36169 - Senior Registered Forensic Psychologist

£41,586 - £49,906
1
12 Months
Wales
Wrexham
HM Prison Berwyn, LL13 9QE
SEO
Band 8
Permanent
Full Time
Psychology

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity

Rydym yn croesawu ac yn annog ceisiadau gan bawb, yn cynnwys grwpiau sydd wedi’u tangynrychioli yn ein gweithlu ar hyn o bryd, ac rydym yn ymfalchïo mewn bod yn gyflogwr o safon uchel sy’n denu llawer o ymgeiswyr. Ewch it https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity i gael rhagor o wybodaeth am sut rydym yn hyrwyddo amrywiaeth a chynhwysiant yn y gweithle.

Overview of the job

This is non-operational prisoner facing job

Summary

The job holders covered by this job description are usually categorised as specialists in their field or those whose role requires significant additional experience, training and personal development.

The job holder will largely excel in the area of individual prisoner risk assessment or be a specialist in a specific area such as working with sex offenders. At this level the jobholder may have responsibility for the key specialist tasks involved in the delivery of a programme or related individual case management which would also entail overseeing the quality of delivery and supervision. They will also provide direction and support for other supervisors. This is a non-operational and non-rotational job.

The job holder will be working with complex prisoners and prison staff and applying their experience and competence in the area of psychology to reduce the risk of harm and re-offending by undertaking complex risk assessment of prisoners, conducting research, providing consultancy and delivering training for staff and interventions (individual and group) for prisoners.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

  • Reviews cases and reconsiders the professional advice given by other psychologists on the potential release of serious prisoners  
  • Conducts full case reviews on difficult cases and offers authoritative advice on next steps relating to sentence plan
  • Specialises in delivery of psychology services in settings such as therapeutic community wings
  • Lead and supervise and facilitate group sessions
  • Offers professional opinion to multi functional teams conducting offender reports e.g. risk reports, parole reports on high risk or vulnerable prisoners
  • Develops and/or strategies such as sex offender or indeterminate sentence prisoner assessment and intervention strategy
  • Delivers and supervises (treatment management) the delivery of more complex programmes e.g. healthy sexual functioning
  • Provides consultancy support to colleagues such as an establishment Senior Management Team (SMT) in relation to psychology services and outcomes
  • Conducts relevant research including data gathering and analysis
  • Act as a "professional witness" in parole board hearings, multi-agency meetings, and other formal settings where psychology input is required. May also act as expert witness in respect of court  proceedings for Ministry of Justice
  • Responsible for managing and providing professional supervision to trainee forensic psychology staff
  • Provides supervision, training, mentoring and support to trainee psychologists and where relevant other staff such as interventions staff
  • Assist in national specialist tasks such as training on courses related to their specialist discipline
  • Provides professional supervision to support a trainee in developing through the key steps towards chartered and registered status. This may be as a coordinating or designated supervisor
  • Ensures staff are developed in accordance with key competencies and gateways and ensuring consistency across the team in the application of policies and procedures affecting staff and offenders
  • Leads on risk assessment and resulting risk management of complex, vulnerable or high risk prisoners. Will be competent to undertake the full range of risk assessments including the more complex risk assessments. Gives feedback of the assessment to the prisoner and other stakeholders
  • Contributes to other offender management processes (usually with more complex cases in work such as Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) assessments and self harm or personality disorder assessments)
  • Provides consultancy role to wider team on their specialist activity. Visit a range of sites to advise on complex cases
  • Act as a negotiation adviser where suitable and competence has been demonstrated
  • Manage own Continued Professional Development (CPD)   requirements and maintains professional standards
  • Ensure they maintain their professional Health Professions Council (HPC) registration
  • Provide a psychological contribution to the work of areas of the regime such as a therapeutic community
  • Provide psychological reports when requested for life sentence prisoners and to submit within the appropriate time framework
  • Responsible for relevant accreditation audit baselines as detailed in the audit document
  • Line management of trainee psychologists

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme and shall be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.

An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence through the medium of English

Behaviours

  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Leadership
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Working Together
  • Developing Self and Others
  • Managing a Quality Service
  • Delivering at Pace

Essential Experience

  • Possess a professional background in one of the following disciplines: Psychotherapy, Psychology, Psychiatry, Nursing
  • Experience in providing clinical supervision
  • Completed relevant training in effective models of treatment and best practise
  • They are likely to also be a Chartered Psychologist and Full member of the appropriate division of the BPS if the post requires it.

Technical Requirements

The job holder will be a Registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health Professions Council and eligible to use a protected title.  

Desirable
The job holder must be able to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English or (when specified in Wales) Welsh.

Qualifications
Registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health Professions Council and eligible to use a protected title.

Will be required to produce the following documentation

Passport or Driving licence for photo ID, preferably both, plus a bank statement or bill no older than 3 months

Documentation of evidence as Registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health Professions Council and eligible to use a protected title.

Working Arrangements & Further Information

Some of MoJ’s, including HMPPS, terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

Standard working hours for this post are 37 hours per week excluding breaks which are unpaid.

If you are a current NPS employee, this vacancy may be available on a Loan basis for up to 2 years. Applications are invited from suitable qualified staff.

The Loan/Secondment is subject to the approval of the selected candidate's Business Unit, which should be obtained before confirmation of appointment.

Benefits

Annual Leave

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after ten years’ service.

There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Bank, Public and Privilege Holidays

You are entitled to 9 days (66 hours 36 minutes) in recognition of bank, public and privilege holidays. These hours are added to your annual leave allowance. There is a requirement to work some public and bank holidays subject to your shift pattern and the operational needs of the establishment

Pension

-The Civil Service offers a choice of two pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Work Life Balance

-HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) is keen to encourage alternative working arrangements. Work life balance provides greater opportunities for staff to work more flexibly wherever managers and establishments can accommodate requests to do so. HMPPS offers flexible working subject to completion of a satisfactory probationary period and NVQ

Season Ticket Advance

-After two months’ service, you’ll be eligible to apply for a season ticket advance to purchase a quarterly or longer-period season ticket for travel between home and your place of work

Childcare Vouchers

For any moves across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers

Training

-HMPPS is committed to staff development and offers a range of training and development opportunities, including areas such as Equality and Diversity, Dealing with Challenging Behaviour, Suicide Prevention and Anti Bullying Programmes

-There are opportunities to access promotion programmes and HMPPS provide a variety of training appropriate to individual posts

-All staff receive security and diversity training and an individual induction programme into their new roles

Eligibility

-All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post

-All external candidates are subject to 6 months probation. Internal candidates are subject to probation if they have not already served a probationary period within HMPPS

-All staff are required to declare whether they are a member of a group or organisation which HMPPS considers to be racist

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity.

There is a guaranteed interview scheme (GIS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

To be confirmed

20/08/2020, 23:55 hours.

If you require any assistance please call 0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com. Please quote the job reference - 36169.
Please note the successful applicant will need to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Security Check for this post.

Success Profiles will enable a fairer and more inclusive method of recruitment by enabling us to assess the range of experiences, abilities, strengths, behaviours and technical/professional skills required for different roles. This flexible approach to recruitment focuses more on finding the right candidate for the specific role. To find out more about Success Profiles to support your application please click here for further guidance.

if you feel that your application has not been treated in line with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com) in the first instance

We have provided detail of the assessment stages and areas being assessed to help you prepare for completing your application form, and to advise of what will be assessed following this, if you successfully pass the application stage.


Application form stage assessments

Behaviours
Making Effective Decisions - 250 word limit
Leadership - 250 word limit
Communicating and Influencing - 250 word limit
Working Together - 250 word limit
Developing Self and Others - 250 word limit
Managing a Quality Service - 250 word limit
Delivering at Pace - 250 word limit
Technical Skills
Registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health Professions Council and eligible to use a protected title. - 250 word limit

Interview stage assessments

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.
Behaviours
Making Effective Decisions
Leadership
Communicating and Influencing
Working Together
Developing Self and Others
Managing a Quality Service
Delivering at Pace
Technical Skills
Registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health Professions Council and eligible to use a protected title.
Strengths may also be assessed at interview but these are not shared in advance.
Additional Assessment(s)
To be confirmed

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ are able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidate's will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

· UK nationals

· nationals of the Republic of Ireland

· nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK

· nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families

· nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)

· individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020

· Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

This Vacancy is closed to applications.