Clinical or Forensic Psychologist

at  Sussex Partnership NHS FoundationTrust

This is an exciting opportunity for a Senior Applied Psychologist role (Band 8a, permanent contract) based at The Hellingly Centre. We would also consider appointing at Band 7, with a comprehensive package of support and training to progress to 8a.
We are looking for someone who is committed to the provision of excellent clinical interventions for service users and can support teams who are working with complex clinical presentations. The post holder will dedicate time to the a male medium secure ward but would have the opportunity to work across all four wards of the Hellingly Centre and to assist with delivery of a centralised group programme.
You will offer clinical supervision to Assistant Psychologists, and receive a comprehensive supervision package. There will be opportunities to be involved in service development, evaluation of the outcomes of our work and submitting this for publication.
You will join a friendly Psychological Professions (PP) team which prides itself in being highly supportive, with regular opportunities to think together in team meetings, reflective practice and team days.
You will be the named ward psychologist for Ash ward, holding an overview of the patients on the ward and contributing to MDT discussion and decision-making about psychological assessment and treatment need. You will undertake complex assessments of mental health need and risk/offending behaviours, develop formulations of need and risk, and deliver evidence-based interventions focused on mental health and offending behaviour. There is a significant opportunity to develop your assessment, and specifically forensic assessment, skills. There will be opportunity to work across the four wards, in order to develop skills with different presentations and to practise in your own therapeutic specialism. There will be the opportunity to be part of the delivery of groups such as DBT-informed groups and offending behaviour groups. You will have opportunities to become involved in service-user involvement initiatives, quality improvement projects and staff support structures.
Proximity to the South Downs, the sea, the vibrant city of Brighton and Hove whilst only an hour train ride from London!
We have a thriving, well-funded, friendly and highly skilled psychological professions department. We strive toward compassionate leadership and flexible support. We offer the opportunity to train in, and deliver the very best psychological therapies, in a safe therapeutic environment, with a challenging and often traumatised and marginalised client group.
The Hellingly Centre is a low and medium secure unit for people between the ages of 18-65 who have mental health problems and who have become involved with the criminal justice system. We offer assessment and treatment for people whose conditions cannot safely be treated other than in a secure or supervised environment. There are three medium secure inpatient wards and one low secure ward, housed in a recently built unit in the beautiful surroundings of the Sussex countryside.

KEY KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Specialist experience gained post-qualification, whilst working as a registered psychologist. However, we would consider applications from newly qualified psychologists on a preceptorship basis, with a development plan to work towards 8a.
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients.
• High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies or a high level specialist knowledge of the theory and practice of specialist psychological therapy as applied to the client group using this service.
• Experience of representing psychology/psychological professions within the context of multi-disciplinary care.
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
• Demonstrate support for the values and beliefs of the Care Group and those of the Trust.
  Please see the job description for full details of duties, responsibilities and requirements.
  For further information or to talk about the post please call 0300 304 0818 and ask to speak to Jane Roberts, Consultant Forensic Psychologist, or Andy Cook, Consultant Clinical Psychologist (or email jane.roberts@spft.nhs.uk or andy.cook@spft.nhs.uk )

• To provide direct and indirect specialist clinical intervention for service users at the Hellingly Centre.
• To undertake and/or contribute to highly complex risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management, including assessments of individuals who are frequently aggressive.
• Provide expert advice, consultation, training and clinical supervision to other members of the service.
• To provide clinical and professional supervision to psychological professions team members.