About the job

Job summary

This position is based nationally.

Job description

The temporary post is to provide a second B10 role into the South East and Eastern area working across East and KSS regions.  The successful applicant will work closely with the existing substantive B10 Regional Lead Psychologist in SEE and have responsibility for oversight of the East team whilst developing new models of delivery across the SEE area. 

This is an exciting opportunity to lead a large, established team as well as managing a period of change and transition. The Regional Lead Psychologist is part of the national psychology Senior Leadership Team, and contributes to national projects and themes.

This is non-operational offender facing job.

Summary    

The job holder reports directly to the Directorate Lead Psychologist or HMPPS Lead Psychologist. The role is to support the PGD/RPD and regional services by providing a consultancy service to colleagues in relation to the assessment, intervention and management of offenders. In addition, they will provide advice/guidance and develop strategies to achieve best practice in these areas across CJS settings in their span of control. This will be completed in conjunction with colleagues and stakeholders throughout the HMPPS estate and within Headquarters.

The job holder will manage the regional Psychology operation (delivering the service) and lead regionally on the strategic theme of reducing reoffending.

The jobholder will be non-operational, with line management responsibilities.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties    

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

•    Accountable for providing advice and support to establishments and the PGD/RPD regarding needs analyses, delivery models, make or buy decisions for psychological services and other related specialist services where expertise is required.
•    Accountable for identifying/developing the best use of psychological and other specialist resource from within the organisation via external partners, playing an active part in corporate decision-making regarding psychology and market development/delivery.
•    Accountable for managing and directing the work of the psychological services delivery team for their span of control and may manage other rehabilitative functions delivery.
•    Accountable for the organisation and professional leadership of psychology services in the region including policy development and integration into wider agenda.
•    Accountable for developing a strategy for identification/delivery of risk assessment service across establishments and potentially across other providers where this is warranted.
•    Accountable for developing and coordinating local and regional initiatives in psychology services.
•    Accountable where commissioned to provide Clinical management of special units including Personality disorder units.
•    Accountable for taking forward the Improved Access to Psychological Therapies agenda with health colleagues.
•    Accountable for developing and delivering regional workforce planning strategy to meet demand for psychological services.
•    Accountable for leading on risk management strategy for intervention outcome assessments - by linking structured intervention assessment products into Parole Board process etc.
•    Accountable for developing and delivering necessary training regarding risk assessment/crisis intervention/specialised services.
•    Accountable for developing regional succession planning models.
•    Accountable for developing/delivering a negotiation advisor service within the region and support national level initiatives.
•    Accountable for developing and maintaining a strategy for training Trainee Psychologists within the region.
•    Accountable for overseeing, where appropriate, consultation exercises with staff and offenders for example Measuring the Quality of Prison Life/Staff Quality of Life (MQPL/SQL).
•    Accountable for leading on relevant contributions to Independent Monitoring Board/Inspection/Public Protection Office reports and queries.
•    Accountable for providing short term evaluation of effectiveness of relevant psychological intervention within the region.
•    Accountable for contributing towards the choice of the appropriate balance of programmes/interventions, coordinating completion of needs analysis.
•    Accountable for leading on key areas of offender risk assessment.
•    Accountable for completing research work to support regional office. Provide central research advice role to region and point of contact for national research policy/strategy.
•    Accountable for promoting the work of the Service through preparing and disseminating research findings detailing clinical practice and outcomes.
•    Accountable for coordinating regional activity and providing consultancy support for a range of issues e.g. Safer Custody/Resettlement/ Treatment Programmes.
•    Accountable for leading the admissions, applications and referral process for prisoners applying to relevant settings.
•    Accountable for commissioning external providers as required to deliver identified services.
•    Accountable for developing, delivering and evaluating training for psychology and wider staff group.
•    Accountable for supervising trainee psychologists’ organisational outputs (e.g. risk reports).
•    Accountable for providing professional guidance to registered psychologist colleagues.
•    Accountable for conducting Psychological Assessments as required.
•    Accountable for conducting individual interventions as required.
•    Accountable for ensuring that psychologists have a clearly defined remit in leading on identified tasks.
•    Act as mentor and exhibit appropriate role modelling to pre-registered psychologists and less experienced staff.
•    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.
•    Accountable for managing and providing professional supervision to forensic psychology staff.
•    Manage the appropriate authorisation of financial compliance statements.
•    Manage devolved budgets in accordance with the financial procedures outlined in the budget delegation.
•    Accountable for assisting with specialist investigations.
•    Manage own Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and ensure compliance with Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) standards. Maintain HCPC registered status.

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 (where specified in Wales) Welsh.

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £65,633, HM Prison & Probation Service contributes £18,311 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.