23655 - Forensic or Clinical Registered Psychologist - Psychology Services - Youth Custody Services - HMYOI Wetherby

Ministry of Justice UK • National City, CA

14d • Hybrid

About The Position

This is a non-operational, offender-facing, non-rotational role with line management responsibilities in Psychology Services at HMYOI Wetherby. The postholder will work with prisoners, people on probation and staff, applying psychological expertise to reduce harm and reoffending. The work includes risk assessment, research, consultancy, staff training, and assessment and intervention for offenders. The postholder will also provide designated support and supervision to trainee psychologists.

The role involves providing professional advice on offender objectives, placement and reports; developing strategies and activity plans; supporting colleagues and teams through consultancy; conducting research; supervising and mentoring trainee psychologists and staff; and leading risk assessment and management. It may include delivering or overseeing complex programmes, providing specialist consultancy, acting as a negotiation adviser when competent, and serving as a professional or expert witness in formal proceedings. The postholder must maintain continuing professional development and HCPC registration.

Requirements

• Professional background in psychology.
• Experience providing clinical supervision.
• Completed relevant training in effective treatment models and best practice.
• Qualified forensic or clinical psychologist with current HCPC registration.
• Spoken and written English.

Responsibilities

• Advise on targets and objectives for offenders and the most appropriate location for them within the establishment or at another category establishment.
• Provide professional opinions to teams preparing reports, including lifer and parole reports.
• Develop strategies and plans of activity for areas of operation, such as organising programme assessments or managing assessments and interviews for people with indeterminate sentences.
• Provide consultancy support to colleagues, including senior management teams and other teams, on psychology services and outcomes.
• Conduct relevant research, including gathering and analysing data.
• Supervise trainee forensic psychology staff and provide designated professional supervision to support trainees toward chartered and registered status.
• Provide training, mentoring and support to trainee psychologists and other staff, including interventions staff.
• Support staff development against competencies and gateways and promote consistent application of policies and procedures affecting staff and prisoners.
• Lead risk assessment and resulting risk management.
• Assess offenders’ risk of harm to themselves and others and risk of reoffending; this may include ACCT and self-harm assessments.
• Deliver or oversee the quality of complex programmes requiring qualified input.
• Provide specialist consultancy, for example on sexual offending or indeterminate sentenced prisoners strategies.
• Act as a negotiation adviser where appropriate and where competence has been demonstrated.
• Act as a professional witness in parole board hearings, multi-agency meetings and other formal settings, and potentially as an expert witness in Ministry of Justice court proceedings.
• Maintain continuing professional development and registration with the Health and Care Professions Council.

Benefits

• Annual leave.
• Nine days of bank, public and privilege holidays, added to annual leave allowance.
• Choice of two Civil Service pension schemes.
• Flexible working arrangements, subject to probation and operational needs.
• Season ticket advance 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.

What This Job Offers

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