Clinical, Counselling or Forensic Psychologist - Milton KeynesinMilton KeynesinMilton KeynesPUBLISHED TUE 12 NOV 2024

This role carries an incentive premium of £3,500 which will be paid in instalments over an 18th month period. Please note that this scheme is not open to existing employees of Oxford Health and is subject to a claw back clause. Further information will be provided.

Are you passionate about working with people whose early traumatic experiences have contributed to high-risk offending behaviours?

Do you want to be supported in your professional development within an encouraging, supportive and experienced team?

Thames Valley Integrated Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) Pathway are looking for an experienced Clinical, Counselling or Forensic Psychologist to join our team, either as a Band 8a or in a development role, as a Band 7 to Band 8a.

We are looking for a proactive, flexible and relational clinician, who is passionate about multi-agency working, formulating complexity, and providing direct and indirect input to a stigmatised and marginalised population. Co-production and collaboration is really important to us and central to our team ethos.

We believe that diversity in teams helps improve trust and respect between staff and encourages typically excluded groups to engage with us. If you have any protected characteristics or are from a BAME background, then we are particularly keen to receive an application from you.

We also welcome applications from candidates in the final stages of qualification. This post attracts an annual RSU allowance payment of £1446 per annum.

We are jointly commissioned by the NHS and Probation Service and provide psychological input into Probation teams including case identification, and pathway management for high-risk, high harm people on probation with personality difficulties/ experiences of early life trauma.

The Integrated OPD Pathway Service covers the Thames Valley but this role is based within Milton Keynes. You will be responsible for providing psychological input into the Milton Keynes Probation Office and the Approved Premises, Great Holm. You must be able to travel between sites to meet the needs of the service.

You will spend one day a week at the Milton Keynes Probation office and another at the Approved Premises. One day each week can be worked from home. Most of the team work a 7.5 hour day sometime between the hours of 8am and 6pm. However, we understand the importance of a work-life balance, so are open to discussions about compressed hours.

Our team consists of staff from several disciplines including administrators, assistant, clinical, counselling and forensic psychologists, an occupational therapy assistant, probation officers, a probation service officer and a team lead. (Please refer to the organisational chart).

Please note: You will be required to successfully complete an Enhanced Level 1 Vetting with HMPPS/Ministry of Justice in order to access the HMPPS systems. Enhanced Level 1 clearance is valid for 5 years.

About us

Please refer to the job description and person specification for a detailed explanation of the responsibilities of this role.

You will be responsible for:-

• Providing psychological consultations to Offender Managers/Probation Practitioners (OM/PPs), Approved Premises staff and other professionals working with the person on probation
• Working closely with the Enhanced Intensive Intervention and Risk Management Service (E-IIRMS) to identify people on probation who are eligible for direct psychosocial interventions and psychological therapy
• Conducting joint work sessions with people on probation and OM/PPs as pre-engagement/motivational work prior to a referral to E-IIRMS; to deliver a brief intervention; to demonstrate a technique or approach to OM/PPs; to explore an unusual presentation; or observe relational dynamics with a view to deepening an understanding of the risk issues
• Developing and delivering training and reflective practice for Probation teams and Approved Premises staff, with support from our wider department reflective practice supervision space
• Supervising other psychologists working within your geographical area
• For those who are interested, there may be an opportunity to maintain a small caseload (with E-IIRMS)

We sit within the Forensic Mental Health Psychology team, who work in inpatient and community settings and this provides you with a really unique learning opportunity. The whole department meets monthly for a business meeting, CPD groups and reflective practice. Our psychology department is proud of the diversity of therapeutic approaches utilised in our work and the supportive and nurturing environment that we have created. Come and join us!