Principal Forensic/Clinical Psychologist

NHS; London; On-site; GBP 64,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job description

Principal Forensic/Clinical Psychologist

The post holder will oversee the prison's well-resourced therapies team (part of the Mental Health Hub) to ensure they work to an agreed operational policy, offering a high standard of trauma-informed care to those with mental health needs and neurodivergence.

The role involves both clinical and management responsibilities and will offer the post holder an opportunity to lead a diverse team in a prison setting, where continued professional development is highly valued.

NLFS benefits from a large psychology team with a wealth of experience and expertise to absorb. A range of training and CPD opportunities are available, as well as the possibility of contributing within active Research and Quality Improvement Forums.

This role would suit someone with an established career within forensic mental health, looking to develop their leadership skills further.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will oversee the prison's Therapies Team (part of the Mental Health Hub) to ensure they work to an agreed operational policy, offering a high standard of trauma-informed care. The role involves both clinical and management duties; the line management and supervision of a range of therapists, including colleagues from psychology, SLT, OT and Nursing; service development and research; assessment and interventions to residents with mental health difficulties and neurodivergence and consultation to non-therapy colleagues.

The post holder will work with the Therapy Lead for Prisons to deliver leadership within the team. They will utilise research skills for data gathering and outcomes, audit, policy, service development and research within the area served by the team/service in order to evaluate the service and provide evidence for further service development.

About us

North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) is committed to improving mental health care across North London to deliver excellent services to our local people.

Our Five-Year Strategy:

1. We will provide consistently high-quality care closer to home.
2. With our partners in North London and each borough we will ensure equity of outcome for all.
3. We will offer great places to work, providing staff with supportive environment to deliver outstanding care.
4. We will be more effective as an organisation by pioneering research, quality improvement and technology.

In order to meet the needs of the Trust you may be required from time to time to work at different locations to your normal place of work. This may mean that you are required to work at any location that fall under Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey or Islington. The Trust reserves the right to require staff to work at such other places or locations as it considers reasonable and necessary on a temporary or permanent basis.

Job responsibilities

Kindly see the Job Description and Person specification for further details regarding the main clinical, managerial, HR and administrative duties.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Doctoral level training in clinical psychology. OR Doctoral or Masters level training in forensic psychology with full competencies completed.
• Registration with HCPC.
• Pre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.

Experience and Knowledge

• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across a range of care settings, which can include outpatient, community, primary care and inpatient settings.
• Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of emotive and distressing problems and where there is a history of violence.
• Experience of working within a forensic setting/service.
• Experience of teaching and training. Experience of the supervision of qualified psychology staff.
• Experience of service development.
• Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.
• Experience of working in a prison.
• Experience of supervising/line managing AHPs.

Skills and Abilities

• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
• Skill in the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in working with mentally disordered offenders.
• Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
• Able to contain, explore and formulate an understanding of high levels of distress both directly with patients and indirectly via supervision or case reviews with other staff.
• Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS.
• Trained in cognitive assessment and Autism Assessment (ADOS etc).

Personal Qualities

• Flexible, creative and approachable who can work quickly and responsively with both clients and the multidisciplinary team.
• Able to work autonomously as well as under supervision and with colleagues.
• Demonstrable leadership and management qualities.

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.

£64,337 to £74,415 a year (per annum, pro-rata)