Job overview

The ACORN service is a comprehensive specialist service offering a range of therapeutic interventions on an outreach basis at HMP Whatton to individuals with problematic personality traits which are linked to difficulties with progression or risk. The service offers a suite of therapies including Schema Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitiation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Radically Open Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (RO-DBT), and Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT) within tiered phases. Therapies, including socially creative sessions, psychoeducation and both group and 1:1 therapy are provided with an emphasis upon the importance of relationships and the environmental setting. There is a comprehensive OT pathway with runs within this with a focus on the development of functional daily living skills and issues relating to offending, relational difficulties and emotional management.The Trust also delivers Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) pathway services jointly with HMPPS both in the community and within custody, including a Therapeutic Community (TC) at HMP Gartree, a specialist treatment service (ACORN) at HMP Whatton, Intensive Intervention and Risk Management Services (IIRMS) and the community consultation service (CORE) in the community across Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, in addition to the SOLAR Service. 

Main duties of the job

The OPD Pathway Team truly believes it can make a difference to the lives of individuals in the criminal justice system by offering consistent, equitable, high quality services to individuals. If this sounds like a pathway you would like to join- we would like you to be part of our team. You should be enthusiastic, motivated, person-focused and enjoy a challenge. Previous knowledge or experience of OPD services and their underlying ethos is beneficial.

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