Practitioner Psychologist

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.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

You will be a qualified Clinical, Forensic or Counselling Psychologist with experience in working with offenders. You will be skilled in assessing and formulating risk and in sensitively communicating the resulting formulations and management plans. You will also be experienced in providing interventions to forensic service users on an individual and/or group basis.

The CFT is a core member of the Hertfordshire MAPPA and you may be required to represent the CFT and HPFT at these meetings and participate in the liaison between teams within HPFT and the other agencies involved.

This is a fixed term band 8a post but we can consider applications from newly qualified psychologists to start working at band 7.

You will be working across Hertfordshire and will sometimes need to assess service users in out of area placements or prisons. You will be a car driver (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010 which prevents you from driving). Applications for flexible working are welcomed.

Please contact Dr Sarah Flury for further information or to arrange a visit. mail s.flury@nhs.net.

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.