Job summary
This role carries an incentive premium of £3,500 which will be paid in instalments over an 18th month period. Please note that this scheme is not open to existing employees of Oxford Health and is subject to a claw back clause. Further information will be provided.
Are you passionate about working with people whose early traumatic experiences have contributed to high-risk offending behaviours?
Do you want to be supported in your professional development within an encouraging, supportive and experienced team?
Thames Valley Integrated Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) Pathway are looking for an experienced Clinical, Counselling or Forensic Psychologist to join our team, either as a Band 8a or in a development role, as a Band 7 to Band 8a.
We are looking for a proactive, flexible and relational clinician, who is passionate about multi-agency working, formulating complexity, and providing direct and indirect input to a stigmatised and marginalised population. Co-production and collaboration is really important to us and central to our team ethos.
We believe that diversity in teams helps improve trust and respect between staff and encourages typically excluded groups to engage with us. If you have any protected characteristics or are from a BAME background, then we are particularly keen to receive an application from you.
We also welcome applications from candidates in the final stages of qualification. This post attracts an annual RSU allowance payment of £1446 per annum.
Main duties of the job
We are jointly commissioned by the NHS and Probation Service and provide psychological input into Probation teams including case identification, and pathway management for high-risk, high harm people on probation with personality difficulties/ experiences of early life trauma.
The Integrated OPD Pathway Service covers the Thames Valley but this role is based within Milton Keynes. You will be responsible for providing psychological input into the Milton Keynes Probation Office and the Approved Premises, Great Holm. You must be able to travel between sites to meet the needs of the service.
You will spend one day a week at the Milton Keynes Probation office and another at the Approved Premises. One day each week can be worked from home. Most of the team work a hour day sometime between the hours of 8am and 6pm. However, we understand the importance of a work-life balance, so are open to discussions about compressed hours.
Our team consists of staff from several disciplines including administrators, assistant, clinical, counselling and forensic psychologists, an occupational therapy assistant, probation officers, a probation service officer and a team lead. (Please refer to the organisational chart).
Please note: You will be required to successfully complete an Enhanced Level 1 Vetting with HMPPS/Ministry of Justice in order to access the HMPPS systems. Enhanced Level 1 clearance is valid for 5 years.
About us
Oxford Health is a great place to work and to be able to showcase the best of yourself when making an application you are encouraged to read the "candidate guide to making an application" which is attached to all roles.
Please include details around qualifications (including years these were gained particularly if we need to assess for clinical roles that these are still valid) and ensure that the supporting statement is tailored to the role you are applying for and addresses the essential criteria found in the JD.
As a Trust we provide physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset. Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people's homes, delivering care as close to home as vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive: "Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team"
Our values are: "Caring, safe and excellent"
At Oxford Health we offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:
1. Excellent opportunities for career progression
2. Individual and Trust wide learning and development
3. 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
4. NHS Discount
5. Pension scheme
6. Lease car scheme
7. Employee Assistance Programme
8. Mental Health First Aiders
9. Staff accommodation (waiting lists may apply)
10. Staff networking and support groups
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please refer to the job description and person specification for a detailed explanation of the responsibilities of this role.
You will be responsible for:-
11. Providing psychological consultations to Offender Managers/Probation Practitioners (OM/PPs), Approved Premises staff and other professionals working with the person on probation
12. Working closely with the Enhanced Intensive Intervention and Risk Management Service (E-IIRMS) to identify people on probation who are eligible for direct psychosocial interventions and psychological therapy
13. Conducting joint work sessions with people on probation and OM/PPs as pre-engagement/motivational work prior to a referral to E-IIRMS; to deliver a brief intervention; to demonstrate a technique or approach to OM/PPs; to explore an unusual presentation; or observe relational dynamics with a view to deepening an understanding of the risk issues
14. Developing and delivering training and reflective practice for Probation teams and Approved Premises staff, with support from our wider department reflective practice supervision space
15. Supervising other psychologists working within your geographical area
16. For those who are interested, there may be an opportunity to maintain a small caseload (with E-IIRMS)
We sit within the Forensic Mental Health Psychology team, who work in inpatient and community settings and this provides you with a really unique learning opportunity. The whole department meets monthly for a business meeting, CPD groups and reflective practice. Our psychology department is proud of the diversity of therapeutic approaches utilised in our work and the supportive and nurturing environment that we have created. Come and join us!
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
17. Satisfactory completion of a British Psychological Society accredited Doctoral Level postgraduate professional training course in applied psychology (the Doctorate in Counselling, Forensic or Clinical Psychology), or equivalent.
18. Is a registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
Experience
Essential
19. Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, with clients of all ages across the lifespan and of wide-ranging presenting problems that reflect the full spectrum of clinical complexity and severity
20. Experience of teaching, training, and supervision.
Desirable
21. Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural contexts
22. Experience of working therapeutically with a forensic population with interpersonal difficulties
23. Experience within the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway
Knowledge and Skills
Essential
24. Skills in the formulation of areas of need from a psychological perspective and in the implementation of psychological interventions that are appropriate for use with complex presenting problems. Able to deliver established/evidenced based psychological interventions to fidelity.
25. Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal) including the ability to communicate empathically, sensitively, and effectively clinical and condition related information to clients, their families, carers, and professional colleagues (within and outside the NHS) that may be complicated or technical; extremely sensitive and potentially distressing to the recipient; or that is extremely contentious or challenging
26. Skills in providing consultation and advice from a psychological perspective to members of other professional and non-professional groups
Desirable
27. Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific 'difficult to treat' groups ( personality disorder, challenging behaviour, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities or neurodiversity