Band 7 Forensic/Counselling/Clinical Psychologist, Bristol

NHS; Bristol; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job description

Band 7 Forensic/Counselling/Clinical Psychologist, Bristol

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Clinical, Forensic, or Counselling Psychologist to join AWP Secure Services.

This role involves opportunities to work across our medium and low secure hospitals for men, women, and individuals with learning disabilities and autism, who present significant risks and mental health challenges such as psychosis.

You will be part of a team of specialists and experienced psychological therapists, contributing to the establishment of a new Psychological Therapy Service (PTS).

You will have opportunities to work alongside Clinical Psychologists, Forensic Psychologists, Counselling Psychologists, Art Psychotherapists, Drama Therapists, Music Therapists as well as trainees, assistants and students within our integrated PTS.

This collaborative environment offers opportunities to work closely with service users across the spectrum, providing comprehensive and innovative therapeutic interventions.

At AWP we actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds; we are particularly keen to encourage applications from people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. We want people to bring their unique blend of experiences, backgrounds, perspectives and knowledge to AWP, as diversity makes us stronger.

Main duties of the job

The roles will involve providing direct clinical work, consultation, teaching and staff support, supervision, and working collaboratively with other members of the MDT including psychiatry, nursing, arts psychotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists.

The role will involve completing specialist assessments, developing complex formulations and designing and delivering individualized therapeutic interventions; as well as facilitating therapeutic groups and engaging in complex systemic work.

There will also be the opportunity to engage in service development projects. The successful post-holders will need to be adaptable, creative, to have good communication and team working skills, and to have experience and/or interest in working with people with significant mental health difficulties such as psychosis, who present a significant risk to others.

About us

We are AWP (Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust), a diverse organisation with over 5,000 dedicated staff providing inpatient and community-based mental health care.

We provide services from a range of locations to approximately 1.8 million people living in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, across the county of Wiltshire and in parts of Dorset.

Our outstanding people promote mental health and wellbeing. The expertise and resources within AWP are dedicated to a person-centred approach for those who use our services and for all employees. We recognise that happy and fulfilled employees give better care.

Secure Inpatient Services consists of Fromeside, an 81 bed medium secure unit and Wickham, a 30 bed low secure unit, both based on the Blackberry Hill Hospital site in north Bristol. The service includes a specialist women's ward and a specialist 8 bedded ward for men with learning disabilities and/or autism. We have a large, friendly psychology team with expertise in working with people with a wide range of presenting difficulties including; violence, sexual offending, fire setting, learning disabilities, autism, personality disorders and psychosis.

Job responsibilities

Clinical

To provide a psychology service to the designated team including assessment and therapy both for individuals and groups as appropriate.

To provide a specialist consultancy service to multidisciplinary teams and other agencies providing care for the client group.

To participate in generic team duties as agreed by the operational manager and Psychology Lead as appropriate, to the needs of the service.

To participate in clinical and caseload supervision arrangements provided by the Psychology Service.

To maintain accurate records and to monitor clinical workload using agreed systems.

To ensure timely recording of all data required by the Trust.

To support the full implementation of CPA acting as care co-ordinator as appropriate to the needs of the service.

Professional

To adhere to the HCPC policies and procedures.

To fully observe the BPS (2009) Code of Ethics and Conduct and the DCP Generic Professional Practice Guidelines (2008) and appropriate DFP guidelines.

To be aware of, adhere to, and where appropriate, contribute to the formulation and review of Trust, Area and the Psychology Service policies and procedures.

To participate in local psychology meetings and Trust wide meetings as appropriate.

To maintain and develop high standards of psychology practice by engaging in continuing professional development and co-operative working/networking with counselling and clinical psychologist colleagues.

To participate in an annual performance appraisal.

Service Governance

To participate in service governance processes in the profession, ensuring a safe and effective service.

To support and participate in multidisciplinary clinical audit.

To liaise with other disciplines and agencies to ensure that best practice is shared.

To promote the use of effective interventions in the service.

Training and Staff Development

To provide training, supervision and consultation in psychological approaches to other staff in the multidisciplinary team. This to include joint assessment with care co-ordinators, formulation of psychological problems and planning of interventions to be implemented by care co-ordinators or other team members with service users.

To provide training and supervision to assistant psychologists, work experience placements and trainees (alongside main identified supervisor).

To collaborate with colleagues to develop and offer training courses, workshops and supervision groups to develop skills in psychological interventions.

To contribute to the teaching of students and trainees in psychology, medicine, nursing and other health care disciplines.

To agree a plan of personal development with the Psychology Lead and the post holder's line manager.

Service and Policy Development

To collaborate with other specialist staff in designated area to extend the range of specialist psychological and group interventions available across the area.

Research and Development

To engage in research relevant to service priorities as appropriate.

To participate in audit and service evaluation activities examining the effectiveness of current service delivery and leading to development of services relevant to client needs.

To undertake advice, support and consultation to colleagues from other disciplines undertaking research in the area.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Registration

• Doctorate in clinical, counselling or forensic psychology or competency based qualification equivalent (forensic)
• Registered practitioner with HCPC or eligible to be registered by employment start date

Experience

• Experience of working with complex mental health problems
• Interest in working in a forensic setting

Skills

• Psychological/clinical assessment with adults with mental health difficulties
• Psychological interventions with adults with mental health difficulties
• Evidence of team work
• Evidence of resilience and self-awareness
• Organised & able to work autonomously
• Evidence of empathy and good engagement skills

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.