homes.

We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families.  This is strengthened by our new values:

  • We’re Kind
  • We’re Fair
  • We Listen
  • We Care

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

·       To clinically deliver psychological assessments and interventions to a caseload of inpatient and community service users.

·       To offer psychological advice and consultation to multi-disciplinary colleagues and other agencies that promotes patient, carer and staff safety and wellbeing.

·      With support from the Inpatient Psychology Lead and line manager, to promote psychological and trauma informed approaches to care.

·       Responsibility for supervising and professionally managing assistant psychologists.

·       Supervising and oversight of the supervision of trainees and students.

·       Enable all staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by contributing to a psychologically safe environment.

·       To undertake delegated tasks pertaining to governance and service developments relevant to the role.

·       To work autonomously with professional guidelines and the overall framework of the team’s policies and procedures.

·       To utilise research skills for audit, research, and policy and service development within the forensic specialties directorate.

·       To champion the Trust’s vision and values.

·       To focus on enabling all staff, service users and carers from diverse backgrounds to flourish by working to create a psychologically safe environment.

Person specification

Registration

Essential criteria
  • Registered with professional or regulatory body as appropriate to professional discipline HCPC/BACP (registered status)/UKCP or BABCP

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience of NHS
  • Experience of forensic mental health settings
  • experience of MDT working
  • experience of working with people with multiple complex needs at high risk of harm to others
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of complex written risk assessment e.g. HCR20

Knowledge and qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Qualified psychologist / psychological therapist

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Veteran AwareNo smoking policyAge positiveInvestors in People: GoldImproving working livesArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.Step into healthPride In Veterans

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Dr Catherine Gardner-Elahi
Job title
Principal Clinical Psychologist
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01322297614
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