Clinical Lead (Forensic Liaison And Partnership Team)

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare Nhs Trust; Stoke-on-Trent; On-site; GBP 67,000 - 77,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Wellbeing opportunities

Job summary

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare Trust is seeking a Clinical or Forensic Psychologist (Band 8B) for a 16-month fixed-term post in Stoke-on-Trent. The role forms part of a new forensic liaison partnership within the Mental Health Rehabilitation pathway.

The post offers part-time hours, Agenda for Change pay scale (£66,582–£77,368 per year), and a focus on bridging forensic and non-forensic care with strong multi-disciplinary collaboration.

Qualifications

• Honours degree and BPS membership required.
• Doctoral level training in clinical or forensic psychology as accredited by the BPS.
• Substantial experience as a psychologist with severe and enduring mental health problems.

Responsibilities

• Conduct highly specialised assessments and formulations.
• Provide consultation and supervision to transitioning teams in the community.
• Develop evidence-based management plans and monitor outcomes.
• Contribute to risk assessment and transitions from inpatient to community.
• Maintain professionalism when dealing with distressing material.
• Build strong liaison with secure and community colleagues.
• Communicate complex information clearly to colleagues.

Skills

Assessment & intervention

Forensic psychology

Autonomous practice

Team liaison

Education

Honours degree

BPS membership

Doctoral training in clinical/forensic psychology

Job description

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Clinical or Forensic Psychologist, Band 8B, to join a new innovative Forensic Liaison Partnership team within NSCHT Mental Health Rehabilitation pathway.

This post provides an exciting opportunity to make a significant contribution to the delivery of Psychological Services for a specialist community liaison and partnership service, for those who have previously been in forensic services. Most patients currently on a secure care pathway have been treated in secondary care mental health services in the past, and very few require specialist forensic community care in the long term. Efficient transition between forensic and non-forensic mental health services is a necessary part of the overall patient pathway. Secondary care services require the capacity, capability and confidence to provide care for this group of patients. Currently, there is variability in organisation and provision of services at this interface across the region and long delays in transition of care are common. The overall aim of this funding is to reduce unwarranted variation and develop existing services at these interfaces, in order to enhance the efficiency of transitions of care and improve patient flow through the whole pathway.

Post is a 16 months Fixed Term end date 02.02.28.

Main duties of the job

To provide a high quality service embedded within the rehab pathway to the delivery of Psychological Services for a specialist community liaison and partnership service, for those who have previously been in forensic services. Most patients currently on a secure care pathway have been treated in secondary care mental health services in the past, and very few require specialist forensic community care in the long term. Efficient transition between forensic and non-forensic mental health services is a necessary part of the overall patient pathway. Secondary care services require the capacity, capability and confidence to provide care for this group of patients. Currently, there is variability in organisation and provision of services at this interface across the region and long delays in transition of care are common. The overall aim of this post is to reduce unwarranted variation and develop existing services at these interfaces, in order to enhance the efficiency of transitions of care and improve patient flow through the whole pathway.

About us

As a Trust we remain bold and ambitious with plans for both service and system collaborative transformation over the coming years to improve the health and wellbeing of our local people through high quality care.

We pride ourselves on ensuring our team has their wellbeing put first and as such provide a range of wellness opportunities including flexible working.

We are committed to the Greener NHS national ambition to becoming the world's first 'carbon net zero' national health system by 2045. As part of this, sustainability is embedded in our strategy as one of our four key enablers. In order to deliver on this commitment, we recognise that we need a workforce that is as passionate as we are about achieving these goals, for the benefit of our service users, workforce, local communities and the planet alike.

The Trust is committed to ensuring that a diverse workforce is representative and inclusive at all levels. We would very much welcome applications from all under-represented groups including women, people with disabilities, people from global majority backgrounds, and those from the lesbian, gay, bi and trans communities.

The Trust is committed to the Step into Health scheme and actively encourages applicants from the Armed Forces Communities to apply.

Details

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 8b

Salary: £66,582 to £77,368 a year per annum pro rata

Contract: Fixed term

Duration: 16 months

Working pattern: Part-time

Reference number: 232-SPL-8383162

Job responsibilities

• To work autonomously in undertaking highly specialised single case assessments, formulations and consultations with the service user and/or treating teams to develop an understanding of the persons presentation, symptoms and related management difficulties within a psychological framework. The post holder will be required to provide consultation, supervision and support to transitioning teams in the community to enable services to feel confident and able to provide mental health support to this client group.
• To utilise highly specialist psychological skills to develop case formulations that provide detailed psychological understanding of the persons presentation, symptoms and related management issues taking into account different theoretical models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that will inform safe and effective future care and management.
• To make highly skilled decisions in advising colleagues and partners, in the development of evidence-based management plans for service users and to sensitively monitor the efficacy of the management plans through regular consultations with staff, adjusting and refining psychological formulations and maintaining a number of different provisional hypotheses during transition from secure to non-secure care.
• To utilise highly specialist psychological skills to contribute to risk assessment and management to support transitions from inpatient to community settings.
• To maintain a high level of professionalism despite regular exposure to highly emotive, distressing and disturbing material.
• To develop excellent working relationships with secure service and community colleagues and partners that will underpin effective liaison, communication and learning.
• To communicate in a manner that is accessible and meaningful to colleagues, this will include complex information concerning client formulation and management/treatment plans.

Person Specification

Qualifications (Essential)

• An honours degree and membership of the British Psychological Society
• Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical psychology OR Forensic Psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS.

Experience (Essential)

• Substantial experience of working as a qualified psychologist with people with severe and enduring mental health problems; including offering assessment and clinical interventions for a wide range of presenting problems including personality disorder.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer details

Employer name: North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare Trust

Address: Summers View, Stoke on Trent, ST6 5UD, United Kingdom

Contact

For questions about the job, contact Kate Devlin, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, [e-mail], 03001231535

Employer equality statement

The Trust is committed to ensuring that a diverse workforce is representative and inclusive at all levels.