Clinical/Counselling Forensic Psychologist London

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Forensic Outreach Service in one of the dedicated clinical posts supporting a new forensic step-down supported living service, scheduled to open in January 2027. The Service will be delivered as part of the SWLSTG Adult Secure discharge and step-down pathway, commissioned through the South London Partnership (SLP) Adult Secure Provider Collaborative Programme. The service will provide an integrated model of care and support through a partnership between the Forensic Outreach Service and a Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) provider. The VCS partner will deliver the supported living pathway and work closely with the SWLSTG Forensic Outreach Service which will host dedicated clinical posts. The Service is commissioned for adults stepping down from Adult Secure inpatient services into a community setting, whose ordinary residence and Section 117 aftercare provision sits with one of the five South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust (SWLSTG) boroughs, for health and social care. It will enable people to transition safely and sustainably from secure mental health services into the community, through access to high-quality accommodation and specialist, recovery-focused support delivered in a least restrictive setting.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will work within the Forensic Directorate in providing psychological support to individuals living within the Forensic Step-Down Service, to colleagues within the team and other teams providing support and to the individual's social network. The post holder will sit within the Forensic Outreach Service. As a key member of our multidisciplinary team (MDT), you will provide specialist psychological assessment, formulation and evidence-based interventions to support the recovery, rehabilitation, and risk management of service users within the Forensic Step-Down Service. You will contribute to the assessment and admission process by undertaking psychological assessments in collaboration with the VCS provider and the multidisciplinary team, ensuring that referrals are clinically appropriate and that psychological needs and identified risks are considered as part of the admission decision-making process. In addition to direct clinical work, the postholder will provide consultation, guidance and psychological leadership to the VCS support staff and multidisciplinary team members through a consultation model. This will include regular multidisciplinary case formulation and consultation meetings, as well as structured reflective practice sessions designed to enhance staff understanding of service users' presentations, strengthen psychologically informed care, and promote safe and effective therapeutic practice.

About us

We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust. We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as 'good' - we aspire to be 'outstanding'. This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services as we invest a further £120m to upgrade and modernise our estate by 2027. We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do. We offer flexible working, career development and a variety of benefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive. Come and join our inclusive teams and help our patients on their recovery journey.

Unless expressly stated in the job advert the role is not subject to sponsorship, please be advised that all offers of employment are subject to evidence of right to work in the UK.

Details

Date posted: 10 September 2026

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 8a

Salary: £66,274 to £73,496 a year per annum inclusive of inner London HCAS

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Part-time

Reference number: 294-FASP- -EB

Job locations: Shaftesbury Building, Springfield University Hospital, 15 Springfield Drive, London, SW17 0YF, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

• To provide specialist psychological assessments of clients referred to the team based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological (and neuropsychological) tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the clients care.
• To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and / or management of a clients mental health problems and problematic / offending behaviour, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings.
• To be responsible for implementing a range of psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, adjusting and reformulating the therapeutic models as appropriate based on feedback and follow up, drawing on a number of different explanatory theoretical models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
• To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options considering both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.
• To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based care plans.
• To provide specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to the clients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.
• To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all residents.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in job applications

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Please remember, your application is your opportunity to tell us about your skills, experience and motivation for the role. We encourage applicants to complete their application and supporting statement in their own words wherever possible. We recognise that AI tools can be helpful in supporting accessibility, and for improving spelling, grammar and structure.

Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content can become generic and fail to accurately reflect an applicant's individual experience. Applications that clearly demonstrate your own voice, reflections and experiences are often the most effective and help us better understand your suitability for the role.

Please be aware that information provided in your application and supporting statement may be explored further during the selection process. It is important that all applications accurately represent your own knowledge, skills and experience.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience of specialist psychological assessment, formulation and treatment of people with mental health problems, personality disorder and offending behaviour problems.
• Experience of co-facilitating psychosocial groups.
• Experience of working within a Multi-Disciplinary Team
• Experience of working systemically with friends and family members of service-users.

Desirable

• Experience of working in forensic and/or substance misuse services.
• Experience of leading on areas of service development.

Training & Qualification

Essential

• Doctorate level training in clinical, forensic or counselling psychology, including specifically: models of psychopathology; clinical psychometrics and two or more distinct psychological therapies as accredited by the BPS
• Registered with the HCPC under the appropriate domain specific title

Desirable

• Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis.
• Trained in the theory and practice of clinical supervision of psychological therapy practice

Knowledge & Skills

Essential

• Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information, including contentious and highly distressing information, to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, psychological formulation, intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration. This requires the use of highly developed analytical skills and judgement.
• High standard of report writing for communication with professionals from NHS, Local Authority and other agencies, parents/carers and clients.

Desirable

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies to treat people in secure settings.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name: South West London and St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust

Address: Shaftesbury Building, Springfield University Hospital, 15 Springfield Drive, London, SW17 0YF, United Kingdom

Employer's website: (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Forensic Community Service Manager

Catherine Sellars

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