Band 4 Assistant Psychologist - Secure Care and Offender Health
Please note that this post may close earlier than the indicated closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received.
Job overview
Within the Secure Care and Offender Health directorate, vacancies for Assistant Psychologists have arisen within the following teams
Reaside Clinic – A medium secure unit for men (1.0 WTE).- Tamarind Centre – A medium secure unit for men (1.0 WTE fixed term to cover maternity leave).
- Mental Health Treatment Requirement (MHTR); part of the Criminal Justice Recovery Service (0.6 fixed term contract for 12 months).
- Community Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) Pathway Services (1.6 WTE).
Our values centre on providing compassionate, high-quality and person-centred care and we are looking for like-minded individuals to apply.
The role would suit committed, hard-working and compassionate individuals with an interest in working with people who present with complex needs within the criminal justice system. The directorate has a diverse portfolio of services and has an excellent national reputation, with accreditations from QNIC, NHS England, QNFMHS and the National Autistic Society.
As an assistant psychologist in our services, there is access to regular, highly specialist supervision and CPD as part of a wider psychology team of over 70 staff. We offer continued support and progression within this network, and we work hard to ensure our roles are inclusive and enriching for the post-holders.We are also committed to supporting the wellbeing of our staff team to provide a positive and fulfilling experience of work.
Main duties of the job
Assistant psychologists support qualified psychologists in delivering a high-quality service. This involves working in multi-disciplinary teams and engaging directly with men and women with complex and long-term problems who present with high risk or offending behaviours.
Within the Reaside Clinic and Tamarind Centre roles there are opportunities to contribute to assessments, formulations, and interventions with adult men who have a history of offending behaviours and mental health difficulties within an inpatient setting.
The MHRT role is at the Ardenleigh Hospital site. There are opportunities to contribute to assessments, formulations, and interventions with adults with mental health needs who have been found guilty of an offence, as an alternative to a custodial sentence.
Within the OPD Pathway services, the team work closely with probation practitioners to support the use of psychologically informed practices with high-risk cases in custody and the community. Travel across the West Midlands area will be part of the role.In this post there are opportunities to contribute to case consultations, build formulation skills, develop and deliver training, and support reflective practice and wellbeing spaces, as well as involvement in research, audit and service development projects.
Candidates with previous experience of working within a range of clinical settings including Forensic, Mental Health, Social Care and Learning Disabilities are welcomed.
Working for our organisation
Welcome to Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. Our 4000 clinical and support staff help us to improve mental health wellbeing and meet the needs of the 70,000 people we serve each year. We provide a range of mental healthcare services across Birmingham and Solihull, as well as specialised services nationally.We also offer medical, nursing and psychology training and are proud of our international reputation for both research and innovation.
Our population is culturally diverse, characterised in places by high levels of deprivation which create an increasing demand for our services and a necessity for us to make sure everyone can access the help they need. We are a team of compassionate, inclusive and committed people working together to provide excellent care to support our community.If you are looking for a place to belong, where you can make a real difference to peoples lives, join our team where our warm welcome is waiting for you.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For further information about the main responsibilities please view the attached job description and person specification.
We highly recommend you submit your application as soon as possible, this post may close earlier than the indicated closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received.
Please click on the link for a little insight into our services and our people
https://vimeo.com/benthompsonfilms/psychologyrecruitment?share=copy
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria- An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology.
- Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.
- Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis.
Experience
Essential criteria- Experience of work with people with mental health problems or disabilities, or other relevant problems or disabilities (e.g. learning disabilities, organic impairment).
- Paid work in a forensic setting providing direct care.
Skills
Essential criteria- Under the direction of a qualified psychologist has an ability to work independently, reliably, consistently and with initiative (seeking guidance when necessary) in circumstances where work is managed and objectives are agreed and reviewed at weekly intervals
- Willingness to travel between sites within the Trust and Probation sites
Our Trust is committed to treating individuals fairly and ensuring they have the same opportunities to fulfil their potential, even if this means doing things differently for different people sometimes. We are working hard to ensure our workforce reflects the diversity within Birmingham and Solihull and that our services meet the needs of all diverse service users and carers.
The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. As part of our safe recruitment practice pre-employment checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed.As part of the selection process you may be required to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, however all cases of criminal record history are dealt with on a case by case basis.
Please note, if applicable for your role you will be required to cover the cost of your DBS certificate. This will be deducted from your salary over 3 months. You will also be required to sign up to the DBS Update Service before commencement with the Trust.
All successful applicants will be required to complete the Trust’s induction programme. The Fundamental (Statutory and Mandatory) training will be in an e-learning format. You will be required to complete training modules online (approx. 9-14 hours depending on post) by the end of your first week with us.
If you are successful at the shortlisting stage of the recruitment process we may contact you via email to advise you of the interview details. Please ensure you access your email account from which you applied regularly once the position has closed.
If applicable to your role, the Trust will require you to sign up for the DBS Update Service. The Trust will reimburse this. You will be contractually obliged to maintain your subscription.
Applications from job seekers who require sponsorship to work in the United Kingdom (UK) are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. Please note that from January 2021, to work in the UK all candidates who are not UK or Republic of Ireland (RoI) nationals require sponsorship unless you have permission to work via another route.
Non UK / RoI candidates wishing to apply can self- assess the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship here Browse: Work in the UK
- GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 1.
Overseas applicants applying for entry clearance into the UK must present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided in continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years.
Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants- GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Not everyone needs a ‘Skilled Worker’ visa. If you are applying for a vacancy in health or adult social care, check if you’re eligible to apply for the Health and Care Worker visa instead. It’s cheaper to apply for and you do not need to pay the annual immigration health surcharge.
Relocation expenses may be reimbursed subject to eligibility. The policy provides for reimbursement up to £8,000.
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.