Clinical Forensic Psychologist

Job overview
Please note, at this stage, the role is open only to internal staff (including NHSP and Agency staff currently on placement within our organisation) and staff substantively employed within Kent and Medway NHS Trusts and the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB). Any individual who is at risk of redundancy will be given priority, provided they meet the essential criteria.
This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and energetic Clinical/Forensic Psychologist to work in a forensic community learning disability team. You would be part of the multidisciplinary community forensic team, providing a forensic psychology service including assessment, intervention and evaluations focused on rehabilitation in the community. To offer input as required to other services within the forensic and specialist learning disabilities in within the Service Line.
You will be well supported through regular clinical and managerial supervision as well as training to develop both professionally and personally within the role. There are many CPD opportunities.
Experience in an community setting is not required for this role and we would consider newly qualified psychologists or those close to the end of their qualification.
The post holder must hold a full, valid, UK driving licence and have access to a car/vehicle to use for business purposes (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).

Main duties of the job

• Have responsibility for the systematic provision of specialist forensic psychology services to adults with learning disabilities and complex, severe and enduring mental health difficulties who may display challenging behaviour or have offending histories.
• Undertake high quality direct (assessment and therapeutic) and indirect (consultative, advisory and evaluative) specialist psychology interventions in these services taking substantial professional responsibility and exercising autonomous judgement in their professional practice.
• Ensure the clinical effectiveness of own practice and of service functioning by undertaking research and development activities (including training others) relevant to the service area.
• Have regular responsibility for providing supervision trainees or assistant psychologists in this specialism.

Working for our organisation
We are the Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We care for the mental health and wellbeing of people across Kent and Medway. Our teams support adults with a wide range of mental health needs. Because we cover the whole county and both hospital and community settings, we can make care more joined up and easier to access for the 1.8 million people of Kent and Medway. Rated 'Good' by the CQC, we care for over 2,000 people in our hospitals and 54,000 in the community each year.
Our vision is simple: We are here to help communities not just live with mental illness, but live well. It's why we're passionate about working with communities to make mental health care better for everyone. And everything we do is guided by our values caring, inclusive, curious and confident.
Join us - if you share our passion for better mental health care and want to be part of a team that's doing well together.
Check out our Dartford site

Detailed job description and main responsibilities
What is High Cost Area Allowance?
The High-Cost Area (HCA) allowance, also referred to as London Weighting is a payment made to employees who work in London and the surrounding areas.
As this post is based in Dartford, Gravesham or Swanley, the successful applicant will receive an additional payment each month.
5% of basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £1,303 per year and a maximum payment of £2,198 per year (the agreed annual amount will be divided into 12 equal amounts and paid monthly).
At Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust, we are serious about diversity and inclusion, and we are working hard to build this into our DNA. We warmly welcome applications for any of our roles from people from diverse backgrounds, and we are proactively encouraging applications from under-represented communities for our more senior roles, like this one.

Person specification

Training, Qualifications and Registration

Essential criteria

• • A Masters degree in psychology or another mental health / forensic field.
• • Current Registration with HCPC as a psychologist

Desirable criteria

• • On a training route where registration with the HCPC as a psychologist is approaching.

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience in research methods and collation of data.
• Experience in working with people with offending behaviour histories.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working within community LD or mental health teams, and / or the Criminal Justice System
• Experience supervising others (Trainees/Assistant Psychologists)
• Experience of working with people with learning disability and/or mental health problems

Knowledge and Skills

Essential criteria

• Ability to receive and communicate verbally and in writing, complex sensitive information in a manner appropriate to a range of emotive situations or audiences with significantly impaired communication abilities.
• Ability to analyse and manage a range of clinical assessment and/or research data in the light of relevant psychological theory.
• Ability to organise own workload effectively, prioritising a complex range of tasks and responsibilities to meet agreed deadlines.

Desirable criteria

• Some knowledge of literature relating to learning disability and behavioural or cognitive approaches

Important Information:
In cases where we receive a high volume of applications for a post, it may be necessary to bring the closing date forward. Please submit your completed application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
Due to the high volume of applications received, it is not possible to respond individually to your application. Should you not hear from us within six weeks of the vacancy closing, please assume that your application has not been successful.

Probation Period. New employees external to the trust are subject to a six-month probationary period.
To deliver an effective service it is essential in some of our roles that you are able to travel between work bases in a timely manner.
Production of false or forged documents/qualifications in order to obtain employment is a criminal offence and will be reported to the Police.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check.
Certain roles are subject to criminal record checks called Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. Therefore, you will be required to submit a completed Disclosure form to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust are signed up to NHS England's Sexual Safety in Health Care Organisational Charter
The trust takes a systematic zero-tolerance approach to tackle any unwanted, inap