Assistant Psychologist

Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Assistant Psychologist within Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust as part of the ACORN Service at HMP Whatton. This is a specialist treatment service for individuals with personality difficulties and a history of sexual offending. The service is part of the Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) Pathway and is jointly delivered by NHS and Prison partners.

We are committed to working in partnership with Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), both with Prison and Probation colleagues; this service is a joint enterprise so relies on collaborative working. We also work in partnership with other healthcare providers and our criminal justice system partners to improve health, support justice and reduce re-offending behaviour. The ACORN service forms part of a wider network of OPD pathway services delivered by Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust across HMP North Sea Camp, HMP Gartree and community services in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.

Main duties of the job
The ACORN service is a comprehensive specialist service offering a range of therapeutic interventions on an outreach basis at HMP Whatton to individuals with problematic personality traits which are linked to difficulties with progression or risk. The service offers a suite of therapies including Schema Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Radically Open Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (RO-DBT), and Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT) within tiered phases. Therapies, including socially creative sessions, psychoeducation and both group and 1:1 therapy are provided with an emphasis upon the importance of relationships and the environmental setting.

The successful post holder will work as part of a team approach to the assessment and treatment of individuals referred to the service, supporting with suitability assessments, and co-delivering psychologically informed groups, alongside offering 1:1 therapy under the supervision of a qualified psychologist.

About us
#TeamNottsHC comprises over 10,500 dedicated colleagues who #MakeADifference every day. We deliver intellectual disability, mental health, community health and forensic health services across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and South Yorkshire. Our care is provided from over 80 sites, spanning community locations, acute settings and secure environments.

We are one of the largest mental health and community health Trusts in the East Midlands and one of Nottinghamshire's biggest employers. We also host national and regional services, such as the National High Secure Deaf Service and the Nottingham Centre for Transgender Health.

We offer a variety of employee-led staff networks, including Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) groups, the Green Champions network, the Freedom to Speak Up network, the Health and Wellbeing Champions network, and the Menopause Champions network. These networks play a vital role in supporting our diverse workforce and promoting a culture of inclusivity.

The health and wellbeing of colleagues is a top priority. We invest significantly in this through our in-house occupational health and staff counselling services, supported by a dedicated Health and Wellbeing team.

The Trust is committed to reducing its carbon emissions, with a specialised Energy and Environmental team working to ensure compliance with environmental legislation, enhance our environmental performance, and achieve our net-zero commitment.

Job responsibilities
The post holder will work as part of a team to provide comprehensive trauma informed therapies to individuals with a history of sexual offending and difficulties arising from trauma and problematic personality traits.

They will support with the provision of specialist psychological assessments and development of collaborative formulations to inform treatment pathways.

They will hold a small caseload of 1:1 and group work as indicated by the need and risk understood in the formulation.

They will contribute to multi-disciplinary team discussions and decision making processes.

They will be responsible for engaging with their own supervision and reflective practice.

Supporting with wider service development, audit and research activities.

Supporting with the delivery of training.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• 1st class or Upper second class honours degree or 2.2 plus higher degree in Psychology; and ability to demonstrate eligibility to graduate membership of the BPS.

Desirable

• Further relevant post-graduate training (e.g. in Forensic, clinical or other applied Psychology discipline).

Values & Behaviours
Essential

• All colleagues are expected to demonstrate that they act in line with Nottinghamshire Healthcare Foundation Trust Values - Trust Honesty Respect Compassion Teamwork.
• All colleagues are expected to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) and how it applies to their role.

Physical Requirements
Essential

• Able to sit still for long periods in clinical settings or for report writing, however reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled individuals in line with the Equality Act 2010.

Contractual Requirements
Essential

• Flexibility to work as and where required

Desirable

• A full UK driving license and vehicle for business use is required for this post; however reasonable adjustments will be made for disabled individuals in line with the Equality Act 2010.

Experience
Essential

• Experience of working with offenders or patients with mental health problems/ intellectual & developmental disabilities/ personality disorders.
• Experience of working in Forensic/secure settings and mental health settings
• Experience of MDT and multi-agency working
• Experience of completing risk assessments
• Experience of psychometric testing (delivery, scoring and interpretation).
• Experience of delivering group or individual psychological work

Desirable

• Experience of supporting the development of structured group programmes.
• Experience of conference presentations, publications or teaching/training delivery

Knowledge
Essential

• Knowledge of legal system or MHA (MH system)
• Knowledge and application of formulation with staff and service users
• Knowledge of psychological theories / models which help to understand personality difficulties

Desirable

• Knowledge of the prison/probation system
• Knowledge of the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway

Skills
Essential

• Ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a mental health context, specifically psychological theories relevant to personality disorder and offending behaviour
• Ability to identify risk factors and to use risk management strategies
• Excellent communication skills; able to overcome barriers and to communicate complex, sensitive information
• Evidence of ability to accept and use supervision appropriately and effectively; (reflective practice / learning/ safety)
• Ability to work independently, reliably and consistently with regular supervision
• Ability to maintain appropriate professional boundaries
• IT literacy for psychological data analysis (e.g. excel / SPSS)

Desirable

• Skills and experience in SPSS, databases/spreadsheets.
• Research and audit skills

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.

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

Please note that this post does not meet the pay level required for a Skilled worker visa.
Successful applicants with no prior NHS experience would normally be placed at the bottom of the band in line with Agenda for Change. This salary is below the minimum salary required for sponsorship for a Skilled Worker / Health & Care visa. In these circumstances the Trust would not, therefore, be able to sponsor for a Skilled Worker / Health & Care visa.
Applicants requiring a Skilled Worker Visa can determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship against the relevant criteria here

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £26.40 (standard) or £54.40 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first 2 months of employment.

You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. An annual fee of £16 per year applies.

Please be advised Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has made the difficult decision to serve notice on its offender health contracts. Over the coming months, we will be working with NHS England on the transition of the services to Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust as the new provider. We still need to recruit to these valued positions and welcome your application. But, in line with our values, honesty is important, so please note that if you are successful that in time your recruitment and/or employment would move from Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust, who would then be your new employer.