Highly Specialist Practitioner Psychologist/Psychological Therapist | Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust; Dartford; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A mental health service provider in Dartford is seeking a Psychological Therapist to support the community-based transition of forensic mental health service users. The role involves direct clinical assessment, interdisciplinary collaboration, and ensuring quality care while traveling across boroughs. Ideal candidates possess relevant qualifications and post-qualification experience.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 12 months post-qualification experience in relevant clinical services.
• Candidates should be psychological therapists and liaise with the FIND community team for supervision.
• Travel across Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust boroughs is essential.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct clinical assessment and interventions in complex cases.
• Offer support to the system around the service user.
• Complete timely reports conveying key findings.

Skills

Clinical assessment and interventions

Consultation and reflective practice

Psychological therapy assessments

Risk assessment and management

Education

Relevant clinical qualifications

Job description

Overview

We are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic, compassionate and motivated Psychological Therapist for a whole-time post (1.0 WTE) in our Forensic Outreach Service (FOS). The role will be community-based, supporting the safe discharge of adult forensic mental health service users as they move from secure hospital care into the community, including the Tilt service, a hostel for men with significant mental health needs and forensic risks. You will play a crucial role in the multi–professional approach to working with service users who have severe mental health and interpersonal issues, often co-occurring with substance dependency or neurodevelopmental disorders, all of whom present a risk that warrants support from forensic services.

Within the forensic community services, there is emphasis on improving quality of life and reducing inequalities for service users, and across the psychological therapies department there is a focus on CBT for psychosis, trauma informed and systemic approaches, with expert supervision available.

Travel between the three Oxleas boroughs – Bexley, Bromley, and Greenwich – is essential. This is a clinically focused role.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct clinical assessment and interventions in complex cases, including individual, group, and family work.
• Offer support to the system around the service user, providing consultation and reflective practice to other professionals, and delivering staff training to clinical and non-clinical staff.
• There may be opportunities to supervise trainees and to undertake audit and research.
• Be the sole psychological therapist in the FOS team with links to other forensic psychological therapies services, including receiving clinical supervision from a psychologist in the FIND (Forensic Intellectual and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities) community team.
• Join monthly psychological therapies department meetings and contribute to a breadth of professional opportunities across community, prison and hospital settings.
• Encourage consolidation and further development of skills and clinical interests in a friendly and supportive multi-professional and multi-agency context.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Minimum of 12 months post-qualification experience in relevant clinical services.
• Travel across Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust boroughs (Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich) as part of the role is essential.
• Candidates should be psychological therapists and will liaise with the Forensic Intellectual and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (FIND) community team for supervision.

For further details please contact: Dr Hazell Bale, Principal Psychologist. [e-mail]

Clinical and Professional Practice

• Provide highly specialist psychological therapy assessments, formulations and interventions.
• Exercise autonomous professional responsibility for assessment, treatment and discharge of community clients, including planning and review with clients, carers, referees and other networks of care.
• Produce timely reports conveying key findings in a clear and accessible manner for clients and referrers.
• Undertake psychometric and neuropsychological testing as appropriate and interpret findings in context.
• Undertake risk assessment, monitoring and management in line with Trust and inter-agency policies.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of legislation, policies and issues pertaining to the client group.
• Receive regular clinical and professional supervision and attend Reflective Practice sessions; maintain Continuing Professional Development per professional body requirements.
• Ensure high standards of clinical record keeping and confidentiality; comply with standards and ethics of the relevant professional bodies.
• Support staff in line management, supervision, recruitment and quality governance as part of the service.

Management, Leadership and Governance

• Provide line management to pre-qualified staff and supervise students and trainees; support recruitment of psychological therapies staff.
• Ensure local standards for work allocation, performance review, sickness management and early grievance/disciphline steps; oversee quality line management and supervision within the team.
• Provide specialist advice, consultation and training to staff across agencies; work with Criminal Justice System and Children’s Services where appropriate.
• Implement clinical governance standards and undertake quality improvement projects; ensure engagement of service users in planning and delivery of services.

Leadership and Service Development

• Support an effective psychologically informed framework and deliver accessible, acceptable services to diverse communities; challenge discrimination.
• Advise on specialist psychological care and liaise with referrers, GPs and other professionals to develop and review care plans.
• Utilise theory, evidence-based literature, and research to inform practice; contribute to teaching, training and dissemination of findings.
• Contribute to professional development and ongoing learning within the service and across the directorate.

Clinical Practice and Research

• Provide highly specialist psychological therapy assessments, formulations and interventions; take responsibility for planning and reviewing care plans with input from clients and networks.
• Provide culturally appropriate interventions with carers or families when required; produce timely reports; undertake appropriate psychometric testing and risk assessment.
• Work with other disciplines and maintain links with statutory and non-statutory agencies; implement outcome measurement and participate in directorate meetings and forums.
• Plan and conduct research, service evaluations and quality improvement projects; oversee projects by students and colleagues.

Communication

• Communicate sensitively and effectively with clients, carers and others regarding assessments, formulations and treatment plans.
• Maintain liaison with team members, service managers and other disciplines and agencies responsible for a client’s care.

This advert closes on Sunday 21 Sep 2025