Applied Psychologist

Job Purpose The principal purpose of the job is to improve the psychological health and wellbeing of people under the Forensic Personality Disorder Service (FPDS) and wider Community Forensic Service (CFS), to provide clinical leadership within the FPDS service, and peer support to psychologists in the CFS and wider secure services directorate. This will be achieved in the post by: Using advanced theoretical and practical knowledge to provide a psychological service to service-users and to their families as required as well as members of clinical teams working in the Secure Services Directorate and outside agencies. To provide complex specialist psychological assessment, formulation and treatment. To co-ordinate and deliver these psychology services and provide specialist advice/consultation and reflective practice to other professionals.

The role will include: Being an autonomous practitioner responsible for own clinical activity and accountable for observing and interpreting professional and Trust guidelines for professional conduct including accurate record keeping. Ensuring the systematic provision of a high-quality psychological services in a specialist field of practice, across identified locality area, as a key component of mental health and secure services across Devon Partnership NHS Trust Providing clinical leadership, specialist advice, consultancy and training to professionals as well as direct therapeutic work with patients. Providing supervision and line management to assistant, trainee clinical psychologists, psychologists other professionals where appropriate, and providing consultation and supervision to partner agencies (e.g. inpatient teams, community teams, housing providers) where agreed.

Undertaking regular service development, research, clinical audit, teaching and lecturing as job responsibilities as required and engage in activities for continuing professional development. Supporting service developments associated with the Secure Services Directorate. The post holder will receive regularly professionals and clinical supervision in accordance to Trust policy and to Professional Practice Guidelines as set out by the British Psychological Society or appropriate designated body. 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 Communication and Working Relationship Skills Clients, family and carers: 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 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 in the Community Forensic Service, the Secure Directorate, and in DPT. to foster a positive approach to the integrated mental health and wellbeing service and to enable effective negotiation. Analytical and Judgement Skills To provide specialist psychological expertise and advice To provide psychological therapies, developing specialist psychological formulations and assessments of clients, formulating plans for their psychological treatment and implementing specialist psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups. Proficiency in in both individual and group therapy approaches is desirable.

To support the Service Manager, Practice and Strategic Development Leads and Professional Leads by undertaking service development and redesign projects and coordinating the resulting work within the team. To provide complex assessment of specialist conditions (including gatekeeping into secure care). Ability to reflect and critically appraise own and others performance. Planning and Organisational Skills The psychology service: To plan and organise the work of the psychology service within FPDS and to contribute to the development and improvement of provision of psychological services within the commissioned forensic secure services and wider DPT, to best meet the organisations strategy and priorities.

The multidisciplinary service: To provide psychology leadership to the multi-professional planning, development and marketing of the Forensic Personality Disorder Service and wider Community Forensic Service. Plan, prioritise and organise own workload as well as the team workload, monitoring and adjusting activities and programmes as necessary. The directorate: To work as part of the psychology management structure and contribute to the planning and implementation of service developments. The trust: Ensure representation of your professional discipline at a strategic level in Devon Partnership NHS Trust, as appropriate and agreed with Line Manager.

Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment and Therapy Assessment & intervention: To provide expert psychological assessment (including risk assessment) and intervention to the Secure Services Directorate, 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 service user care to service users, colleagues, other service providers, and families/carers. To provide training to enhance psychological understanding. Responsibility for Policy and Service Development Implementation The post holder is accountable for their own professional actions, acting within Trust policies and procedures and Professional Practice Guidelines.

A supervision and line management structure is in place to support implementation of Trust police and Professional Practice Guidelines. Policy & service: To interpret and contribute to the development of policies and procedures for the provision of psychology within the secure directorate and the wider trust. Research & Development: To contribute to and support the R&D activities of the psychology service and wider secure directorate, and to undertake a research programme as agreed within the service. Audit and evaluation: To ensure all psychology staff participate in appropriate audit and evaluation of outcomes of the psychology service and wider community forensic service.

Responsibility for Finance, Equipment and Other Resources Responsible for managing resources for psychologists and other assigned staff under the direct of the professional manager. To use resources appropriately, including psychometric tests. To be response for the safe keeping of equipment under own use. Ensure travel and any external training is cost-effective for yourself and supervisees Responsibilityfor Human Resources Management: Responsible for line management of allocated staff as part of psychology department and FPDS team structure.

Leadership & supervision: To provide leadership as a qualified psychologist/psychotherapist and to professionally supervise psychology staff, trainees, assistants and volunteers and other professions as required. To ensure therapy supervision for non-psychology staff providing psychological therapies whereby support is being provided by the community forensic services. To provide psychology leadership in FPDS and the wider community forensic service. To support placements for trainee staff in line with professionals guidelines.

Responsibility for Information Resources and Admin Duties To maintain accurate records in accordance with local and professional guidance and standards. 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. Responsibility for Research and Development Please see attached job description for details. Freedom to Act Please see attached job description for details.

Any Other Specific Tasks Required To ensure all clinical care and treatment provided by psychologists/psychotherapists/therapists 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. Working with service-users with extremely challenging and risky behaviour who have typically been excluded from other services and who are difficult to engage. An emotionally demanding job that requires excellent personal and professional boundaries and a high level of reflective capacity.

To engage in sometimes intensive interventions with service-users who may present significant risks to themselves and/or others. To engage with high levels of expressed emotions in professional groups working day-to-day with a challenging group of service-users.