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SalaryThe services provide treatment and care for men and women who have offending behaviour histories and mental health needs. The team includes clinical, counselling and forensic psychologists, as well as assistants and trainees. There are close working links with the medium secure services in Dartford.
The service also works closely with local Probation, Social Services, the Courts and local NHS services. The service has an excellent multidisciplinary ethos, enjoying good working relationships as demonstrated by the high level of morale among staff. You will also be joining a Trust-wide psychology service that offers a diverse range of specialisms and psychological approaches. CPD and supervision are supported and valued in the Trust.
The post holder will be a chartered psychologist with a minimum of two years post qualification experience in working in a variety of mental health settings. They will have experience of working successfully in a team context, providing direct clinical services in a team setting, including dealing with complex cases. They will be able to work independently within the general guidelines set by the Psychology Service.
If your application is successful you will be notified by e-mail and advised to check your NHS Jobs account. Therefore, please ensure that you regularly check both.
This post is subject to a six month probationary period for candidates external to the Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust.
Employment in this post is subject to a satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure & Barring Service.
To deliver an effective service it is essential that you are able to travel between bases in a timely manner.
Come and work with us in the Garden of England where we combine exceptional professional development opportunities with a tremendous quality of life.
We are Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KMPT), providing mental health, learning disability and specialist services, serving 1.8 million people across the county.
The Trust (rated Good overall by the CQC and Outstanding for care) has 3,283 staff working in 66 buildings across 33 locations, covering an area of 1,450 square miles.
You will be joining friendly, passionate colleagues, rich in their diversity, who are committed to providing excellent care to our service users and their loved ones.
The nature of our work attracts kindness and compassion as standard and everyone from our cleaners and porters to the chief executive and chairman are recognised as playing a vital role in providing an exemplary service.
Clinical
1. To provide specialist psychological assessment of adults with complex, severe and enduring mental health difficulties referred to the KFPS, utilising information from a broad range of structured psychometric and semi-structured clinical methodologies and integrating it into a psychological formulation of the client and the psychosocial environment, drawing on a range of psychological theoretical perspectives.
2. To formulate and implement plans of specialist psychological treatment or management of client’s mental health problems based on a multi-factorial psychological understanding and current evidence-based best practice.
3. To undertake a range of psychological therapeutic interventions, drawing on a range of psychological models and employing a range of modalities (individual, family and group) adapted and tailored to the needs of the individual and the context and the ongoing evaluation of the outcomes of the intervention.
4. To be responsible for providing a specialist psychological perspective in the multi-disciplinary assessment of service users and their families.
5. To contribute highly specialist psychological advice to the multi-disciplinary formulation of appropriate therapeutic approaches or intervention plans, and to be involved in, or oversee specialist psychological aspects of their implementation in collaboration with other staff.
6. To undertake psychologically based risk assessment and risk management for relevant clients and provide advice on the psychological aspects of risk to the multi-disciplinary team.
Research and Evaluation
1. To remain informed of and critically evaluate current research to support evidence-based practice in own professional work and to contribute this perspective in the multidisciplinary team.
2. To contribute to project management of complex audit, assisting colleagues to develop service provision.
3. To contribute to the research plan for the KFPS by participating in service-related research and evaluation projects, as agreed with the Head of Psychological Therapies.
4. To initiate and conduct psychologically based research relevant to the care of mentally disordered offenders as agreed with the Head of Psychological Therapies.
5. To provide advice to members of other professions as required on research design and method.
Teaching, Training, Supervision and Consultation
1. To participate in the specialist training of other psychologists as appropriate.
2. To develop and deliver bespoke training to staff as required by the TGU.
3. To supervise assistant psychologists and undergraduates on attachment to the service as appropriate.
4. To participate in regular supervision.
5. To participate in the Trust’s IPR process.
Policy and Service Development
1. To participate in multidisciplinary meetings concerned with the delivery and development of clinical services and contribute a psychological perspective as appropriate.
2. To identify appropriate developments in the services provided to address identified need and make recommendations to the Head of Psychological Therapies and service managers, and take responsibility for implementing such developments as agreed.
3. To develop and maintain good communication links with the NHS, Social Services, prisons, probation service and other agencies working in the area of Forensic Psychiatry.
4. To keep informed, through discussion with Head of Psychological Therapies, of service developments and participate as required in these developments.
5. To keep up-to-date with relevant Trust-wide developments within the specialist psychological services.
Professional/Administrative
1. To participate in regular clinical supervision and to negotiate further specialist supervision, development and training with the Head of Psychological Therapies, fulfilling the CPD requirements of the BPS and Health Care Professions Council (HCPC).
2. To work within the Code of Ethics and the relevant professional practice guidelines of the British Psychological Society, HCPC and the professional guidance framework of the Trust and HCPC.
3. To work within the framework of the policies and procedures of the Trust.
4. To be responsible for relevant data collection on work activities, as required, and to maintain a high standard of clinical record keeping.
5. To participate fully in supporting the activities of the Psychology profession within the Trust, including attending relevant meetings.
6. To keep abreast of developments in Clinical/Forensic Psychology, particularly in the field of Forensic Psychology.
7. To carry out such other duties as the Head of Forensic Psychological Therapies may reasonably request.
COMMUNICATIONS AND WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
- Members of the Psychological Therapies Team.
- Director of Forensic Mental Health Services.
- Clinical Director.
- The Consultant Forensic Psychiatrists and their junior doctors.
- The full multidisciplinary team.
- Other members of the Trust’s psychological service including the professional head of psychological therapies.
- Working relationships with outside agencies including police, courts, prisons, probation, social services and the wider NHS.
To effectively provide clinical/forensic psychology services to a range of other agencies. To develop and maintain the forensic psychological service with colleagues to ensure it is seen as a centre of excellence in its field.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
The post holder will be a chartered psychologist with a minimum of two years post qualification experience in working in a variety of mental health settings. They will have experience of working successfully in a team context, providing direct clinical services in a team setting, including dealing with complex cases. They will be able to work independently within the general guidelines set by the Psychology Service.
