Senior Psychologist - Options OPD Service | Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

CNWL NHS Foundation Trust; Sutton Green; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization is seeking a skilled professional for Offender Personality Disorder services focused on providing psychological support to women. Responsibilities include delivering therapy and supporting staff training within an established team. Ideal candidates will be experienced in working with personality disorders and possess excellent interpersonal skills. This role offers substantial benefits, research opportunities, and a supportive work environment.

Benefits

Health and wellbeing services

Season ticket loans

Cycle to work scheme

MyTrustBenefits membership

Qualifications

• Experience in delivering group therapy and individual psychological interventions.
• Ability to support women on the Offender Personality Disorder pathway.
• Skills in providing training and participating in audits/research.

Responsibilities

• Provide psychologically informed care and interventions to OPD services.
• Support women on the Offender Personality Disorder pathway.
• Develop psychological formulations to enhance staff support.
• Supervise NHS team members including trainee psychologists.

Skills

Team working

Personality disorder knowledge

Neurodiversity understanding

Job description

Overview

This is an exciting opportunity to join and help develop our expanding Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) Services for women. Options is a treatment and support service running primarily modified forensic Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Programmes, offering treatment for service users who have been identified on the Personality Disorder Pathway. Additionally, we offer 1:1 EMDR therapy, we offer staff training, consultation and formulation services to our probation and prison colleagues who work alongside us to support and progress women safety through their sentence plan, in preparation for their move into the community.

Service users report many improvements in the way they manage emotions and relationships. “I’ve noticed genuine changes in my behaviour since doing Options. I’ve learned new ways to deal with problems and think about things better. I am more able to think before I react to things.”

You will be joining an established staff team of psychologists and prison officers, all of whom have interest and skills in team working, personality disorder and neurodiversity. The expanded service includes an increase in psychologists and an arts therapist.

Responsibilities

• To provide psychologically informed care and interventions to service users of the OPD services, including the delivery of specialist individual and group therapy including outreach support and stabilisation with women at HMP Downview
• To work with the team to support women on the Offender Personality Disorder pathway and to promote a trauma informed, risk cognisant, environment and service
• To develop and support psychological formulations that enhance staff’s ability to support the women in their sentence progression
• To provide training and participate in audit and research that aims to improve the service
• To supervise prison and qualified and pre-qualification NHS team members including trainee psychologists

By joining CNWL you will be joining a large department of psychologists and psychological therapists that provide an array of mental health and OPD services across London and the home counties. Our staff are dynamic and welcoming and the networking and CPD opportunities are central to our services ethos. We have active research forums and promote our services and work through academic and clinical forums. All staff receive regular supervision and are supported with career aspirations and progression.

Click here to find out more about Psychology at CNWL

Benefits

• Excellent staff benefits, our benefit packages are amongst the best in London and include:
• Health and wellbeing services
• Season ticket loans
• Cycle to work scheme

The trust also values its staff and you are entitled to become a member of MyTrustBenefits. MyTrustBenefits is an online portal for all CNWL staff, as well as their family and friends. It offers over 1400 discounts at hundreds of retailers nationwide. Save money on your weekly food shops, toiletries, cosmetics, cinema, meals out, holidays, travel and entertainment. You can also access free online courses on a variety of topics, professional and personal, ranging from business management, languages, law and teaching.

HMP Downview is in easy reach of London and the surrounding areas. The prison offers free use of onsite leisure facilities and free parking for all staff.

Please see attached detailed job description & person specification.

We are a friendly team and encourage any prospective candidate to contact us with any questions and/or to book an informal visit.

This advert closes on Sunday 9 Nov 2025