Psychology

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

To build upon the existing Youth Custody Service (YCS) Counselling Psychology Service, HMPPS Psychology Services are currently recruiting Band 8 Senior Counselling Psychologists for public sector Under 18 Youth Custody Sites: HMYOIs; Werrington, Wetherby, & Cookham Wood and potentially other sites across YCS depending on post and funding availability. As such, anyone with the appropriate qualifications and interested in working as a Counselling Psychologist within YCS is encouraged to apply. In addition to holding a caseload of children in custody, successful applicants will also be responsible for establishing agreements with Universities and appointing, co-ordinating, managing and supervising Trainee Counselling Psychologist placements at their respective site and potentially others. Applicants must have HCPC Registration as a Counselling Psychologist and be Chartered with the BPS with eligibility as a supervisor. Experience of working with adolescents involved in offending is desirable. Once in post, successful applicants will develop a professional service and network across YCS but also be integrated into the wider HMPPS Psychology Service. 

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 or

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.

Salary

£44,332 - £53,201

Additional Information

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised roles, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to a MoJ office location, which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed on the completion of pre-employment checks.

Some of MoJ’s 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 provides 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 the 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. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

• To Shared Service Connected Ltd (0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am – 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com);
• To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team (resourcing-management-office@justice.gov.uk);
• To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team.

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.