Job summary
The main responsibility of the post-holder is to participate in the provision of Psychological Services to offenders within the Community Forensic LD Service.
Bringing to bear clinical and data analysis skills, you will be developing a role already established within the team to work closely with service users, ward staff/ support staff, and the wider team in supporting the delivery of a comprehensive psychology service in the units and evaluation of the services. The post will involve working closely with other agencies, including Community services and the Criminal Justice System.
The hardest part of the job is to co-ordinate a number of inter-related, and often time consuming, tasks within the time and resource demands of the service.
To provide clinical, research and administrative support to the psychological therapies staff in the forensic and specialist inpatient low secure learning disabilities or community forensic learning disabilities services under their direct guidance and supervision, in order to assist in providing and monitoring the service provision within the Service Line.
Take an active role in coordinating and conducting initial assessments and formulations under the supervision of a qualified psychologist. Gather and collate information and reports in order to contribute to the development of risk formulations and treatment planning.
Main duties of the job
- Administer and score appropriate formal psychometric assessment instruments and other forms of assessment and compile reports and behavioural care plans as appropriate.
- Co-facilitate structured groups such as anger management, social skills, problem solving, offence specific risk reduction and other similar groups as relevant to the needs of the patient population. In addition to collect and formulate information from the protocols for use in future treatment planning.
- Take part in audit, Qi and research as well as contribute to data collection in order to improve service delivery.
- The post holder will work with highly emotive content and manage high levels of mental exertion for extended periods of time on a daily basis.
- There will be occasional exposure to distressing or emotional circumstances due to the nature of the services supported
- Will be required to spend extended periods of time working on computers for a variety of requirements
- Be required to travel between sites at times when needed. This is a key part of the job for a post in the community service, where the post holder must be able to travel to sites around Kent and Medway in a timely manner
- Some work from home opportunities exist, to be agreed with Lead for Psychological Practice for Forensic services.
About us
Come and work with us in the Garden of England where we combine exceptional professional development opportunities with a tremendous quality of life.
We are Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT), providing mental health, learning disability and specialist services, serving 1.8 million people in Kent and Medway, as well as specialist services for adults in Sussex and Surrey. We are rated Good overall by the CQC.
Each year we care for over 2,000 people in our hospitals and 54,000 people in the community.
We are proud to employ over 3,800 people from 66 nationalities, and to serve an increasingly diverse range of communities across rural and urban areas.
You will be joining friendly, passionate colleagues, rich in their diversity, who are committed to providing excellent care to our service users and their loved ones.
The nature of our work attracts kindness and compassion as standard and everyone from our cleaners and porters to the chief executive and chairman are recognised as playing a vital role in providing an exemplary service.
Our strategy
Our mission is what we set out to do every dayWe deliver brilliant care through brilliant people
Our vision is where we want to be in the futureTo provide outstanding care and to work in partnership to deliver this in the right place, for every service user, every time.
Check out our recruitment videos Recruitment - YouTube
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the attached job description for full details of the main duties and responsibilities of the role.
What is High Cost Area Allowance?
The High-Cost Area (HCA) allowance, also referred to as London Weighting is a payment made to employees who work in London and the surrounding areas.
As this post is based in Dartford, Gravesham or Swanley, the successful applicant will receive an additional payment each month.
5% of basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £1,303 per year and a maximum payment of £2,198 per year (the agreed annual amount will be divided into 12 equal amounts and paid monthly) (2025 figures).
The post holder must hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car/vehicle to use for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the attached job description for full details of the main duties and responsibilities of the role.
What is High Cost Area Allowance?
The High-Cost Area (HCA) allowance, also referred to as London Weighting is a payment made to employees who work in London and the surrounding areas.
As this post is based in Dartford, Gravesham or Swanley, the successful applicant will receive an additional payment each month.
5% of basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £1,303 per year and a maximum payment of £2,198 per year (the agreed annual amount will be divided into 12 equal amounts and paid monthly) (2025 figures).
The post holder must hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car/vehicle to use for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).
Person Specification
Training, Qualifications and Registration
Essential
- Honours degree in Psychology (at least 2:1) recognised by the British Psychological Society.
Desirable
- Masters degree in psychology or another mental health / forensic field.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with people with mental health problems
- Experience in research methods and collation of data.
- Experience in working with people with offending behaviour histories.
Desirable
- Experience of working within community LD or mental health teams, and / or the Criminal Justice System
- Experience of working with people with learning disability
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Ability to receive and communicate verbally and in writing, complex sensitive information in a manner appropriate to a range of emotive situations or audiences with significantly impaired communication abilities.
- Ability to analyse and manage a range of clinical assessment and/or research data in the light of relevant psychological theory.
- Ability to organise own workload effectively, prioritising a complex range of tasks and responsibilities to meet agreed deadlines.
- Standard keyboard skills and a sound understanding of IT packages.
- Ability to administer complex psychometric test materials.
- Graduate level knowledge of research design and methodology including a range of types of data analysis practiced within the field of psychology.
- Capacity to manage exposure to distressing and emotive situations.
- Capability to tolerate occasional exposure to unpredictable working conditions which may include incidents of verbal and/or physical aggression from service users.
Desirable
- Some knowledge of literature relating to learning disability and behavioural or cognitive approaches
Person Specification
Training, Qualifications and Registration
Essential
- Honours degree in Psychology (at least 2:1) recognised by the British Psychological Society.
Desirable
- Masters degree in psychology or another mental health / forensic field.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with people with mental health problems
- Experience in research methods and collation of data.
- Experience in working with people with offending behaviour histories.
Desirable
- Experience of working within community LD or mental health teams, and / or the Criminal Justice System
- Experience of working with people with learning disability
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Ability to receive and communicate verbally and in writing, complex sensitive information in a manner appropriate to a range of emotive situations or audiences with significantly impaired communication abilities.
- Ability to analyse and manage a range of clinical assessment and/or research data in the light of relevant psychological theory.
- Ability to organise own workload effectively, prioritising a complex range of tasks and responsibilities to meet agreed deadlines.
- Standard keyboard skills and a sound understanding of IT packages.
- Ability to administer complex psychometric test materials.
- Graduate level knowledge of research design and methodology including a range of types of data analysis practiced within the field of psychology.
- Capacity to manage exposure to distressing and emotive situations.
- Capability to tolerate occasional exposure to unpredictable working conditions which may include incidents of verbal and/or physical aggression from service users.
Desirable
- Some knowledge of literature relating to learning disability and behavioural or cognitive approaches
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.
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
