Senior Forensic Psychologist

Serco; Bristol; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading rehabilitation service provider in the UK is seeking a Senior Forensic Psychologist to enhance the therapeutic community at HMP Ashfield. The ideal candidate will lead a team, conduct forensic risk assessments, and provide consultancy to prison staff, contributing to effective rehabilitation. This role offers the opportunity for professional growth and the chance to make a significant impact on offenders' lives. Competitive salary and corporate benefits included.

Benefits

Contributory pension scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Discounts with retailers

Training and development opportunities

Volunteer day each year

Qualifications

• Hold Chartered status with the British Psychological Society.
• Registered as a Forensic Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council.
• Experience completing assessments for complex offenders.

Responsibilities

• Undertake forensic risk assessments of prisoners.
• Act as a professional witness in parole board hearings.
• Lead the development of offending behaviour programmes.

Skills

Chartered status with the British Psychological Society

Registered as a Forensic Psychologist

Knowledge of the Offender Personality Disorder pathway

Experience completing parole reports

Collaborative approach

Education

Chartered Forensic Psychologist

Tools

WAIS IV

HCR-20

PCL-R

IPDE

SARA

Job description

Senior Forensic Psychologist

Full Time, hours – Permanent

Location: HMP Ashfield, Bristol, BS 9QJ

Salary: Up to £,.per annum & Corporate Company Benefits

Ready to think differently about rehabilitation? Discover an exciting opportunity to enrich your career as a Senior Forensic Psychologist at HMP Ashfield, at Category C prison for male sexual offenders. From a new Therapeutic Community to the use of EMDR and schema therapy, here you can enhance your experience and career with a variety of therapeutic approaches.

This isn't a typical prison psychology role. You'll be a leader, a strategist, and a catalyst for change. You'll work directly with prisoners facing complex challenges, including mental illness, personality disorders, cognitive deficits, self-harming behaviours and significant offending histories. Managing a team of forensic psychologists and forensic psychologists‑in‑training, you’ll use your expertise to assess risks, guide rehabilitation programmes, and empower prisoners for a positive future.

Make an impact at Serco

As a Senior Forensic Psychologist at HMP Ashfield, you'll play a crucial role in supporting the rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners. By conducting psychological assessments and providing expert consultancy to prison staff, you'll help shape interventions that directly address offending behaviour. Your work will not only contribute to the safety and wellbeing of individuals but also enhance the broader rehabilitative efforts of the prison, ultimately helping reduce re‑offending and supporting the safe reintegration of offenders into society.

Your key responsibilities will include :

• Undertaking forensic risk assessments of prisoners that contribute to the safer custody of residents
• Acting as a professional witness in parole board hearings, multi‑agency meetings, and other formal settings
• Leading and contributing to the development and delivery of offending behaviour programmes
• Delivering training on topics such as personality disorder, psychopathy or managing difficult behaviour
• Ensuring all work adheres to our code of conduct and British Psychological Society (BPS) guidelines

As an active stakeholder in the Rehabilitative Culture strategy of the prison, you’ll stay up to date on knowledge and research in the field of Forensic Psychology, particularly in relation to the rehabilitation of offenders.

Join a place you can grow

At Serco, we believe in continuous development, and you’ll find plenty of opportunities to grow in this role. You’ll work within a supportive and collaborative team that is passionate about making a difference in the lives of others. We offer a range of professional development and CPD activities, and we actively promote from within.

You’ll also receive :

• Pension : Up to 6% contributory pension scheme
• Health and wellbeing : Employee Assistance Programme, Bupa Anytime HealthLine, wellbeing app, % off at Serco‑managed leisure centres, and / 7 access to a virtual GP serviceand free flu jabs
• Training and development : Ongoing support and training opportunities to enhance your skills and career progression, with your professional training fees paid.
• Discounts : Discounts across around 1, retailers, from food and clothing to days out, entertainment and travel.
• ShareSave scheme : Save regularly with the choice to buy Serco shares at a discount at the end of your savings period.
• Charity : Support a charity or organisation with a paid volunteering day each year. You can also choose to donate to your favourite charity tax‑free, through our Payroll Giving Scheme, and donate your pennies from your monthly pay to the Serco People Fund Charity.
• Employee networks : Join a network where colleagues can come together, meet new people, find support, share ideas and be part of a real community.

What you’ll need

To succeed in this role, you should :

• Hold Chartered status with the British Psychological Society
• Be registered as a Forensic Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• Be on the Register of Applied Psychology Practice Supervisors (RAAPS) with the BPS
• Have a strong awareness and knowledge of the Offender Personality Disorder pathway, with the experience and ability to make good clinical formulations of offenders with complex needs
• Have experience completing parole reports and carrying out assessments such as WAIS IV, HCR-, PCL-R, IPDE and SARA
• Be able to work in a multi‑disciplinary way and bring a collaborative approach to your work with your team and with those in our care

Desirable (but not essential)

• Post‑qualification experience working in secure settings

A little bit about us

At Serco, we’re a fast‑growing company, serving governments around the globe. Our work spans a wide range of sectors including Justice, Immigration, Defence, Leisure, Healthcare, Transport, and Citizen Services. We’re committed to delivering, improving and redesigning public services for the benefit of everyone, guided by our values of Trust, Care, Innovation, and Pride.

Our inclusive recruitment process : We see people first and foremost for their performance and potential. We’re a proud holder of the Gold Inclusive Employer Standard and a Disability Confident Leader, championing fair access to employment and equal opportunities for all. As such we’re open to flexible working arrangements and we’ll make reasonable adjustments from interview through to employment.

As part of the Disability Confident Scheme, disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview.

Ready to make a difference? Apply today!

Impact a better future at Serco.

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