Job Description

12-month Fixed Term Contract



Please note - this vacancy will close once sufficient applications have been received. This may be BEFORE the advertised date



We have an exciting opportunity for a Band 5 Higher Assistant Psychologist, to join our enhanced and developing Forensic Psychiatry Community Service.



CPFT are one of six providers of specialist mental health and learning disability care in the East of England, working collaboratively to ensure there is a seamless pathway of care , that is closer to home for the communities that we serve. The Provider Collaborative also works closely with independent sector partners to make improvements to our services and the ways we deliver them.



This enhanced specialist service consists of 2 multi-disciplinary teams, based in Cambridge and Peterborough, which cover the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough population. The service works with adults diagnosed with a mental health condition and/or learning disability who present with a risk of significant harm to others, to achieve optimal management of risk and minimize re-offending.



Working closely with the individual, we produce a tailored care package together that is focused around their personal needs. The service adopts a compassionate and trauma informed approach to promote relapse prevention and recovery, so enabling individuals to realise their full potential whilst supporting them to continue to build and live meaningful lives in the community.



The post-holder will be supervised to support the development of psychological case formulations (e.g., CFT, CBT, DBT, Trauma focused therapies, Relapse Prevention) and enhanced risk assessment tools (e.g., HCR20-v 3, SAPROF etc.).



There will also be the opportunity to provide psycho-education sessions for service users (1:1 and groups) and provide supportive activities for staff team (e.g. training, supervision). This role offers opportunities to gain insight into the wider services for this client group; through attendance at CPA reviews and ward rounds in open, low and medium secure hospitals.



In addition, there are a number of clinically related administration and audit tasks attached to the post, and involvement in service evaluation and research. The post-holder will be required to work independently according to a plan agreed with a qualified psychologist and within the overall framework of the team's policies and procedures.

The service aims to :

Ensure the shortest inpatient to community journey



Provide a robust discharge via the collaborative wrap around service



Deliver a seamless pathway of care that is centred around the individuals needs



You will be joining an experienced multidisciplinary team of professionals including psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, support workers and administrators who all share a passion and drive for delivering high quality care and treatment to service users with forensic histories.



Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust is a health and social care organisation dedicated to providing high-quality care with compassion to improve the health and wellbeing of the people we care for, as well as supporting and empowering them to lead a fulfilling life.



Our clinical teams deliver many NHS services, not only via inpatient and primary care settings, but also within the community. These services include children's, adult and older people's mental health, forensic and specialist mental health, learning disabilities, primary care and liaison psychiatry, substance misuse, social care, research and development.



To achieve our goal, we look to recruit high-calibre candidates who share our vision and values. As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage applications from all sectors of the community, particularly from under-represented groups including disabled people and members of our ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities.



For further information on CPFT, please visit our website at www.cpft.nhs.uk



Please refer to the attached job description and person specification for full details of responsibilities



To assist the Senior Psychologists with assessments, the development of formulations and the planning and delivery of psychological interventions.



To provide direct psychological interventions to service users under the supervision of the Senior Psychologists.



To review and audit notes, summarising essential information.



To contribute to gathering information, as part of risk assessments undertaken within the service in line with Trust and inter-agency policies/procedures



To attend and contribute to appropriate multi-disciplinary meetings, CPA reviews and ward rounds, including team meetings, team supervisions.



To gain wider experience of professional psychology within the NHS over and above that provided within the principal service area where the post-holder is employed.



To assist and develop research and service evaluations of a continuously developing service.