Principal Psychologist

at  Mitie

PERSON SPECIFICATION

The job holder must be a Registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health Professions Council and eligible to use a protected title. They are likely to also be a Chartered Psychologist and a full member of the appropriate division of the BPS if the post requires it. They should have been registered for over two years and be eligible for Associate Fellowship of the British Psychological Society (BPS). This role is a Band 9 placement, so relevant experience is required. Previous relevant experience in a custodial or secure environment is essential for this role. The job holder must have managerial experience in leading and supervising a team, as well as experience in providing professional supervision for trainee psychologists enrolled in a formal training route. Experience with the Parole Board system is necessary, and the job holder should be confident in enabling the appropriate reports to be compiled to a high standard from the psychology team.
Preferred experience includes supporting the Command Suite in Incident Management, specifically in the role of Negotiation Advisor. Additionally, being registered as a Forensic Psychologist under HCPC modalities is advantageous.
The job holder must also be eligible for Associate Fellowship of the British Psychological Society.
As a business, Mitie Care & Custody is committed to diversity and inclusion and we would welcome applications from a wide range of backgrounds including veterans, those looking for a career change, and people who have experience in social care or a learning environment. Full training will be given where applicable, and we would encourage anyone who might be thinking about a role in a secure establishment to get in touch.
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JOB OBJECTIVES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Head of the Psychology team at HMP Millsike is responsible for ensuring compliance with contractual requirements, company policies and procedures, and HMPPS standards, policies, and procedures where applicable. The job holder will be a Senior Manager, accountable for providing leadership, direction, coordination, strategic decisions, and risk management for a large and complex establishment. This includes managerial responsibility for all staff across their functions and accountability for the budgets allocated to these functions, ensuring the effective and efficient use of resources to maintain the security of the establishment.
The role involves delivering specialist psychological services as defined in the contract and relevant schedules, as well as in the psychology services specification for the prison. It is essential to ensure that psychological services are delivered ethically and professionally, in line with the Health Professional Council (HPC) Standards of Proficiency, the HPC Standards of Performance and Ethics, and the British Psychological Services (BPS) Code of Ethics and Conduct.
The job holder is responsible for the oversight, delivery standards, performance, and management of the psychology team, which currently consists of a Senior Forensic Psychologist, two Trainee Psychologists, and an Applied Behaviour Analyst. The Principal Psychologist’s role extends beyond managing and overseeing the psychology team, contributing to the broader Senior Management Team’s aim of establishing a positive, rehabilitative, and restorative culture at HMP Millsike. This includes ensuring that the direction of travel in relation to reducing reoffending aligns with best practices and academic research on behaviour change, behaviour management, and appropriate interventions relevant to population demographics.
Additionally, the role involves consulting on Accredited Offending Behaviour Programmes concerning treatment quality, without being directly involved in the delivery or management of specific programmes. The job holder will support and motivate the Senior Management Team to ensure an effective service is delivered across the prison, focusing on the positive rehabilitation of prisoners. They will also lead the delivery of a safe, secure, and decent environment, creating a ‘Rehabilitative & Restorative Culture’ for both staff and prisoners.

MAIN DUTIES

The role involves supervising trainee Psychologists and managing forensic psychology staff at HMP Millsike. The job holder will liaise with HMPPS Regional Forensic Psychology staff and managers to assist with the strategic delivery of psychological services. They will support risk assessment and management of offenders, and collate information on violent and sexual offenders to inform future treatment services.
The role also includes supporting the expansion of Psychology Prison Delivery within Mitie, monitoring changes in prisoner population, and aligning services with the Reducing Reoffending Strategy. The job holder must be a trained Negotiator Advisor (or be willing to be trained) and maintain Continued Professional Development (CPD) and HPC registration.
They will attend the Monthly Reducing Reoffending Strategy Group, support the Annual Interventions Plan, and ensure high standards of prisoner care. The job holder will represent the prison in the community, develop stakeholder networks, and maintain effective Policies and Procedures. They will contribute to performance measures, contract outcomes, and key people metrics, ensuring operational and administrative duties are completed according to Prison policies.