Principal Practitioner Psychologist - LD&A

at  Sussex Partnership NHS FoundationTrust

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior Psychologist to play a key role in a new development within the Forensic Outreach and Liaison Service (FOLS). Due to securing additional funding, FOLS is currently expanding to provide specialist support to Service Users with Learning Disability and/or neurodevelopmental needs who have offending histories or present a risk to others.
Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, you will use your psychological skills and experience to take a lead in undertaking assessments, developing multi-layered formulations and delivering adapted interventions addressing risks and needs to ensure the service is inclusive, regardless of diagnosis. Additionally, you will take a lead in staff development, supporting the wider FOLS team develop their skills in working with people with learning and neurodevelopmental needs.
We would particularly value applications from people with experience working with people with Learning Disabilities and neurodiversity. An understanding of forensic risk assessment and formulation would also be desirable.
This role covers the whole of Sussex
Undertaking multi-layered assessments of clinical needs to inform and develop treatment plans.
Undertaking complex assessments of risk of violence, sexual violence and other offending behaviours.
Developing complex formulations of clinical need and risk
Delivering adapted evidence-based interventions focused on mental health and risk/offending behaviour
Providing training to the FOLS team to support their skills development in working with people with Learning and Neurodevelopmental needs.
Providing consultation to the FOLS team to develop psychologically-informed formulations and to support the team to work in a psychologically-informed way.
Providing consultation to other teams in the trust where there are concerns about risk.
Taking a lead on service development projects, audit and research
Liaising with other agencies involved in a person’s care and management
Supervising other members of the team.
Identifying training needs within the team, and developing and delivering training as necessary.
We’re a large NHS Mental Health Trust in South East England. We’re looking for people to help us provide high quality services for the patients, carers and local communities we serve. You can help us do this by bringing your skills, experience and commitment to Sussex Partnership.
The Forensic Healthcare Service is a dynamic service consisting of the Forensic Outreach and Liaison Service, low and medium secure services, a high dependency rehabilitation unit, mental health treatment requirement service (Reflect Team) and the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway Service with the National Probation Service.
Sussex Partnership NHS FT is committed to supporting a diverse workforce that reflects our communities. Our workforce is currently under-represented from Black and Minority, Ethnic and disabled communities and we would welcome applications from these communities.
Job Outline
To provide a professional or clinical leadership role within the clinical service/ team, providing a high quality, specialist applied psychology service to clients, their families or carers, where there are highly complex presentations. In addition to be responsible for the supervision and governance of a group of psychologists and psychological therapists with the specified service and to support psychological practice within the team through consultation, supervision, formulation and training. To utilise research skills for audit, service development and research within the area served by the team/service.
Scope and Authority
To lead on agreed parts of the clinical and social care governance framework within the care group/service. They will be responsible for the systematic governance of psychological practice within the specified service.
To work autonomously within professional guidelines. To supervise and support the psychological assessment and practice provided by other psychologists, psychological therapists and other clinical members of the service who provide psychologically based care and treatment and to provide clinical and professional leadership to appropriate clinical staff.
To manage a complex caseload.
To plan, organise and contribute to the development, evaluation and monitoring of the team’s operational policies and services, through the deployment of professional skills in research, service evaluation and audit, and to advise both service and professional management on those aspects of the service where psychological and/or organisational matters need addressin

Please refer the Job description for details