Principal Psychologist

Job summary

Part-time Principal Psychologist at HMP Leeds

Responsible for the provision of a systematic psychological service within the Yorkshire prison cluster.

Psychological leadership and development, as agreed, regarding prison mental health services (to include learning disability and neurodevelopmental services) and substance use services within the specified clinical service

Responsibility for development of specific areas of psychological knowledge across wider Inclusion services

Main duties of the job

Responsible for the provision of a psychology service to adults in prison with mental health difficulties, learning disability or neurodevelopmental difficulties. This is to incorporate complex assessments leading to psychological formulations of distress; recommendations for treatment options and evaluation of interventions

As a senior clinician with specialist post-qualification training, the post holder will take responsibility for development of a specific area of psychological knowledge within the Inclusion psychology team. This may include leading or contributing to training, supervision and governance aspects of the specific therapeutic model or approach

To supervise and support the psychological assessment and therapy provided by other psychologists and other clinical members of the team who provide psychologically informed care and treatment; including providing clinical supervision to Assistant Psychologist's.

To work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice within the service/team.

To utilise research and audit skills to guide service development

About us

Inclusion, created in 2002 is part of the Specialist Services Care Group of Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT). We provide caring and effective services across England, including, West Yorkshire, West Midlands, East Midlands, West Mercia, Thames Valley, Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Thurrock, Essex. We support individuals, families and communities who are affected by addiction, crime, mental health or need treatment for their sexual health.

We believe that the individuals and families who use our services should receive high quality, committed and inclusive care, realising all the benefits a modern NHS organisation can provide. We work with patients and our staff teams to achieve the best outcomes we can. We invest heavily in training and development, and the wellbeing of our people, both staff and service users is central to who we are.

Here at MPFT, we are proud of the comprehensive wellbeing and lifestyle support offer available, in addition to in-house training and coaching support. Our services are robustly governed, evidence-based, inclusive, and designed and provided in conjunction with service users. We are committed to providing the best service we can, and if you share our values, we want you on our team

For more information about HMP Leeds and our incentives offer please see attached information.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification for further information. A summary is provided below:

Provide a clinical psychology service to patients, with moderate to severe mental health problems, seen within the prison mental health pathway within the areas of agreed responsibility Work with clients alone as necessary, or to work jointly with others depending on the relevant risk assessment Provide expert psychological assessment, formulation and therapy to an exceptionally high standard to patients with a range of mental health problems Be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals and groups, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical / counselling / forensic psychology (or its equivalent prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, including models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology Post doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice or therapy HCPC registration as a practitioner (clinical/counselling/forensic) psychologist

Desirable

Membership of the British Psychological Society or Association of Clinical Psychologists (as appropriate to professional training) Accreditation with the BABCP as a Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist Formal training/qualification in supervision of other psychologists ( BPS Supervision Skills course)

Experience

Essential

Must have substantial experience of working as a qualified practitioner psychologist at a highly specialist level. Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity, including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing difficulties Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care and treatment, within the context of a multidisciplinary care plan

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