Job overview
We are seeking to recruit a highly motivated Practitioner Psychologist (clinical, forensic or counselling) at Band 8B to work within our High Secure Services at West London NHS Trust. The post is available at 0.8 FTE and is a permanent position.
You will work alongside other clinicians to provide psychologically informed care and deliver high quality evidence-based psychological interventions in the high secure setting, and contribute to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care, ensuring that all members of multidisciplinary teams have access to a psychologically based framework for understanding patients of the service through the provision of advice, consultation and the dissemination of psychological research and theory. In addition, the post holder will have delegated accountability for defined areas of service delivery such as complex care and offending, recovery from psychosis, quality improvement or workforce development.
It is an exciting time to be in a position to make an important difference for patients in high security care in our newly built hospital, to improve outcomes and to offer systemic interventions supporting colleagues to promote trauma-informed approaches within a national flagship service
Main duties of the job
This role champions excellence in the delivery of psychological therapies, leading within the clinical team on psychologically informed practice, professional supervision of psychological interventions. The post-holder will be in a position to contribute to audit, research and training in order to ensure high quality psychological practice. They will work alongside Experts by Experience in initiatives of clinical benefit to those referred to Broadmoor Hospital. The Team Psychologist role carries responsibility for the psychological care and treatment of patients on their ward, which may involve working with individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across teams and organisations, adjusting and refining psychological formulations to draw upon different explanatory models to support this work. There has not been a more exciting time to develop skills in teamwork, formulation and compassionate care and to shape the immediate future of those referred to our wards. The post holder will have specific responsibility for one or more aspects of service development, delivery and governance across the psychology service and/or hospital, and will contribute to the development and evaluation of specific aspects of the service in support of the lead psychologist.
Working for our organisation
West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse healthcare providers in the UK, delivering a range of mental health and physical healthcare and community services. The Trust runs Broadmoor Hospital, one of three high secure hospitals in the country, with an international reputation.
Our high secure services care for patients from South of England and we provide low and medium secure services across eight London boroughs. The Trust also provides mental and physical healthcare in three London boroughs (Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham). We employ over 5,000 staff, of whom 59% are BME. Our turnover for 2024-25 is over £500m.
The Trust is rated as ‘Good’ overall by the Care Quality Commission. Forensic services are rated as ‘Outstanding’.
The Trust is an established partner and contributor in the development of the evolving North West London Integrated Care System and the Integrated Care Board. The Trust leads the NW London Children and Adolescent Mental Health provider collaborative.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached.
The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. Post-graduate doctorate in a relevant branch of applied psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996 or those in lateral transfer), or forensic psychology equivalent, as accredited by the BPS.
2. Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council
3. Training in clinical supervision for Doctoral, and equivalent, trainees
Desirable criteria
4. Other related academic qualifications
5. Evidence of post-doctoral training in psychological therapy techniques
Experience
Essential criteria
6. Experience of at least 6 months work in either a severe and enduring mental disorder or a forensic setting either in a qualified capacity, as a training placement or as an Assistant Psychologist or an HCA or equivalent
7. Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts and working within a multicultural framework and context.
8. Experience of leadership within psychological service delivery and of applying psychological theory and evidence in relation to overall service development, delivery and evaluation
Desirable criteria
9. Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
10. Experience of having facilitated/co-facilitated psychological therapy groups
Knowledge
Essential criteria
11. Highly developed specialist knowledge, both theoretical and practical, of psychology applied to clinical practice, particularly in respect of adults with severe and enduring mental health disorders (including personality disorders)
12. Post-graduate level knowledge of research design and methodology
13. Evidence of continuing professional development
Desirable criteria
14. Specialist theoretical and practical knowledge of psychology applied to forensic issues
15. Knowledge of relevant legislation and its implications for work with mentally disordered offenders
Skills
Essential criteria
16. Able to complete satisfactorily breakaway and Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression (PMVA) training
17. Able to provide and receive highly complex, highly sensitive or highly contentious information, where there are significant barriers to acceptance which need to be overcome using the highest level of interpersonal and communication skills such as would be required when communicating in a hostile, antagonistic or highly emotive atmosphere
18. Able to make judgements involving complex facts or situations, which require the evaluation of a range of options (eg the assessment of specialist clinical conditions and the determination of treatment options)
19. Able to plan, prioritise and organise own patient caseload, treatment programmes involving other staff, and other aspects of the work such as research activity
20. Psychomotor and IT skills necessary to administer complex psychological tests and make use of computer and audio-visual and video equipment, including database, word processing and test administration/scoring software
Desirable criteria
21. Ability to use statistical software e.g. SPSS
Able to sit for lengthy periods of time while demonstrating active listening skills
Essential criteria
22. Able to sit for lengthy periods of time while demonstrating active listening skills
23. Able to maintain light physical effort for short periods
24. Able to maintain intense concentration frequently and for prolonged periods with unpredictable patients (eg in the assessment and treatment of mentally disordered offender patients)
25. Able to function in potentially traumatic circumstances and in highly emotionally distressing circumstances on a frequent basis (eg in dealing with patients with serious mental illness, histories of homicide and serious violence, self-harm, sexual abuse)
26. Able to provide services in a secure environment with patients who are disturbed and sometimes violent and where the awareness of the risk of assault must always be maintained
27. Able to “hold” the stress of patients compulsorily detained in a secure hospital
28. Able to respond adaptably to rapidly changing service demands
29. Knowledge of the professional code of conduct of the BPS
30. Must be capable of being guided by precedent, clearly defined policies, procedures and codes of conduct
31. Able to reflect on own professional practice through the clinical supervision process
32. Willing to participate actively in CPD in line with BPS guidelines
33. 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.
34. Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
Desirable criteria
35. Record of having published in either peer reviewed or academic or professional journals and/or books