Job summary
- Main area
- Secure Care and Offender Health
- Grade
- Band 8a
- Contract
- 9 months (Fixed term)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 436-7500519
- Employer
- Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Ardenleigh
- Town
- Birmingham
- Salary
- £55,690 - £62,682 per annum, pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 28/10/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 10/11/2025
Employer heading
Band 8a Practitioner Psychologist - Youth First
Band 8a
Please note that this post may close earlier than the indicated closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received.
Job overview
We are looking for an enthusiastic, compassionate and innovative Clinical or Forensic Psychologist to join our team at Youth First. The team is based at Ardenleigh Hospital site and has dedicated administrative staff and consists of multi-disciplinary clinicians, which include Psychiatry, Psychology, Occupational Therapy, Nursing, and Social Work.
Youth First is part of the national NHS(E) community forensic child and adolescent mental health service (FCAMHS) which comprises of 13 teams across England. We cover the West Midlands region which includes Birmingham and Solihull, the Black Country, Coventry and Warwickshire, Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and Herefordshire and Worcestershire. Community FCAMHS is commissioned to provide a forensic service for young people who present a significant risk of harm to others in the context of complex mental health and/ or neurodevelopmental difficulties.
Youth First primarily offers advice and consultation to professionals and agencies (including CAMHS, Education, Youth Justice, Care Providers, Social Care and the Voluntary/ Third Sector) working with risky young people living in the community, local authority care, secure estate or inpatient setting.
Main duties of the job
The main duties of the role includes supporting the duty system, holding a small clinical case load, service development, research and evaluation, and teaching and training. Clinical practice and quality improvement are embedded within a robust Secure Care Offender Health governance framework. The team ethos actively promotes staff progression and staff well-being including dedicated time for reflective practice, supervision and continuing professional development. The service operates a hybrid model with the option of office and home working and there is opportunity for flexible working arrangements which accord with the demands of the service.
This is an exciting opportunity for a psychologist to join an established and dedicated forensic team and in doing so develop their skills and expertise, contribute to service innovation and quality improvement of local and national FCAMHS and be part of making a difference in the lives of young people and their family. The post holder will receive a comprehensive induction, be provided with the opportunity to shadow different clinicians and observe a range of clinical activities to consolidate their role and receive regular supervision and developmental reviews to support their progression and professional development.
Working for our organisation
Welcome to Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. Our 4000 clinical and support staff help us to improve mental health wellbeing and meet the needs of the 70,000 people we serve each year. We provide a range of mental healthcare services across Birmingham and Solihull, as well as specialised services nationally. We also offer medical, nursing and psychology training and are proud of our international reputation for both research and innovation. Our population is culturally diverse, characterised in places by high levels of deprivation which create an increasing demand for our services and a necessity for us to make sure everyone can access the help they need. We are a team of compassionate, inclusive and committed people working together to provide excellent care to support our community. If you are looking for a place to belong, where you can make a real difference to people's lives, join our team where our warm welcome is waiting for you.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For further information about the main responsibilities please view the attached job description and person specification.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Satisfactory completion of a British Psychological Society accredited Doctoral Level postgraduate professional training course in clinical/forensic psychology completion of which includes the study of models of psychopathology, psychometric and neuropsychological assessment, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
- Eligibility for entry onto the Register of Chartered Psychologists
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment and individual and group based treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including primary and secondary/ specialist care and inpatient/residential, outpatient and community team settings.
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, including forensic contexts with clients of all ages across the lifespan and of wide-ranging presenting problems that reflect the full spectrum of clinical complexity and severity.
Desirable criteria
- At least 2 years post qualification experience, and formal training in supervision, enabling the post holder to independently supervise psychology trainees in accordance with relevant criteria adopted by local University Psychology Training Courses criteria.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Well developed theoretical and practical knowledge of the field of clinical psychology, consistent with doctoral level professional training and further post qualification study, training and supervised experience during a minimum of 18 to 24 months as a Specialist Clinical/Forensic Psychologist.
- Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal) including the ability to empathically, sensitively and effectively communicate clinical and condition related information to clients, their families, carers and professional colleagues (within and outside the NHS) that is extremely complicated or technical; extremely sensitive and potentially distressing to the recipient; or that is extremely contentious or challenging.
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment commensurate with doctoral level training, including specialist clinical interviewing, behavioural observation, complex psychometric testing and specialist neuropsychological testing.
- Skills in providing consultation and advice from a psychological perspective to members of other professional and non-professional groups
- Awareness and understanding of the differential needs of people from black and minority ethnic groups and of the service issues arising within a multicultural urban area.
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific ’difficult to treat’ groups (e.g. personality disorder, challenging behaviour, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc).
- Knowledge of relevant legislation and DoH policy and implementation guidelines in relation to mental health in general and the client group with which this post is concerned.
Personal
Essential criteria
- Ability to interact and to build and sustain relationships with people with mental health problems and associated disabilities
- Is a ‘team player’ and has demonstrated ability to work and deliver to team and organisational objectives
- Ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines.
Other
Essential criteria
- Ability to accept and use supervision appropriately and effectively.
- Awareness and understanding of the purpose and mechanisms of clinical governance and an ability to employ such mechanisms to maintain and improve standards of clinical practice
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- David Goodman
- Job title
- Lead Psychologist for Youth First
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0121 301 4600
- Additional information
Visits to the department and other services are also welcomed.
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