Higher Assistant Psychologist

Job summary

We are looking for two dynamic Assistant Psychologists to work across the community forensic service. Each full time post will be split across two of the four Community Forensic Mental Health Teams (CFMHT) of which the service is comprised.

Main duties of the job

The main duties of the job will include:

• assisting in the development and delivery of interventions (individual, group, systemic etc.) that meet the psychological needs of our service users
• assertive in reach (primarily to inpatient services) and outreach (to community based services / organisations) relevant to supporting / facilitating transitions between services.

About us

The CFMHTs are multidisciplinary with expertise in the assessment, treatment and management of adults with complex mental health and social needs who may, if unsupported, present a significant risk of serious harm to others. Their aim is to provide assessment, treatment, rehabilitation and aftercare to service users with severe mental illness and associated violent or harmful sexual behaviour. They aim to support service users' mental health while they live in the community, enabling them to live safely and be safe to others.

The service is client centred and works with service users, and their carers and families as appropriate. Risk is managed primarily through relational risk awareness holding risk management and recovery objectives in parallel. The service strives to maintain calm and therapeutic relationships through knowledge of the individual, their strengths and vulnerabilities, informed by traumas they have experienced, and considering social inequalities and racial disparities that impact on mental health and risk.

The CFMHTs are based in various locations across the trust footprint. With strong links with the forensic inpatient service and specialist forensic teams they make up the SLAM Forensic Psychology & Psychotherapy. As part of the South London Partnership Provider Collaborative (SLP-PC) Community Forensic Pathway they have good links with counterparts in Oxleas and South West London & St Georges.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To support and enhance the professional care of clients within SLaMs community forensic services, following clinical guidelines and the policies and procedures of the service, according to a plan agreed with a qualified psychologist and within the overall framework of the teams policies and procedures.

To assist the Community Forensic Psychology & Psychotherapy department and other members of the community forensic multidisciplinary teams in the development and delivery of a specialist applied psychology service across the SLaM Community Forensic Service.

To assist the psychologists / psychotherapists, other members of the multidisciplinary team, and third sector agencies (e.g. supported accommodation providers) in developing therapeutic environments for community forensic service users.

To provide clinical work as required by the service under the direct guidance, close clinical and professional supervision of practitioner psychologist(s). Clinical work is likely to involve carrying out psychological assessments, including risk assessments, circumscribed individual interventions, psychoeducational groups and systemic interventions.

To assist in clinically related administration, conduct of audits, collection of statistics, development of audit and/or research projects, teaching and project work.

To work at appropriate levels of independence, following clinical guidelines and the policies and procedures of the service, and seeking help from clinical/professional supervisor or manager as required.

To work with inpatient and community-based services / networks to support and facilitate transitions between services.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• oA First-class or Upper-second-class Bachelors degree with Honours in Psychology (or related behavioural science) that is accredited by the British Psychological Society and confers the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society (A/I)

Desirable

• oRelevant specialist training in relation to working with mental health challenges, personality disorders, challenging behaviour, offending behaviour, culture & diversity needs or personality difficulties (A/I)

Experience

Essential

• oSufficient post-graduate experience of psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs in forensic mental health services to be able to work clinically without close direct supervision (A/I)
• oPost-graduate experience of conducting research projects or audits (A/I)
• oExperience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and / or lived experience (A/I)

Desirable

• oExperience of working with service users with mental health disorders, personality disorders, and risk of harm to self or others (A/I)
• oExperience of working across a range of clinical settings, including primary, secondary, tertiary (specialist), in-patient (secure, locked, open), prison (A/I)
• oExperience of working at Band 4 level (A/I)
• oExperience of working with addictions / substance use (A/I)

Knowledge

Essential

• oGraduate level knowledge of psychological research methodology and statistical analysis (A/I)
• oGood theoretical knowledge of the problems experienced by and the needs of forensic mental health service users and of methods of assessment and treatment (A/I)
• oAwareness of racial and diversity issues through attendance of relevant training (A/I)

Desirable

• oKnowledge of working with challenging behaviour, offending behaviour, culture & diversity needs or personality difficulties (A/I)
• oKnowledge around risk of harm to self or others (A/I)
• oKnowledge around addictions / substance use (A/I)

Skills

Essential

• oSkills in relevant psychological assessment and interventions that enable working independently as a pre-qualified practitioner with clinical supervision (A/I)
• oWell-developed verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex, sensitive or contentious information to clients, families and colleagues (A/I)
• oConsultation skills to work with the multi-professional team or other professional groups within own service. (A/I)
• oSkills in providing/supporting teaching and training provided by psychologists or others to other professional groups (A/I)
• oWell-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data (A/I)

Desirable

• oExperience of data collection, analysis and interpretation (A/I)
• oPost-graduate experience of conducting research projects or audits (A/I)
• oExperience of working at Band 4 level (A/I)

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Various

2 of following: Croydon; Lambeth; Southwark; Lewisham

SW9 9NT

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.slam.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

---