Principal Psychologist / Psychological Therapist / Psychotherapist

Job overview

We are seeking an experienced practitioner to deliver and co-ordinate reflective practice in a forensic inpatient setting. This is a highly specialist area of reflective practice, where the postholder will utilise their existing knowledge and skills of psychoanalytic approaches, post-qualification training in reflective practice experience of forensic issues. This two day a week role is entirely focussed on working with staff teams for the eight forensic inpatient wards, with view to shaping staff teams’ understandings of complex, risky and challenging patient presentations and behaviours in order to enhance staff's resilience, therapeutic relationships with their patients and relational security practices.

The role is primarily based at the Bracton Centre (DA2 7AF) and sessions will be delivered there and at Memorial Hospital (SE18 3RG).

Main duties of the job

• Strategic approach to lead and embed the systemic provision of reflective practice in the forensic service.
• To deliver highly specialised reflective practice to the inpatient forensic service, personally providing highly specialist clinical input guided by experience and knowledge of the psychodynamics of offending behaviours and healthcare organisations.
• To liaise with senior staff of all disciplines across the organisation to ensure visibility of the service, and to promote a culture of openness and connection between wards and senior leaders.
• Lead on ensuring access to reflective practice reaches the most marginalised and at-risk staff groups, including enabling staff from diverse backgrounds to access and use reflective practice, to create a create a psychologically safe environment.
• To be responsible to the forensic psychological therapies professional lead.
• To manage regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour.
• Lead on reporting on performance and outcomes to the Directorate’s senior management team.
• To lead research, service evaluation, audit, research and service or policy development.
• Provide training, supervision and advice as necessary.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the attached job description for details of duties, responsibilities and key relationships.