Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist | West London NHS Trust
| Posting date: | 10 April 2024 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | £56,388 - £62,785 pa inclusive of all allowances |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 10 May 2024 |
| Location: | Ealing, UB1 3EU |
| Company: | West London Mental Health Trust |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 6218752/222-SF-534 |
Summary
We have an exciting opportunity an enthusiastic clinical, forensic or counselling psychologist to join the inpatient service at West London Forensic Service (WLFS). This is a full-time substantive post which is based at the St Bernard’s Hospital site in Ealing.
The post will be attached to an admission ward in the male medium secure service. The successful candidate will be responsible for the provision of a highly developed and comprehensive psychology service to culturally diverse service-users with enduring mental health difficulties and offending histories.
The post is a band 8A position but can also be appointed as a Band 7 / 8A preceptorship, in which a candidate appointed at Band 7 would be able to progress to Band 8A following the achievement of a set of milestones in within post.
We welcome applications from highly-motivated and resourceful individuals who value team working, and who can demonstrate strong skills and experience in working in secure settings.
West London is one of the most diverse and vibrant areas in London and our staff reflect the diverse communities we serve. Our sense of community and pride in our work stems from the difference which every member of our staff makes.
A relocation allowance may be available to a successful candidate.
You will work as a member of a multi-disciplinary team for an admission ward in the male medium secure service. You will have a key role in defining the psychological care pathway for individuals admitted to the unit through conducting highly specialist psychological assessments and through the provision of highly specialist psychological therapy.
As well as individual ward-based work, you will contribute to a well-established cross-ward group therapy programme. You will also advise on risk assessment and risk management, and support psychological practice within the team through consultation, supervision, and training.
You will have the opportunity to utilise skills in research, service evaluation, and audit within the service.
You will provide line management and supervision to qualified, trainee and assistant psychologists as delegated by the lead psychologist.
West London NHS Trust provides a broad range of forensic mental health care for males and females, across high, medium and low secure settings, as well as in the community and court diversion. West London Forensic Service (WLFS) has been rated as outstanding by the CQC.
Psychology plays a valued and integral role within WLFS. We are committed to providing high quality, evidence based interventions within a recovery framework. The psychological therapies department, which comprises a team of over 30 psychologists and psychological therapists, is well-established and supportive with high standards of clinical supervision and excellent opportunities for continuing professional development.
Free parking is available on site and annual leave starts at 27 days a year plus bank holidays.
As a Trust, we are keen to ensure that our workforce reflects the community it serves, particularly in terms of ethnicity, gender, disability, LGBTQ+ and experience of mental illness.
The post holders will undertake clinical and risk assessments within a multi-disciplinary context, and will provide psychological advice and consultation to others involved in service user care. The post holders will have a key role in defining the psychological care pathway for individuals admitted to the unit through conducting highly specialist psychological assessments. As well as individual ward-based work, the post holders will contribute to a well-established cross-ward group therapy programme. There will be excellent opportunities to further develop skills of complex case assessment, formulation and application of evidence based psychological interventions. There will also be opportunities to gain experience from across the varied settings found within West London Forensic Service. The main duties and responsibilities will include:
• Providing specialist psychological assessments of service-users who present with enduring mental health difficulties and offending behaviour.
• Formulating and implementing plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a service-user’s mental health and high risk behaviours
• Delivering a range of evidence-based psychological interventions for individuals and groups
• Evaluating and making decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models
• Exercising autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, initiation and termination of psychological treatment
• Providing specialist consultation, advice and support on psychological approaches
• Undertaking on-going risk assessment and risk management, and providing advice to other professions on psychological aspects of forensic risk assessment and risk management
• Communicating the outcome of assessment and therapy to the referrer, the multi-disciplinary team and the wider health, social care and criminal justice system, as appropriate, including the production of formal written reports
• Supporting psychological practice within the team and the wider service through consultation, supervision, formulation and training
• Providing line management and supervision to qualified, trainee and assistant psychologists as delegated by the lead psychologist
• Utilising skills in research, service evaluation and audit to improve the understanding and effectiveness of services
• • Upholding the Trust values of Togetherness, Responsibility, Excellence and Caring
Essential qualifications and experience:
• Doctorate in clinical, counselling or forensic psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) or forensic psychology equivalent, as accredited by the BPS.
• Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council.
• Experience of working as a qualified psychologist in a forensic clinical setting (or equivalent).
• Advanced specialist knowledge of psychological assessment and treatment in forensic clinical practice.
• Able to make judgements involving highly complex facts or situations, which require the evaluation of a range of options, where expert opinions may differ.
• Experience and formal training in the supervision of trainee or assistant psychologists
For further information, please contact Dr Nicholas Stokes, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Psychology Lead for Men’s Medium Secure, onnicholas.stokes@westlondon.nhs.uk
This advert closes on Wednesday 24 Apr 2024