Job summary
We are recruiting a kind-hearted, highly motivated and passionate Clinical/ Forensic Psychologist to support leading the Psychology Service at the Heathrow Immigration Removal Centre (HIRC; North London Mental Health NHS Trust).
Psychology interventions are provided to residents experiencing a range of mental health difficulties; including complex emotional needs and PTSD as well as difficulties associated with anxiety and mood.
The post-holder will also be expected to take a leading role on the continued facilitation and ongoing development of Trauma-Informed Approaches (TIA) and framework.
It is an exciting time to join the NLFS, as we embed trauma-informed and co-produced care across the service and conduct a range of QI and research projects to help our learning and processes.
This role would suit you if you are interested in attachment focused and trauma-informed approaches to considering human distress and trauma. There are a range of training, CPD and research opportunities available for you to develop your skills in this area; we have recently trained staff in Schema and Compassion-Focused Therapies, EMDR and narrative interventions.
There are opportunities for flexible and hybrid working, although the predominant base for the roles will be at the HIRC.
Main duties of the job
The post-holder will be responsible for supporting leading the Psychology Service at the IRC. They will be expected to work as a senior member of the MDT, and provide consultation, co-working, clinical and operational supervision, as well as developing specific training to enhance the systematic provision of psychological interventions. More generally, the post holder will provide specialist psychological assessment and therapy at the same time as offering advice and consultation on clients' psychological care to non-psychologist colleagues and to other, non-professional careers, working autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the team's policies and procedures.
The post-holder will also make a leading contribution to the learning culture of the team and wider service and play an integral role in the continued development Trauma-Informed Approaches and to contribute toaudit, policy and service development and research within the area served by the North London Forensic Service.
About us
North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) is committed to improving mental health care across North London to deliver excellent services to our local people.
Our Five-Year Strategy:
- We will provide consistently high-quality care closer to home.
- With our partners in North London and each borough we will ensure equity of outcome for all
- We will offer great places to work, providing staff with supportive environment to deliver outstanding care
Why NLFT?
- We develop and retain our staff through leadership behaviours and managers programme and many more opportunities.
- We promote flexible working and support staff with a range of health and wellbeing initiatives.
- NHS Discounts, generous annual leave and NHS pension scheme
- Excellent internal staff network
In order to meet the needs of the Trust you may be required from time to time to work at different locations to your normal place of work. This may mean that you are required to work at any location that fall under Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey or Islington. The Trust reserves the right to require staff to work at such other places or locations as it considers reasonable and necessary on a temporary or permanent basis.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To support the teams lead with strategic overview and senior clinical leadership of the provision of psychological interventions at the HIRC.
To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals and group.
To provide overall clinical responsibility to highly complex clients who are assessed as posing a high risk of harm to self and others within HIRC.
To provide highly specialist and expert psychological assessment, intervention and treatment.
To provide supervision and provide specialist knowledge and expertise whilst professionally managing staff involved in psychology and, if necessary, other clinicians within the primary care mental health service.
To provide specialist psychological assessment and therapy as well as offering advice and consultation on patients psychological care to other members of the clinical team and to IRC staff.
To formulate and implement plans for the psychological treatment and/or management of a detainees mental health and behavioural difficulties based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the patients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy.
To provide clinical supervision and/or reflective practice to identified staff across Health in Justice, Specialist division when appropriate.
To manage the development, facilitation and delivery of relevant training events at HIRC.
To offer specialist consultation and expertise regarding the treatment and understanding of all highly complex cases that pose a risk to self and others, to all HIRC staff as and when requeste
To develop an effective co-working relationship with all stakeholders.
To utilise research skills for audit, policy and service development and research within the Specialist division.
To deputise, when appropriate, for the Lead Psychologist and to take on management responsibility and tasks as designate.
To work autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the services policies and procedures.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To support the teams lead with strategic overview and senior clinical leadership of the provision of psychological interventions at the HIRC.
To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals and group.
To provide overall clinical responsibility to highly complex clients who are assessed as posing a high risk of harm to self and others within HIRC.
To provide highly specialist and expert psychological assessment, intervention and treatment.
To provide supervision and provide specialist knowledge and expertise whilst professionally managing staff involved in psychology and, if necessary, other clinicians within the primary care mental health service.
To provide specialist psychological assessment and therapy as well as offering advice and consultation on patients psychological care to other members of the clinical team and to IRC staff.
To formulate and implement plans for the psychological treatment and/or management of a detainees mental health and behavioural difficulties based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the patients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy.
To provide clinical supervision and/or reflective practice to identified staff across Health in Justice, Specialist division when appropriate.
To manage the development, facilitation and delivery of relevant training events at HIRC.
To offer specialist consultation and expertise regarding the treatment and understanding of all highly complex cases that pose a risk to self and others, to all HIRC staff as and when requeste
To develop an effective co-working relationship with all stakeholders.
To utilise research skills for audit, policy and service development and research within the Specialist division.
To deputise, when appropriate, for the Lead Psychologist and to take on management responsibility and tasks as designate.
To work autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the services policies and procedures.
Person Specification
EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS
Essential
- Doctoral level training in clinical/forensic psychology. OR Doctoral or Masters level training in forensic psychology with full competencies completed.
- Registration with HCPC.
Desirable
- Pre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE
Essential
- Experience of working as a qualified clinical/ forensic psychologist including substantial recent post qualification experience in forensic mental health services.
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity across a range of care settings, which can include IRC, outpatient, community, primary care and inpatient settings, including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of emotive and distressing problems and where there is a history of violence.
- Experience of teaching and training.
- Experience of the supervision.
Desirable
- Experience of developing and supervising psychological group programmes.
- Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Able to contain explore and formulate an understanding of high levels of distress both directly with patients and indirectly via supervision or case reviews with other staff.
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS and HCPC.
- Experience of working in a multiagency setting and providing consultation and training on complex cases
Desirable
- IRC/Secure settings-related prior experience.
- Experience of professional management of qualified and pre-qualified Clinical and/or forensic psychologists.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
PERSONAL QUALITIES
Essential
- Flexible, engaging and approachable who can work quickly and responsively with both clients and the multidisciplinary team.
- Creative in approach as well as reflective about their own practice.
- Able to work autonomously, as well as under supervision and with colleagues.
- Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and ability to 'hold' the stress of others.
- Flexible, engaging and approachable who can work quickly and responsively with both clients and the multidisciplinary team.
- Able to work autonomously, as well as under supervision and with colleagues.
- Demonstrable leadership and management qualities.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
Essential
- CTC (Counter Terrorist Check) clearance.
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
Desirable
- Clean driving license with access to a car.
Person Specification
EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS
Essential
- Doctoral level training in clinical/forensic psychology. OR Doctoral or Masters level training in forensic psychology with full competencies completed.
- Registration with HCPC.
Desirable
- Pre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE
Essential
- Experience of working as a qualified clinical/ forensic psychologist including substantial recent post qualification experience in forensic mental health services.
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity across a range of care settings, which can include IRC, outpatient, community, primary care and inpatient settings, including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of emotive and distressing problems and where there is a history of violence.
- Experience of teaching and training.
- Experience of the supervision.
Desirable
- Experience of developing and supervising psychological group programmes.
- Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Essential
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Able to contain explore and formulate an understanding of high levels of distress both directly with patients and indirectly via supervision or case reviews with other staff.
- Evidence of continuing professional development as recommended by the BPS and HCPC.
- Experience of working in a multiagency setting and providing consultation and training on complex cases
Desirable
- IRC/Secure settings-related prior experience.
- Experience of professional management of qualified and pre-qualified Clinical and/or forensic psychologists.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
PERSONAL QUALITIES
Essential
- Flexible, engaging and approachable who can work quickly and responsively with both clients and the multidisciplinary team.
- Creative in approach as well as reflective about their own practice.
- Able to work autonomously, as well as under supervision and with colleagues.
- Ability to contain and work with organisational stress and ability to 'hold' the stress of others.
- Flexible, engaging and approachable who can work quickly and responsively with both clients and the multidisciplinary team.
- Able to work autonomously, as well as under supervision and with colleagues.
- Demonstrable leadership and management qualities.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
Essential
- CTC (Counter Terrorist Check) clearance.
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
Desirable
- Clean driving license with access to a car.
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).
