Senior Psychologist - Options OPD Service

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity to join and help develop our expanding Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) Services for women. Options is a treatment and support service running primarily modified forensic Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Programmes, offering treatment for service users who have been identified on the Personality Disorder Pathway. Additionally, we offer 1:1 EMDR therapy, we offer staff training, consultation and formulation services to our probation and prison colleagues who work alongside us to support and progress women safety through their sentence plan, in preparation for their move into the community.

Service users report many improvements in the way they manage emotions and relationships. "I've noticed genuine changes in my behaviour since doing Options. I've learned new ways to deal with problems and think about things better. I am more able to think before I react to things."

You will be joining an established staff team of psychologists and prison officers, all of whom have interest and skills in team working, personality disorder and neurodiversity. The expanded service includes an increase in psychologists and an arts therapist.

Main duties of the job

To provide psychologically informed care and interventions to service users of the OPD services, including the delivery of specialist individual and group therapy including outreach support and stabilisation with women at HMP Downview

To work with the team to support women on the Offender Personality Disorder pathway and to promote a trauma informed, risk cognisant, environment and service

To develop and support psychological formulations that enhance staff's ability to support the women in their sentence progression

To provide training and participate in audit and research that aims to improve the service

To supervise prison and qualified and pre-qualification NHS team members including trainee psychologists

About us

By joining CNWL you will be joining a large department of psychologists and psychological therapists that provide an array of mental health and OPD services across London and the home counties. Our staff are dynamic and welcoming and the networking and CPD opportunities are central to our services ethos. We have active research forums and promote our services and work through academic and clinical forums. All staff receive regular supervision and are supported with career aspirations and progression.

Click here to find out more about Psychology at CNWL

Excellent staff benefits, our benefit packages are amongst the best in London and include:

Health and wellbeing services

Season ticket loans

Cycle to work scheme

The trust alsovalues its staff and you are entitled to become a member of MyTrustBenefits. MyTrustBenefits is an online portal for all CNWL staff, as well as their family and friends. It offers over 1400 discounts at hundreds of retailers nationwide. Save money on your weekly food shops, toiletries, cosmetics, cinema, meals out, holidays, travel and entertainment. You can also access free online courses on a variety of topics, professional and personal, ranging from business management, languages, law and teaching.

HMP Downview is in easy reach of London and the surrounding areas. The prison offers free use of onsite leisure facilities and free parking for all staff.

Details

Date posted

30 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£61,631 to £68,623 a year per annum inc HCAS (pro rata if P/T)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

333-D-HJ-1919

Job locations

HMP Downview

Sutton Lane

Sutton Surrey

SM2 5PD

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see attached detailed job description & person specification.

We are a friendly team and encourage any prospective candidate to contact us with any questions and/or to book an informal visit.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see attached detailed job description & person specification.

We are a friendly team and encourage any prospective candidate to contact us with any questions and/or to book an informal visit.

Person Specification

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

Essential

• Doctoral level training in clinical, forensic or counselling psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology, equivalent to that accredited by the BPS
• HCPC Registered as a practitioner psychologist
• Evidence of post-qualification specialist training, experience and developing expertise in a specialist area of clinical practice relevant to this role.

Desirable

• Pre- or Post-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

Essential

• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and inpatient settings
• Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
• Experience of representing psychology within context of multidisciplinary care
• Experience of the application of applied psychology in different cultural contexts and experience of working within a multicultural framework
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialist psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnosis, people with additional disabilities etc)
• Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC

Desirable

• Experience of working in secure environments and/or forensic mental health.
• Experience of using a trauma informed approach.
• Lived experience of mental health Issues.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES

Essential

• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration
• Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups
• Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology
• Can demonstrate competence in supervision of junior qualified psychology and MDT staff and professional psychology trainees.
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour
• Broad knowledge of models of assessment, management and treatment of offenders with mental health difficulties and personality disorders
• Ability to work intensively with people who present challenges in the complexity of their problems and needs, including sexual and violent offending and self-harming and suicidal behaviours.
• High level of ability to plan and organise clinical service provision to meet service demands, and to maintain high quality professional practice.
• Experience of software e.g. SPSS, EXCEL
• Evidence of continual development of specialist knowledge and skills through engaging in relevant study and Continuing Professional Development relevant to the forensic population.

Desirable

• Ability to write reports for varied audiences, including courts and purchasers of services.

Person Specification

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

Essential

• Doctoral level training in clinical, forensic or counselling psychology, including specifically models of psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology, equivalent to that accredited by the BPS
• HCPC Registered as a practitioner psychologist
• Evidence of post-qualification specialist training, experience and developing expertise in a specialist area of clinical practice relevant to this role.

Desirable

• Pre- or Post-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

Essential

• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across the full range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and inpatient settings
• Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, across the whole life course presenting problems that reflect the full range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
• Experience of representing psychology within context of multidisciplinary care
• Experience of the application of applied psychology in different cultural contexts and experience of working within a multicultural framework
• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialist psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnosis, people with additional disabilities etc)
• Evidence of continuing professional development as required by the HCPC

Desirable

• Experience of working in secure environments and/or forensic mental health.
• Experience of using a trauma informed approach.
• Lived experience of mental health Issues.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES

Essential

• Skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment intervention and management frequently requiring sustained and intense concentration
• Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, highly technical and/or clinically sensitive information to clients, their families, carers and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and non-professional groups
• Doctoral level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology
• Can demonstrate competence in supervision of junior qualified psychology and MDT staff and professional psychology trainees.
• Ability to identify and employ mechanisms of clinical governance as appropriate, to support and maintain clinical practice in the face of regular exposure to highly emotive material and challenging behaviour
• Broad knowledge of models of assessment, management and treatment of offenders with mental health difficulties and personality disorders
• Ability to work intensively with people who present challenges in the complexity of their problems and needs, including sexual and violent offending and self-harming and suicidal behaviours.
• High level of ability to plan and organise clinical service provision to meet service demands, and to maintain high quality professional practice.
• Experience of software e.g. SPSS, EXCEL
• Evidence of continual development of specialist knowledge and skills through engaging in relevant study and Continuing Professional Development relevant to the forensic population.

Desirable

• Ability to write reports for varied audiences, including courts and purchasers of services.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Address

HMP Downview

Sutton Lane

Sutton Surrey

SM2 5PD

Employer's website

https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/work (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Address

HMP Downview

Sutton Lane

Sutton Surrey

SM2 5PD

Employer's website

https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/work (Opens in a new tab)