23657 - Forensic or Clinical Registered Psychologist - Psychology Services - Youth Custody Services - Forensic Interventions

Ministry of Justice • Rochester, NY

12d • Hybrid

About The Position

This is a permanent, non-operational, offender-facing role within Psychology Services, Youth Custody Services – Forensic Interventions. The post holder applies their psychology expertise to help reduce harm and reoffending through risk assessment, research, consultancy, staff training, and assessment and interventions for offenders. The role includes line management responsibilities and designated support and supervision for trainee psychologists. It is non-rotational and based at one of the listed locations: Feltham, Rochester, Stoke-on-Trent or Wetherby. Hybrid working may be possible where business needs allow, with arrangements agreed with the successful candidate.

The role involves professional advice and opinions for offender management and reporting, development of strategies and activity plans, consultancy to colleagues, and research involving data gathering and analysis. The post holder leads risk assessment and risk management work, may undertake self-harm and ACCT 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 settings. The post holder is responsible for maintaining their continuing professional development and HCPC registration.

The position has a 37-hour standard full-time working week, excluding unpaid breaks. Part-time, job-share and flexible working patterns may be considered where compatible with operational and business needs. The national salary range is £54,148 and the London salary range is £57,580; salary depends on base location.

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 HCPC registration in place.
• Ability to fulfil the spoken aspects of the role confidently in English.

Responsibilities

• Provide authoritative professional advice on targets and objectives for offenders and advise on their appropriate location within or between establishments.
• Provide professional opinions to teams preparing reports, such as lifer and parole reports.
• Develop strategies and activity plans for relevant operational areas, including organising programme assessments or managing assessment and interviews for people serving indeterminate sentences.
• Provide consultancy to colleagues, senior management teams and other teams on psychology services and outcomes.
• Conduct relevant research, including gathering and analysing data.
• Provide supervision to trainee forensic psychology staff and designated professional supervision to trainees where required.
• Train, mentor and support 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 the 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 complex treatment programmes and/or oversee their quality and treatment management.
• Provide specialist consultancy, for example on sexual offending or indeterminate-sentenced prisoners.
• Act as a negotiation adviser when appropriate and when competence has been demonstrated.
• Act as a professional witness in parole board hearings, multi-agency meetings and other formal settings; may act as an expert witness in court proceedings for the Ministry of Justice.
• Maintain continuing professional development and registration with the HCPC.

Benefits

• Civil Service pension with a choice of two pension schemes.
• Annual leave, with entitlement calculated according to work pattern and service arrangements.
• Nine days (66 hours 36 minutes) in recognition of bank, public and privilege holidays, added to annual leave allowance.
• Flexible working arrangements, subject to operational needs and completion of a satisfactory probationary period.
• Season ticket advance eligibility after two months’ service.
• Training and development opportunities, including access to promotion programmes and role-appropriate training.
• Security and diversity training and an individual induction programme.

What This Job Offers

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