Job summary
- Main area
- Forensic Mental Health Research
- Grade
- Band 8a
- Contract
- Fixed term: 12 months (Extension to March 2026 for end of study is expected.)
- Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Job ref
- 437-6216374
- Employer
- Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- HMP Wealstun and HMP Lindholme
- Town
- WETHERBY
- Salary
- £50,952 - £57,349 Per Annum - Pro Rata for part time
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 09/05/2024 23:59
Employer heading
Senior Trial Therapist - Clinical/Forensic/Counselling Psychologist
Band 8a
Job overview
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is now established as a part of the Government's strategy, 'Best Research for Best Health'. It is committed to establishing the NHS as an internationally recognised centre of research excellence through supporting outstanding individuals, working in world-class facilities, conducting leading-edge research focused on the needs of patients and the public.
The NIHR Programme Grants for Applied Research (PGfAR) fund ambitious, collaborative, multidisciplinary programmes of applied research to solve health and social care challenges which have clear and identifiable patient benefits.
The PROSPECT study is funded by an NIHR (PGfAR) to enhance access to Cognitive Behavioural Suicide Prevention (CBSP) therapy for suicidal men detained in prison, and to evaluate its clinical and cost effectiveness. The lead investigator of the PROSPECT study is Dr Dan Pratt.
This job is based at HMP Wealstun and travel to HMP Lindholme will be required. 12 month fixed term contract with potential extension to March 2026 for study end date.
Main duties of the job
The therapy will comprise of up to 20 sessions of CBSP in prison, delivered once or twice weekly. The study will use both quantitative and qualitative approaches as part of a randomised controlled trial (RCT). In collaboration with prison staff, the research team will identify men who are at risk of suicidal behaviour; 180 of these will receive CBSP plus their treatment as usual and 180 will receive their usual treatment alone.
We will re-assess each participant at 6 months after randomisation (once therapy has ended) to identify therapeutic effects and we will also interview patients who received CBSP to assess how effective the intervention was for them. A cost effectiveness analysis will be conducted to assess the health economic impact of CBSP.
A Service User Researcher will lead the establishment and involvement of a Service User Reference Group of service user consultants with appropriate ‘lived experiences’ who will be an integral component of the research processes.
Working for our organisation
Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) Foundation Trust employs over 6,400 members of staff, who deliver services from more than 160 locations.
We provide inpatient and community-based mental health care for people living in Bolton, the city of Manchester, Salford, Trafford and the borough of Wigan, and a wide range of specialist mental health and substance misuse services across Greater Manchester, the north west of England and beyond.
Greater Manchester is one of the world's most innovative, original and exciting places to live and work. From the beauty of the surrounding countryside to the heart of the vibrant inner city with great shopping, entertainment and dining options.
Wherever you go you will experience a great northern welcome with people famed for their warmth, humour and generosity.
Our people enjoy their work, have opportunities to learn and develop their skills and are encouraged to generate new ideas that improve care for our service users.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The main purpose of these posts is to provide access to CBSP therapy to men detained in prison who have been identified as at risk of suicide and have been recruited into the PROSPECT study. A course of up to 20 sessions of CBSP, with sessions lasting up to 1 hour on a once or twice weekly basis.
The therapy is based on a detailed manual, and you will receive training prior to treating patients in the trial and close supervision (group and individual) during the trial. The post holder will be expected to treat patients to an exceptionally high standard and to contribute to process evaluation that will be conducted alongside the RCT.
The study will run in four prisons (two in the northwest of England and two in Yorkshire). We are seeking to recruit four Senior Trial Therapists, with two posts working across the two prisons in the northwest of England and the other two posts working across the two prisons in Yorkshire. This job advert specifically relates to the two posts based in the prisons in the Yorkshire region. The post holders will need to be able to travel to different sites and to the University of Manchester to attend meetings, training, and supervision.
The post holder will be expected:-
- To liaise across all sectors of care involved with participants on their caseload
- To provide highly specialist, psychological assessment and therapy in the context of the clinical trial
- To offer advice and consultation on patient’s psychological care to non-psychologist colleagues, as well as to other non-professional carers and workers of other agencies where appropriate
- To work autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the team’s policies and procedures.
- To utilise research skills for audit, policy and research within the area served by the teams / service.
To contribute to the provision of research team services and fulfilment of research team priorities and objectives
- To contribute to the Trust’s social inclusion agenda
This is a unique opportunity to develop specialised treatment skills and to participate in a National Institute of Health Research funded evaluation of a new treatment for men detained in prison who are at risk of suicide.
Please see attached job description and person specification
Staff benefits
- Pay Enhancements – 30% additional for Evenings (8pm onwards) and Saturdays and 60% additional for Sundays and Bank holidays.
- 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising to 29 after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years
- Excellent pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Salary sacrifice car scheme
- Wellbeing programme
- Blue Light Card Discount
Person specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Postgraduate / Doctorate level training in applied psychology (Clinical/ Forensic/ Counselling Psychology) as approved by the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC), and registered with HCPC as a Practitioner Psychologist or BABCP accreditation as a CBT therapist
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of specialist psychological assessment, formulation and treatment of clients within adult mental health care settings
- Demonstrable post-qualification experience
- 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
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Shows evidence of knowledge and expertise into the issues of providing psychological therapy to patients with severe mental health problems at risk of suicide
Skills and Abilities
Essential criteria
- Evidence of high level of general clinical skills
- Ability to work creatively, co-operatively, reliably and consistently both as an independent practitioner and in multi-disciplinary and team settings
Other Requirements
Essential criteria
- Ability to tolerate inter-personally demanding situations
- The job holder must be assessed by Occupational Health as having a level of fitness to carry out duties/tasks after reasonable adjustments under the terms of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 have been made.
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
- Caroline Hendricks
- Job title
- Study Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
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