Job summary
- Main area
- Secure Care and Offender Health Psychology
- Grade
- Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 436-7266464
- Employer
- Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Tamarind Centre
- Town
- Birmingham
- Salary
- £26,530 - £29,114 per annum, pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 29/06/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 16/07/2025
Employer heading
Band 4 Assistant Psychologist - Secure Care and Offender Health
Band 4
Please note that this post may close earlier than the indicated closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received.
Job overview
A number of vacancies for Assistant Psychologists have arisen across the Secure Care and Offender Health directorate. Some of the services which currently have vacancies are:
Tamarind Centre; a medium secure unit for men (1.0 WTE)
Hillis Lodge; a low secure unit for men
Mental Health Treatment Requirement (MHTR); part of the Criminal Justice Recovery Service
HMP Birmingham
Forensic Intensive Recovery Support Team (FIRST)
PROSPER Intensive Intervention and Risk Management Service (IIRMS)
Our values centre on providing compassionate, high-quality and person-centred care and we are looking for like-minded individuals to apply.
The role would suit committed, hard-working and compassionate individuals with an interest in working with people who present with complex needs within the criminal justice system. The directorate has a diverse portfolio of services and has an excellent national reputation, with accreditations from QNIC, NHS England, QNFMHS and the National Autistic Society.
As an assistant psychologist in our services, there is access to regular, highly specialist supervision and CPD as part of a wider psychology team of over 70 staff. We offer continued support and progression within this network, and we work hard to ensure our roles are inclusive and enriching for the post-holders. We are also committed to supporting the wellbeing of our staff team to provide a positive and fulfilling experience of work.
Main duties of the job
MHTR role is based at the Ardenleigh Hospital site in Erdington. Within this post there are opportunities to contribute to assessments, formulations, and interventions with adults with mental health needs who have been found guilty of an offence, as an alternative to a custodial sentence. There may be expectations to travel within this role.
FIRST is based on the same site as Reaside Clinic in Rubery. The role would involve opportunities to contribute to assessments, formulations and individual / group interventions with men and women under the care of FIRST. This includes supporting service users who are transitioning from secure hospitals into the community, as well as those already living in the community.
PROSPER is a community-based intensive intervention and risk management service (IIRMS) on the Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) Pathway, working in partnership with Probation to support high risk individuals in the transition from prison to, and stabilisation in, community.
HMP Birmingham - the role involves completing assessments, formulations and brief interventions with service users whom are under the care of either Primary Mental Health Care or the 24 Hour Healthcare inpatient wing. Post-holders are required to have at least one year of experience as an Assistant Psychologist and/or work experience within a prison setting due to the high level of autonomy within the role and the complexity of the environment.
Working for our organisation
Welcome to Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. Our 4000 clinical and support staff help us to improve mental health wellbeing and meet the needs of the 70,000 people we serve each year. We provide a range of mental healthcare services across Birmingham and Solihull, as well as specialised services nationally. We also offer medical, nursing and psychology training and are proud of our international reputation for both research and innovation.
Our population is culturally diverse, characterised in places by high levels of deprivation which create an increasing demand for our services and a necessity for us to make sure everyone can access the help they need. We are a team of compassionate, inclusive and committed people working together to provide excellent care to support our community. If you are looking for a place to belong, where you can make a real difference to peoples lives, join our team where our warm welcome is waiting for you.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For further information about the main responsibilities please view the attached job description and person specification.
We highly recommend you submit your application as soon as possible, this post may close earlier than the indicated closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received.
Please click on the link for a little insight into our services and our people
https://vimeo.com/benthompsonfilms/psychologyrecruitment?share=copy
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology.
- Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.
Desirable criteria
- Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis.
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of work with people with mental health problems or disabilities, or other relevant problems or disabilities (e.g. learning disabilities, organic impairment).
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working with people with serious mental illness (e.g. schizophrenia)
Skills
Essential criteria
- High level interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to work and effectively communicate complex or sensitive information in highly emotive and emotionally charged settings involving conflict and significant personal distress.
- An awareness and understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems and disabilities and of contemporary issues in the field
- An awareness and understanding of the differential needs of people from black and minority ethnic communities and from other minority groups and of the service issues arising within a multi-cultural urban area.
- Awareness of boundary issues between professionals and between clients and psychologists.
Personal
Essential criteria
- Ability to interact and to build and sustain relationships with people with mental health problems and associated disabilities
- Adaptable and able to work flexibly when required (e.g. in the light of changing service priorities) such as some evenings and/or weekends
- Capacity for tolerating frustration, change and high levels of demand with an ability to work effectively under pressure.
Desirable criteria
- An interest in working with people with mental health problems or other disabilities.
Other
Essential criteria
- Ability to accept and use supervision appropriately and effectively.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Adele Gordon
- Job title
- Senior Clinical Psychologist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0121 301 4477
- Additional information
Candidates with previous experience of working within a range of clinical settings including Forensic, Mental Health, Social Care and Learning Disabilities are welcomed. We also encourage candidates from all sections of the community to apply
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