Job summary
Due to career progression in the academic cycle we are offering 3 Assistant Psychology posts to join the psychology & psychotherapy forensic mental health team at River House, MSU, Bethlem Royal Hospital.
The inpatient provision is part of the South London & Maudsley Forensic & Offender Health Pathway in the Croydon and Behavioural & Developmental Psychiatry Operational Directorate.
The male mental health wards include 2 admission wards and 2 wards for service users who have achieved some stability and are making greater use of therapeutic and recovery-oriented activities. Each ward has a multi-professional team that includes dedicated qualified and assistant psychology provision. The postholders will be aligned for direct clinical service provision to ward teams and will join a forensic clinical psychology & psychotherapy team that provides inpatient and community-based interventions.
The male mental health medium secure inpatient provision at River House is an integral part of the South London Partnership (SLP) acute pathway and rehabilitation pathways. There are close links with low secure provision and community forensic mental health teams, as well as other mental health services, prisons and criminal justice agencies.
The male Offender Personality Disorder ward is part of the London Pathway Partnership (LPP) as part of the National Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) strategy. The in-patient service is the only such provision at MSU level in the South of England.
Main duties of the job
The assistant psychology roles play a key part in supporting the psychology provision across the medium secure forensic services.
Each role will involve the following:
- To assist practitioner psychologists in the delivery of a specialist applied psychology service across medium secure settings.
- To provide clinical work as required by the service, under the direct guidance, close clinical and professional supervision of a practitioner psychologist. Clinical work may include engagement, assessment (including risk assessment), formulation and direct intervention service users.
- The delivery of psycho-educational and offending behaviour group programmes.
- To assist in clinically-related administration, conduct of audits, collection of statistics, development of audit and/or research projects, teaching and project work.
- To work following clinical guidelines and the policies and procedures of the service, while closely supervised and regularly seeking help from clinical/professional supervisor or manager.
The postholders will join a team of clinical and forensic psychologists, assistant psychologists, and therapists, who work closely with the ward multi-professional teams, under the leadership of an MSU inpatient lead psychologist and a Consultant Psychologist.
Applications are invited from candidates keen to explore the application of psychological practice to forensic settings, including newly qualified practitioners, and those experienced in the area.
About us
All three posts are available 1.0 wte (5 days). As one of the few Trusts in London we are proud to offer flexible working as part of our new ways of working, and we are happy to talk flexible working at the interview stage. In this role you will be able to work Monday to Friday in the time frames from 07:30 to 18:00, giving you the very best of good work life balance.
Career Progression pathways and development opportunities:
We are committed to get the very best out of our staff and support staff in their career aspirations. There are ample opportunities for continuing professional development and the service actively supports participation in a strong research, service evaluation and audit culture.
There are strong links with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neurosciences (IoPPN), other psychology training courses, and there are opportunities to contribute to teaching, research and service evaluation.
Job description
Job responsibilities
We have 1 vacancy for a perm B4 post, on a male Clinical Decisions Unit (CDU), the principal admissions ward for the male pathway. This specialises in offering a 12-week comprehensive assessment of clinical and risk-related need, to inform clinical pathways across the South London Partnership. This is an opportunity to develop assessment and engagement skills with a male forensic mental health group with complex needs. The ward offers group-based interventions. The postholder will participate in the wider service psychological interventions programme and service evaluation.
We have 1 vacancy for a perm B4 post, based across two wards, one a male admission ward and one a male assertive rehabilitation pathway. This is an opportunity to develop assessment and engagement skills with a male forensic mental health client group who have complex needs as well as developing individual and group-based intervention skills. The postholder will participate in the wider service psychological interventions programme and service evaluation.
We have 1 vacancy for a fixed-term (12 mnth) B4 post, based on a male Offender Personality Disorder ward that is part of the London Pathway Partnership. This is an opportunity to develop assessment, engagement, group and individual therapeutic skills with male clients with complex needs arising from trauma and offending histories. The ward operates a rich therapeutic environment with an emphasis on staff support, quality supervision and reflective practice.
Candidates will be asked as to their preferred role at interview. Successful candidates would be assigned to different wards based on their experience, suitability and preferences.
Job description
Job responsibilities
We have 1 vacancy for a perm B4 post, on a male Clinical Decisions Unit (CDU), the principal admissions ward for the male pathway. This specialises in offering a 12-week comprehensive assessment of clinical and risk-related need, to inform clinical pathways across the South London Partnership. This is an opportunity to develop assessment and engagement skills with a male forensic mental health group with complex needs. The ward offers group-based interventions. The postholder will participate in the wider service psychological interventions programme and service evaluation.
We have 1 vacancy for a perm B4 post, based across two wards, one a male admission ward and one a male assertive rehabilitation pathway. This is an opportunity to develop assessment and engagement skills with a male forensic mental health client group who have complex needs as well as developing individual and group-based intervention skills. The postholder will participate in the wider service psychological interventions programme and service evaluation.
We have 1 vacancy for a fixed-term (12 mnth) B4 post, based on a male Offender Personality Disorder ward that is part of the London Pathway Partnership. This is an opportunity to develop assessment, engagement, group and individual therapeutic skills with male clients with complex needs arising from trauma and offending histories. The ward operates a rich therapeutic environment with an emphasis on staff support, quality supervision and reflective practice.
Candidates will be asked as to their preferred role at interview. Successful candidates would be assigned to different wards based on their experience, suitability and preferences.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- A First-class or Upper-second-class Bachelors degree with Honours in Psychology (or related behavioural science) that is accredited by the British Psychological Society and confers the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society
Desirable
- Relevant specialist training in relation to working with personality disorders, challenging behaviour, offending behaviour, culture & diversity needs or personality difficulties
Experience
Essential
- Sufficient post-graduate experience of psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs in forensic mental health services to be able to work clinically with close direct supervision
- Post-graduate experience of conducting research projects or audits
- Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and / or lived experience
Desirable
- Experience of working with service users with personality disorders, risk of harm to self or others
- Experience of working with service users with mental health disorders, and risk of harm to self or others
- Experience of working across a range of clinical settings, including primary, secondary and in-patient care
Knowledge
Essential
- Graduate level knowledge of psychological research methodology and statistical analysis
- Good theoretical knowledge of the problems experienced by and the needs of forensic mental health service users and of methods of assessment and treatment
- Awareness of racial and diversity issues through attendance of relevant training
Desirable
- Knowledge of working with personality disorders, challenging behaviour, offending behaviour, culture & diversity needs or personality difficulties
- Knowledge around risk of harm to self or others
Skills
Essential
- Skills in relevant psychological assessment and interventions that enable working as a pre-qualified practitioner with close clinical supervision
- Well-developed verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex, sensitive or contentious information to clients, families and colleagues
- Skills in providing/supporting teaching and training provided by psychologists or others to other professional groups
- Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data
Desirable
- Experience of data collection, analysis and interpretation
- Post-graduate experience of conducting research projects or audits
abilities
Essential
- Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.
- Ability to identify and follow relevant clinical governance procedures.
- Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions
- Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour
- Ability to communicate complex, sensitive or contentious information to people who may be aroused, or hostile to the information, or have severe impediments to understanding
- Ability to manage verbal aggression and hostility directed at self
- Ability to manage physical aggression directed at self, including use of physical interventions as prescribed by Trust policies
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- A First-class or Upper-second-class Bachelors degree with Honours in Psychology (or related behavioural science) that is accredited by the British Psychological Society and confers the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society
Desirable
- Relevant specialist training in relation to working with personality disorders, challenging behaviour, offending behaviour, culture & diversity needs or personality difficulties
Experience
Essential
- Sufficient post-graduate experience of psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs in forensic mental health services to be able to work clinically with close direct supervision
- Post-graduate experience of conducting research projects or audits
- Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and / or lived experience
Desirable
- Experience of working with service users with personality disorders, risk of harm to self or others
- Experience of working with service users with mental health disorders, and risk of harm to self or others
- Experience of working across a range of clinical settings, including primary, secondary and in-patient care
Knowledge
Essential
- Graduate level knowledge of psychological research methodology and statistical analysis
- Good theoretical knowledge of the problems experienced by and the needs of forensic mental health service users and of methods of assessment and treatment
- Awareness of racial and diversity issues through attendance of relevant training
Desirable
- Knowledge of working with personality disorders, challenging behaviour, offending behaviour, culture & diversity needs or personality difficulties
- Knowledge around risk of harm to self or others
Skills
Essential
- Skills in relevant psychological assessment and interventions that enable working as a pre-qualified practitioner with close clinical supervision
- Well-developed verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex, sensitive or contentious information to clients, families and colleagues
- Skills in providing/supporting teaching and training provided by psychologists or others to other professional groups
- Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data
Desirable
- Experience of data collection, analysis and interpretation
- Post-graduate experience of conducting research projects or audits
abilities
Essential
- Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.
- Ability to identify and follow relevant clinical governance procedures.
- Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions
- Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour
- Ability to communicate complex, sensitive or contentious information to people who may be aroused, or hostile to the information, or have severe impediments to understanding
- Ability to manage verbal aggression and hostility directed at self
- Ability to manage physical aggression directed at self, including use of physical interventions as prescribed by Trust policies
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.
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
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.
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
