Band 8b Principal Practitioner Psychologist - Ardenleigh

Job overview

8b Practitioner Psychologist - Ardenleigh Women's Secure Blended Service: Fixed term contract/ secondment opportunity to 31st March 2027  (with the possibility of extending beyond this date)

The Women's Secure Blended Service (WSBS) has an incredible national reputation, having been a successful pilot site for the blended security model and a key influence in the National Women's Secure Pathway Transformation (WSPT) programme. This post offers an exciting opportunity to work across the service, both in the outreach service and within the inpatient team, providing expert consultation and support across the women's pathway to improve care for our service users. The service values partnership working and has strong relationships with the wider secure network and local services. The role will involve working with women presenting with complex trauma and personality disorder, both indirectly through consultation and liaison with partner agencies, and directly through provision of specialist psychological interventions.

This exciting role offers the suitable candidate the chance to contribute to the ongoing development of the service, with opportunities for extensive leadership, service development and partnership working, as well as applying their clinical expertise. The directorate is committed to investing in staff and you will have opportunities for training, supervision and career development.

Main duties of the job

We are committed to supporting our staff to have a positive experience of their time at work and acknowledge that working in the WSBS can be challenging, so you will have access to a range of wellbeing support. You will work within the WSBS at Ardenleigh Hospital, providing specialist input into the inpatient service and delivery of the Outreach provision. The Outreach provision is an innovative approach to preventing avoidable admissions into secure care through consultation to external services. You will also provide specialist advice and support to the inpatient services to promote timely discharge. You will also have a substantial leadership role, providing management and clinical supervision to members of the team, contributing to a culture which is psychologically safe and promotes staff wellbeing, and therefore ensuring efficient and effective care for service users.

The successful candidate will have extensive experience of working with adults with mental health presentation, psychological difficulties, neurodiversity and complex needs and risks. Knowledge and experience of partnership working would be an advantage. You will also have relevant knowledge and experience of working with women and high-risk behaviours. Leadership and service development experience is desirable, as well as managing and supervising a range of psychological professionals. You will require good organisational, interpersonal and communication skills in addition to therapeutic expertise.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For further information about the main responsibilities please view the attached job description and person specification.

Please click on the link for a little insight into our services and our people

https://vimeo.com/benthompsonfilms/psychologyrecruitment?share=copy