Ministry of Defence (Defence Medical Services)

Band 7 Psychological Therapist

This job is now closed

Job summary

Did you know that you can work with serving members of the Armed Forces as a civilian clinician but maintain your NHS pension, AFC pay, leave benefits and conditions of service?

If you are seeking a new challenge and would like to add military mental healthcare to your career portfolio then this could be the role for you!

In this civilian post the successful applicant will be delivering occupationally focused mental healthcare to Armed Forces personnel across the region.We routinely use remote video consultation to extend our service offer which provides opportunities for hybrid working. The vacant post is full time working 37.5 hours per week. Experience of working with military populations would be welcome but it is by no means a necessity. Your interest, passion and dedication are more important!

Benefits

Access to learning and development tailored to your role
An environment with flexible working options
A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
NHS Pension
Access to Gym and Swimming Pool
Free Parking
Professional Registration fees reimbursed

Main duties of the job

If you are an experienced Band 6 or Band 7 Community Mental Health Practitioner, with experience and qualifications in delivering NICE recommended interventions to adults of working age, and are accredited with a professional body such as the BABCP we would welcome your application for this post.

You will be expected to deliver evidence-based interventions for common mental health disorders with an adult population/ serving personnel, as well as providing clinical supervision to mental health nurses. You will have protected time to access regular, high quality clinical supervision, with a strong emphasis on maintaining your CPD and developing your clinical skills within an exciting and dynamic setting. We would particularly welcome those with an interest in trauma and treating PTSD presentations. You will work alongside clinical psychologists, highly skilled CBT therapists, as well as Consultant psychiatrists and mental health nurses.

There are opportunities to co-ordinate complex care for a defined caseload, run group programmes, supervise colleagues, educate others and develop services. The post holder will require specialist risk assessment and treatment skills, along with an interest in developing an understanding of occupational roles and associated risks.

About us

Our success depends on our people, our Whole Force regular and reservist military, civil servants and contractors, all working as one, working together seamlessly to deliver for us.

Our civil servants are a central part of this Whole Force, developing strategy, making policy, supporting ministerial decision-making and Parliamentary processes. In fact, with over 2,000 different roles working across 650 sites around the world, now really is an excellent time to join one of the largest, most exciting departments in government.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to attracting and retaining people from across the full range of backgrounds and enabling flexible ways of working as the norm. We offer maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks full pay followed by 13 weeks of statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid, and paternity leave of 2 weeks full pay.

In return, you can expect a department that helps you learn and develop that recognises your expertise and contribution, both as an individual and part of a team. If you've ever wanted to do more, see more, go further or be better, we have roles in more professions and vocations than ever before. Let's see where your future will take you, together.

Date posted

11 February 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£46,148 to £52,809 a year Per Annum. Pro Rata for Part Time

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share

Reference number

K0003-25-0067

Job locations

Seymour Block

1st Floor, HMS Drake

HM Naval Base

Devonport

PL2 2BG

Job description

Job responsibilities

Duties and responsibilities for the role include but are not limited to:

To provide a timely and high-quality mental health service to all patients referred to the DCMH for assessment and treatment of mental health presentations.
To act as a clinical resource and liaise with Medical Officers/General Practitioners (MO/GP) and offer advice to the chain of command on mental health matters, the administrative management of personnel with mental health difficulties and mental health promotion.
Deputise for the team manager and hold delegated professional management of the team as required.
Provide clinical supervision to and support the psychological work of other clinical staff that provides psychologically based care and treatment.
Assess clients with complex presentations and be willing and capable to make clear recommendations for care.

Please read the attached job description and person specification prior to applying to fully understand all the duties required.

Selection Process

The selection at sift stage will be based on your CV. At interview, you will be tested against the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework:

NHS Health & Wellbeing HWB2 Assessment & Care Planning
NHS Health & Wellbeing HWB6 Assessment & Treatment Planning
NHS Health & Wellbeing HWB7 Interventions & Treatment
NHS General NHS G1 Learning & Development
NHS General NHS G6 People Management

The sift will be completed within 5 working days of the vacancy closing date. Interviews will be held on a date to be confirmed.

There will be no reimbursement for any travel expenses for the interview.

Please ensure you demonstrate that you have the required skills, knowledge, experience, qualifications and memberships in the CV section of the application form.

Further Information:

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD office, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.

Requests to work flexibly and/or part time will be considered, taking into account business needs.

Please note the salary will be pro-rata where part time hours are undertaken.

All employees joining Ministry of Defence who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a 6-month probation period (unless otherwise advised) effective from the employment start date.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.

Please see the link to our YouTube channel for advice preparing your best responses with some hints and tips on answering behaviour-based questions. Hints and tips such as: Your behaviours can be based on situations from work, volunteering or home; match your situation to the behaviour requested and how to use your 250-word limit.

https://www.youtube.com/@DMS_MilMed

Access to the NHS pension scheme is available to the successful candidate.

If found successful for this position, you will be required to provide evidence of your immunity to Hepatitis B. Please note that evidence of your vaccination is not a proof of your immunity, but your serology levels will be required. Failure to provide sufficient evidence may result in the offer of employment being withdrawn.

To be considered for this role, qualifications and memberships detailed must be held in full, prior to submitting your application.

There is no requirement to deploy as this is met by our uniformed personnel, but you will form the continuity of care required by our patients when based at home.

The post does NOT offer relocation expenses (move of home, excess fares or temporary transfer). Non-Standard move applicants will be eligible for the full package, subject to eligibility.

We encourage all our employees and prospective ones to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to any exemptions that may apply. Please see the attached further information document for full details.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system.

Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected, and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

This vacancy is part of the A Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact dbscivpers-sgdmsresourcingteam@mod.gov.uk.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use ofall tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.