Job summary
- Main area
- Mental Health
- Grade
- Band 8c
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time - 26.25 hours per week
- Job ref
- 437-7814832
- Employer
- Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Riverside Centre
- Town
- Prestwich
- Salary
- £76,965 - £88,682 per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 21/04/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Consultant Practitioner Psychologist
Band 8c
Job overview
Passionate about delivering trauma-informed, least restrictive, evidence-based care and keen to play a pivotal role in shaping the development of a Specialist Community Forensic Team (SCFT)? Value integrated multidisciplinary working and are you able to promote collaborative working with colleagues and other services for service user benefit? We would warmly welcome hearing from you.
The SCFT is part of GMMH Adult Forensic Services. SCFT adopts a multidisciplinary approach to achieve two primary functions: to assist service users to transition out of secure services and to provide expert consultation and support to non-forensic services to help avoid unnecessary admissions into inpatient secure beds. Further details can be found here: SCFT Service | Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS FT
This post will be attractive to forensically orientated Psychologists with a strong commitment to working closely with colleagues, external partners, and service users to provide exceptional care.
Main duties of the job
Main duties include:
- Clinically leading the psychological provision within the SCFT, ensuring the integration of psychological approaches, and alignment with the clinical model of care and service specification.
- Collaborate closely with the other SCFT lead clinicians and operational colleagues as part of the SCFT leadership team.
- Responsible for the development and maintenance of a safe and effective forensic psychological provision within SCFT.
- Carry a caseload of the most complex cases, utilising advanced forensic skills and knowledge in respect to psychological assessment, formulation and intervention.
- The use of these skills and knowledge will extend to the provision of advice and consultation both within the SCFT and with the external services and professionals SCFT support.
- Clinically supervise and/or line manage Practitioner Psychologists and Assistant Psychologists.
- Develop the skills of others, both within and external to SCFT, by developing and/or delivering programmes of training.
- Contribute to enhancing clinical effectiveness by identifying, planning and implementing clinical audit and quality improvement programmes.
- Employ advanced research and organisational skills to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of the SCFT provision.
Working for our organisation
Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) Foundation Trust employs over 7000 members of staff, who deliver services from more than 122 locations.
We provide inpatient and community-based mental health care for people living in Bolton, the city of Manchester, Salford, Trafford and the borough of Wigan, and a wide range of specialist mental health and substance misuse services across Greater Manchester, the north west of England and beyond.
Greater Manchester is one of the world's most innovative, original and exciting places to live and work. From the beauty of the surrounding countryside to the heart of the vibrant inner city with great shopping, entertainment and dining options.
Wherever you go you will experience a great northern welcome with people famed for their warmth, humour and generosity.
Our people enjoy their work, have opportunities to learn and develop their skills and are encouraged to generate new ideas that improve care for our service users.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see full Job description and Person Specification attached to this vacancy.
Staff benefits
- 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising to 29 after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years
- Excellent pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Salary sacrifice car scheme
- Wellbeing programme
- Blue Light Card Discounts
Person specification
Education / Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Doctoral Degree or equivalent qualification, plus further specialist training, research and/or study, conferring advanced theoretical and practical knowledge relevant within a forensic mental health service.
- Registered with the HCPC as a practitioner psychologist
- Completion of post-graduate training in the clinical supervision of others
Desirable criteria
- Accredited membership of an appropriate psychological therapy professional body.
- Additional further professional training and/or qualification, such as neuropsychology or therapeutic models (e.g. CBT, EMDR, schema therapy)
- Additional training in the use of advanced, structured risk assessment tools.
- Completion of an NHS leadership and/or management programme/qualification.
Exp
Essential criteria
- Substantial experience as a qualified clinical or and/or forensic psychologist enabling fulfilment of a senior and specialist role as described.
- Experience of one or more areas of specialist psychological assessment and treatment.
- Significant experience in the supervision and management of clinical staff.
- Experience working with service users with severe mental health problems who engage in significantly risky behaviour(s).
- Experience working within multi- disciplinary mental health services and in multi-agency arenas
- Significant experience of teaching, training and supervising others.
- Experience of clinical audit, service development and leadership.
- Experience providing psychological consultation (including formulation) to other professionals and professional groups.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working within multi-cultural staff and local population.
- Publication(s) in peer-reviewed journals.
- Experience of managing/leading multi-professional teams.
- Experience of working within forensic settings.
- Experience interfacing with criminal justice systems, e.g. MAPPA and HMPPS.
Know
Essential criteria
- Advanced theoretical and practical knowledge of psychological approaches to working with complex mental health difficulties (inc. personality and neurodevelopmental disorders) and significant, complex risk profiles.
- Knowledge of relevant legislation and its implications for clinical practice.
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non- professional groups.
- Evidence of post-qualification CPD as recommended by professional body.
- An understanding of the needs of Psychological professionals at all grades (pre and post-qualification).
Desirable criteria
- Completion of approved training in structured professional judgement approaches to risk assessments, using validated tools such as the HCR-20 version 3 or such like.
- Developed knowledge of research methodology, statistical analysis and publication-level written communication skills
- Completion of appropriate supervision training course.
Skills and Abilities
Essential criteria
- Skilled in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, formulation, intervention and management.
- Skilled in conducting and communicating advanced risk assessments, along with sound formulation and risk management plans.
- Ability to prioritise work, meet short deadlines and an unpredictable work pattern, which requires regular revision of plans.
- Ability to work at a high level of professional autonomy and responsibility
- Ability to work and communicate highly sensitive, contentious information effectively in a highly emotive or hostile atmosphere, and to overcome barriers to acceptance/psychological resistance to potentially threatening information.
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
- Ability to work to professional practice guidelines of the appropriate professional body.
- Ability to work with service users and their families to engage them as active participants within service user’s care and treatment.
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Dr Hannah Darrell-Berry
- Job title
- Associate Director of Psychological Professions
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0161 000580
- Additional information
Enquiries can also be made to Emma Camac - SCFT Operational Manager ([email protected])
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