Band 4 Assistant Psychologist - Secure Care and Offender Health

A number of vacancies for Assistant Psychologists have arisen across the Secure Care and Offender Health Directorate. Some of the services which currently have vacancies are:

• Tamarind Centre; a medium secure unit for men (1.0 WTE)
• Hillis Lodge; a low secure unit for men
• Mental Health Treatment Requirement (MHTR); part of the Criminal Justice Recovery Service
• HMP Birmingham
• Forensic Intensive Recovery Support Team (FIRST)
• PROSPER Intensive Intervention and Risk Management Service (IIRMS)

Our values centre on providing compassionate, high-quality and person-centred care and we are looking for like-minded individuals to apply. The role would suit committed, hard-working and compassionate individuals with an interest in working with people who present with complex needs within the criminal justice system. The directorate has a diverse portfolio of services and has an excellent national reputation, with accreditations from QNIC, NHS England, QNFMHS and the National Autistic Society.

As an assistant psychologist in our services, there is access to regular, highly specialist supervision and CPD as part of a wider psychology team of over 70 staff. We offer continued support and progression within this network, and we work hard to ensure our roles are inclusive and enriching for the post-holders. We are also committed to supporting the wellbeing of our staff team to provide a positive and fulfilling experience of work.

The MHTR role is based at the Ardenleigh Hospital site in Erdington. Within this post, there are opportunities to contribute to assessments, formulations, and interventions with adults with mental health needs who have been found guilty of an offence, as an alternative to a custodial sentence. There may be expectations to travel within this role.

FIRST is based on the same site as Reaside Clinic in Rubery. The role would involve opportunities to contribute to assessments, formulations and individual/group interventions with men and women under the care of FIRST. This includes supporting service users who are transitioning from secure hospitals into the community, as well as those already living in the community.

PROSPER is a community-based intensive intervention and risk management service (IIRMS) on the Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) Pathway, working in partnership with Probation to support high-risk individuals in the transition from prison to, and stabilisation in, community.

At HMP Birmingham, the role involves completing assessments, formulations and brief interventions with service users who are under the care of either Primary Mental Health Care or the 24 Hour Healthcare inpatient wing. Post-holders are required to have at least one year of experience as an Assistant Psychologist and/or work experience within a prison setting due to the high level of autonomy within the role and the complexity of the environment.

Welcome to Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. Our 4000 clinical and support staff help us to improve mental health wellbeing and meet the needs of the 70,000 people we serve each year. We provide a range of mental healthcare services across Birmingham and Solihull, as well as specialised services nationally. We also offer medical, nursing and psychology training and are proud of our international reputation for both research and innovation.

Our population is culturally diverse, characterised in places by high levels of deprivation which create an increasing demand for our services and a necessity for us to make sure everyone can access the help they need. We are a team of compassionate, inclusive and committed people working together to provide excellent care to support our community. If you are looking for a place to belong, where you can make a real difference to people's lives, join our team where our warm welcome is waiting for you.

For further details/informal visits contact: Name: Adele Gordon, Job title: Senior Clinical Psychologist, Email address: adele.gordon2@nhs.net, Telephone number: 0121 301 4477.

Candidates with previous experience of working within a range of clinical settings including Forensic, Mental Health, Social Care and Learning Disabilities are welcomed. We also encourage candidates from all sections of the community to apply.