Principal Psychological Therapist

Job summary

The Health and Justice Services Directorate of CNWL NHS Foundation Trust is passionate about working with committed staff to provide an excellent service to those in prison, often a vulnerable and poorly served group.

We aim to deliver quality, patient-focused care and are recruiting to a new role; a highly motivated, innovative & enthusiastic Senior Psychologist or Psychological Therapist to join our expanding Mental Health Teams within the Surrey prisons. You should have a passion for working with people in custody, those who have experienced trauma and adversity and you should be able to work with enthusiasm with the staff teams and systems around them. This post will be within the female estate ( wte) and will be based at HMP Bronzefield.

Psychologists and psychological therapists in H&J have excellent development opportunities, and an exciting career structure. High quality supervision and continuing professional development are integral to our approach and to our intent to support and retain an excellent team. Focused training which contributes to your own development and to our service need will be supported

The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.

Main duties of the job

Leadership of psychological services within integrated mental healthcare teams. Strategic oversight and leadership experience - strong communication skills. Provision of psychological assessment, intervention and treatment for residents. Provision of advice and consultation to colleagues using psychological awareness. Working with complexity & delivering compassionate care in the context of risk and safety planning. Clinical supervision and professional management of qualified psychologists & therapists. Passion for supporting and developing others and able to provide containment and clinical development. The post will be supervised by a Consultant Psychologist and will be based in HMP Bronzefield. The post holder will provide psychological leadership and supervision responsibility within the prison mental health teams, attending weekly meetings and holding clinical caseloads. There may be occasional requests for travel to other sites for meetings & cover.

Please note: this post can be combined with the 8b role in the Male service line. Please state in your application if you would like to be considered for this part-time post or the full-time post across both specialties.

About us

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust offers its staff ongoing career progression through:

Monthly supervision Annual personal development plans/appraisals Access to exciting internal and external training opportunities.

Excellent progression through various career pathway opportunities such as but not limited to:

Preceptorship Programme Support and guidance with Revalidation Hidden Gem and annual award ceremonies

Excellent staff benefits, our benefit packages are amongst the best in London and include:

Health and wellbeing services Season ticket loans Cycle to work scheme Relocation package

The trust also values its staff and you are entitled to become a member of MyTrustBenefits. MyTrustBenefits is an online portal for all CNWL staff, as well as their family and friends. It offers over 1400 discounts at hundreds of retailers nationwide. Save money on your weekly food shops, toiletries, cosmetics, cinema, meals out, holidays, travel and entertainment. You can also access free online courses on a variety of topics, professional and personal, ranging from business management, languages, law and teaching.

All of our sites in Surrey offer free use of the onsite leisure facilities and free parking for staff.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see attached Job Description for the full lists of responsibilies

Clinical:

To develop psychological pathways, assessment processes and treatment interventions across all levels of our trauma informed pathways. To liaise with other therapists within the mental health team, in third sector partner organisations and with other counselling providers within the prison to ensure robust referral pathways and appropriate division of cases. To provide specialist psychological assessments to those referred to services based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients and others involved in the clients care. To formulate and implement plans for the psychological treatment and/or management of a clients mental health and personality problems based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy. To develop individual formulations and to lead team formulation planning applying theoretical models of the psychology of mental health, behavioural difficulties and offending, to observed behaviour, cognitive, emotional and interpersonal patterns. To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals and groups in the prison, employed individually and in synthesis, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses. To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual. To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based care plans. To liaise closely with other members of the multidisciplinary team, giving authoritative specialist advice on psychological aspects of care, contributing directly to formulation, diagnosis and treatment planning. To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service. To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide advice and training to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and management. To communicate in a skilled, persuasive and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment formulation and treatment plans of clients, and to monitor progress during the course of their multidisciplinary care. To develop networks and contacts to update the policy and practice of clinical psychology, particularly as applied to mentally disordered clients in prisons, to support professional and service development. To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programme, for self and staff you supervise. To contribute to the development and articulation of best practice in psychology across the service, by continuing to develop the skills of a reflexive and reflective scientist practitioner, taking part in regular professional supervision and appraisal and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the fields of clinical and forensic psychology and related disciplines. To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping, including electronic data entry and recording, and report writing and the responsible exercise of professional self-governance, in accordance with professional codes of practice and Trust policies and procedures. To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific client group and mental health. To ensure that all aspects of professional activity ( communication with clients, relatives, colleagues as well as in the assessment, development/delivery of interventions) issues of diversity such as race, culture, identity, gender and sexuality are sensitively considered and incorporated to reflect individual differences appropriately. To ensure that clients are appropriately consulted about relevant aspects of their care and are empowered to express their views in a responsive environment enabling such views to be assimilated / incorporated into continued service development and improvement.

Management, Recruitment, Policy and Service Development:

To lead on psychological models of care and on effective and efficient psychology service provision in ongoing sectors of responsibility. Where new services or psychology posts are formed, to assist new clinicians in developing and embedding psychological practice and integrating with Health & Justice psychology & psychological therapies. To contribute to thinking and writing for tender documents for new contracts; specifically in relation to designing psychological and mental health service provision but also in relation to overall service design. To ensure psychological services are subject to appropriate governance processes. That they provide activity and outcome data to commissioners as appropriate for contract monitoring and service evaluation. To contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the services through the development of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit. To have oversight of the caseloads and workloads of all in the psychology & psychological therapies team. To conduct individual performance reviews of junior staff. To be involved, as appropriate, in the short-listing and interviewing of staff. To design, facilitate and monitor appropriate outcome and evaluation tools for psychological services offered in Health & Justice.

Communication:

To provide and receive highly complex, sensitive and contentious information in an atmosphere where clients can be hostile, antagonistic or highly emotive, where adherence to detail and accuracy must be meticulous since the strands of communication can be conflicting, and where there are significant barriers to acceptance which need to be overcome using the highest level of interpersonal and communication skills. To act in an appropriate dignified and responsible manner with clients, relatives and colleagues, using appropriate language and communication skills which acknowledge cultural differences. To communicate effectively in supervision and line management of psychology & psychological therapies staff. To encourage the professional development of others by utilising effective communication. To attend meetings, including at a senior level, and present both verbally and in writing, information about your sector of responsibility and psychological services in a concise and efficient manner.

Training, Teaching & Supervision:

To receive regular clinical supervision from a suitably qualified and experienced psychologist and, where appropriate, other professional colleagues. To ensure own professional development and registration are maintained. To contribute to Health & Justice wide training, liaison and consultation programme. Offering education and support to prison staff and others on psychological understanding and interventions. To develop skills in the area of professional postgraduate teaching, training and supervision,. To provide professional and clinical supervision of qualified, trainee and assistant psychologists and therapists and research assistants. To contribute to the pre- and post-qualification teaching of clinical psychology as well as other disciplines, as appropriate. To provide teaching, training and supervision to staff and colleagues in the multidisciplinary team, and other psychologists.

Policy and Procedures:

The duties and responsibilities of this post will be undertaken in accordance with the policies, procedures and practices of CNWL / Health & Justice Directorate It is the post-holders responsibility to ensure that they keep up-to-date with these policies and other policy documents. To ensure professional registration is maintained, complying with Continuing Professional Development requirements to maintain registration. To work in accordance with Health & Justice Service procedures, and with those of local prison/hospital sites, in particular security and health and safety.

Research and Development:

To use theory, evidence-based literature and research to support evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other colleagues in the multidisciplinary team. To devise and undertake appropriate research and provide research advice to others undertaking research, to develop service and clinical psychology knowledge base and inform national policy relating to offender health. To lead on specific project management, including complex audit and service evaluation. To support local and national research initiatives including through the recruitment, supervision and oversight of a Research Assistants

IT responsibilities (other than those used for research):

To input and maintain appropriate computer and manual clinical records and statistical data and provide this to Service Managers/ Lead Psychologist when necessary. To be responsible for ensuring that those psychologists you are responsible for/supervise engage in relevant computer and IT training as required and will input and maintain, appropriate computer and manual clinical records and statistical data. Person Specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential

oDoctoral level training in clinical, counselling or forensic psychology or equivalent, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology, equivalent to that accredited by the BPS. oHCPC Registered as a Practitioner Psychologist. OR oA recognised post graduate qualification in Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy (or equivalent). oAccreditation with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP) (via having a recognised qualification in one of the core mental health professions nursing, psychology, medicine, social work, occupational therapy or evidence of having achieved the Knowledge Skills and Attitudes (KSA) route). OR oA recorded/registered qualification in counselling or psychotherapy and further post accreditation qualification in a nice recommended or evidence-based therapy ( CBT; EMDR). oAccreditation with a Professional Standards Authority recognised Accreditation Body. oEvidence of significant post-qualification specialist training, experience and developing expertise in a specialist area of clinical practice relevant to this role. oCompletion of supervisor training course.

Desirable

oOther relevant CPD qualifications, pre- or post-training. Especially training in working with people with trauma, neurodiverse presentations, research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.

Previous Experience

Essential

oSubstantial assessed experience of working as a qualified psychologist, psychological or CBT therapist including at a highly specialist level or an alternative agreed by the Chief Psychologist oExperience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in patient settings oExperience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse oExperience of teaching and training oExperience of representing psychology within the context of multi-disciplinary care oExperience of working effectively in multidisciplinary settings. oAdvanced knowledge, experience and expertise in at least one relevant specialist area of clinical practice gained through specialist training and supervised practice ( psychotherapy, neuropsychology, risk assessment, clinical supervision). oExperience of leading on projects of service design or improvement. oExperience of leadership, management and supervision of trainees and qualified staff including those from other disciplines oExperience of working together with service users to ensure that they are equal partners in service design, evaluation, research and training oExperience of working within a multicultural framework.

Desirable

oAwareness of institutional dynamics oResearch/publications on relevant issues oExperience of working indirectly with staff groups oExperience of working within secure environments and/or forensic mental health and of supporting and developing psychological services in such oExpertise in delivering gender sensitive services oExperience and expertise in in the specialist area of learning disability and/or neurodiversity.

Skills & Knowledge

Essential

oAdvanced skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration oWell developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS. oSkills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups oDoctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology and psychological therapies. oPossesses range of clinical knowledge, skills & information technology expertise relevant to demands of senior post oAbility to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings oAbility to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour. oBroad knowledge of models of assessment, management and treatment of those in the criminal justice system with mental health difficulties and personality disorder oAbility to work intensively with people who present challenges in the complexity of their problems and needs, including sexual and violent offending and self-harming and suicidal behaviours. oHigh level of ability to plan and organise clinical service provision to meet service demands, and to maintain high quality professional practice oExpertise & Experience of implementing a trauma informed approach oEvidence of continuing professional development relevant to the forensic population. oAn understanding of the social determinates of health inequalities and relevant psychological theory and practice oExcellent IT skills

Desirable

oWell developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult-to-treat groups ( personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities). oCan apply psychological knowledge creatively in developing new initiatives oAbility to write reports for varied audiences, including courts and purchasers of services.

Attitudes, aptitudes & personal characteristics

Essential

oExcellent interpersonal skills oAbility to work flexibly according to changing demands and to work well within a team oAppreciation of the interface between our personal and professional lives, high level of self awareness and knowledge of principles of self care.

Other

Essential

The post holder must have the ability to understand and implement the equal opportunities policy at a level appropriate to the job. Ability to promote anti-discriminatory and antiracist practices. Ability to promote and work in line with the working model of a 7 day a week service Ability to work in a secure environment, in line with HMPS & Sodexo policy and procedures and obtain and maintain enhanced security clearance. Ability to travel across sites

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