Registered Psychologist

Ministry of Justice; Bicester; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A governmental agency in the UK seeks a Registered Psychology Practitioner to join its Psychology team. This role involves providing line management and supervision to Trainee Psychologists, conducting risk assessments, and delivering psychological interventions across various prison settings. Candidates should possess a professional background in psychology, HCPC registration, and at least two years of post-registration experience. The position offers an opportunity to contribute to vital psychological services within the criminal justice system.

Benefits

Pension scheme

Training and development opportunities

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Possess a professional background in Psychology.
• Experience in providing clinical supervision.
• Completed relevant training in effective models of treatment and best practice.
• Likely to be a Chartered Psychologist.

Responsibilities

• Conduct full case reviews on difficult cases.
• Lead, supervise and facilitate group sessions.
• Provide professional supervision to trainee psychologists.
• Manage and provide consultancy support to staff.

Skills

Clinical supervision

Risk assessment

Therapeutic intervention

Psychology services delivery

Education

Professional background in Psychology

HCPC registration

Job description

Opportunities are available at various prison locations within the SWSC Area Psychology team. The SWSC PSG team work within a number of sites, including those with main and PCOSO prisoners, and covering local, training and resettlement regimes. Our team are involved in supporting core safety, consultancy, risk assessment and treatment work at sites, delivering the Building Choices intervention, and working alongside colleagues to support the Enable initiative. As such, our posts may suit a range of Registered Psychology Practitioners, including those with an occupational background. Alongside supporting core prison work, the successful candidate will provide line management and supervision to Trainee Psychologists, and may undertake wider consultancy and risk assessment work. The job holds a specialist role requiring significant additional experience, training and personal development and will excel in the area of risk assessment or be a specialist in a specific area such as working with those convicted of sexual offending.

Responsibilities

• Conduct full case reviews on difficult cases and offer authoritative advice on next steps relating to sentence plan.
• Specialise in delivery of psychology services in settings such as therapeutic community wings or PIPEs.
• Lead, supervise and facilitate group sessions.
• Offer professional opinion to multi-functional teams conducting offender reports such as risk reports, parole reports on high risk or vulnerable offenders.
• Develop and conduct sexual offending or indeterminate sentence assessment and intervention strategy.
• Deliver and supervise treatment management of complex programmes such as healthy sex programme.
• Provide consultancy support to colleagues such as Senior Management Team (SMT) in relation to psychology services and outcomes.
• Conduct relevant research including data gathering and analysis.
• Act as a professional witness in parole board hearings, multi-agency meetings, and other formal settings where psychology input is required. May also act as expert witness in respect of court proceedings for Ministry of Justice.
• Manage and provide professional supervision to trainee forensic psychology staff.
• Provide supervision, training, mentoring and support to trainee psychologists and where relevant other staff such as interventions staff.
• Assist in national specialist tasks such as training on courses related to their specialist discipline.
• Provide professional supervision to support a trainee in developing through the key steps towards chartered and registered status. This may be as a coordinating or designated supervisor.
• Ensure staff are developed in accordance with key competencies and gateways and ensure consistency across the team in the application of policies and procedures affecting staff and offenders.
• Lead on risk assessment and resulting risk management of complex, vulnerable or high-risk offenders. Will be competent to undertake the full range of risk assessments including the more complex risk assessments. Gives feedback of the assessment to the individual and other stakeholders.
• Contribute to other offender management processes, usually with more complex cases in work such as Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) assessments and self-harm or personality disorder assessments.
• Provide consultancy role to wider team on their specialist activity. Visit a range of sites/forums to advise on complex cases.
• Act as a negotiation adviser where suitable and competence has been demonstrated.
• Manage own Continued Professional Development (CPD) requirements and maintain professional standards.
• Ensure they maintain their HCPC registration.
• Provide a psychological contribution to the work of areas of the wider service provision, such as a therapeutic community or regime activity.
• Provide psychological reports when requested for those convicted of a life sentence and to submit within the appropriate time framework.
• Maintain relevant accreditation audit baselines as detailed in the audit document.
• Line management of trainee psychologists.

Qualifications

• Possess a professional background in Psychology.
• Experience in providing clinical supervision.
• Completed relevant training in effective models of treatment and best practice.
• Likely to be a Chartered Psychologist and full member of the appropriate division of the British Psychological Society if the post requires it.
• Registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council and eligible to use a protected title.
• At least two years post-registration experience at the point of taking up post.
• HCPC registered Forensic Psychologist.

Special Licence Requirements

• HCPC registered Forensic Psychologist.
• Possess a professional background in Psychology.
• Experience in providing clinical supervision.
• Completed relevant training in effective models of treatment and best practice.
• Likely to be a Chartered Psychologist and full member of the appropriate division of the BPS if the post requires it.
• At least two years post-registration experience at the point of taking up post.

Spoken and Written English

Evidence of spoken and written English. Statement of suitability. Managing a quality service. Delivering at pace. Developing self and others.

Hybrid Working Arrangements

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and/or from home. Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review. For nationally advertised roles, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to a MoJ office location, which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office.

Annual Leave

The holiday year runs from 1 March. If you work a non-standard work pattern your leave entitlement may be expressed in either hours or days as appropriate. Leave entitlement is calculated on a pro-rata basis and you will be advised of your actual entitlement on appointment. Bank, public and privilege holidays – You are entitled to 9 days (66 hours 36 minutes) in recognition of bank, public and privilege holidays. These hours are added to your annual leave allowance. There is a requirement to work some public and bank holidays subject to your shift pattern and the operational needs of the establishment.

Pension

HMPPS offers a choice of two pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Work Life Balance

HMPPS is keen to encourage alternative working arrangements. Work life balance provides greater opportunities for staff to work more flexibly wherever managers and establishments can accommodate requests to do so. HMPPS offers flexible working subject to completion of a satisfactory probationary period and NVQ.

Childcare Vouchers

After two months' service, you'll be eligible to apply for a season ticket advance to purchase a quarterly or longer-period season ticket for travel between home and your place of work.

Training and Development

HMPPS is committed to staff development and offers a range of training and development opportunities, including Equality and Diversity, Dealing with Challenging Behaviour, Suicide Prevention and Anti Bullying programmes. There are opportunities to access promotion programmes and HMPPS provides a variety of training appropriate to individual posts.

Eligibility and Security Checks

All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post. All external candidates are subject to six months probation. Internal candidates are subject to probation if they have not already served a probationary period within HMPPS. All staff are required to declare whether they are a member of a group or organisation which the HMPPS considers to be racist.

Disability Confident

As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. You may request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process.

Diversity & Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more about recruiting candidates with disabilities or long-term conditions, see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

Veterans

The MoJ offers a Guaranteed Interview scheme for veterans. The scheme provides an interview to those who meet the minimum criteria to secure rewarding jobs.