6540 - Senior Registered Psychologist - Psychology Services- South East & East Region

Ministry of Justice; Rochester; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

The Ministry of Justice seeks a Registered Practitioner Psychologist to provide expert psychological services across various prison locations. Responsibilities will include conducting risk assessments, leading therapeutic interventions, supervising staff, and managing complex cases. The role emphasizes professional supervision and involves contributing to offender management processes, research, and consultancy.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Professional development opportunities

Pension scheme

Generous holiday allowance

Qualifications

• Registered Practitioner Psychologist with HCPC eligibility.
• Chartered Psychologist from BPS expected.
• Experience in providing clinical supervision and relevant training.

Responsibilities

• Conducts full case reviews and offers authoritative advice.
• Lead and supervise group sessions in therapeutic settings.
• Offers professional opinions in multi-functional teams.

Skills

Risk assessment

Psychology services delivery

Research

Supervisory skills

Training

Education

Registered Practitioner Psychologist

Chartered Psychologist (BPS membership)

Job description

Full Time, Part Time, Part Time/Job Share, Flexible Working

Vacancy Approach

External

Location

Region

National

Closing Date

20-Jun-2025

Business Unit

Psychology Services

Post Type

Permanent

SEO

Number of jobs available

1

Reserve List

12 Months

Job ID

6540

Descriptions & requirements

The successful post holder will be based in a Kent (HMP Maidstone, HMP Rochester or HMP Standford Hill), Surrey (HMP Coldingley) or Sussex (HMP Ford) location, but will provide delivery, management and supervisory services to staff and prisoners across the 8 sites within the Kent, Surrey and Sussex prison group. It is an eclectic group of prisons spanning Reception, Training and Resettlement functions, and includes 2 Open prisons and a designated Foreign National Prisoner (FNP) site. The prisons also hold a range of prisoner cohorts, resulting in breadth of work and opportunities for our staff. This includes risk assessment, intervention, consultancy and research, predominantly with offenders in custody but also as part of an emerging community offer.

Overview of the job

This is a non-operational offender facing job.

Summary

The job holders covered by this job description are usually categorised as specialists in their field or those whose role requires significant additional experience, training and personal development.

The job holder will largely excel in the area of risk assessment or be a specialist in a specific area such as working with those convicted of sexual offending. At this level the jobholder may have responsibility for the key specialist tasks involved in the delivery of a programme or related individual case management which would also entail overseeing the quality of delivery and supervision. They will also provide direction and support for other supervisors.

The job holder will be working with complex individuals and staff and applying their experience and competence in the area of psychology to reduce the risk of harm and re-offending by undertaking complex risk assessments, conducting research, providing consultancy and delivering training for staff and interventions (individual and group).

This is an non-operational job with line management responsibilities. This role is non-rotational.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

•Conducts full case reviews on difficult cases and offers authoritative advice on next steps relating to sentence plan

•Specialises in delivery of psychology services in settings such as therapeutic community wings or PIPEs

•Lead and supervise and facilitate group sessions

•Offers professional opinion to multi-functional teams conducting offender reports e.g. risk reports, parole reports on high risk or vulnerable offenders

•Develops and/or strategies such as sexual offending or indeterminate sentence assessment and intervention strategy

•Delivers and supervises (treatment management) the delivery of more complex programmes e.g. healthy sex programme

•Provides consultancy support to colleagues such as Senior Management Team (SMT) in relation to psychology services and outcomes

•Conducts relevant research including data gathering and analysis

•Act as a “professional witness” in parole board hearings, multi-agency meetings, and other formal settings where psychology input is required. May also act as expert witness in respect of court proceedings for Ministry of Justice

•Responsible for managing and providing professional supervision to trainee forensic psychology staff

•Provides supervision, training, mentoring and support to trainee psychologists and where relevant other staff such as interventions staff

•Assist in national specialist tasks such as training on courses related to their specialist discipline

•Provides professional supervision to support a trainee in developing through the key steps towards chartered and registered status. This may be as a coordinating or designated supervisor

•Ensures staff are developed in accordance with key competencies and gateways and ensuring consistency across the team in the application of policies and procedures affecting staff and offenders

•Leads on risk assessment and resulting risk management of complex, vulnerable or high-risk offenders. Will be competent to undertake the full range of risk assessments including the more complex risk assessments. Gives feedback of the assessment to the individual and other stakeholders

•Contributes to other offender management processes (usually with more complex cases in work such as Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) assessments and self-harm or personality disorder assessments)

•Provides consultancy role to wider team on their specialist activity. Visit a range of sites/forums to advise on complex cases

•Act as a negotiation adviser where suitable and competence has been demonstrated

•Manage own Continued Professional Development (CPD) requirements and maintains professional standards

•Ensure they maintain their professional Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration

•Provide a psychological contribution to the work of areas of the wider service provision (such as a therapeutic community or regime activity)

•Provide psychological reports when requested for those convicted of a life sentence and to submit within the appropriate time framework

•Responsible for relevant accreditation audit baselines as detailed in the audit document

•Line management of trainee psychologists

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme and shall be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.

An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence through the medium of English or (where specified in Wales) Welsh.

Civil Service Success Profile Criteria

Behaviours

•Communicating and Influencing

•Working Together

•Developing Self and Others

•Managing a Quality Service

•Delivering at Pace

Experience

•Possess a professional background in Psychology

•Experience in providing clinical supervision

•Completed relevant training in effective models of treatment and best practise

•They are likely to also be a Chartered Psychologist and Full member of the appropriate division of the BPS if the post requires it

Technical requirements

•The job holder will be a Registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council

and eligible to use a protected title.

Hours of Work (Unsocial Hours) Allowances

Additional Information

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working.Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised roles, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to aMoJoffice location, which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed on the completion of pre-employment checks.

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week excluding breaks which are unpaid. HMPPS welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance withthe HMPPS’ Flexible Working policy.

If you are a current NPS employee, this vacancy may be available on a Loan basis for up to 2 years. Applications are invited from suitable qualified staff.

The Loan/Secondment is subject to the approval of the selected candidate's Business Unit, which should be obtained before confirmation of appointment.

-The holiday year runs from 1 March. If you work a non standard work pattern your leave entitlement may be expressed in either hours or days as appropriate. Leave entitlement is calculated on a pro-rata basis and you will be advised of your actual entitlement on appointment. If you were appointed internally and your leave was previously calculated in days, this will continue to be the case.

Bank, Public and Privilege Holidays

-You are entitled to 9 days (66 hours 36 minutes) in recognition of bank, public and privilege holidays. These hours are added to your annual leave allowance. There is a requirement to work some public and bank holidays subject to your shift pattern and the operational needs of the establishment

Pension

-The Civil Service offers a choice of two pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Work Life Balance

HM Prison & Probation Service(HMPPS) is keen to encourage alternative working arrangements. Work life balance provides greater opportunities for staff to work more flexibly wherever managers and establishments can accommodate requests to do so. HMPPS offers flexible working subject to completion of a satisfactory probationary period and NVQ

Season Ticket Advance

-After two months’ service, you’ll be eligible to apply for a season ticket advance to purchase a quarterly or longer-period season ticket for travel between home and your place of work

For any moves across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers

Training

HMPPS is committed to staff development and offers a range of training and development opportunities, including areas such as Equality and Diversity, Dealing with Challenging Behaviour, Suicide Prevention and Anti Bullying Programmes

-There are opportunities to access promotion programmes and HMPPS provides a variety of training appropriate to individual posts

-All staff receive security and diversity training and an individual induction programme into their new roles

-All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post

-All external candidates are subject to 6 months probation. Internal candidates are subject to probation if they have not already served a probationary period within HMPPS

-All staff are required to declare whether they are a member of a group or organisation which the HMPPS considers to be racist

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

• To the Civil Service Commission (details available here )

As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team.

For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please watch our animated videos .

The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ is committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ is able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidates will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

Civil Service Nationality Rules

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.

Band 8 220 SRP Senior Registered Psychologist v8.0.pdf(Job Description Attachment)

We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods

CV or Work History, Statement of Suitability

Specific membership requirements

The job holder will be a Registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council and eligible to use a protected title

Specific licence requirements

The job holder will be a Registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council and eligible to use a protected title

Specific language requirements

Spoken and Written English

Evidence of Experience

CV or Work History, Statement of Suitability

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates

To Be Confirmed

Behaviours

Communicating and Influencing

Delivering at Pace

Developing Self and Others

Leadership

Managing a Quality Service

Working Together

Strengths

Strengths will be assessed but these are not shared in advance. To learn more about Strengths and how they are assessed please click here .

Use of Artificial Intelligence (Al)

You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application, including your CV, statement of suitability and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.