Main area Mental Health Grade Band 7 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Happy to discuss flexible working.) Job ref 437-8050445-A
Site HMP Forest Bank Town Manchester Salary £49,387 - £56,515 per annum pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 09/10/2026 23:59
Job overview
GMMH Health and Justice Services are looking to recruit a committed and compassionate Practitioner Psychologist to work within the multi-disciplinary mental health team, which implements a stepped-care model of mental health and psychological care, within HMP Forest Bank.
We are seeking a full time HCPC Registered Psychologist to join the integrated mental health team at HMP Forest Bank, working alongside Nursing, Psychiatry, Health and Well-being Practitioners and other psychological professionals, including Psychologists and Assistant Psychologists.
Main duties of the job
A large component of the role will be to provide short to medium term psychological therapy, implementing a range of psychological skills and techniques to support the reduction of distress, often related to trauma and complex personality presentations. The post holder will need accreditation/registration with a professional body and experience in the delivery of a range of psychological interventions, including CBT.
Psychological assessment and intervention will be driven by a strong understanding of developmental and complex trauma and the impact this has on offending, mental health, interpersonal behaviour, and personality presentation. The post-holder will also support the development and facilitation of model specific group intervention, such as CBT, DBT and CFT informed groups.
The post holder will need current HCPC registration and evidence of working with clients presenting with complex relational needs.
Working within a prison environment can be a challenging place to work, we are seeking someone not only with strong clinical skills but also the ability to manage and respond to the dynamic needs of the team, the client group and the environment, to ensure that provision is accessible and appropriate. The post holder will be provided with high level support, including ongoing CPD and supervision from the current senior psychological therapies staff who cover prisons across the Northwest.
Working for our organisation
Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) Foundation Trust employs over7000members of staff, who deliver services from more than122locations.
We provide inpatient and community-based mental health care for people living in Bolton, the city of Manchester, Salford,Trafford and the borough of Wigan, and a wide range of specialist mental health and substance misuse services across Greater Manchester, the north west of England and beyond.
Greater Manchester is one of the world's most innovative, original and exciting places to live and work. From the beauty of the surrounding countryside to the heart of the vibrant inner city with great shopping, entertainment and dining options.
Wherever you go you will experience a great northern welcome with people famed for their warmth, humour and generosity.
Our people enjoy their work, have opportunities to learn and develop their skills and are encouraged to generate new ideas that improve care for our service users.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see attached job description and person specification
- 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising to 29 after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years
Person specification
Qualifications
- Registered practitioner psychologist
- Post qualification training in a specialised area of psychological practice
- Training in Supervision
Experience
- Demonstrable experience of working in mental health services , including with PTSD,C-PTSD.
- Experience of developing assessments, formulations and delivering therapeutic intervention to people presenting with complex mental health difficulties, personality difficulties or offending behaviours.
- Experience of applying cognitive behavioural therapy approaches/other psychological therapy modality and of using a range of skills and techniques.
- Experience of exercising full clinical responsibility for clients’ psychological care and treatment.
- Experience of working within an MDT and/or or engaging with wider stakeholders
- Experience of conducting high quality risk assessments and implementing risk management plans.
- Experience of using psychometric measures.
- Experience of providing supervision to other professionals.
- Experience working within a custodial setting or secure environment or with offenders.
- Experience of working within a trauma informed environment.
- Experience of working within a multicultural framework.
- Experience of facilitating group interventions.
Knowledge and Skills
- Knowledge and awareness of the wider factors that contribute to complex personality presentations, emotional dysregulation and mental health difficulties.
- Knowledge of psychological treatment approaches for working with those presenting with complex and chronic presentations and difficulties.
- Awareness of stepped care approach in mental health care and provision
- Evidence of CPD as recommended by a professional registration body.
- Knowledge of policy and legislation in relation to prisoner mental health and well-being.
Important Information about working for GMMH:
All positions within the Trust are subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks, for further information on the checks required please visit the NHS Employers website www.nhsemployers.org
The Trust mandates all post holders who require a DBS for their role to subscribe to the DBS Update Service. You will be required to enrol for this service for a fee of £16 per year and maintain registration throughout your employment with GMMH.
Applicants are encouraged to apply for posts at Greater Manchester Mental Health who have direct experience of mental health, learning disability or drug and alcohol services either as a service user or a carer.
The Trust is also committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
We are aspiring to ensure our workforce is representative of the diverse communities that we serve, and we are strongly committed to removing barriers to employment for candidates from under-represented groups, for example BAME, Disabled and LGBT+ communities. If you would like to have an informal chat about the recruitment process for this role or would value some additional support, we’d love to hear from you.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications
A candidate may utilise the help of AI when writing job application.The assessment of an application is made on its entirety and most times AI-generated content does not fully grasp the context and requirements of the job one applies for thus producing inaccurate and misleading information, especially in the supporting statement section of an application that can lack real life examples of one’s achievements, success and challenges.
We have added a disclaimer to our application process advising that the use of AI is monitored. GMMH reserves the right to follow up with a candidate at the interview on specific responses and those examples used in the supporting statement to explore it further.
Sponsorship
We are proud to be an approved sponsor for the Skilled Worker visa. Applications from individuals who require sponsorship will be considered alongside all other applications. Please be aware that not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible roles and salary requirements on the UK Government’s website – click here .
If you are offered a role with us and you require sponsorship, we will check your eligibility in line with the information on the above website. Your offer of employment could be withdrawn if the role is not eligible for sponsorship, and you are not otherwise able to evidence your right to work in the UK.
The Home Office introduces new changes from 22/07/2025 that impact the health and care sector, you may wish to familiarise with it here .
Do you have experience outside the NHS?
We want to attract and retain people with diverse skills and experience, to deliver inclusive healthcare services to our communities.
We will consider relevant experience outside the NHS to calculate your salary on appointment. Please contact our Recruitment Team for more information.
**Please note, this vacancy may be closed at any time if sufficient applications have been received**
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
As a service user, relative or carer using our services, sometimes you may need to turn to someone for help, advice, and support.
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