Job overview

An opportunity has arisen for an HCPC registered Practitioner Psychologist (Clinical/Forensic/Counselling) to join the Adult Mental Health Forensic Psychology Service (AFPS) to work across the Community Forensic Team (CFT) and Beech Low Secure Unit (LSU) in Hertfordshire.

The CFT covers the whole of Hertfordshire and provides services for HPFT service users who have offended and are at high risk of further offending, both those stepping down into the community from secure services or prison and those referred from community or other inpatient wards.  The CFT works closely with community teams across Hertfordshire as well as secure services and other agencies involved in service users’ lives. The team is currently in the process of expanding, due to an increase in funding from the East of England Provider Collaborative, in order to provide enhanced services to the highest risk service users, to facilitate their step down from secure services and support them in the community. This is an exciting opportunity to be involved in developing and expanding the service.

Beech LSU is a 15 bed male only unit, providing care for service users stepping down from medium secure care or admitted from prison. The Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) work closely to assess and manage risks posed by service users and move them towards discharge into the community. The MDT works closely with HPFT community services and with other agencies involved with the service user.

Main duties of the job

This post is an opportunity to work with a complex and interesting group of service users, both directly and through consultation to other professionals, in a person centred and positive way to help them to manage their offending behaviour and make changes in their lives. It is a chance to work with individuals while they are detained, through the process of discharge and then on into their own communities and social networks, in a way that can have an impact well beyond the individual service user.

Working for our organisation

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’ from the Care Quality Commission.

 Our family of over 4,500 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:

 Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.