Highly Specialist Applied Psychologist

A fantastic opportunity has arisen for a dynamic and motivated Highly Specialist Applied Psychologist to join the Forensic Community Service. It is based at Roseberry Park Hospital and works across Teesside, Redcar & Cleveland and Durham & Darlington. The Forensic Community Service (FCS) is a regional service which provides care and treatment for adults (both male and female) who have a history of offending and/or pose a risk to others. Our service users have come into contact with the criminal justice system and have been within the secure in‑patient pathway, and we provide Care Co‑ordination for these patients upon discharge. The team also provides scaffolding and risk advice to other mental health services.

Main duties of the job:

• Accountable for own professional practice in the delivery of highly specialist psychological care to clients with highly complex mental health conditions which may include high levels of distress and/or challenging behaviours.
• To be compassionate in meeting the needs of clients, their carers and families.
• To provide clinical supervision and training to less experienced colleagues within the designated psychology service and to other members of the multidisciplinary team.
• To undertake formal research as an integral part of the job and act as field supervisor to doctorate trainees.
• To be proactive in continual service improvement within own area.
• To promote at all times a positive image of people with mental ill health or learning disabilities.

Person Specification:

• HCPC registration as a Practitioner Psychologist
• Post‑graduate training (doctoral level equivalent) in clinical / counselling / forensic psychology (or its equivalent prior to 1996) as accredited by the BPS.
• Post doctoral training in one or more additional specialised areas of psychological practice
• Trained in clinical supervision and the supervision of doctoral trainees
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Trained in care co‑ordination
• Registration with BPS

• Working as a qualified applied psychologist within the designated service including a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course and a range of clinical severity across a range of care settings.
• Exercising full clinical responsibility for clients' psychological care as a care coordinator within the context of a multidisciplinary team.
• Teaching, training and clinical supervision and field supervisor for doctoral theses.
• Research and development Quality and service improvement and evaluation.

• Communicate highly complex and highly sensitive information effectively, to a wide range of people
• Adapt creatively the evidence base for interventions in mental health for clients with communication difficulties / learning disabilities.
• Provide effective teaching, training and clinical supervision for the multidisciplinary team.
• Work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team and undertake care co‑ordination/lead practitioner responsibilities
• Undertake complex multiagency working and liaise with multiple systems
• Identify, provide and promote appropriate interventions / means of support for carers and staff exposed to highly distressing situations and challenging behaviours.
• Utilise appropriate clinical governance mechanisms within own work.

• Evidence- based practice relevant to the role
• Risk assessment and risk management
• Clinical governance
• Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.

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.