27047 - Registered Forensic Psychologist

£38,196 - £45,836
1
12 Months
London
London
NPS MITRE HOUSE LONDON, SE1 1JD
SEO
Band 7
Fixed Term
For a period of up to 12 months
Full Time, Part Time, Part Time/Job Share, Flexible Working, Other
Psychology

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Registered Forensic Psychologist to work for the National Probation Service (NPS) on a 12 month loan. We are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated Forensic Psychologist to work within the NPS London Division. NPS London Division is part of the National Probation Service a statutory criminal justice service that supervises high-risk offenders released into the community. We work in partnership with Community Rehabilitation Companies, courts, police and with private and voluntary sector partners in order to manage offenders safely and effectively. The priority of the NPS is to protect the public by the effective rehabilitation of high-risk offenders, by tackling the causes of offending and enabling offenders to turn their lives around. This position provides an excellent opportunity for an experienced qualified forensic psychologist to develop skills and experience working with offenders in the community. The post holder will be working with complex cases and staff applying their experience and competence in the area of psychology to reduce the risk of harm and reoffending. They must be able to work independently in undertaking psychological assessment and intervention with  high risk cases managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). The postholder will work with the psychology lead for the NPS London Division, providing specialist psychological services to London Local Delivery Units (LDU’s), Approved Premises (AP’s) and MAPPA Meetings. The role also involves undertaking cognitive functioning assessments and providing case consultancy for the NPS London Sexual Offender Treatment Unit. In addition, the post holder will be responsible for delivering some specialist training, chairing the NPS London Research Committee, conducting relevant research and supporting London Approved Premises Suicide Prevention Champions. The post holder will be required to work across London.  Whilst a Band 7 HMPPS Registered Forensic Psychologist  Job Description is attached to this role please note this  position is based in the community working with community offenders and staff.

Overview of the job

This is non-operational prisoner facing job

Summary

The job holder will be working with prisoners and staff and applying their competence in the area of psychology to reduce the risk of harm and of re-offending by undertaking a range of work including risk assessment of prisoners, conducting research, providing consultancy and delivering training for staff and assessment and interventions for prisoners. This is non-operational and non rotational prisoner facing job

This job holder will be able to provide designated support and supervision to trainee psychologists.  

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties

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

  • Offer authoritative professional advice on targets and objectives for relevant offenders and advise on the best location for those offenders (both within the establishment or relocation to another category establishment)
  • Offer professional opinion to teams conducting prisoner reports e.g. lifer reports, parole reports
  • Develop strategy and plans of activity for some areas of operation e.g. manages the organisation of Sex Offender Treatment Programme (SOTP) assessments or manages assessment and interviews indeterminate sentence prisoners
  • Provide consultancy support to colleagues such as the establishments SMT or other teams in relation to psychology services and outcomes.
  • Conduct relevant research including data gathering and analysis
  • Responsible for managing and providing supervision to trainee forensic psychology staff
  • Provide training, mentoring and support to trainee psychologists and other staff (e.g. interventions staff).
  • Can be required to provide professional (designated) supervision of trainee's e.g. professional Supervision to ensure that a trainee is able to develop through the key steps towards chartered and registered status.
  • Ensure 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 prisoners
  • Lead on risk assessment and resulting risk management of prisoners
  • Participate in risk assessment of prisoners to determine their risk of harm to self, others and the risk of reoffending. May undertake Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) and self-harm assessments.  
  • Can be required to deliver and/or oversee the quality of programmes (treatment management). These will be of the more complex type requiring such qualified input
  • Provide consultancy role on specialist area e.g. Sex Offender Treatment Programme (SOTP) strategy or Indeterminate Sentenced Prisoners (ISP) Strategy
  • Act as a negotiation adviser where suitable and competence has been demonstrated
  • 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.
  • Maintain own Continued Professional Development (CPD) an registration with the Health Professions Council (HPC)

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


Competencies

All of the competencies in the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) Competency and Qualities Framework are relevant to this group profile. For the purpose of selection the following competencies will be measured:

  • 3. Making Effective Decisions
  • 4. Leading and Communicating
  • 5. Collaborating and Partnering
  • 6. Building Capability for All
  • 14. Persuading and Influencing

Essential Skills/Qualifications/Accreditation/Registration

The job holder will be a Registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health Professions Council and eligible to use a protected title such as Forensic. They may also be a Chartered Psychologist and Full member of the appropriate division of the British Psychological Society (BPS) if the post requires it.

An ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence through the medium of English or (where specified in Wales) Welsh

Hours of Work

37 hour working week

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

Applicants should obtain support from their current line manager before submitting their application as the successful applicants will need to be released within four weeks of completing vetting, ideally by mid July.

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

-The holiday year runs from 1 March. If you work a non standard work pattern your leave entitlement may be expressed in either hours or days as appropriate. Leave entitlement is calculated on a pro-rata basis and you will be advised of your actual entitlement on appointment. If you were appointed internally and your leave was previously calculated in days, this will continue to be the case.

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.

Interviews expected to take place on Thursday 18 July.

24/06/2019, 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@sscl.gse.gov.uk. Please quote the job reference - 27074.

Candidate Information

You may be required to provide statements describing your skills and experience relevant to each of the selection criteria. We recommend that you structure any examples as Situation, Task, Action and Result. For more information about the recruitment process and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.

Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

In the event of a large number of applications, we reserve the right to undertake the following processes:


  • An automated online test where a benchmark must be passed to progress;
  • A sift on the lead selection criteria. If this happens, the lead criteria will be the first one listed in the advert.

During the selection process, you may be asked to undertake an additional assessment (such as written test). If this is applicable you will be notified of this when you are invited to interview.



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
Making Effective Decisions
Leading and Communicating
Collaborating and Partnering
Building Capability for All
Persuading and Influencing

Effectiveness in this area means listening to each other, using reason and cooperation to reach agreement. We must all seeks to understand others’ perspectives whilst following through on agreements. Those who work in establishments must take time to understand the prisoners’ point of view and encourage prisoners to understand own / establishment’s perspective. At a senior level it is about promoting a culture of open interaction and effective consultation across all levels of the organisation. It is about influencing and involving the right people necessary to get things done.

The job holder will be a Registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health Professions Council and eligible to use a protected title such as Forensic. They may also be a Chartered Psychologist and Full member of the appropriate division of the British Psychological Society (BPS) if the post requires it.
See role specific requirements

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

Interview stage assessments

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.

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.