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Job summary

Main area
Forensic Mental Health
Grade
Band 8c
Contract
Permanent
Hours
  • Full time
  • Part time
37.5 hours per week (minimum of 22.5 hours can be considered)
Job ref
100-PST101-0725
Employer
Hywel Dda University Health Board
Employer type
NHS
Site
Hafan Derwen
Town
Carmarthen
Salary
£78,120 - £90,013 per annum (pro rata if part-time)
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
25/08/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Hywel Dda University Health Board logo

Consultant Psychologist Forensic Mental Health

Band 8c

Our Hywel Dda values reflect who we are and how we behave. We continuously work together to be the best we can be as we strive to develop and deliver excellent services, putting people at the heart of everything we do. Throughout our recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you would demonstrate these values in the way that you work with us.

If you are registered Health Care professional considering relocating to the Hywel Dda area in West Wales please don’t hesitate to contact our recruitment campaigns team directly via [email protected]

To keep up to date with our latest recruitment activity follow us on Facebook (Swyddi Hywel Dda Jobs), LinkedIn or on Twitter @SwyddiHDdaJobs

Hywel Dda University Health Board reserve the right to close vacancies after 24 hours if a large number of suitable applications are received. We encourage early applications to ensure consideration for a post.


 

Job overview

The Forensic Mental Health Service in Hywel Dda are looking to welcome a Consultant Clinical Psychologist into our service who can:

  • Ensure and be accountable for the systematic provision of a high-quality Psychology and psychological therapy service within a highly 
    specialised field of Forensic Psychology
  • Exercise an exceptionally high level of Forensic Mental Health Psychology expertise regarding clients of the Forensic Mental Health Team and Low Secure Service.
  • Work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility for the systematic governance of psychological practice within the service. 
  • Be managerially and professionally responsible for all professionally qualified and unqualified Psychology staff working within Forensic Mental Health across HDUHB.
  • Ensure that effective systems are in place, for the clinical and professional supervision and support of all practitioners within the service for which the post holder has designated professional responsibility, including clear systems for recruitment, professional appraisal, and the identification of CPD needs across the service/sector.
  • Act as a highly specialist resource to the wider professional and stakeholder community, providing consultation and advice on clinical, policy, service and strategic issues.
  • Propose and implement policy and service development changes within the area served by the service, and to facilitate service improvements through audit, research and training activities.

Main duties of the job

Working within a highly specialised clinical area, to provide highly developed specialist psychological assessments of clients 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 clients, family members and others involved in the client’s care.  

To formulate plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a client’s mental health problems based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the client’s problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of community and care settings.  

To be responsible for implementing a range of highly specialist psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across teams employed individually and in synthesis, adjusting and refining psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.  

To make highly skilled evaluations and decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group

Working for our organisation

Hywel Dda University Health Board plans and provides NHS healthcare services for people living in Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, and bordering counties.

We have over 13,000 staff and together we provide primary, community, in-hospital, mental health and learning disabilities services.

We work in partnership with the three local authorities, as well as public, private and third sector colleagues, including our valued team of volunteers.

Our services are provided in:

•    Four main hospitals: Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth; Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen; Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli; and Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest
•    Five community hospitals: Amman Valley and Llandovery hospitals in Carmarthenshire; Tregaron Hospital in Ceredigion; and Tenby and South Pembrokeshire hospitals in Pembrokeshire
•    Two integrated care centres: Aberaeron and Cardigan in Ceredigion, and several other community settings
•    47 general practices (six of which are health board managed practices); dental practices (including four orthodontic); 97 community pharmacies; 43 general ophthalmic practices; and 8 ophthalmic domiciliary providers
•    Numerous mental health and learning disabilities services

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

You will be able to find a full job description and person specification attached within the supporting documents.

The Health Board is committed to supporting its staff to fully embrace the need for bilingualism thereby enhancing patient and service user experiences.  In our commitment to increase the number of staff who can communicate in Welsh with patients and professionals, we welcome applications from Welsh speakers.

The ability to communicate in Welsh is desirable for this post. If you do not meet the Welsh Language requirements specified, the Health Board offers a variety of learning options and staff support to help you meet these minimal desirable requirements during your employment with us.

If successfully shortlisted, you will be asked to complete psychometric assessments. Information regarding these and the stakeholder panels/interview will be sent to you following completion of shortlisting.

Stakeholder panels will be held on 18/09/2025.

Interviews will be held on 19/09/2025.

Person specification

Qualifications and Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Post-graduate doctoral level training in clinical psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology
  • HCPC registration
  • Doctoral level knowledge of research design and methodology, including complex multivariate data analysis as practiced within the field of Clinical Psychology
  • Knowledge of legislation and its implications for both clinical practice and professional management in relation to the client group and Mental Health
  • Highly developed knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities and severely challenging behaviours etc.)
  • Evidence of CPD in accordance with the requirements of the HCPC.
Desirable criteria
  • Post-doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice.
  • Formal supervisor training and accreditation
  • Specialist knowledge of risk assessment methodology
  • Specialist Psychotherapy qualifications recognised by UKCP, BABCP & BPS

Language Skills

Desirable criteria
  • Welsh Speaker (Level 1)

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Assessed experience of working as a qualified Clinical/Practitioner Psychologist a significant period, including significant postqualification experience within the designated specialty where the post is locate
  • Experience of working with a variety of client groups, across the whole life course and presenting with the full range of clinical severity, across care settings such as outpatient, community, primary care, in-patient and residential care, including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing situations
  • Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients’ psychological care and treatment within the context of a multi-disciplinary care plan.
  • Experience of teaching, training and of professional and clinical supervision
  • Experience of professional management of qualified Clinical Psychologists and / or Experience of Clinical Leadership
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of representing the profession in local policy forums
  • Experience of the application of Psychology in different cultural contexts

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Veteran AwareNo smoking policyCymraegMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerStep into healthCarer Confident (With Welsh translation)Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - GoldCore principlesStonewall 2023 Bronze

Applicant requirements

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.

Welsh language skills are desirable

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Lisa Bassett-Gravelle
Job title
Head of Service
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01267 239691
Additional information

Dr Tom Wynne  Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist

[email protected]

Caitriona Quinlan  Senior Nurse Adult Mental Health & Learning Disabilities Inpatient Units

[email protected]

Natalie Chetwynd

Professional Lead for Psychology and Psychotherapy

[email protected]

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