I treat more than just symptoms!

Are you looking to further your career within a prison healthcare environment? If you are looking for a challenging and rewarding role and want to develop your skills in an environment where no two days are the same then this could be the new job for you! Care UK are the Health in Justice Market leader, providing healthcare services to offenders across the country. Our model of care is our Wellbeing Approach – an integrated, comprehensive approach in recognition of the fact prisoners are a socially-excluded group with healthcare needs which are complex and often associated with poor outcomes. It adopts the premise no single health/wellbeing factor can be taken in isolation of other motivational issues which might impact a person’s care. To ensure the continued quality of care across our Dorset Prison Cluster, we’re looking for another Clinical Psychologist to join our team. The psychologists at the forefront of developing and delivering psychological interventions and therapies across our Dorset prison cluster. There is great scope for further developing an innovative and progressive service that involves staff across the integrated mental health team.

A little bit about the job...

As an experienced clinician, you'll take forward the leadership and development of the psychological therapies service delivered to the Dorset Prisons – HMP Guys Marsh, HMP YOI Portland and HMP The Verne. There is great scope for developing an innovative and progressive service which involves staff across the integrated mental health team. We are developing a stepped care model across a broad range of disorders in type, complexity and severity, from introductory interventions in primary care through to longer term therapy for severe cases. You will also work collaboratively with Substance Misuse Services, primary health care and the various prison services.

Next steps

Informal visits are encouraged so please contact us to arrange an appointment. Please contact Mike Hennessy, Cons Clinical Psychologist on 01305 715533 for further information. Informal visits will be welcome.

More information

This is a full time, permanent position working 37.5 hours per week across our three Dorset prison sites - HMP Guys Marsh, HMP YOI Portland and HMIRC The Verne. The ability to travel across all 3 sites is essential. The salary for this role is up to £55,000 per annum - dependent on experience. Please note that this role is subject to Care UK Terms & Conditions and offers of employment are subject to satisfactory receipt of references, enhanced DBS check and prison vetting. At Care UK we actively promote diversity and equal opportunities.

As a Clinical Psychologist, you will provide clinical leadership to the primary care mental health teams based in each prison, staffed by mental health practitioners, mental health support workers and assistant psychologists. You'll also contribute to the multi-disciplinary secondary care teams, providing psychological assessments and therapies to people with severe and complex mental health difficulties on the team caseload, as well as psychological consultancy and support for the development of psychologically informed approaches to care.

There will be opportunities to contribute to the ongoing development of all aspects of the service through audit, evaluation and training in conjunction with the clinical leadership of the service. We aim to develop and create research opportunities and portfolio.

This role is supported by 2 assistant psychologist delivering primary care CBT based interventions. There is a network of other psychologists and assistant psychologists in the region available to provide support and professional contact, as well as a regional network of psychologists working in forensic mental health services.

We are looking for someone who can provide the clinical direction, supervision, research and therapeutic skills that can take the prison mental health service forward in this challenging but rewarding environment.