Job Introduction

Part Time – 18.5 Hours Per Week / 2.5 Days Per Week

Base: Turning Point: Somerset Drug and Alcohol Services

At Turning Point, we are recognised leaders in provision of service for people with substance use and mental health problems. By providing the right support at the right time and making sure that people can find all the help they need through a single point of contact, we have grown into one of the largest providers of substance misuse services in England. Right now, we are now looking for a talented Chartered Clinical or Counselling Practitioner Psychologist to ensure the effective management, development and delivery of all psycho-social interventions in our Mental Health Treatment Requirement service in Somerset. This service is part of a national initiative to offer diversion from custody for offenders with mild to moderate mental health problems

In the Somerset Drug and Alcohol Service we also carry out Primary Care Mental Health treatment for clients within the National Community Sentence Treatment Requirement (CSTR) programme. This is a new initiative launched in 2017 by Ministry of Justice, Department of Health and Social care, NHS England, Public Health England and HM Prisons and Probation Service. The purpose of the initiative is to deliver mental health treatment to clients who have been sentenced by the courts to help them lead a fulfilling life in the future.

Role Responsibility

You will offer clinical guidance, training and leadership to a mall team of Assistant and Senior Assistant Psychologists that delivers psycho-social interventions to both individuals and groups. You will use your expertise to build on a range of innovative approaches with mental health problems in a criminal justice setting. In addition to being responsible for the systematic governance, you will use psychological formulation to guide intervention planning through regular supervision to colleagues as well as local agencies and organisations. Inspiring, developing and coordinating everyone on your team will of course, be a vital part of your role. There won’t be a caseload so you will be asked to offer assessment and formulation directly to some service users who may have more complex needs.

Beyond the operational level, you will have a significant Impact on the development of MHTR services in Turning Point alongside other Clinical Leads. This will include building strong professional links with other statutory and voluntary service providers and using your expertise to put relevant support and education structures in place. You will also explore ways to continuously improve our services and integrate wider issues - housing, employment and finances, for example – into the overall treatment process. You will be invited to work with our national team of Clinical, Counselling and Forensic Psychologists to develop psychological and psycho-social approaches used across services and to pursue a therapeutic specialism that fits with service needs.

The Ideal Candidate

Along with up to date registration through the Health and Social Professions Council (HCPC) as a Clinical, Counselling or Forensic Psychologist, you will need a doctorate in your professional specialism and proven ability to deliver psychological services. Your experience of leading and supervising clinical staff will be supported by experience of working with people with mental health problems. Formal training in supervision, whilst not essential, would be desirable. Excellent communication skills, adaptability and commitment to trauma-informed and client-centred approaches, will all contribute to you becoming a vital member of our clinical leadership team.

Following new legislation, all offers will be made subject to candidates providing satisfactory evidence of COVID-19 vaccination status (or relevant exemption). Details of what will amount to satisfactory evidence can be provided upon request.

About us

What Benefits Will I Receive?

We know reward looks different to each person and so whether its ways to make your money go further, a culture supporting recognition and celebration, or opportunities to boost your career – we want to support you in every way we can with our total reward package that includes:

• Comprehensive learning and development opportunities so we can invest in your future – we’re proud to have a silver accreditation from Investors in People. Choose from our range of courses to gain recognised qualifications
• 33 days’ paid holiday a year, increasing with each year of service up to 35 days. Plus the option to buy or sell additional holidays and spread the cost
• An exclusive discounts hub for TP colleagues, to help make your money go further – including high street shopping, pubs and restaurants, mobile phones, gym memberships, and much more. You’ll also have access to the Blue Light Card, for even more discounts and savings!
• Flexible working solutions to support your work-life balance
• Life Assurance of up to 3x annual salary and a competitive Pension Scheme to support your savings and security
• Access to our Rightsteps Therapy service – free, confidential telephone based counselling sessions, access to an online wellbeing platform, and a Financial Education hub to support your total wellbeing
• A 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme including a Digital GP, legal advice and more – all free to you and your immediate family
• Recognition awards to recognise colleagues’ inspirational work and dedication, as well as Long Service bonuses to celebrate your commitment to us
• Flexible benefit options including a Cycle to Work scheme and interest-free Season Ticket Loans
• A £300 bonus if you successfully refer a friend as a new colleague through our Refer a Friend scheme, as a thanks from us!

As part of the fight against COVID-19 here are some of the measures we have in place to keep our team members and the people we support safe:

• Enhanced Infection/Prevention Control Measures, including the use of PPE, social distancing and regular testing
• Following all government guidance applicable to our services as a minimum and ensuring our teams are trained effectively
• Strongly encouraging colleagues to receive a vaccination to keep themselves and those around them safe, enabling access through time off & covering transport costs
• Regular updates, FAQs, myth busting from Turning Point’s clinical team as well as wellbeing seminars which provide support on a variety of topics

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.

Turning Point