Lead Forensic Psychologist

NHS Jobs; Charlwood; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

33 days annual leave incl bank hols

Career development opportunities

Wellbeing support

Blue Light Card access

Life Assurance

Job summary

Elysium Healthcare in England is seeking a Principal Psychologist for Farmfield Hospital to lead the psychology department within a secure inpatient forensic service for adult men. You will oversee assessments, formulate treatment plans, and develop individual and group interventions in collaboration with the MDT.

The role includes clinical supervision of Assistant Psychologists, recruitment, and driving service development, staff training and governance to maintain the highest professional

Qualifications

• Doctorate in Clinical, Counselling or Forensic Psychology or Stage 2/HCPC registration.
• Advanced clinical assessment and formulation skills for complex cases.
• Experience supervising staff and leading service development.

Responsibilities

• Provide psychological assessments using complex data sources.
• Lead on formulation of plans for treatment and management of service users.
• Develop and manage groupwork programmes and innovative therapeutic approaches.
• Provide clinical supervision to junior psychologists and staff.
• Lead recruitment of psychology staff.

Skills

Clinical leadership

Supervision

Forensic psychology

Education

Doctorate in Clinical/Forensic/Counselling Psychology

Tools

Risk assessment tools

Job description

Are you an experienced and compassionate Psychologist looking for an opportunity to combine clinical excellence with leadership and service development? Join Farmfield Hospital as the Principal Psychologist to play a key role in shaping and delivering high‑quality psychological services within a specialist multidisciplinary environment. Farmfield Hospital is a secure inpatient forensic mental health service providing medium and low secure care for adult men with complex mental health needs, offering a rewarding opportunity to make a meaningful impact on recovery and rehabilitation. You will be leading the psychology department and working alongside members of the Multi‑disciplinary Team (MDT), to offer patient‑centred care, implementing daily, meaningful activities which can support recovery. This entails competently assessing unwell service users, including completing assessments, planning and implementing person‑centred interventions and the ongoing evaluation of their care and treatment. You will be required to oversee the provision of the psychology service, as well as supporting the team in facilitating assessment and formulation interventions and psychology groups in collaboration with the team. At Elysium you will have the chance to develop specialist skills throughout your time with us. Your professional growth is important, which is why there are numerous career development opportunities to keep you learning and improving. You’ll also receive support from a regional network of healthcare professionals.

As a Lead Psychologist you will be: Provide psychological assessments based upon the appropriate use, interpretation, integration and communication of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological testing, self‑report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi‑structured interviews with service users, carers and other relevant stakeholders involved in the service user’s care and recovery. Lead on formulation of plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of service users’ mental health and broader psychosocial needs utilising appropriate, evidence‑based clinical frameworks. Implement a range of psychological interventions for individuals within and across teams employed individually and in synthesis, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses. Develop and manage groupwork programmes and innovative therapeutic approaches. To ensure that appropriate outcome measures are in place. Ensure that Psychology practices in the specified area of service maintains the highest standards of professional practice and ethics, complying with clinical governance standards at all times. Supports in the development and delivery of training programmes to aid the development of staff teams in a given service area. Providing clinical supervision to Assistant Psychologists, as directed by the Lead Psychologist. Leading on recruitment of psychology staff.

Advanced clinical therapeutic skills, both individual and group‑based:

• Experience with a range of evidence‑based therapeutic approaches to address a range of complex clinical and/or forensic issues and needs.
• Clinical supervision and delegated line management responsibility for Assistant Psychologists; trainee psychologists (where applicable) and Clinical Associate Psychologists
• Psychology‑led workforce development interventions, including but not limited to facilitating reflective practice and relevant practical knowledge and skills workshops for staff of all disciplines and grades

To be successful in this role, you’ll need:

Successful completion of a Doctorate in either Clinical, Counselling or Forensic Psychology or the British Psychological Society’s Stage 2 training in Forensic Psychology, enabling registration with the HCPC as as Practitioner Psychologist. Registration with the HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist and Charterable status with the British Psychological Society. Competency in advanced clinical psychological assessment and formulation skills relevant to our service user group Competency as regards risk assessment/management tools and formulation.

What You’ll Get

• Competitive Annual Salary plus Benefits
• The equivalent of 33 days annual leave (including bank holidays) – plus your birthday off and the option to buy additional annual leave, in our annual selection window.
• Career development and training to help you achieve your professional goals
• Access to our Rewards & Benefits platform Ely-Vate; Your one‑stop destination for everyday savings, exclusive benefits, and wellbeing hub!
• Wellbeing support and activities to help you maintain a healthy work‑life balance
• Access to Blue Light Card, which provides a range of exclusive offers and discounts
• Life Assurance, for added peace of mind
• Stream – instant access to earned wages when you need it, plus access to save, directly from your wages, alongside financial wellbeing support.
• 24/7 GP service and second medical opinion, to ensure you are the best you can be.
• Enhanced Maternity Package, so you can truly enjoy this special time
• Pension contribution, to help secure your future
• Free/subsidised meals and onsite/local free parking

About us:

Elysium Health care has over 8,000 employees and a unique approach to the delivery of care. With a network of over 80 services across England and Wales covering Mental Health, Neurological, Learning Disabilities & Autism, Children & Education, there is opportunity for you to grow and move. Elysium Healthcare is part of Ramsay Health Care with a global network that extends across 10 countries and employs over 86,000 people globally. Elysium Healthcare follows safer recruitment of staff for all appointments and is a Disability Confident employer, committed to inclusive and accessible recruitment. It is a requirement that all staff understand it is each person’s individual responsibility to promote and safeguard the welfare of service users. All candidates will be subject to a DBS disclosure.