Assistant Psychologist

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Assistant Psychologist to join our large Psychological Therapies Service at HMP Wormwood Scrubs. This post has a strong clinical component, as the post holder will support the team in delivering evidence-based 1:1 and group interventions for men with complex difficulties, including trauma and personality disorders.

The successful applicant will support the team's Therapy Lead & Specialist Health Psychologist in a range of activities such as group work and management of individual caseloads, as well as delivery of training and contribution to service improvement initiatives and evaluations. The post holder will contribute to risk assessment and management, working alongside partner agencies and prison colleagues to improve outcomes for those most at risk. Additional opportunities in supporting men with neurodevelopmental needs are available, as the Therapies service leads on the assessment of and provision of intervention for men with ADHD, ASD, and Intellectual Disability.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be required to support the delivery of care currently in the form of New Models of Care (NMOC), enabling the service to meet the London Wide service specification standards for Prison Healthcare.

The post holder will be expected to support and enhance the professional psychological care of clients within the service, across all sectors of care. This will include: providing psychological assessments; assessment and management of risk of harm to self/suicide; facilitating group and individual psychological interventions under the supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist; and working independently according to a plan agreed with a qualified psychologist and within the overall framework of the service's policies and procedures. The post holder will also assist in clinically related administration, conduct audits, collect statistics, and develop audit and/or research projects, teaching, and project work.

The successful applicants must have excellent communication skills, a professional attitude, a strong academic record with excellent IT literacy skills, and proficiency in data collection and evaluation. We are looking for candidates who can engage positively and sensitively with people with mental health difficulties and who have the ability to work collaboratively with other professions to provide high-quality person-centred care.

Job responsibilities

MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. To work across the service functions including early days in custody, planned care, crisis care, and release and transfer.
2. To undertake protocol-based psychological assessments of clients by applying psychological and neuropsychological testing, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations, and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members, and others involved in the client's care as appropriate.
3. To assist in the formulation and delivery of care plans involving the psychological treatment and/or management of a client's problems, under the supervision of a qualified professional psychologist, in a custodial setting.
4. To assist in the coordination and running of therapeutic groups.
5. To work with other staff from within the NHS and multi-agency working.
6. To assist in the development of a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings where care takes place.
7. To attend and contribute to appropriate multi-disciplinary meetings.

This is not an exhaustive list; please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for more information on the role requirements and duties.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Honours degree at 2:1 or above in Psychology. Eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartership with the BPS.
• Further postgraduate training in a relevant area of professional psychology, health and social care practice, and/or research design and analysis.

Knowledge & Experience

• Relevant clinical and research skills.
• Experience of working as part of a team.
• Basic knowledge of databases, research skills, and methodology.
• Experience of working with people with complex needs.
• Experience of working with risk in patients and carrying out risk assessments.
• Experience of the use of psychometric tests.
• Experience of working with people with disabilities in a health or mental health setting.
• Experience of group work and individual therapeutic contact.
• Experience of in-patient settings.
• Experience of teaching other health professionals.
• Lived experience of mental health issues.
• Experience of working in a prison setting.

Skills - Communication/Relationship skills:

• Ability to communicate effectively under pressure and maintain a high degree of professionalism at all times.
• Ability to provide and receive complex sensitive or contentious information in a potentially highly emotive atmosphere.
• Demonstration of high standards of report/letter writing.

Skills - Analytical & Judgement skills:

• Ability to assimilate complex information and use reflective/analytic thinking, applying psychological perspectives in work in a healthcare setting.

Skills - Planning & Organisational skills:

• Ability to be flexible and cope with multiple demands. Capable of using initiative and organising work to agreed goals.
• Ability to work independently and know when to ask for and use supervision, identifying when there is a need for advice and using supervision at agreed intervals.

Skills - IT Skills:

• To have highly developed IT skills and a good working knowledge of statistical packages.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Depending on experience per annum inclusive of Inner London HCAS.