Job summary
We are seeking two experienced and dynamic senior psychologists to join our large and thriving psychology department in the forensic service at ELFT. Both vacancies are in our medium secure service; one in our High Dependency Unit, and the other on an established treatment ward.
The successful candidates would join existing multidisciplinary teams to provide psychological care to service users to promote their recovery, reduce the risk of harm to others, and to support their progression and discharge back to the community. They would also act as line managers and supervisors to colleagues, contribute to service development, and be part of our large psychology department with access to good quality supervision and CPD opportunities. Our links with doctoral programmes also means there are opportunities to supervise trainee psychologists and contribute to taught content on clinical and forensic psychology doctoral programmes.
Based in the heart of East London, we provide services to a very diverse local population, and we are therefore particularly keen to hear from candidates who represent these communities that we serve.
Main duties of the job
- Provision of highly specialist psychological assessment and intervention to service users in the forensic directorate.
- To provide psychological consultation to the wider multi-disciplinary team
- To provide senior psychological support and supervision to staff within the psychology department and to take an active role in service development.
- To be responsible for maintaining own professional development and for working within service guidelines, policies and procedures.
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
- Postgraduate Doctorate in Clinical, Counselling or Forensic Psychology, or equivalent qualification such as Statement of Equivalence, leading to eligibility for Chartered status, or Depending on training needs, may hold a professional qualification in psychology and be undertaking further training to complete requirements for a Statement of Equivalence
Desirable
- Pre-qualification training in a relevant field of applied psychology
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Awareness of diversity, and skills and commitment to provide a service that is appropriate to a diverse population
- 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
- Skills in working as part of a multi-disciplinary team
- Skills in delivering psychological interventions in individual and/or group formats, adapted to meet the needs of the individual or group
- Skills in effective oral and written communication of complex and/or clinically sensitive information to a wide range of recipients both within and outside the NHS, including the ability to produce letters, reports, and associated documentation appropriate to its readership, and to overcome barriers to understanding and acceptance
- Skills in providing advice and consultation to other professionals and carers
- Ability to plan, organise and prioritise own work
- Postgraduate level knowledge of research methodology, including research design, and complex statistical analysis; audit skills
- Ability to plan and deliver teaching and training sessions; high level presentation 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)
Desirable
- Fluency in a second language
- Knowledge of the legal framework in which forensic services operate, and of other agencies and systems involved in the treatment /management and care of mentally disordered offenders
- Knowledge of the evidence base for psychological interventions with the forensic client group Ability to use multi-media presentation materials
- Knowledge and skills in applying Quality Improvement methodology to service improvement projects.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of providing specialist psychological assessments and treatment interventions to patients with complex problems
- Experience of working with a variety of patients reflecting a wide range of clinical severity
- Experience of involving service users in the co-production of service delivery
- Experience of teaching, training, and supervision
- Experience of working in a multi-cultural setting, including working with interpreters
- Experience of working in a range of care settings, including outpatient, inpatient and community
Desirable
- Experience of working in a forensic specialism
Other
Essential
- Ability to produce high quality professional results to specified deadlines and other time constraints
- Ability to effectively manage verbal aggression and the risk of physical aggression from patients or carers
- Ability to effectively manage frequent exposure to highly distressing /emotional circumstances
- Ability to concentrate and remain in constrained positions for substantial periods during patient contact, teaching/supervision, team meetings, preparation of written work, etc.
- Ability to recognise, contain and work with organisational and personal stress
- Ability to work creatively, co-operatively, reliably and consistently both as an independent practitioner and in multi-disciplinary and team settings
- Respectful approach to patients, carers, colleagues, and others
- Willingness to negotiate and ability to handle confrontation effectively and professionally
Person Specification
Education/ Qualification/ Training
Essential
- Postgraduate Doctorate in Clinical, Counselling or Forensic Psychology, or equivalent qualification such as Statement of Equivalence, leading to eligibility for Chartered status, or Depending on training needs, may hold a professional qualification in psychology and be undertaking further training to complete requirements for a Statement of Equivalence
Desirable
- Pre-qualification training in a relevant field of applied psychology
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Awareness of diversity, and skills and commitment to provide a service that is appropriate to a diverse population
- 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
- Skills in working as part of a multi-disciplinary team
- Skills in delivering psychological interventions in individual and/or group formats, adapted to meet the needs of the individual or group
- Skills in effective oral and written communication of complex and/or clinically sensitive information to a wide range of recipients both within and outside the NHS, including the ability to produce letters, reports, and associated documentation appropriate to its readership, and to overcome barriers to understanding and acceptance
- Skills in providing advice and consultation to other professionals and carers
- Ability to plan, organise and prioritise own work
- Postgraduate level knowledge of research methodology, including research design, and complex statistical analysis; audit skills
- Ability to plan and deliver teaching and training sessions; high level presentation 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)
Desirable
- Fluency in a second language
- Knowledge of the legal framework in which forensic services operate, and of other agencies and systems involved in the treatment /management and care of mentally disordered offenders
- Knowledge of the evidence base for psychological interventions with the forensic client group Ability to use multi-media presentation materials
- Knowledge and skills in applying Quality Improvement methodology to service improvement projects.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of providing specialist psychological assessments and treatment interventions to patients with complex problems
- Experience of working with a variety of patients reflecting a wide range of clinical severity
- Experience of involving service users in the co-production of service delivery
- Experience of teaching, training, and supervision
- Experience of working in a multi-cultural setting, including working with interpreters
- Experience of working in a range of care settings, including outpatient, inpatient and community
Desirable
- Experience of working in a forensic specialism
Other
Essential
- Ability to produce high quality professional results to specified deadlines and other time constraints
- Ability to effectively manage verbal aggression and the risk of physical aggression from patients or carers
- Ability to effectively manage frequent exposure to highly distressing /emotional circumstances
- Ability to concentrate and remain in constrained positions for substantial periods during patient contact, teaching/supervision, team meetings, preparation of written work, etc.
- Ability to recognise, contain and work with organisational and personal stress
- Ability to work creatively, co-operatively, reliably and consistently both as an independent practitioner and in multi-disciplinary and team settings
- Respectful approach to patients, carers, colleagues, and others
- Willingness to negotiate and ability to handle confrontation effectively and professionally
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).
