Job summary
- Main area
- Clinical Psychologist
- Grade
- Band 8a
- Contract
- Fixed term: 12 months (4 days per week)
- Hours
- Part time - 30 hours per week
- Job ref
- 186-572-25-FS
- Employer
- Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- HMP North Sea Camp
- Town
- Boston
- Salary
- £53,755 - £60,504 per annum (pro rata for part time)
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 22/05/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 04/06/2025
Employer heading
Clinical/Forensic/Counselling Psychologist
Band 8a
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen within Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust for a HCPC Registered Clinical/ Forensic/ Counselling Psychologist to work as part of the SOLAR Service at HMP North Sea Camp. This opportunity is initially on a 12 month fixed term contract, 4 days a week. The SOLAR service is one of 5 Pathways Enhanced Resettlement (PERS) services that form part of the OPD (Offender Personality Disorder) Pathway in open prisons. PERS services aim to support individuals who are likely to have difficulties managing the transition from closed to open conditions, or from open conditions to the community, due to problematic personality traits.
We are looking for someone who will work as part of a small team with prison officers to deliver, develop and jointly lead the PERS model, comprising of keywork, emotional containment and provision of psychologically informed activities/ groups to individuals most at risk of recall to closed conditions as a result of their personality traits.
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.
Main duties of the job
We are committed to working in partnership with His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), both with Prison and Probation colleagues; this service is a joint enterprise so relies on collaborative working. The SOLAR service forms part of a wider network of OPD pathway services delivered as part of Offender Health services across HMP Whatton, HMP Gartree and community services in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.
The successful post-holder will jointly provide clinical leadership for a team approach to supporting individuals to manage the transition to open conditions where personality traits and associated emotional or behavioural instability is likely to interfere with their ability to manage in open conditions. They will identify and assess individuals suitability for the service following a screening process and support the officers to engage the individuals agreeing to work with the service in keywork. The post holder will support with the development of ‘survival plans’/ formulations, and support the development of the psychologically informed management of anticipated hurdles. The post holder will provide supervision and consultancy to the team and other departments within the prison (i.e. the Offender Management Unit, Security, and Safer Custody) to develop skills and confidence in working with the individuals engaging with SOLAR.
Working for our organisation
#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 our 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
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We are supportive of flexible working arrangements and engagement with wider OPD pathway meetings, specifically the PERS Clinical Leads meetings for the sharing of good practice across the PERS services. Support, supervision and line management will be provided by the Consultant Psychologist. Whilst the contract is currently 12 months fixed term, there is work underway to align and remodel the staffing structure, so there may be opportunity for extension or for the role to be converted into a substantive post.
The post holder will provide clinical leadership to a small team of NHS and Prison staff to develop and deliver the SOLAR Service. They will work as part of a team to deliver the PERS model for individuals with difficulties arising from trauma and problematic personality traits and most likely to struggle in open conditions.
The post holder will contribute to and lead multi-disciplinary team discussions and decision making processes.
The post holder will be responsible for engaging with their own supervision and reflective practice and to support team members in offering supervision and reflective practice.
The post holder will work in partnership with the Custodial Manager and Head of Function to produce outcome data, audits and evaluation and to liaise with commissioners for performance review as required. They will also work collaboratively to support the development of awareness and psychologically informed working practices and culture within the prison environment.
The post holder will work with the Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Area Manager to support the development of the SOLAR service.
The post holder will liaise with the wider OPD pathway team at a national and regional level.
Please be advised Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has made the difficult decision to serve notice on its offender health contracts. Over the coming months, we will be working with NHS England on the transition of the services to a new provider. We still need to recruit to these valued positions and welcome your application. But, in line with our values, honesty is important, so please note that if you are successful that in time your employment would move from Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to another provider who would then be your new employer.
Person specification
Physical Requirements
Essential criteria
- Able to sit still for long periods in clinical settings or report writing
- Ability to train in breakaway techniques for personal safety
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Honours degree in Psychology as accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).
- Doctorate in Clinical or Forensic or Counselling Psychology. Must be able to demonstrate eligibility for chartered status as a Clinical or Forensic or Counselling Psychologist and be registered with the HCPC as a practitioner Psychologist.
- Must be registered with the HPC as a Clinical or Forensic Psychologist.
Desirable criteria
- Post Graduate qualification related to neurodiversity (autism/ADHD/Intellectual Disabilities)
- Chartered Clinical or Forensic status
Training
Essential criteria
- Evidence of post-qualification training, experience and developing expertise in a highly specialist area related to autism
- Advanced knowledge, experience and expertise in forensic services, autism, learning disability and/or neurodiversity services and systems gained through specialist training and supervised practice.
- Training has included models of psychopathology, psychometric assessment, developmental psychology through the life span and two or more distinct approaches to therapeutic intervention relevant to working with Neurodiverse people.
Experience
Essential criteria
- Highly specialist experience and expertise in forensic clinical psychology practice with Neurodiverse people and specifically, people with ADHD, Autism and /or learning disabilities
- Significant experience of working effectively in multidisciplinary teams.
- Experience of providing and evaluating evidence based highly specialist psychological interventions to address complex problems and needs of neurodiverse males with autism/ADHD/learning disabilities/personality disorder and complex trauma in a forensic setting.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of teaching, training and supervision to staff, MDT colleagues, and other psychologists.
- Evidence of leadership roles e.g. in leading projects within the service or Trust.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Can demonstrate highly specialist knowledge and skills across a range of aspects of clinical and forensic psychology relevant to autism, learning disability and neurodiverse conditions
- Knowledge and demonstrated awareness of how issues of diversity (race, culture, identity, gender and sexuality) can be taken into account in service provision with autism.
- Experience of psychological representation on committees and consultation (internal management meetings, to other services / external agencies / non psychology staff)
Desirable criteria
- Evidence of leadership roles e.g. in leading projects / clinical work within the service or Trust.
Skills
Essential criteria
- Highly specialist skills in at least one model of therapeutic intervention relevant to neurodiverse individuals
- Skills in providing advice and training to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment, formulation, and risk management in neurodiversity
- Record of clinical effectiveness in a forensic autism and LD service.
- Highly specialist ability use WAIS/ABAS/ADOS tools for diagnostic assessment in context of complex trauma and Personality Disorders.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of SPSS, databases/spreadsheets
- Presentations / dissemination of material at conferences / senior management meetings.
- Proven skills (competent) in more than one model of therapy.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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 Felicity Nichols
- Job title
- Consultant Clinical Psychologist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01949 803473
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