Trainee Forensic Psychologist - Forensic Psychological Services

Trainee Forensic Psychologist - Forensic Psychological Services

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Band 6 Trainee Forensic Psychologist - Fixed Term Contract up to March 2026

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Trainee Forensic Psychologist to join our multi-disciplinary team at Edward House in Chelmsford, Essex on a Fixed Term Contract up to March 2026. Edward House is a 20 bed male Low Secure Unit for adults with severe and enduring mental health difficulties.

Main duties of the job

To provide a psychology service under supervision to service users detained under the Mental Health Act at Edward House as part of the forensic psychological service at EPUT. To offer specialist psychological assessments and treatments, as well as advice and consultation on the psychological care of service users to non-psychologist colleagues and to non-professional carers. To work autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the team's and Trust's policies and procedures. To utilise research skills for audit, policy and service development and research within the areas covered by psychology service.

The role sits within the wider Forensic Psychological Services Department which comprises clinical, counselling and forensic psychologists, trainee psychologists, assistant psychologists and psychology undergraduate placement students. EPUT's Secure Services operate across Essex, Bedfordshire and Luton. Video conferencing facilities between sites are also used to assist departmental communication.

About us

EPUT are looking for motivated staff who share our Trust values of Care, Learn and Empower. EPUT offer a range of benefits and development including:

• Excellent Training and CPD opportunities for career development
• Season Ticket Loans
• NHS discounts for staff
• Buying and Selling annual leave scheme
• The opportunity to work bank shifts and expand knowledge and experience in other areas
• Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work

Day One Flexible Employer, the Trust supports and actively encourages flexible working for all employees. We offer many options and you are encouraged to ask the recruiting manager what is possible for this role. If appointed, you will have the opportunity for a flexible working request from the first day of your employment.

As well as applicants from the UK, we encourage overseas candidates to apply for this role. We welcome diversity within our organisation. We can offer guidance for candidates coming from overseas about settling into working in the UK and we have a programme to provide a 'buddy' for you, i.e. a member of the Psychological Services Directorate who has also emigrated to join us at EPUT and can guide you through as you settle into your new home. We understand that, as an overseas candidate, you will have gone through excellent training in your country of origin and we encourage you to join us.

Job responsibilities

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES CLINICAL

• To provide specialist psychological assessments of inpatients on the forensic wards based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients and others involved in the clients. The post-holder will also be responsible for the safe use of any equipment used during assessments (e.g. test batteries).
• To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a client's mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the client's problems and employing evidence-based practice.
• To be responsible for implementing a range of highly specialised psychological interventions for people on the forensic unit; families and groups, within and across teams, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
• To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.

Please see full 'Job Description' and 'Person Specification' attachments for full details of the role.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

• Further training including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology as accredited by HCPC.
• Current enrolment on a professional training course leading to qualification as a practitioner psychologist eligible for registration with the HCPC.
• Knowledge of models of forensic psychology, including theories and models of offending, risk assessment (including Structured Professional Judgement approaches), and knowledge of theories of offence-related therapy.

Skills/experience

• Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
• Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
• Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.
• Experience in the administration and interpretation of Structured Professional Judgement risk assessments (including the HCR-20v3, RSVPv2 and SARA).
• Experience of providing clinical supervision to staff carrying out group and individual work with forensic mental health or forensic learning disability patients.
• Experience of initiating and taking an active role in service development.

Personal

• The ability to create and maintain effective relationships within the clinical team and with a range of professionals.
• Team Player, inspirational to others, ability to negotiate 'win-win' situations.
• Confident and approachable.
• Ability to organise and prioritise workloads.
• Personal experience of mental health problems.

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.

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Principal and Lead Forensic Psychologist