24853 - Family Therapist: Youth Custody Service

HMPPS Youth Custody Service is currently recruiting Family Therapists for public sector Under 18 Youth Custody Sites: Werrington (Stoke-on-Trent), Wetherby (Yorkshire), Feltham (Heathrow, London) & Cookham Wood/Medway (Rochester, Kent). Successful applicants will work with mainly young men aged 15 to 18 years in custody and their families although some opportunities for working with both boys and girls in custody aged from 12 years may arise. Registration as a Systemic Psychotherapist with the Association for Family Therapy is essential and APPLICANTS WITHOUT THIS QUALIFICATION NEED NOT APPLY. Experience of working with adolescents involved in offending and their families is desirable. Whilst vacancies currently exist at each site, availability will depend on preference of successful applicants from previous recruitment campaigns. As these posts are newly created, interested parties should please note this additional description for an overview of the requirements of the post job rather than the job description below.

Overview of the job

This is a non-operational, prisoner facing job with clinical responsibilities.

Summary

The job holder will provide clinical specialist assessment and treatment interventions for a complex needs prison population. 

The job holder will be working with complex / high risk prisoners, applying their experience and competence in a range of therapies in CBT, DBT, EMDR. Cognitive Behavioural therapy (CBT) to reduce the risk of harm and re-offending by undertaking complex treatment interventions. They will undertake senior treatment manager responsibilities acting as lead for the Imminent Needs Team, conducting or contributing to research and delivering training for staff and group interventions for prisoners in relation to national initiatives.

This is a prisoner facing role with no line management responsibilities

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties

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

• Specialise in the clinical delivery of accredited interventions, ensuring that clinical and audit requirements are adhered to and complement operational practice
• Facilitate individual work sessions and small groups, supporting co-facilitators and other staff engaged in these processes
• Prepare, write and supervise specialist reports when requested for prisoners and to submit within the appropriate time framework
• Ensure the integrity and effectiveness of therapy, ensuring a range of professional standards are met in relation to the delivery of each session through oversight and supervision of other staff
• Ensure the delivery of treatment complies with the requirements of the programme and remains consistent with the underlying theoretical models and prescribed delivery style
• Attend local and national clinical intervention meetings to promote good evidenced based practice.
• Contribute to the development and delivery of training for multi-disciplinary staff recruited. Within this provide assessments and take an active role in individual staff development.
• Deliver individual and group clinical supervision to members of the staff team and develop the clinical abilities of staff.   Contribute to the overall appraisal of staff with regard to competence and quality of intervention delivery
• Support and supervise others in the team delivering supervisory processes
• Promote clinical principles, supporting staff to these into practice in the way they communicate with and work with one another
• Manage relationships with internal and outside agencies ensuring plans are developed for continuity of the offenders treatment upon transfer or release in liaison with other staff
• Act as a “professional witness” in parole board hearings, multi-agency meetings, and other formal settings where specialist input is required, such as re-categorisation boards. May also act as expert witness in respect of court proceedings for Ministry of Justice
• Contribute to effective risk assessment and resulting risk management of complex, vulnerable or high risk prisoners, reporting on treatment and progress in relation to criminogenic factors
• Develop and maintain expertise in the assessment and treatment of offenders and risk areas targeted by the programme
• Contribute to other offender management processes (usually with more complex cases in work such as Assessment, Care in Custody & Teamwork (ACCT) assessments and self harm or personality disorder assessments)
• Ensure the clinical effectiveness of own practice and of service functioning by participating in audit and development activities relevant to the service area
• Remain informed of and critically evaluate current research to support evidence-based practice in own professional work and to contribute this perspective in the multi-disciplinary team
• Participate in the evaluation of the Service by working with colleagues in the design and development of service-related research and evaluation projects, as agreed with the Head of Department.
• Maintain professional networks with other clinicians sharing best practice

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
• 15. Acting with integrity

Essential Skills/ Qualifications/ Accreditation/ Registration

Qualified and registered clinician with an associated and relevant professional body e.g. BACP, BPS, BABCP, and UKCP, NMC or working towards this qualification as long as they are associated to a professional body as part of their training

Trained to an advanced level in one or more of the following interventions: Dialetical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitzation Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Behaviour Modification.

Possess a professional background in one of the following disciplines: Psychotherapy, Psychology, Psychiatry, Nursing, Probation/Social Work.

Qualification and experience in providing clinical supervision (preferably both group and individual)

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

Closing Date: 19th March 2019 at 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