Job overview
We are seeking a passionate Clinical, Forensic or Counselling Psychologist to join the inpatient service at West London Forensic Service (WLFS). The post is a job share and is for 4 sessions per week for 1 year fixed term. This can be appointed at Band 7 or Band 8a depending on experience and with responsibilities adjusted accordingly. For Band 7, this will be a preceptorship towards an 8a role.
We provide a comprehensive induction and ongoing training and development throughout individuals’ careers, with opportunities to develop specialist skills and receive specialist supervision (e.g. EMDR and schema therapy), in addition to an individual’s regular supervision. There are excellent staff benefits including 27 days annual leave, rising to 29 days after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years. There is a gym on site and membership is just £10 per month.
Main duties of the job
You will be responsible for providing a high quality psychology service on an assessment (admissions) ward in the men’s low secure service. As a core member of an experienced MDT, you will have a key role in defining the psychological care pathway for individuals admitted to the unit through conducting highly specialist psychological assessments and through the provision of highly specialist psychological therapy.
As well as individual ward-based work, you will contribute to the cross-ward group therapy programme. You will also advise on risk assessment and risk management, and support psychological practice within the team through consultation, supervision, and training.
You will have the opportunity to utilise skills in research, service evaluation, and audit within the service. You may also provide line management and supervision to qualified, trainee and assistant psychologists as delegated by the lead psychologist.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached
The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.
Person specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working as a qualified (specialist) psychologist for a minimum of one year in a forensic clinical setting or equivalent (or some experience of working clinically in a forensic service or similar if applying for a Band 7 preceptorship)
Desirable
- Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision
- Experience of having facilitated/co-facilitated psychological therapy groups
- Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts
Qualifications
Essential
- Good honours degree (2:i minimum) in Psychology. Eligibility for graduate membership of BPS
- Post-graduate doctorate in clinical psychology (or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996 or those in lateral transfer) as accredited by the BPS.
- Training in clinical supervision for Doctoral, and equivalent, trainees
- Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council
Desirable
- Training in clinical supervision for Doctoral, and equivalent, trainees
- Other related academic qualifications
- Evidence of post-doctoral training in psychological therapy techniques
Knowledge/Skills
Essential
- Advanced specialist knowledge, both theoretical and practical, of psychology applied to forensic clinical practice
- Completion of at least 1 year’s supervised practice in specialist forensic clinical practice
- Knowledge of relevant legislation and its implications for work with mentally disordered offenders
- Able to provide and receive highly complex, highly sensitive or highly contentious information, where there are significant barriers to acceptance which need to be overcome using the highest level of interpersonal and communication skills such as would be required when communicating in a hostile, antagonistic or highly emotive atmosphere
- Able to make judgements involving highly complex facts or situations, which require the evaluation of a range of options (e.g. the assessment of specialist clinical conditions and the determination of treatment options), Where expert opinions may differ
- Able to plan, prioritise and organise own service user caseload, treatment programmes (individual or group) involving other staff, and other aspects of the work such as research activity Keyboard skills
- Post-graduate level knowledge of research design and methodology
Desirable
- Specialist theoretical and practical knowledge of the assessment and treatment of personality disorder
- Knowledge of SPSS
Other Requirements
Essential
- Evidence of continuing professional development
- Psychomotor skills necessary to administer complex psychological tests and video equipment
- Able to complete satisfactorily breakaway training
- Able to use database, word processing and test administration/scoring software
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist with West London NHS Trust in Southall, London, England. It is listed as a Band 8 Psychologist role. The advertised salary is £63,665 - £70,887 per annum pro rata inclusive of HCAS (Outer). The contract type is 12 months (Fixed term (12 months)). The application deadline is 21 Jun 2026.
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