Clinical/Forensic Psychologist

NHS; Shrewsbury; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading healthcare organization as a Clinical or Forensic Psychologist in Shropshire, focusing on supporting autistic adults in the criminal justice system. You'll conduct assessments, provide expert advice, and contribute to service development within a multidisciplinary team. Opportunities for further training are available, along with generous benefits.

Benefits

Generous maternity, paternity, and adoption leave

Options for flexible working

Up to 27 days annual leave

Extensive Health and Wellbeing support

Free car parking at trust sites

Free annual flu vaccinations

Qualifications

• Experience as a qualified psychologist with severe mental health issues.
• Experience in assessing and diagnosing ASD.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist advice and support to Autistic Adults with forensic needs.
• Conduct highly specialist psychological assessments and manage a specialist caseload.

Skills

Expertise in ASD diagnosis

Best practices for working with autistic individuals

Education

Post-graduate doctoral training in applied psychology

Postgraduate training in Forensic or Counselling Psychology

Job description

Go back Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Clinical/Forensic Psychologist

The closing date is 12 June 2025

We have an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic Clinical or Forensic Psychologist to join the Forensic Autism Liaison Service within Shropshire Telford & Wrekin.

The service works with autistic adults who are at risk of contact, or in contact with, the criminal justice system. The service covers Shropshire Telford & Wrekin and is a small multi-disciplinary team of health professionals.

You will be responsible for completing forensic risk assessments, interventions, and consultations to patients, other professionals, and carers. You will carry a small caseload and support the MDT in triaging and formulating cases.

You will have opportunities to contribute to service development. Clinical decisions and risk management are routinely reviewed as an MDT. The service provides a formulation-led, trauma-informed, and strengths-based approach to risk management.

You will work closely with colleagues in the two local Autism Hubs, as well as within MPFT including MH Liaison for Autistic Adults and those in the adult autism assessment pathway.

Opportunities for further training are available.

Consideration would be given for B7/8a development post

For an informal discussion, please contact: Dr Emma Mair, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, or Mary Fairgrieve - Operational Lead Adult Autism Service. Telephone: [phone]. Interviews TBC.

Main duties of the job

JOB PURPOSE: To work as a highly specialist psychologist in Shropshire, Telford, and Wrekin providing clinical services directly to:

Autistic Adults with complex forensic needs and their families/carers requiring highly specialist advice and support, particularly those in the Transforming Care Cohort (TCC).

To support MPFT colleagues and other agencies in the area to better understand and meet the needs of Autistic Adults, enhancing their quality of life and psychological well-being. To lead and contribute to service development and improvements.

About us

By joining Team MPFT, you will be helping your communities, and in return, we will support you by:

• Supporting your career development and progression
• Generous maternity, paternity, and adoption leave
• Options for flexible working
• Up to 27 days annual leave (increasing up to 33 days with service)
• Extensive Health and Wellbeing support
• Payment for travel between patients if working in community teams
• Lease car if more than 500 business miles per annum, fully insured and maintained
• Salary sacrifice car and bikes options
• Free car parking at trust sites
• Free annual flu vaccinations
• Citizens Advice support and Hardship Fund up to £250

We pride ourselves on being a diverse and inclusive organization, with staff networks to support inclusion.

Please be aware that AI use in applications will be monitored for fairness and transparency. Declare if AI has been used in your application.

Note: We may close this vacancy early if a high volume of applications is received.

Job responsibilities

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Clinical Responsibilities

• Provide specialist advice and support to Autistic Adults with forensic needs, including those placed out of area for treatment due to complex needs, and support discharge planning.
• Collaborate with third sector colleagues in local Autism Hubs.
• Work with service users and professionals in community settings, hospitals, mental health centres, Social Services, and Probation Offices.
• Engage with service users in prisons, hospitals, and secure facilities as needed.
• Work with individuals with a history of serious offences and/or challenging behaviour, including violent and sexual offenders.
• Conduct highly specialist psychological assessments using various data sources, including tests, interviews, and observations.
• Recommend reasonable adjustments for autistic adults to access services and provide training/support on these adjustments.
• Formulate psychological treatment and behavioural support plans based on thorough analysis.
• Develop proposals for addressing unmet psychological needs in the community.
• Evaluate treatment options considering complex individual factors.
• Manage a specialist caseload and provide expert advice and consultation to other professionals.
• Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings, including those related to the Dynamic Support Register (DSR).
• Assess and manage risk of harm, including serious violence or sexual offending, and produce formal reports and risk management plans.
• Act as Key Worker where appropriate, coordinating care and communicating with service users and their networks.
• Provide supervision and support to the clinical team regarding psychological care.
• Conduct diagnostic assessments for ASD queries in Telford and Wrekin.

Systems and Equipment

• Utilize IT skills for data analysis, reporting, and communication, including electronic health records (e.g., RiO).
• Operate complex test equipment and ensure accurate scoring and interpretation of assessments.

Decisions and Judgements

• Make high-level clinical decisions regarding care and treatment.
• Advise on service development and organisational matters related to ASD and forensic needs.
• Work independently within guidelines, managing own workload and diary.

Communication and Relationships

• Ensure inclusive communication tailored to individual needs.
• Maintain professionalism when discussing sensitive and distressing material.
• Communicate complex information clearly to service users and colleagues.
• Foster effective relationships across multidisciplinary teams and external agencies.
• Maintain high standards of clinical record keeping and confidentiality, exercising professional judgment in disclosures.

Person Specification

Qualifications & Training

• Post-graduate doctoral training in applied psychology (or equivalent), accredited by BPS, including models of psychopathology, psychometrics, neuropsychology, therapies, and lifespan development; or postgraduate training in Forensic or Counselling Psychology (Doctoral level) accredited by BPS.
• Qualifications in multiple recognized assessments for Autistic Spectrum Conditions.

Experience

• Experience as a qualified psychologist working with individuals with severe mental health issues, including those in contact with the criminal justice system and with violent or sexual offences.
• Experience in assessing and diagnosing ASD.

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities

• Best practices for working with autistic individuals with offending behavior or at risk.
• Expertise in ASD diagnosis.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to a DBS check, and a disclosure submission will be required to ensure suitability for working with vulnerable adults.

Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust