Practitioner Psychologist

Job overview

We are seeking a dedicated psychologist to cover maternity leave, primarily at HMP Risley with one day at HMP Thorncross. This is a well-established role and is integral within the multi-professional mental health team.

Men at HMP Risley and Thorncross are provided with the equivalence of care received within the community, as such you will be joining a large team of professionals who work across the prison establishment providing mental health and well-being support. Psychological and formulation driven intervention is offered across all areas of a stepped care model, including self-help, short term intervention, medium to longer-term therapies, MDT care planning and preventing unnecessary hospitalisations. The post holder will work alongside all staff but most closely with our psychological wellbeing practitioners and psychological therapists providing intervention and therapy at Step 2 and 3, and our nurses and psychiatrists offering Step 4 provision. The post holder will also be expected to contribute to the reflective, compassionate and trauma informed culture within the mental health team.

Main duties of the job

To work within the integrated mental health and contribute to the psychological care provided to service users at HMP Risley and HMP Thorncross.

To work with individual service-users and others involved in their care to support improved psychological health and well-being.

To carefully consider service-user’s interpersonal interactions, management of emotional regulation, past traumatic experiences and develop detailed assessments and formulations to consider how this is linked to their mental health and behavioural presentation within custody.

To provide individual therapy, which is driven by a strong working formulation and is evaluated.

To contribute to the development of psychologically informed ways of working and support staff within the mental health team and the wider establishment to consider psychologically informed interactions.

To provide psychological advice and psychological opinion within a range of multi-disciplinary and professional forums.

To provide supervision and line management to Assistant Psychologists.

To contribute to clinical, operational and referral meetings and attend relevant HMPPS and partnership meetings where directed.

To provide monthly outcome data and contribute to Annual reporting.

To participate in line management and clinical supervision and use reflective practice to develop a strong awareness of abilities, strengths and limitations.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

See attached detailed 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 Discounts