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Psychologist
The closing date is 25 August 2025
Are you looking for something a bit different, a new challenge, a varied role?
Wathwood is an award-winning mental health hospital and prides itself on providing the highest quality of care to our patients.
We have exciting opportunities here at Wathwood in our unique Medium Secure setting.
We are seeking to recruit a registered Clinical or Forensic Psychologist to join our fantastic multi-disciplinary teams within the hospital to provide assessment, risk management, care and treatment to aid recovery and further the patient journey.
This is a full-time position, we would consider a job share opportunities if requested.
Interviews for this vacancy will be held on the 5 September 2025.
Our DBS check is free, you have no fees to pay!
The role is varied and offers major opportunities to develop your skills in many of the extended roles such as within the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy team, Substance Misuse team, Primary Healthcare team and the Violence Reduction Treatment Programme team. Your continued Professional Development is complimented with an extensive training and induction package.
Other benefits include on-site Union representation, substantial NHS pension scheme, free parking and use of the multi-gym, sports hall and swimming pool.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for an enthusiastic, compassionate and highly motivated psychologist to join our team, in a challenging but rewarding role, to make a difference to the lives of our patients.
Therefore, applicants will need to:
Have excellent interpersonal skills
Offer excellent supportive, compassionate and motivating supervision to other team members
Provide compassionate and non-judgemental psychology provision
The ability to work effectively as part of a multi-disciplinary team
Be committed to providing the highest standards of care
Promote and maintain high standards of care through excellent communication, motivation, supervision and role modelling
We want to help our staff reach their full potential and are committed to providing the support, skills and development needed to success. This includes a supportive and strong health and well-being team.
Reporting to the Psychology Team Lead,the post holder will work with a specialist multidisciplinary team that values psychological approaches. You will provide comprehensive psychological assessments, formulations and interventions. As part of the role, you will also contribute to the development and evaluation of specialist treatment programmes, tailored to the complex mental health and offending behaviour needs of this population.
About us
#TeamNottsHC comprises over 11,000 dedicated colleagues who #MakeADifference every day. We deliver intellectual disability, mental health, community health, forensic, and offender healthcare services across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and South Yorkshire. Our care is provided from over 200 sites, spanning community locations, acute settings, and secure environments, including prisons.
We are one of the largest mental health and community Trusts in the East Midlands and one of Nottinghamshire's biggest employers. We also host national and regional services, such as the National High Secure Deaf Service and the Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health.
We offer a variety of employee-led staff networks, including Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) groups, the Green Champions network, the Freedom to Speak Up network, the Health and Wellbeing Champions network, and the Menopause Champions network. These networks play a vital role in supporting our diverse workforce and promoting a culture of inclusivity.
The health and wellbeing of colleagues is a top priority. We invest significantly in this through our in-house occupational health and staff counselling services, supported by a dedicated Health and Wellbeing team.
The Trust is committed to reducing its carbon emissions, with a specialised Energy and Environmental team working to ensure compliance with environmental legislation, enhance our environmental performance, and achieve our net-zero commitment.
Job responsibilities
Candidates must be registered with the HCPC as a Clinical or Forensic or Counselling Psychologist. Candidates who are close to qualification and eligible to apply for HCPC registration within the next 6 months are welcome to apply.
You will be required to complete mandatory training to assist your professional development.
You will be encouraged to conduct service evaluation / research and promote the service as a centre of excellence. Professional development is actively supported, and supervision is a priority.
To provide psychological assessments to patients referred to and admitted to Wathwood Hospital based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with patients and others involved in the patients care.
To formulate and implement plans for the psychological treatment and understanding of criminogenic factors related to a patients mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the patients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy.
To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual.
To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions, individual and group.
To liaise closely with other members of the multidisciplinary team, giving authoritative specialist advice on psychological aspects of care, contributing directly to assessment, formulation, diagnosis and treatment planning.
To undertake risk assessment and contribute to risk management for individual patients and to provide advice and training to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and management.
To communicate in a skilled, persuasive and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of patients, and to monitor progress during the course of their multidisciplinary care.
To develop knowledge and skills in general aspects of forensic psychology, as well as a designated specialist area.
To supervise other team members and offer oversight of individual and group psychologically driven interventions.
Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £26.40 (standard) or £54.40 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first 2 months of employment.
You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. An annual fee of £16 per year applies.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Must be registered with the HCPC as a Clinical or Forensic Psychologist (within 6 months)
* MSc or Doctorate in Clinical or Forensic or Counselling Psychology
* Good honours degree in psychology, accredited by the British Psychological Society
* Chartered Clinical or Forensic status
Training
* Training and supervised practice within mental health services
* Evidence of CPD
* Training includes models of psychopathology, psychometric assessment, developmental psychology through the life span and two or more distinct approaches to therapeutic intervention.
* Awareness of issues related to forensic mental health care
Experience
* Experience of working with people, in an anti-oppressive manner, who present severe problems and complex needs
* Experience of collaborative work in multi-professional clinical teams
* Experience of exercising clinical responsibility, under supervision, for psychological care and treatment in the context of multidisciplinary care plans
* Experience of teaching psychologists and/or other professionals
* Experience of service development projects
* Experience of forensic risk assessment
Knowledge
* Can demonstrate knowledge and skills in assessment and interventions relevant to clinical forensic practice
* Knowledge and skills in therapeutic approaches relevant to people who offend with mental health needs
* Can demonstrate clinical effectiveness in individual and group work, risk and clinical assessment.
* Awareness of current national policy and legislation in the criminal justice system and/or health relevant to the service.
* Good knowledge of research design and methodology and understanding their application within secure forensic mental health settings.
* Awareness and knowledge of the difficulties of working in forensic settings.
Skills
* Ability to develop therapeutic relationships with patients who are often highly distressed and challenging.
* Ability to communicate with patients, families, and other professionals about sensitive and sometimes contentious issues relating to patient care.
* Research skills for audit, service development, and research projects.
* Supervision of assistant psychologists / other professionals.
Values and Behaviours
* All colleagues are expected to demonstrate that they act in line with Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Values: Trust Honesty Respect Compassion Teamwork
* All colleagues are expected to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and how it applies to their role. The Trust's expectations are highlighted within our EDI Policy, and associated EDI and Human Rights legislation
Contractual Requirements
* Ability to carry out all mandatory training
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.
Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
£47,810 to £54,710 a yearPro rata for part time
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