Clinical Psychologist Principal

We are excited to be recruiting a Clinical Psychologist with experience of all aspects of clinical/forensic settings into our Community Sentence Treatment Requirement (CSTR) programme. This is a partnership between the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Department of Health and Social Care (DOSC), NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE/I), Public Health England (PHE) and His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS).  The post holder will work in a relatively new team designed to facilitate the use of Mental Health Treatment Requirements (MHTRs) which aim to reduce reoffending among vulnerable individuals (particularly those with mental health and substance misuse needs) through coordinated health and social care intervention, and to offer an alternative to custodial sentences.

The post holder will be the Clinical Lead for the team.  As the Clinical Lead, they will provide clinical oversight and supervision of nine Mental Health Practitioners whose role will be to provide psychological interventions for individuals referred through the court. Service development will include refining the team’s screening, assessment and formulation processes and model(s) of intervention (in accordance with the existing CSTR Programme Operating Framework) and continuing to engage with and establish relationships with relevant partner agencies.  The Clinical Lead will also provide intervention in more complex cases.

The post holder will have the ability to work with clients who present with the full range of clinical needs and risk behaviours, and the ability to engage with, and respond to, highly complex clinical, professional and ethical challenges, and demands on clinicians and services. As part of our large Psychological Services Team in secure services, the post holder will be expected to develop expertise in all aspects of forensic/clinical practice across the different services within Guild Park, and to contribute to the wide ranging input psychologists provide to all three Doctorate courses in the North West.

The post holder will in a relatively new team that is part of the national Community Sentence Treatment Requirement (CSTR) programme. This is a partnership between the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Department of Health and Social Care (DOSC), NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE/I), Public Health England (PHE) and His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS).  The CSTR programme is designed to assist new regions to develop pathways to enable the use of Mental Health Treatment Requirements (MHTRs).  It aims to increase the use of MHTRs with a view to reducing reoffending among vulnerable individuals (particularly those with mental health and substance misuse needs) through effective and coordinated health and social care and to offer an alternative to custodial sentences.

As part of the CSTR programme, the team is tasked with the specific aim of delivering primary care MHTRs in Magistrates Courts in the LSCFT footprint which ranges from Blackburn to Carlisle.

As the Clinical Lead, the post holder will provide clinical oversight and supervision of a team of nine Mental Health Practitioners whose role will be to provide psychological interventions for individuals referred through the court who have been identified as suitable to benefit from a therapeutic intervention as part of their community sentence.

As this is a new initiative, an important part of the post holder’s role will be to implement the programme at the test sites meaning that they will need to engage with and establish relationships with relevant partner agencies.  They will also need to develop, where necessary, the team’s screening, assessment and formulation processes and model(s) of intervention (in accordance with the existing CSTR Programme Operating Framework).  Once implemented, it will be the role of the Clinical Lead to oversee and evaluate the delivery of the programme.

The Clinical Lead will also provide intervention for more complex cases.

The post holder will have the ability to work with clients who present with the full range of clinical needs and risk behaviours, and the ability to engage with, and respond to, highly complex clinical, professional and ethical challenges, and demands on clinicians and services. There will be opportunities to use audit and evaluation, to inform and develop practice and service provision. As part of the wider Psychological Services Team, the post holder will be expected to develop expertise in all aspects of forensic/clinical practice across the different services within Guild Park.

Please see attached the job description and person specification for more information about this role.