Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist
West London NHS Trust provides a full range of mental health, community and physical healthcare services for children, adults and older people living in the London boroughs of Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham and Hounslow.
We also provide some specialist services that are commissioned regionally, such as our medium secure services; and nationally, such as the Cassel Hospital for people with complex and severe personality disorder and our high secure services at Broadmoor Hospital.
Job overview
This post is being advertised with a Golden Hello of £5000. We are seeking a passionate Clinical, Forensic or Counselling Psychologist to join the inpatient service at West London Forensic Service (WLFS). This can be appointed at Band 7 or Band 8a depending on experience and with responsibilities adjusted accordingly.For Band 7, this will be a preceptorship towards an 8a role.
We provide a comprehensive induction and ongoing training and development throughout individuals’ careers, with opportunities to develop specialist skills and receive specialist supervision (e.g. EMDR and schema therapy), in addition to an individual’s regular supervision.This is full-time post (1.0wte) but part-time or flexible working may also be considered and we promote a healthy work-life balance. There are excellent staff benefits including 27 days annual leave, rising to 29 days after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years.
There is a gym on site and membership is just £10 per month. Golden Hello conditions apply.
Main duties of the job
You will be responsible for providing a high quality psychology service on an assessment (admissions) ward in the men’s low secure service. As a core member of an experienced MDT, you will have a key role in defining the psychological care pathway for individuals admitted to the unit through conducting highly specialist psychological assessments and through the provision of highly specialist psychological therapy.
As well as individual ward-based work, you will contribute to a well-established cross-ward group therapy programme. You will also advise on risk assessment and risk management, and support psychological practice within the team through consultation, supervision, and training.
You will have the opportunity to utilise skills in research, service evaluation, and audit within the service. You will provide line management and supervision to qualified, trainee and assistant psychologists as delegated by the lead psychologist.
Working for our organisation
West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse providers of mental health, community and social care in the UK. It provides a broad range of forensic mental health care in adult male and female services, across high, medium and low security settings, as well as in a community and court diversion setting.The post is based in the low secure service, which provides 72 beds across assessment, rehabilitation, and pre-discharge wards. West London Forensic Service has been rated as outstanding by the CQC.
The psychological therapies department, which comprises a team of over 30 psychologists and psychological therapists, is well-established and supportive with high standards of clinical supervision and excellent opportunities for continuing professional development.
We are keen to ensure that our workforce reflects the community it serves, particularly in terms of ethnicity, gender, disability, LGBTQ+ and experience of mental illness.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Job Responsibilities
The post holder will undertake clinical and risk assessments within a multi-disciplinary context, and will provide psychological advice and consultation to others involved in service user care. The post holder will have a key role in defining the psychological care pathway for individuals admitted to the unit through conducting highly specialist psychological assessments.As well as individual ward-based work, the post holders will contribute to a well-established cross-ward group therapy programme. There will be excellent opportunities to further develop skills of complex case assessment, formulation and application of evidence based psychological interventions.
There will also be opportunities to gain experience from across the varied settings found within West London Forensic Service.
The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached.
Person specification
QUALIFICATIONS
Essential criteria- • Good honours degree in Psychology. Eligibility for graduate membership of BPS
- • Post-graduate doctorate in clinical / forensic or counselling psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996 or those in lateral transfer) as accredited by the BPS.
- • Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council
- • Other related academic qualifications
- • Evidence of post-doctoral training in psychological therapy techniques
- • Training in clinical supervision for Doctoral, and equivalent, trainees
EXPERIENCE
Essential criteria- • Experience of working as a qualified (specialist) psychologist for a minimum of one year in a forensic clinical setting or equivalent) (or at least some experience of working in a forensic service or similar if applying for a Band 7 preceptorship)
- • Experience of providing specialist psychological assessments (including risk assessment and management), therapies, and psychological advice and consultation to others involved in service user care.
- • Experience of administering, scoring and interpreting formal personality tools and/or neuropsychological assessments.
- • Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
- • Experience of having facilitated/co-facilitated psychological therapy groups
- • Experience of working clinically with service users in secure settings
- • Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
KNOWLEDGE
Essential criteria- • Advanced specialist knowledge, both theoretical and practical, of psychology applied to forensic clinical practice
- • Completion of at least 1 year’s supervised practice in specialist forensic clinical practice (or 6 months if applying for a Band 7 preceptorship)
- • Knowledge of relevant legislation and its implications for work with mentally disordered offenders
- • Specialist theoretical and practical knowledge of the assessment and treatment of personality disorder and mental illness.
SKILLS
Essential criteria- • Able to provide and receive highly complex, highly sensitive or highly contentious information, where there are significant barriers to acceptance which need to be overcome using the highest level of interpersonal and communication skills such as would be required when communicating in a hostile, antagonistic or highly emotive atmosphere
- • Able to make judgements involving highly complex facts or situations, which require the evaluation of a range of options (e.g. the assessment of specialist clinical conditions and the determination of treatment options), Where expert opinions may differ
- • Able to plan, prioritise and organise own service user caseload, treatment programmes (individual or group) involving other staff, and other aspects of the work such as research activity
- • Post-graduate level knowledge of research design and methodology
- • Knowledge of SPSS
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
Essential criteria- • Evidence of continuing professional development
- • Psychomotor skills necessary to administer complex psychological tests and video equipment
- • Able to complete satisfactorily breakaway training
- • Able to use database, word processing and test administration/scoring software
As an employee of West London NHS Trust, you have a responsibility to maintain a sound understanding of, and a commitment to uphold the National Health Service values and principles set out in the NHS Constitution.
We reserve the right to close adverts prior to the closing date stated should we receive a high volume of applications.
By applying for this post you are agreeing to West London NHS Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, you will be required to undergo a pre-employment checks which can take between 4-8 weeks .After which your information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system (ESR ).
Please ensure you include email addresses for your referees which MUST be at supervisory or managerial capacity covering the last 3 years of employment to date to avoid delay in the recruitment process.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years.Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
West London NHS Trust is committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.