Psychological Therapist - HMP Downview
At a glance
- Band
- Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Pattern
- Full-time
- Posted
- 21/08/2026
- Closes
- 07/09/2026
Sponsorship verdict
Candidates needing sponsorship are encouraged to apply.
HiveMind found a sponsorship-friendly statement in the source advert welcoming applicants who require a visa. Always confirm on the source before applying.
“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.”Quoted verbatim from the source advert
Role summary
This role is for a highly motivated and enthusiastic Psychological Therapist to join the Health & Justice Team at HMP Downview. The successful candidate will provide tier 3-4 stepped care therapy, working with complex needs and vulnerable individuals within a multidisciplinary team. The position involves delivering psychological assessments and interventions, contributing to training and supervision, and participating in service development and research. A clinical interest in trauma-informed approaches and personality disorders is advantageous.
Key responsibilities
- Provide specialist psychological assessments and formulate treatment plans for clients.
- Implement a range of psychological interventions for individuals and groups.
- Exercise autonomous professional responsibility for client assessment, treatment, and discharge.
- Provide specialist psychological advice, guidance, and consultation to other professionals.
- Undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and advise other professions.
- Contribute to the development, evaluation, and monitoring of operational policies and services through research, evaluation, and audit.
Essential criteria
- Doctoral level training in clinical, counselling or forensic psychology or its equivalent, accredited by the BPS. Training in models of developmental lifespan psychology, psychopathology, clinical psychometrics and neuropsychology and two or more distinct psychological therapies.
- HCPC Registered as a Practitioner Psychologist.
- OR A recognised post graduate qualification in Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy (or equivalent). Accreditation with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy (BABCP) (via having a recognised qualification in one of the core mental health professions e.g. nursing, psychology, medicine, social work, occupational therapy or evidence of having achieved the Knowledge Skills and Attitudes (KSA) route)
- OR A recorded/registered qualification in counselling or psychotherapy and further post accreditation qualification in a NICE recommended or evidence-based therapy (e.g. CBT; EMDR) Accreditation with a Professional Standards Authority recognised Accreditation Body
- Experience working with and delivering psychological therapy to those with a diagnosis of personality disorder and/or a history of self-harm and substance misuse and experience of working with complex trauma.
- Experience of delivering brief, primary care, CBT interventions or equivalent
- Experience of working effectively in multidisciplinary settings
- Experience of teaching and training.
- Experience of using a trauma informed approach
- 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. Maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse.
- 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 training, advice and psychological information and consultation to other professional and non-professional groups.
- High level knowledge of research methodology, research design and complex, multivariate data analysis as practiced within the clinical fields of psychology.
- Broad knowledge of models of assessment, management and treatment of mentally disordered and PD offenders.
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological therapies in specific difficult to treat groups (e.g. personality disorder, dual diagnoses).
- 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.
Desirable criteria
- Other relevant CPD qualifications, pre- or post-training. Especially training in working with people with trauma presentations, research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology.
- Training in more than one psychological therapy.
- Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural and specialist contexts.
- Experience of working in secure settings, either prison or secure hospitals.
- Experience of the application of psychology in different cultural and specialist contexts
- Experience of working in secure settings, either prison or secure hospitals.
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialised psychological therapies.
- Knowledge of legislation in relation to the client group and mental health.
Useful to know
Agenda for Change 2024/25 pays Band 7 at £46,148 – £52,809 a year, across England.
This advert: £55,524 – £62,652 — outside the standard scale; check for HCAS/London weighting.
Posted 17d ago · Closes in 1d
Applications close soon — apply now if this is a fit.
Full advert · preview
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Psychological Therapist - HMP Downview
The closing date is 07 September 2026
Job summary
Central & North West London NHS Foundation Trust is a Top Employer Award Winner & works in partnership to provide responsive & dependable primary care, mental health, intellectual disability & substance misuse services to the diverse and culturally rich communities we serve.
In our quest to deliver patient-focused quality care we are looking to recruit a highly motivated, innovative and enthusiastic Psychological Therapist to join our forward thinking, friendly & expanding Health & Justice Team at HMP Downview. This is a new post developed to expand the therapy provision & joins an established MDT, which includes nursing, psychiatry, assistant psychologists, clinical psychologists & art therapy. By joining our Team, you will not only look after the healthcare needs of our patients, but who also have the opportunity to have a real impact on promoting health & well-being.
Our motto is "Caring NOT Judging" so by working in partnership with the criminal justice system & other agencies, we provide responsive, dependable & high-quality primary care & mental health services to those who may have offended & those at risk of offending in the communities we serve, to improve their health status & to encourage social i
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