Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist | Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

CNWL NHS Foundation Trust; Ashford; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in Ashford seeks a Psychologist to provide specialized assessments and treatments for young adults at HMP Bronzefield. The role involves collaborating with a multidisciplinary team and ensuring the application of psychological principles tailored to diverse needs. Applicants should possess experience in psychological evaluations and interventions, with an emphasis on individual and group therapy approaches. This position promises a fulfilling career path focused on mental health and support in a unique environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in psychological assessments and therapy.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team.
• Strong understanding of diversity considerations in mental health.

Responsibilities

• Provide psychological assessments to young adults in custody.
• Develop and implement psychological treatment plans.
• Maintain high standards of clinical record keeping.

Job description

The Young Adult (YA) Project at HMP Bronzefield is a pilot project recognizing increased levels of self-harm and violence amongst 18-25-year-old women in custody. The project is a partnership between CNWL, Sodexo, and the Women’s Estate Psychology Service, shaped by trauma-informed principles and relational security. The clinical model adopts a holistic approach to assessment and care planning, with scope for ongoing development and flexibility in service provision.

Responsibilities

• To provide specialist psychological assessments to young adults in HMP Bronzefield based on the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations, and semi-structured interviews with young adults and others involved in their care.
• To develop individual psychological formulations and lead on team formulations, and to develop and utilise a range of psychological interventions to support the team and the prison in understanding and managing the young adults.
• To formulate and implement plans for the psychological treatment and/or management of a young adult’s mental health and behavioural presentation, taking into account an appropriate conceptual framework, theoretical and therapeutic models, and evidence-based methods. Interventions may be delivered as individual and/or group sessions depending on need.
• To work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team of clinical and non-clinical professionals to ensure service delivery is informed by psychological understanding of young adults’ strengths and needs.
• To contribute to the development and articulation of best practice in psychology/psychological therapy across the service, by maintaining reflexive practitioner development, professional supervision and appraisal, and engagement with current developments in psychology and related disciplines.
• To maintain high standards of clinical record keeping, including electronic data entry and reporting, in line with professional codes of practice and Trust policies.
• To maintain up-to-date knowledge of legislation, and national and local policies relating to the specific patient group and mental health.
• To ensure diversity considerations (race, culture, identity, gender, sexuality) are integrated into all professional activity and reflected in care delivery.
• To ensure service users are consulted about relevant aspects of their care and empowered to express their views in a responsive environment, with their views incorporated into ongoing service development.
• To communicate with other counselling providers within the prison to ensure robust referral pathways and appropriate case division.

We’re passionate about delivering first-class, patient-centred, safe and effective care in hospital settings, community clinics or in patients’ homes. Patients are at the heart of everything we do.

Providing top-quality care depends on recruiting outstanding people who will go the extra mile to support patients, colleagues, teams and the Trust. We aim to recruit future leaders and support staff with opportunities to develop careers.

With a diverse culture and a diverse range of opportunities across mental health, community services, addictions, eating disorders, learning disabilities and more, there’s a place for you at CNWL at any stage of your career.

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, colleagues and patients/service users when working in healthcare settings.

To contribute to the development and articulation of best practice in psychology/psychological therapy across the service by continuing to develop skills as a reflexive scientist-practitioner, taking part in regular supervision and appraisal, and staying engaged with current developments in psychology and related disciplines.

To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping, including electronic data entry and report writing, and to exercise professional self-governance in accordance with professional codes of practice and Trust policies and procedures.

To stay up to date with legislation, as well as national and local policies affecting the specific patient group and mental health.

To ensure that all aspects of professional activity (communication with patients, relatives, colleagues; assessment; development/delivery of interventions) reflect sensitivity to diversity, including race, culture, identity, gender and sexuality.

To ensure service users are consulted about relevant aspects of their care and empowered to express their views, which will be considered in ongoing service development and improvement.

To facilitate robust referral pathways by communicating with other counselling providers within the prison and ensuring appropriate distribution of cases.

This advert closes on Tuesday 23 Sep 2025