Job summary
The East London Community Forensic Service (ELCFS) is seeking a Senior Clinical/Counselling/Forensic Psychologist to join our multidisciplinary team. The ELCFS was commissioned following the successful pilot of the Specialist Community Forensic Team (SCFT) model in East London. We offer support for service users as they leave the inpatient Forensic Directorate to reintegrate and re-establish lives in the community. Borough based multidisciplinary teams include RCs, Social Workers, CPNs, Psychologists, OTs, Family Therapists, Arts Therapists, Drugs and Alcohol Practitioners, Peer Support Workers and Carer Peer Support Workers.
The overarching aims of the ELCFS are 1. to provide inreach support to help service users move safely towards discharge and so reduce length of stay in secure care, and 2. to provide enhanced support in the community, to promote sustained recovery and quality of life in the community, reducing recalls to hospital.
There are various components to the ELCFS model, including: developing service user skills; support in accommodation; accessing education and employment; addressing substance misuse; access to psychological and recovery focused therapies; working with carers; peer mentorship; and the development of care pathways and system relationships. There is a strong focus on service user involvement and collaboration with community organisations.
Main duties of the job
In addition to direct psychological intervention, both individual and group, the role also involves a significant amount of MDT working, including leading on psychological formulation and risk meetings. Band 8a Psychologists across the service are responsible for the supervision and line management of qualified psychologists, other therapists in the team, as well as peer support workers, trainees and students from training courses with established links to the Forensic Directorate.
Psychologists are involved in service development and take up strategic roles in relation to service objective as required. Psychologists will be required to utilise research skills in audit and engage in other research and development activities. There are teaching and training opportunities and established links with University courses across London.
About us
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Kindly refer to the job description and person specification that is attached to the vacancy profile.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Kindly refer to the job description and person specification that is attached to the vacancy profile.
Person Specification
Education/ Qualification/ Training
Essential
- Post Graduate Doctoral level training in Clinical, Forensic or Counselling Psychology or equivalent accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).
- Evidence of CPD in accordance with BPS recommendations
- Either: Recognized qualification or training in psychotherapy supervision or Clinical supervision training for doctoral clinical /counselling psychology trainees.
- Registered as a practitioner psychologist by the HCPC.
- Post Qualification Training in a Psychotherapy Modality: e.g. SFT, DBT, CFT, EMDR, CBTp, CBT for trauma.
Experience
Essential
- Post-qualification experience in adult mental health, including experience at highly specialist level in a forensic or rehabilitation specialism, across different settings/levels of security (e.g. inpatient and community; medium and low security)
- Advanced level experience of risk assessments and risk management
- Providing specialist psychological assessment and intervention across a range of care settings including community and inpatient.
- Providing teaching, training and clinical supervision including teaching professional groups outside of psychology.
- Co-produced clinical care, including goal setting, using a Recovery approach
Desirable
- Experience of representing psychology in various teams and working groups
- The use of QI or other improvement methodology in clinical settings
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Additional relevant clinical and/or managerial knowledge and skills acquired through formal training, long or short courses, formal supervision (individual and/or group), structured self-study, or experience - or a combination of these - to an appropriate level approved by the Head of Psychology and demonstrated by certification, documented supervision logs, management appraisal documentation and/or assessment at interview.
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management, including the use of theoretical models to analyse information and develop formulations upon which to base choice of treatment
- Postgraduate level knowledge of research methodology, including research design, and complex statistical analysis: audit skills
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult-to-treat groups (complex needs, personality disorder, dual diagnosis, substance misuse, offending)
- Ability to effectively manage verbal aggression and the risk of physical aggression from patients or carers
Desirable
- Knowledge of National and Government directives relevant to the development and delivery of forensic mental health services.
- Ability to use advanced IT packages
Person Specification
Education/ Qualification/ Training
Essential
- Post Graduate Doctoral level training in Clinical, Forensic or Counselling Psychology or equivalent accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).
- Evidence of CPD in accordance with BPS recommendations
- Either: Recognized qualification or training in psychotherapy supervision or Clinical supervision training for doctoral clinical /counselling psychology trainees.
- Registered as a practitioner psychologist by the HCPC.
- Post Qualification Training in a Psychotherapy Modality: e.g. SFT, DBT, CFT, EMDR, CBTp, CBT for trauma.
Experience
Essential
- Post-qualification experience in adult mental health, including experience at highly specialist level in a forensic or rehabilitation specialism, across different settings/levels of security (e.g. inpatient and community; medium and low security)
- Advanced level experience of risk assessments and risk management
- Providing specialist psychological assessment and intervention across a range of care settings including community and inpatient.
- Providing teaching, training and clinical supervision including teaching professional groups outside of psychology.
- Co-produced clinical care, including goal setting, using a Recovery approach
Desirable
- Experience of representing psychology in various teams and working groups
- The use of QI or other improvement methodology in clinical settings
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Additional relevant clinical and/or managerial knowledge and skills acquired through formal training, long or short courses, formal supervision (individual and/or group), structured self-study, or experience - or a combination of these - to an appropriate level approved by the Head of Psychology and demonstrated by certification, documented supervision logs, management appraisal documentation and/or assessment at interview.
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management, including the use of theoretical models to analyse information and develop formulations upon which to base choice of treatment
- Postgraduate level knowledge of research methodology, including research design, and complex statistical analysis: audit skills
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult-to-treat groups (complex needs, personality disorder, dual diagnosis, substance misuse, offending)
- Ability to effectively manage verbal aggression and the risk of physical aggression from patients or carers
Desirable
- Knowledge of National and Government directives relevant to the development and delivery of forensic mental health services.
- Ability to use advanced IT packages
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).
