Job Description (JD)
Band 9
Group Profile: Principal Registered Psychologist
(PRP)
Job Description: PRP: Principal Registered
Psychologist
Document Ref.
OR-JES-445-JD-B9: PRP: Principal Registered
Psychologist
Document Type
Management
Version
8.0
Classification
Official
Date of Issue
12 February 2024
Status
Baselined
Produced by
Job Evaluation Assurance and Support Team
Authorised by
Reward Team
JD Evidence
OR-JES-445-JD-B9 : PRP : Principal Registered Psychologist v8.0
Job Description
Job Title
PRP : Principal Registered Psychologist
Group Profile
Principal Registered Psychologist
Organisation
Senior Management
Level
Band
9
Overview of the
This is non-operational offender facing role.
job
Summary
The job holder reports to the Regional Lead Psychologist. The
Principal Psychologist is responsible for the delivery of specialist
psychological services across the geographical or functional area
which comprise the relevant services. This will include
management and provision of professional support to the
psychological staff involved in this work. The jobholder will also
undertake assessments/interventions of complex cases and will
act in a co-ordination role to balance the demands on the team
against available resources.
The job holder will be non-operational, with line management
responsibilities.
Responsibilities,
The job holder will be required to carry out the following
Activities and
responsibilities, activities and duties:
Duties
• Accountable for the delivery of the specialist psychological
services as defined in the relevant Service Delivery
Agreements (SDA).
• Accountable for ensuring psychological services are
delivered in an ethical and professional manner, in line with
the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
Standards of Proficiency, the HCPC Standards of
Performance and Ethics, and the British Psychological
Services (BPS) Code of Ethics and Conduct.
• Accountable for supporting the development of Forensic
Psychological Services through the supervision of trainee
Psychologists.
• Accountable for contributing to research, consultancy and
training activities as deemed appropriate by the Regional
Psychologist.
• Accountable for managing and providing professional
supervision to forensic psychology staff across a range of
locations.
• Accountable for monitoring the work outputs within the
psychology teams against the Service Delivery.
Agreements (SDAs) to identify performance issues quickly
and effect appropriate change to rectify them if needs be.
• Liaise with Regional Forensic Psychology staff and
HMPPS managers as appropriate.
• Accountable for undertaking strategic and developmental
work in conjunction with the Regional Psychologist, other
PRPs in the Region, the Directorate Psychologists and the
OR-JES-445-JD-B9 : PRP : Principal Registered Psychologist v8.0
HMPPS Lead Psychologist.
• Responsible for trouble shooting and supporting teams
with delivery issues/accredited programmes/other
interventions/assessments in conjunction with relevant
HMPPS colleagues.
• Accountable for managing the needs-based prioritisation
and allocation process for the provision of forensic
psychological input into risk assessment and management
of specific offenders within the region or function for their
teams.
• Accountable for supporting the delivery and management
of the risk assessment and management of offenders for
their function or teams.
• Accountable for collating information relating to the
assessment and treatment needs of violent and sexual
offenders to inform future commissioning of appropriate
treatment/services.
• Accountable for monitoring changes to offender
populations and subsequent demand for psychological
services within their Region or function.
• Work collaboratively within the HMPPS Region Forensic
Psychology Service to undertake good quality and timely
risk assessments, personality assessments and ability
assessments as directed/required.
• Accountable for conducting and overseeing appropriate
interventions with high-risk offenders as directed by the
HMPPS Regional Psychologist.
• Accountable for contributing to public protection and the
Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA)
process for suitable cases and in terms of attending and
contributing to relevant meetings.
• As a trained Negotiation Advisor (NA), to provide input at
live and simulated incidents within the Region or wider
HMPPS (e.g. as Gold NA), as required.
• Accountable for coordinating research, training, and
consultancy work within their team or function, and linking
across other parts of PSG where necessary to limit
duplication and increase cohesion of psychology work
delivered.
• Represents the Region Forensic Psychology Service at
internal and external events and venues.
• Maintains own Continued Professional Development
(CPD) and registration with the Health and Care
Professions Council (HCPC).
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.
OR-JES-445-JD-B9 : PRP : Principal Registered Psychologist v8.0
Civil Service Success Profile Criteria
Behaviours
• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service
Strengths
(Note: we recommend you choose 4 to 8 strengths locally -
select from the list of Civil Service strength definitions on the
intranet.
Experience
• The job holder will be a Registered Practitioner Psychologist
with the Health and Care Professions Council and eligible to
use a protected title.
• They are likely to also be a Chartered Psychologist with Full
member of the appropriate division of the BPS if the post
requires it.
• They will have experience of delivering psychological services
directly, and through a managed team.
• They will have been registered for over two years.
Technical
• Registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health
requirements
and Care Professions Council and eligible to use a protected
title.
Ability
Minimum
Please do not alter this box
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 consider to be racist.
Hours of Work
37 hour working week.
(Unsocial Hours)
Allowances
Required Hours Allowance will be confirmed by the Recruiting
Manager and only paid where applicable:
Required Hours Allowance
This role requires regularly working unpredictable and unsocial
hours and be on call to attend their place of work at anytime. A
payment at the current approved organisation rate will be made in
addition to your basic pay to recognise this. Unsocial hours are
those hours outside 0700-1900hrs Monday to Friday and include
working evenings, nights, weekends and Bank / Public holidays.
OR-JES-445-JD-B9 : PRP : Principal Registered Psychologist v8.0