Job summary
We are looking for a highly motivated and inspirational Practitioner Psychologist for the role of Team Psychologist and Highly Specialist Clinical/Counselling/Forensic Psychologist at Broadmoor Hospital, in our High Secure Services in West London NHS Trust. This role will involve working alongside other clinicians to provide psychologically informed care and to deliver high quality evidence-based psychological interventions in the high secure setting. It is an exciting time to be in a position to make an important difference for patients in high security care in our newly built hospital: to improve outcomes and to offer systemic interventions supporting colleagues to promote Trauma-informed approaches within a national flagship service.
Main duties of the job
This role champions excellence in the delivery of psychology and psychological therapies within the high secure setting, leading within the clinical team on psychologically informed practice, professional supervision of psychological interventions, and standards of professional behaviour for junior contributors to the psychological professions within Broadmoor Hospital.
The post-holder will be in a position to contribute to audit, research and training programmes that will implement standards and policy in order to ensure high quality psychological practice. They will work alongside and involve Experts by Experience in initiatives of clinical benefit to the service, care and treatment of all those referred to Broadmoor Hospital.
The Team Psychologist role carries responsibility for the psychological care and treatment for individuals, carers, families and groups, within and across teams, adjusting and refining psychological formulations to draw upon different explanatory models to assist those on Intensive Support and Assertive Treatment (ISAT) wards. There has not been a more exciting time to develop skills in teamwork, formulation and compassionate care and to shape the immediate future of those referred to our wards.
About us
West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse healthcare providers in the UK, delivering a range of mental health and physical healthcare and community services. The Trust runs Broadmoor Hospital, one of three high secure hospitals in the country, with an international reputation.
Our high secure services care for patients from South of England and we provide low and medium secure services across eight London boroughs. The Trust also provides mental and physical healthcare in three London boroughs (Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham). We employ 4,500 staff, of whom 56% are BME. Our turnover for 2023-24 is £426m.
The Trust is rated as 'Good' overall by the Care Quality Commission. Forensic services are rated as 'Outstanding'.
Job responsibilities
The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
* Good honours degree (2:1 minimum) in Psychology. Eligibility for graduate membership of BPS
* Post-graduate doctorate in clinical psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996 or those in lateral transfer); or forensic psychology equivalent, as accredited by the BPS.
* Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council
Desirable
* Other related academic qualifications
Experience
Essential
* Experience of at least 6 month's work in either a severe and enduring mental disorder or a forensic setting either in a training placement or as an Assistant Psychologist or a Health Care Facilitator or equivalent
Desirable
* Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision.
* Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts
Knowledge
Essential
* Highly developed specialist knowledge, both theoretical and practical, of psychology applied to clinical practice, particularly in respect of adults with severe and enduring mental health disorders (including psychosis and personality disorders)
* Able to provide and receive highly complex, highly sensitive or highly contentious information, where there are significant barriers to acceptance which need to be overcome using the highest level of interpersonal and communication skills such as would be required when communicating in a hostile, antagonistic or highly emotive atmosphere
* Able to make judgements involving complex facts or situations, which require the evaluation of a range of options (eg the assessment of specialist clinical conditions and the determination of treatment options).
* Able to plan, prioritise and organise own patient caseload, treatment programmes involving other staff, and other aspects of the work such as research activity
* Able to complete PMVA training
* Able to use database, word processing and test administration/scoring software
* Post-graduate level knowledge of research design and methodology
Desirable
* Specialist theoretical and practical knowledge of psychology applied to forensic issues
* Knowledge of relevant legislation and its implications for work with mentally disordered offenders
* Knowledge of SPSS
* Evidence of continuing professional development
Skills
Essential
* Able to function in potentially traumatic circumstances and in highly emotionally distressing circumstances on a frequent basis (e.g. in dealing with patients with serious mental illness, histories of homicide and serious violence, self-harm, sexual abuse)
* Able to provide services in a secure environment with patients who are disturbed and sometimes violent and where the awareness of the risk of assault must always be maintained
* Able to "hold" the stress of patients compulsorily detained in a secure hospital
* Able to respond adaptably to rapidly changing service demands
Desirable
* Experience of working within a multicultural framework.
* Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
* Record of having published in either peer reviewed or academic or professional journals and/or books
Other Requirements
Essential
* Knowledge of the professional code of conduct of the BPS
* Must be capable of being guided by precedent, clearly defined policies, procedures and codes of conduct
* Able to reflect on own professional practice through the clinical supervision process
* Willing to participate actively in CPD in line with BPS guidelines
* 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
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
Employer details
Employer name
West London NHS Trust
Address
Broadmoor Hospital
Crowthorne
RG45 7ET
Employer's website #J-18808-Ljbffr