Principal Psychologist

Stockton Hall Hospital is a 112 bedded, medium secure hospital in the beautiful City of York. We are an independent sector hospital. We exclusively treat NHS patients and work closely with our NHS colleagues to achieve the best outcomes for our patients. We work in partnership with the Humber and North Yorkshire Provider Collaborative as part of the local Integrated Care Board.

At Stockton Hall Hospital, we pride ourselves on valuing the contributions of every team member and in working in partnership with our patients. The genuine team spirit and support for one another makes Stockton Hall Hospital a fantastic place to work. Consultant colleagues at Stockton Hall have a collective experience of working here of about 45 years, and it has been traditionally a place of longer stay and positive well-being experience.

Are you passionate and motivated to psychologically support women who have experienced trauma and mental health difficulties? We are seeking an experienced, HCPC registered principal psychologist with experience of working with women, ideally in a forensic mental health setting. You will join a multi-disciplinary team working on a 12-bedded medium secure female service, offering leadership, consultancy, assessment and interventions. Ideally, the post-holder will have specialist training in a range of psychological models for trauma (e.g. CBT for trauma/EMDR) and/or other therapies. An opportunity to train and support the implementation of Radically Open DBT (RO-DBT) within the service is offered as an exciting and innovative part of this role.

The successful candidate will work collaboratively with colleagues within the wider provider collaborative to drive forward current developments within the women's service line. The successful candidate will join our dynamic, well-established Psychology Department within a successful and respected service. At Stockton Hall Hospital, just outside York, we are well-known for producing positive clinical outcomes for highly complex patients. We provide a medium-secure care setting in which patients access a broad range of therapeutic interventions including one-to-one and group-based psychological treatments. Our service has produced excellent recovery results for patients, maximising their opportunity to progress to conditions of lower-security as safely and efficiently as possible.

The hospital is split across seven wards, providing care for up to 88 male and female patients with a broad range of diagnoses including autism spectrum disorder, learning disability, mental illness, and personality disorder. This diverse patient population makes Stockton Hall a fulfilling and stimulating environment in which to work, and provides the opportunity to develop a broad range of clinical competencies as well as areas of clinical specialism.

Our therapeutic setting provides a range of facilities that promote real work and vocational opportunities, as well as allowing for a wide range of group sessions and activities. All patients receive an individualised timetable, covering seven days a week, which includes one-to-one and group-based therapy.

Although your core role will be on the women's service, psychologists work across the wards, offering opportunities for a varied and diverse role. This may include the use of structured risk assessment measures and one-to-one and group-based interventions relating to a range of potential risks and needs such as sexual and violent offending, fire-setting, problem solving, substance misuse and anger management. The role will require implementation of specialist psychological interventions as per NICE and best practice guidelines. Therapeutic modalities used within treatment currently draw on a range of approaches including: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Radically Open Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Cognitive Analytic Therapy, Compassion-Focused Therapy, and EMDR. We would welcome applications from individuals with experience in any of these approaches although ongoing CPD will be supported.

The hospital is currently striving to embed a trauma informed approach to care and treatment. Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team, you will contribute to the promotion of a TIC approach within the hospital. Your role will, therefore, incorporate wider activities including staff training, reflective practice, formulation and de-brief sessions, service development and evaluation, research, and provision of clinical supervision.

You will have the ability to apply psychological knowledge to a psychiatric setting, adopting a systemic approach and responding flexibly to both the treatment requirements of mentally disordered individuals and the complexities associated with organisational settings.

If this sounds like the opportunity for you, we would welcome you to make contact for an initial discussion/visit to the service. To hear more about this exciting role please contact Katy Baigrie, Head of Psychology, or Tracy Brookes, Consultant Forensic Psychologist.

What we offer you:

• Salary competitive based on skills and experience
• Support and opportunities for continuing professional development
• Option and support to progress through The Priory Network
• Contributory pension scheme
• Paid sick leave (after qualifying period)
• Generous annual leave entitlement + Your birthday off
• Enhanced maternity pay
• Private Healthcare
• Free parking

You can also take advantage of clear career pathways and support around training and personal development.

If you are successful, you will be expected to complete a full two weeks induction upon starting with us at Priory and these occur on the first two weeks of every month. If you have to work a notice with your current employer, we recommend you do not hand your notice in until we are able to provide a start date to ensure a smooth transition between companies.

As one of the UK's leading providers of behavioural care and specialist support services, Priory promise a challenging and fulfilling career with the support of a world class organisation willing to invest in your development. Across our network of hospitals, residential care homes and supported living services, we are making a real and lasting difference to the lives of the people we support.