23698 - Forensic or Clinical Registered Psychologist - Psychology Services - South East & East - HMP Swaleside

Ministry of Justice UK • Surrey, East of England, Kent, Surrey & Sussex, South East

14d • Hybrid

About The Position

This is a non-operational, offender-facing, non-rotational role with line management responsibilities, based at HMP Swaleside. The postholder will work with prisoners, people on probation and staff, applying psychology expertise to reduce harm and reoffending. The work includes risk assessment, research, consultancy, staff training, and assessment and interventions for offenders. The postholder may provide designated support and professional supervision to trainee psychologists.

The role includes providing professional advice on offender objectives and appropriate placement, contributing opinions to reports such as lifer and parole reports, developing plans for programme assessments and interviews, and supporting colleagues on psychology services and outcomes. The postholder will lead or participate in risk assessments, may undertake ACCT and self-harm assessments, and may deliver or oversee complex treatment programmes. They may provide specialist consultancy, act as a negotiation adviser where competent, and serve as a professional or expert witness in formal hearings and proceedings. The postholder must maintain continuing professional development and HCPC registration.

The position is based in the UK and may involve hybrid working where business needs permit; arrangements are agreed with the successful candidate and reviewed regularly. The standard full-time working week is 37 hours, excluding unpaid breaks. Part-time, flexible and job-sharing patterns may be considered subject to operational requirements. The role is permanent and is advertised as full-time, part-time, job share or flexible working.

Requirements

• Professional background in psychology.
• Experience providing clinical supervision.
• Completed relevant training in effective models of treatment and best practice.
• Qualified forensic or clinical psychologist with HCPC registration in place.
• Ability to fulfil spoken aspects of the role confidently in English.
• Spoken and written English.

Responsibilities

• Advise on targets and objectives for relevant offenders and recommend suitable locations within the establishment or relocation to another category establishment.
• Provide professional opinions to teams preparing reports, including lifer and parole reports.
• Develop strategies and activity plans for operational areas, such as organising programme assessments or assessments and interviews for people serving indeterminate sentences.
• Provide consultancy support to colleagues, including senior management teams and other teams, on psychology services and outcomes.
• Conduct relevant research, including data gathering and analysis.
• Provide supervision, training, mentoring and support to trainee forensic psychology staff, trainee psychologists and other staff.
• Provide designated professional supervision to trainees to support their progress toward chartered and registered status.
• Support staff development against key competencies and gateways, and promote consistent application of policies and procedures affecting staff and prisoners.
• Lead on risk assessment and resulting risk management.
• Participate in assessments of offenders’ risk of harm to themselves and others and risk of reoffending; may undertake ACCT and self-harm assessments.
• Deliver and/or oversee the quality of complex treatment programmes where qualified input is required.
• Provide consultancy in specialist areas, such as sexual offending or indeterminate-sentenced prisoner strategies.
• Act as a negotiation adviser where appropriate and where competence has been demonstrated.
• Act as a professional witness at parole board hearings, multi-agency meetings and other formal settings, and may act as an expert witness in court proceedings for the Ministry of Justice.
• Maintain continuing professional development and registration with the HCPC.

Benefits

• Annual leave.
• Nine days (66 hours and 36 minutes) in recognition of bank, public and privilege holidays, added to annual leave allowance.
• Choice of two Civil Service pension schemes.
• Flexible working opportunities, subject to satisfactory probation and operational needs.
• Season ticket advance eligibility after two months’ service.
• Training and development opportunities, including equality and diversity, challenging behaviour, suicide prevention and anti-bullying programmes.
• Opportunities to access promotion programmes.
• Security and diversity training and an individual induction programme.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed