Job summary

Resettle & Reintegrate (Intensive Intervention & Risk Management Services) are innovative community services, providing an alternative approach to enhancing the lives of service users who have complex needs due to their personality related needs and offending histories. We are a true partnership model between Merseycare NHS Trust, the Probation Service and Merseyside Police and are part of the Offender Personality Pathway.

This post is only open to individuals enrolled on the Doctorate in Forensic Psychology, due to the short term contract and role.

Applications are welcomed from individuals with an optimistic, realistic attitude to working with individuals who have committed sexual and/or violent offences who also have significant personality difficulties. If you are flexible in outlook, able to work as part of a multi-agency, MDT to manage risk and address psychological needs and are resilient and empathic, you could become part of a welcoming and effective team, committed to helping people make changes.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will assist the service lead in conducting offending related therapies and assessments in the systematic provision of a high-quality specialist intervention service for service users, across the service. To assist the team in the development, delivery and maintenance of evidence-based offence related interventions for a high risk and complex group of individuals, including the on-going development and evaluation of the effectiveness of such treatment via the conductance of systematic empirical research.

About us

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.

We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to 'perfect care' - care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. We're currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.

Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.

Details

Date posted

12 October 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£39,959 to £48,117 a year Per Annum

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

7 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

350-SC8323902

Job locations

Resettle

Unit 1, 3 De Havilland Drive

Liverpool

L24 8RN

United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

To assist the nominated intervention lead with the development, delivery and maintenance of evidence based offending intervention initiatives for a high risk and complex group of individuals, with such initiatives to include individual and group therapy and to account for the development and refinement of psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.To provide complex, sensitive and contentious information to service users presenting with a range of offence related risks, medium to high risk for aggression, attending to the principles of motivational interviewing and feedback, and managing personal exposure to highly distressing or emotional circumstances /material.To provide highly specialist psychological assessments for clients referred to the team for offence related difficulties, based on the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex psychological data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the clients care.To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological intervention and/or management of a service users offending difficulties, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of their complex problems, and employing methods of proven efficacy, across the full range of care settings.To deliver psychological intervention to service users, as required and directed by the violence treatment lead. Such intervention to relate to needs identified through the process of assessment and formulation as part of secure forensic services.Provision of specialised consultation (including advice and guidance) to multi-disciplinary teams and other professionals with regards to the effective psychological management, intervention and enhanced understanding of service users offending needs, that includes provision of hypotheses and formulations that account for psychological models of understanding.To provide teaching and training to staff under guidance of the nominated psychology lead on the effective psychological management of violent offending concerning service users. To assist with on-going post-qualification training (CPD) of facilitators on areas falling within the postholders area of developing expertise.To develop and deliver awareness training across the service connected to the secure forensic psychology service.

To formulate, design and implement research projects to further the knowledge in working with offending behaviours. This will include working with other members of the service but with an expectation that the post holder will lead some research projects. Also, to provide research advice to other staff undertaking research.

Job description Job responsibilities To assist the nominated intervention lead with the development, delivery and maintenance of evidence based offending intervention initiatives for a high risk and complex group of individuals, with such initiatives to include individual and group therapy and to account for the development and refinement of psychological formulations drawing upon different explanatory models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.To provide complex, sensitive and contentious information to service users presenting with a range of offence related risks, medium to high risk for aggression, attending to the principles of motivational interviewing and feedback, and managing personal exposure to highly distressing or emotional circumstances /material.To provide highly specialist psychological assessments for clients referred to the team for offence related difficulties, based on the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex psychological data from a variety of sources including psychological and neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the clients care.To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological intervention and/or management of a service users offending difficulties, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of their complex problems, and employing methods of proven efficacy, across the full range of care settings.To deliver psychological intervention to service users, as required and directed by the violence treatment lead. Such intervention to relate to needs identified through the process of assessment and formulation as part of secure forensic services.Provision of specialised consultation (including advice and guidance) to multi-disciplinary teams and other professionals with regards to the effective psychological management, intervention and enhanced understanding of service users offending needs, that includes provision of hypotheses and formulations that account for psychological models of understanding.To provide teaching and training to staff under guidance of the nominated psychology lead on the effective psychological management of violent offending concerning service users. To assist with on-going post-qualification training (CPD) of facilitators on areas falling within the postholders area of developing expertise.To develop and deliver awareness training across the service connected to the secure forensic psychology service. To formulate, design and implement research projects to further the knowledge in working with offending behaviours. This will include working with other members of the service but with an expectation that the post holder will lead some research projects. Also, to provide research advice to other staff undertaking research.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• At least a 2:1 degree in psychology with Graduate Basis for Registration [GBR] or equivalent
• BPS Accredited M.Sc. in Forensic Psychology to merit level or above and/or with a merit or above in the dissertation
• Enrolment on Doctorate in Forensic Psychology Training Course, with an accepted and agreed training plan

Experience

Essential

• At least one-year previous employment as a trainee psychologist (or equivalent) position involving direct clinical contact with individuals with complex mental health and/or offending treatment needs
• Understanding of the Doctorate in Forensic Psychology route and commitment to achieving the competencies and compiling the written evidence required as part of this process
• Evidence of a commitment towards continuing professional development

Desirable

• Demonstrated progress in achieving DFP Stage II competencies
• Evidence of formal training in the use of Structured Professional Judgement tools (e.g., HCR-20v3)
• Evidence of formal training in the use and interpretation of cognitive/neuro assessments (e.g., the WAIS-IV)

Knowledge

Essential

• Knowledge of a range of research methodologies that could be applied in a forensic setting, and competency in the use of statistical packages (e.g., SPSS)

Desirable

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological assessment and treatment methodologies

Skills

Essential

• Demonstrable skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention, treatment and management frequently requiring sustained concentration
• Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to service users, their families, and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS
• Skills in providing consultation to other professional and/or non-professional groups appropriate to level of competence

other

Essential

• Ability to professionally represent the psychology team
• Appropriate health record according to individual needs
• Appropriate professional presentation
• Commitment to team and multi-disciplinary working
• Commitment to ongoing personal and professional development/training
• Hard working and self motivated
• Awareness of confidentiality issues, including the limits of this
• Must have enhanced DBS status [or be eligible for this on application]
• Willing and able to work flexible hours in order to meet the needs of the service

Desirable

• Interest in researching clinical outcome measures and in the development of applied psychological research

Person Specification Qualifications Essential At least a 2:1 degree in psychology with Graduate Basis for Registration [GBR] or equivalent BPS Accredited M.Sc. in Forensic Psychology to merit level or above and/or with a merit or above in the dissertation Enrolment on Doctorate in Forensic Psychology Training Course, with an accepted and agreed training plan Experience Essential At least one-year previous employment as a trainee psychologist (or equivalent) position involving direct clinical contact with individuals with complex mental health and/or offending treatment needs Understanding of the Doctorate in Forensic Psychology route and commitment to achieving the competencies and compiling the written evidence required as part of this process Evidence of a commitment towards continuing professional development Desirable Demonstrated progress in achieving DFP Stage II competencies Evidence of formal training in the use of Structured Professional Judgement tools (e.g., HCR-20v3) Evidence of formal training in the use and interpretation of cognitive/neuro assessments (e.g., the WAIS-IV) Knowledge Essential Knowledge of a range of research methodologies that could be applied in a forensic setting, and competency in the use of statistical packages (e.g., SPSS) Desirable Knowledge of the theory and practice of specialised psychological assessment and treatment methodologies Skills Essential Demonstrable skills in the use of complex methods of psychological assessment, intervention, treatment and management frequently requiring sustained concentration Well-developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, highly technical, and clinically sensitive information to service users, their families, and other professional colleagues both within and outside the NHS Skills in providing consultation to other professional and/or non-professional groups appropriate to level of competence other Essential Ability to professionally represent the psychology team Appropriate health record according to individual needs Appropriate professional presentation Commitment to team and multi-disciplinary working Commitment to ongoing personal and professional development/training Hard working and self motivated Awareness of confidentiality issues, including the limits of this Must have enhanced DBS status [or be eligible for this on application] Willing and able to work flexible hours in order to meet the needs of the service Desirable Interest in researching clinical outcome measures and in the development of applied psychological research

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Resettle

Unit 1, 3 De Havilland Drive

Liverpool

L24 8RN

United Kingdom

Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Resettle

Unit 1, 3 De Havilland Drive

Liverpool

L24 8RN

United Kingdom

Employer's website

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