Specialist Psychological Therapist (Preceptorship)
Band 7
Main area Forensics Grade Band 7 Contract Permanent: Preceptorship post Band 7-8a Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week Job ref 277-8037465-FOR
Site Bracton Centre, Memorial Hospital & William Morris Centre Town Dartford (DA2 7AF)/ Shooters Hill (SE18 3RG) Salary £55,524 - £70,887 pa inc Salary period Yearly Closing 11/06/2026 23:59
Job overview
There is currently a vacant Band 7 to Band 8a preceptorship psychological therapist role based in the Inpatient Forensic Psychology service across the Bracton Centre and Memorial Hospital. You will work with a team of psychological therapists and multi-professional mental health colleagues to embed psychologically informed care in the service. You will be based on a ward, but also have input into cross-service psychological activities including the group programme.
As well as holding a clinical caseload in the secure setting, another significant aspect of the role is providing input to the community psychology service based at the William Morris Centre (DA2 7AF). This is a psychological assessment and intervention service that specialises in working with people in the community who are seeking interventions to address their difficulties with interpersonal functioning and risk of harm to others.
Main duties of the job
You will promote an environment in which therapeutic relationships facilitate safety and change, by offering psychological perspectives and emotional support to nursing teams, and promoting psychological thinking in teams. You should have interests in working with psychosis and complex trauma where there is associated risk, including providing direct psychological assessments and interventions, engaging with families and loved ones and working in multi-disciplinary and multi-agency contexts with other mental health disciplines and with other agencies.
Further to the above, you will supervise and manage pre-qualified staff, supervise psychological interventions delivered by MDT colleagues, and supervise psychology students and doctoral trainees. Supervision training will be provided as required.
Working for our organisation
Oxleas Forensic Psychological Therapies department is an unusually large, long established and nationally well regarded specialty. The Psychological Therapies team is warm and friendly, whilst also being dynamic and innovative. The Forensic Psychological Therapies department in Oxleas provides a breadth of professional opportunities across community, prison and hospital settings and opportunities for research and career progression through ongoing professional development. The post holder will be encouraged to consolidate and further develop their skills and clinical interests in a friendly and supportive multi-professional and multi-agency context. Aside from the stimulating clinical work, benefits of the post include monthly teaching sessions within the psychology department, monthly peer supervision in addition to regular individual supervision, a range of interesting CPD opportunities and opportunities for future career progression within the department. There is access to a network of specialist psychological supervision groups across the forensic directorate. Professionally, psychological therapists in Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust are highly valued and occupy a variety of directorate and Trust-wide leadership roles, including quality assurance, quality improvement, and operating as Responsible Clinicians.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Further detailed information relating to the role and responsibilities can be found in the attached supporting documentation
Person specification
Education & Qualifications
* Entry-level qualification in applied psychological therapy/mental health/social welfare profession or equivalent and demonstrable practice in this field (ie professional Doctorate, or combination of MSc plus PG Diploma level/supervised practice/additional training)
* Additional training beyond entry-level qualification in a specialised area of psychological practice (through formal post-qualification training (PG Diploma or equivalent), OR a combination of specialist short courses and/an evidenced portfolio of supervised practice–based learning in a specialist area of clinical psychological therapy practice, assessed by a registered body and/or an experienced clinical supervisor to be of equal level to a Postgraduate Diploma or higher
* Registered with professional body or regulatory body as appropriate to psychological therapy discipline ie HCPC/UKCP/BACP/BABCP.
* Completed training course in clinical supervision
* Training or qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
Experience
* Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of adult clients with a range of psychological needs of a complex nature under supervision
* Experience working with and addressing issues of diversity, including experience of working within a multicultural framework.
* Experience of maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
* Experience of practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies and two assessment methodologies(A/I)
* Experience in forensic / secure settings
* Experience of providing teaching and training
Skills
* Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration
* Ability to administer, score and interpret psychometric and neuropsychological tests with appropriate training and supervision
* Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
* 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. (A/I)
* Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group, mental health and child protection.
* High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies and two assessment methodologies
* High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
* Knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex data analysis
Other
* Ability to form good working relationships with others in a multi-disciplinary setting.
* Interest and ability to contribute to service development.
We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that welcomes and supports individuals of all abilities. Remember, if you meet the minimum criteria for this role and you have a disability, you can be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme - Please ensure you select this on your application form. We would encourage you to be open about your needs so we can work with you to design a comfortable and accessible interview experience. Any information you provide regarding a disability or a need for adjustments will be treated in confidence and will only be shared with colleagues who are supporting this request.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
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