Job summary
- Main area
- Health & Justice
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8a
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Part time - 18.75 hours per week (Two full days and half a day preferred, can be discussed further.)
- Job ref
- 333-D-HJ-1854
- Employer
- Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- HMP Bronzefield
- Town
- Ashford, Surrey
- Salary
- £57,888 - £64,880 per annum (pro rata, incl of HCAS)
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 23/09/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist
NHS AfC: Band 8a
CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has almost 8,000 staff providing integrated healthcare to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and areas beyond. We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way that we are run.
Our catchment area spans diverse communities, with over 100 first languages spoken. It contains areas of great affluence as well as areas of much deprivation. We are committed to providing services that meet the needs of the people who use them, and we actively encourage involvement from local people who can help make a difference. We’re proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME and people with disabilities to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.
We are recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ only the best people, and our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries.
We offer a generous relocation package (subject to eligibility assessment) and flexible working options, including bank assignments for most roles. For more information on these and other benefits of working for us, see our Benefits, Reward and Wellbeing page
Become part of our team. We care for you as much as you care for others.
CNWL NHS Foundation Trust are committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children and vulnerable adults.
Job overview
The Young Adult (YA) Project at HMP Bronzefield is an exciting and unique pilot project that has been set up in recognition of the increased levels of self-harm and violence amongst 18-25yr old women in custody. The project is one of two pilot projects in the UK that aims to deliver an enhanced level of support to this vulnerable group of YA’s who typically present with complex and broad ranging needs. The service is underpinned by a partnership between CNWL, Sodexo, and the Women’s Estate Psychology Service, and it is shaped by trauma-informed principles, and recognises the pivotal importance of relational security and co-production. The clinical model adopts a holistic approach to assessment and care planning, and there is scope for ongoing development and flexibility in terms of service provision.
Main duties of the job
To provide specialist psychological assessments to young adults in HMP Bronzefield based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with young adults and others involved in the young adult's care.
To develop individual psychological formulations and lead on team formulations. To develop and utilise a range of psychological interventions to support the team and prison in their understanding and management of the young adults.
To formulate and implement plans for the psychological treatment and/or management of a young adults mental health and behavioural presentation, taking into account an appropriate conceptual framework of the patient’s problems, theoretical and therapeutic models and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy. Interventions provided to include individual and group based modes of delivery depending on need.
To work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team consisting of both clinical and non clinical professionals to ensure service delivery is informed by psychological understanding of young adults strengths and needs.
Working for our organisation
We’re passionate about delivering first-class patient-centred, safe and effective care, whether it is in a hospital setting, in a community clinic or in the patient’s own home. Patients are at the heart of everything we do.
Providing top quality care depends on our ability to employ the best people.
We’re always looking to recruit outstanding people who will go the extra mile to support our patients, colleagues, teams and the Trust. With every new employee we’re hoping to find our future leaders and we’ll support our staff by providing opportunities to develop your career.
With a diverse culture and equally diverse range of opportunities across mental health, community services, addictions, eating disorders, learning disabilities and more – whatever stage of your career you're at, there's always a place for you at CNWL.
The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To contribute to the development and articulation of best practice in psychology/psychological therapy across the service, by continuing to develop the skills of a reflexive and reflective scientist practitioner, taking part in regular professional supervision and appraisal and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the fields of psychology and related disciplines.
To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping, including electronic data entry and recording, and report writing and the responsible exercise of professional self-governance, in accordance with professional codes of practice of the relevant professional body and Trust policies and procedures.
To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific patient group and mental health.
To ensure that all aspects of professional activity (e.g. communication with patients, relatives, colleagues as well as in the assessment, development/delivery of interventions) issues of diversity such as race, culture, identity, gender and sexuality are sensitively considered and incorporated to reflect individual differences appropriately.
To ensure that service users are appropriately consulted about relevant aspects of their care and are empowered to express their views in a responsive environment enabling such views to be assimilated / incorporated into continued service development and improvement.
To communicate with other counselling providers within the prison to ensure robust referral pathways and appropriate division of cases.
Person specification
EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS
Essential criteria
- Doctoral level training in clinical, counselling or forensic psychology or its equivalent, accredited by the BPS. Training in models of developmental lifespan psychology, psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology and two or more distinct psychological therapies. oHCPC Registered as a Practitioner Psychologist. OR oA recognised post graduate qualification in Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy (or equivalent). oAccreditation with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP) (via having a recognised qualification in one of the core mental health professions e.g. nursing, psychology, medicine, social work, occupational therapy or evidence of having achieved the Knowledge Skills and Attitudes (KSA) route) OR oA recorded/registered qualification in counselling or psychotherapy and further post accreditation qualification in a nice recommended or evidence-based therapy (e.g. CBT; EMDR) oAccreditation with a Professional Standards Authority recognised Accreditation Body. oEvidence of post-qualification specialist training, experience and developing expertise in a specialist area of clinical practice relevant to this role.
- Evidence of post-qualification specialist training, experience and developing expertise in a specialist area of clinical practice relevant to this role
Desirable criteria
- Other relevant CPD qualifications, pre- or post-training. Especially training in working with people with trauma and/or neurodiverse presentations, research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES
Essential criteria
- Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration.
- Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
- Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- Possesses range of clinical knowledge, skills & information technology expertise relevant to post.
- Can demonstrate competence in supervision of junior qualified psychology and MDT staff and professional psychology trainees.
- Ability to teach and train others, using a variety of complex multi-media materials suitable for presentations within public, professional and academic settings.
- Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
- Broad knowledge of models of assessment, management, and treatment of offenders with mental health difficulties and personality disorders.
- Ability to work intensively with people who present challenges in the complexity of their problems and needs, including sexual and violent offending and self-harming and suicidal behaviours
- High level of ability to plan and organise clinical service provision to meet service demands, and to maintain high quality professional practice
- Evidence of continual development of specialist knowledge and skills through engaging in relevant study and Continuing Professional Development relevant to the forensic population
- Excellent IT skills
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult-to-treat groups (e.g. people with additional disabilities).
- Can apply psychological knowledge creatively in developing new initiatives.
- Ability to write reports for varied audiences, including courts and purchasers of services.
- Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
ATTITUDES, APTITUDES PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
Essential criteria
- Excellent interpersonal skills.
- Team player
- Appreciation of the interface between our personal and professional lives, high level of self awareness and knowledge of principles of self care.
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
Essential criteria
- Demonstrate specialist experience gained post-qualification of working as an applied psychologist with evidence of having received a substantial amount of clinical supervision (normally in the region of approximately 50 hours)
- Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
- Experience of representing psychology within context of multidisciplinary care
- Experience of the application of applied psychology in different cultural contexts and experience of working within a multicultural framework.
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision. Experience or demonstrable knowledge of working with the particular client group served by the team/service
- Knowledge of guidance and legislation in relation to the client group and mental health
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialist psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnosis, people with additional disabilities etc)
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies
- Formal Training in Supervision of other psychologists
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working in secure environments and/or forensic mental health
- Experience of using a trauma informed approach with young adults with complex ranging needs
- High level knowledge and skills in neuropsychology and evidence of further practice and/or training since qualification
- Experience in carrying out research and/or service evaluation in secure settings
OTHER
Essential criteria
- Ability to work in a secure environment. Must be able to obtain and maintain prison security clearance and work in accordance with HMPS and Sodexo policies and procedures.
- The post holder must have the ability to understand and implement the equal opportunities policy at a level appropriate to the job
- Ability to promote anti-discriminatory and anti-racist practices
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
- Valerie Palha
- Job title
- YA Clinical Team Lead
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
Further information about the YA service, and the vacant role, can be obtained from either of the contacts below. Clare Holt, Consultant Clinical Psychologist: [email protected] Valerie Palha, YA Team Lead: [email protected]
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