Senior Registered Psychologist – Psychology Services – Women’s Estate (Ref: 91566)

Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

This position can be based at

HM Prison Foston Hall, DE65 5DN, HM Prison Styal, SK9 4HR, HMYOI Drake Hall, ST21 6LQ

About the job

Job summary

Please refer to Job Description

Job description

Applications from HCPC registered Counselling Psychologists would be particularly welcome for one of the posts at HMP Styal, given that the focus is on undertaking reflective practice support sessions with prison staff.

Women’s Estate Psychology Service (WEPS) currently have four band 8 senior psychologist vacancies across a nationally geographically dispersed team. Each of these posts provide an exciting opportunity to diversify and specialise in role.

In the last eight years WEPS has grown from single figures to a team of over 60. Through working in trauma informed and gender responsive ways, WEPS have secured additional funding to diversify further and develop a stronger evidence base to promote working effectively with women in custody and to pilot new approaches to address long-standing challenges.

WEPS have developed numerous training materials for colleagues and successful post holders will be able to access these during the induction period. Prior experience of working with women is not a requirement of the roles. A motivation to work with women is more relevant.

The posts we are currently recruiting for are

HMP Styal (Wilmslow, Cheshire) – 2 posts

HMP Styal are piloting the Whole System Approach (WSA) which aims to take multi-faceted approach to addressing self-harm amongst women in custody. The post holder will be responsible for the delivery of training operational staff in psychoeducation using a compassion focused therapy informed approach, compassion focused leadership work and ongoing organisational consultancy. Additionally, the post holder will facilitate ‘Staff Space’ which is a supervision model which offers regular individual reflective practice to all operational staff Bands 3, 4 and 5. This service provides staff with the opportunity to develop their ability to manage the psychological demands of their work, process the challenges of their environment and develop their psychological resilience as well as their ability to be psychologically mindful when working with women. It is hoped that this will impact upon relationships and culture, creating trauma-responsive environment within which women are supported and self-harm is reduced. The successful post holders will also have opportunity to work as part of the wider team in delivering a wide variety of both forensic focussed and safety focussed interventions for prisoners as well as the opportunity to undertake professional supervision of forensic psychologists in training. The Psychology team at HMP Styal will be a team of 14 when all posts are filled and there are other innovations already established within the prison including a bespoke offer for young women in custody and a psychologically led Early Days intervention for those identified as vulnerable.

HMP Drake Hall (Eccleshall, Staffordshire) – 1 post

Well integrated within the prison leadership team, this role involves leading a small, but growing, team of forensic psychologists based within the prison. WEPS have recently secured some additional funding to develop interventions/services for women who are at risk of serious self-harm, so are also recruiting two Band 7 psychologists for these posts. There is scope for the ELP to undertake risk assessments and hold a small clinical caseload.

HMP Drake Hall is a closed women’s prison which also houses women categorised as open, with a recent Inspection (scoring 3 fours and 1 three), highlighting the positive role played by WEPS staff in the prison.

HMP Drake Hall are keen to recruit and welcome a senior psychologist. This is an exciting opportunity to work alongside a new governor and new deputy governor as well as the wider leadership team. The team at Drake Hall currently consists of three forensic psychologists in training (FPiT) based at the prison and cover by a number of visiting registered psychologists from the wider WEPS team. This is a great time to join the team as a senior psychologist, with the primary responsibilities of working alongside the prison SLT, leading the Drake Hall WEPS team, mobilising a safety intervention, whilst also maintaining a clinical caseload undertaking clinical work aimed at risk reduction and keeping women safe from self-harm.

HMP Foston Hall (Derbyshire) – 1 post

Similar to the role at HMP Drake Hall, the ELP post at HMP Foston Hall will be responsible for leading and managing the work of a team of forensic psychologists at the prison. HMP Foston Hall serves the courts as well as having a sentenced population of women in prison. It is the role of the WEPS ELP to work closely with Senior Management Team members, providing psychological advice to senior leaders including the Governor and Deputy Governor as well as the Head of Safety. Additionally, the WEPS team at the prison work well with a range of other professionals (mental health staff and OPD pathway providers, as well as probation colleagues), ensuring that the psychological and resettlement needs of women can be most effectively met. There is scope for the ELP to undertake risk assessments and hold a small clinical caseload, as well as supervising and managing other staff to do so. The prison is in a good place developmentally and culturally, with a relatively new Governor who is supporting and leading improvements across the prison after a recent HMIP inspection. The WEPS team are an integral part of this culture change activity.

If anyone wants to discuss any of the roles, please feel free to contact Jude Kelman (jude.kelman@justice.gov.uk) ; Karen Lloyd (karen.lloyd@justice.gov.uk) or Jane Burgess (jane.burgess@justice.gov.uk).

Overview of the job 

This is non-operational prisoner facing job

Summary 

The job holders covered by this job description are usually categorised as specialists in their field or those whose role requires significant additional experience, training and personal development.

The job holder will largely excel in the area of individual prisoner risk assessment or be a specialist in a specific area such as working with sex offenders. At this level the jobholder may have responsibility for the key specialist tasks involved in the delivery of a programme or related individual case management which would also entail overseeing the quality of delivery and supervision. They will also provide direction and support for other supervisors. This is a non-operational and non-rotational job.

The job holder will be working with complex prisoners and prison staff and applying their experience and competence in the area of psychology to reduce the risk of harm and re-offending by undertaking complex risk assessment of prisoners, conducting research, providing consultancy and delivering training for staff and interventions (individual and group) for prisoners.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties 

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

• Reviews cases and reconsiders the professional advice given by other psychologists on the potential release of serious prisoners
• Conducts full case reviews on difficult cases and offers authoritative advice on next steps relating to sentence plan
• Specialises in delivery of psychology services in settings such as therapeutic community wings
• Lead and supervise and facilitate group sessions
• Offers professional opinion to multi functional teams conducting offender reports e.g. risk reports, parole reports on high risk or vulnerable prisoners
• Develops and/or strategies such as sex offender or indeterminate sentence prisoner assessment and intervention strategy
• Delivers and supervises (treatment management) the delivery of more complex programmes e.g. healthy sexual functioning
• Provides consultancy support to colleagues such as an establishment Senior Management Team (SMT) in relation to psychology services and outcomes
• Conducts relevant research including data gathering and analysis
• Act as a “professional witness” in parole board hearings, multi-agency meetings, and other formal settings where psychology input is required. May also act as expert witness in respect of court proceedings for Ministry of Justice
• Responsible for managing and providing professional supervision to trainee forensic psychology staff
• Provides supervision, training, mentoring and support to trainee psychologists and where relevant other staff such as interventions staff
• Assist in national specialist tasks such as training on courses related to their specialist discipline
• Provides professional supervision to support a trainee in developing through the key steps towards chartered and registered status. This may be as a coordinating or designated supervisor
• Ensures staff are developed in accordance with key competencies and gateways and ensuring consistency across the team in the application of policies and procedures affecting staff and offenders
• Leads on risk assessment and resulting risk management of complex, vulnerable or high risk prisoners. Will be competent to undertake the full range of risk assessments including the more complex risk assessments. Gives feedback of the assessment to the prisoner and other stakeholders
• Contributes to other offender management processes (usually with more complex cases in work such as Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) assessments and self harm or personality disorder assessments)
• Provides consultancy role to wider team on their specialist activity. Visit a range of sites to advise on complex cases
• Act as a negotiation adviser where suitable and competence has been demonstrated
• Manage own Continued Professional Development (CPD) requirements and maintains professional standards
• Ensure they maintain their professional Health Professions Council (HPC) registration
• Provide a psychological contribution to the work of areas of the regime such as a therapeutic community
• Provide psychological reports when requested for life sentence prisoners and to submit within the appropriate time framework
• Responsible for relevant accreditation audit baselines as detailed in the audit document
• Line management of trainee psychologists

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme and shall be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.

An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence through the medium of English or (where specified in Wales) Welsh.

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Licences

The job holder will be a Registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health Professions Council and eligible to use a protected title. The job holder will be a Registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health Professions Council and eligible to use a protected title. Possess a professional background in Psychology. Experience in providing clinical supervision. Completed relevant training in effective models of treatment and best practise. The job holder are likely to also be a Chartered Psychologist and Full member of the appropriate division of the BPS if the post requires it. Please note that being a Chartered Psychologist is desirable but not essential

Memberships

The job holder will be a Registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health Professions Council and eligible to use a protected title. Possess a professional background in Psychology. Experience in providing clinical supervision. Completed relevant training in effective models of treatment and best practise. The job holder are likely to also be a Chartered Psychologist and Full member of the appropriate division of the BPS if the post requires it. Please note that being a Chartered Psychologist is desirable but not essential

Languages

Spoken and Written English

Behaviours

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Developing Self and Others
• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £53,324, HM Prison & Probation Service contributes £15,447 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Access to learning and development
• A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• Annual Leave
• Public Holidays
• Season Ticket Advance

For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.

Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team
• Email : Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com
• Telephone : 0845 241 5358

Recruitment team

• Email : Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. I you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles and would like to raise this, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com) in the first instance. If the role has been advertised externally (outside of the Civil Service) and you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitment/complaints

https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/appcentre-1/brand-13/candidate/so/pm/1/pl/3/opp/91566-91566-Senior-Registered-Psychologist-Psychology-Services-Women-s-Estate/en-GB

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