• Job Description

  Req#: C9436-25-0356?language=en&page=137&sort=publicationDateDesc

  Job summary

  The Tamarind Centre is looking for a permanent full time 8B Practitioner Psychologist to join the psychology department. The role will be specific to the personality-focussed recovery service which is a specialist ward for men who have complex histories including violence, trauma and interpersonal conflict. We are ideally looking for someone who has experience in working alongside service users in providing therapeutic interventions to individuals, groups and the system. We strongly encourage applicants with expertise in MBT, DBT, forensic psychodynamic psychotherapy or others that have a strong evidence base for this client group, although this is not essential. Having an interest in working with and adapting therapies to suit men with high risk of violence would be highly valued.

  The Tamarind Centre is an 89-bed medium secure unit working with men who experience severe and enduring mental health problems that have a component or history of violence. The psychology team values its safety with each other, operating in an open, transparent and authentic space where people can be themselves and find a place for themselves in the team. Our work is often a balance of care and containment, which means understanding the relationships between trauma, mental health and violence, whilst resisting the pull to be binary in our approach.

  Main duties of the job

  Much of the departments work outside of the therapy room, focusses on ensuring co-production and service user involvement is the foundation blocks of our service development and delivery. Holding in mind the constraints of being a secure unit, and the implications of a forensic institution, we have developed small but powerful pieces of work. These include a culturally informed mental health awareness group, a co-produced and co-delivered trauma-informed care training package for staff and service users, and more recently a co-produced group with carers on holding the service to account.

  As a Principal Psychologist, you will be leading on elements of work focussing on trauma-informed care as a process of culture change within Tamarind and across the Division. You will be supported by the Lead Psychologist and a range of staff such as Nurses, Occupational Therapists and Psychiatrists amongst others including community partners. You will also be supported to develop your leadership competencies, both explicitly and implicitly, viewing leadership as a living and organic process, rather than something that comes with a given role or title.

  The current context of the NHS, along with historical and some societal and systemic views about men, violence and mental illness makes the work complex and challenging. Therefore being able to see the small progressive steps, and support service users and staff to value these too is a crucial element of the role.

  About us

  Welcome to Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. Our 4000 clinical and support staff help us to improve mental health wellbeing and meet the needs of the 70,000 people we serve each year. We provide a range of mental healthcare services across Birmingham and Solihull, as well as specialised services nationally. We also offer medical, nursing and psychology training and are proud of our international reputation for both research and innovation.

  Our population is culturally diverse, characterised in places by high levels of deprivation which create an increasing demand for our services and a necessity for us to make sure everyone can access the help they need. We are a team of compassionate, inclusive and committed people working together to provide excellent care to support our community. If you are looking for a place to belong, where you can make a real difference to people's lives, join our team where our warm welcome is waiting for you.

  Details

  Date posted

  16 May 2025

  Pay scheme

  Agenda for change

  Band

  Band 8b

  Salary

  £62,215 to £72,293 a year per annum, pro rata

  Contract

  Permanent

  Working pattern

  Full-time

  Reference number

  436-7203943

  Job locations

  Tamarind Centre

  Birmingham

  B9 5PU

  
  

  Job description

  Job responsibilities

  For further information about the main responsibilities please view the attached job description and person specification.

  Please click on the link for a little insight into our services and our people

  https://vimeo.com/benthompsonfilms/psychologyrecruitment?share=copy

  Job description

  Job responsibilities

  For further information about the main responsibilities please view the attached job description and person specification.

  Please click on the link for a little insight into our services and our people

  https://vimeo.com/benthompsonfilms/psychologyrecruitment?share=copy

  Person Specification

  Qualifications

  Essential

  • Satisfactory completion of a British Psychological Society accredited Doctoral Level postgraduate professional training course in clinical psychology (the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996), the completion of which includes the study of models of psychopathology, psychometric and neuropsychological assessment, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
  • Eligibility for entry onto the Register of Chartered Psychologists

  Desirable

  • Post-doctoral training in one or more highly specialist areas of psychological practice / therapy

  Experience

  Essential

  • Assessed experience of working as a qualified clinical/forensic psychologist for a minimum of 4 years post qualification, with a minimum of at least 2 years at the Senior (highly specialist) level.
  • Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, with clients of all ages across the lifespan and of wide-ranging presenting problems that reflect the full spectrum of clinical complexity and severity

  Desirable

  • Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
  • Experience of working therapeutically with 'difficult to treat' and or 'hard to reach' groups and clients in community settings
  • Experience of safeguarding and risk management across several agencies, including appropriately escalating concerns

  Skills

  Essential

  • Highly developed theoretical and practical knowledge of the field of clinical psychology, consistent with doctoral level professional training and further post qualification study, training and supervised experience during a minimum of 4 years as a qualified psychologist
  • Skills in providing consultation and advice from a psychological perspective to members of other professional and non-professional groups.
  • Awareness and understanding of the differential needs of people from black and minority ethnic groups and of the service issues arising within a multicultural urban area.

  Desirable

  • In depth knowledge of information governance legislation and information sharing practices across agencies

  Personal

  Essential

  • Ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines.
  • Capacity for tolerating frustration, change and high levels of demand with an ability to work effectively under pressure.

  Desirable

  • Willing and eligible to apply for higher level security clearance

  Person Specification

  Qualifications

  Essential

  • Satisfactory completion of a British Psychological Society accredited Doctoral Level postgraduate professional training course in clinical psychology (the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, or its equivalent for those trained prior to 1996), the completion of which includes the study of models of psychopathology, psychometric and neuropsychological assessment, two or more distinct psychological therapies and lifespan developmental psychology.
  • Eligibility for entry onto the Register of Chartered Psychologists

  Desirable

  • Post-doctoral training in one or more highly specialist areas of psychological practice / therapy

  Experience

  Essential

  • Assessed experience of working as a qualified clinical/forensic psychologist for a minimum of 4 years post qualification, with a minimum of at least 2 years at the Senior (highly specialist) level.
  • Experience of working with a wide variety of client groups, with clients of all ages across the lifespan and of wide-ranging presenting problems that reflect the full spectrum of clinical complexity and severity

  Desirable

  • Experience of the application of clinical psychology in different cultural contexts.
  • Experience of working therapeutically with 'difficult to treat' and or 'hard to reach' groups and clients in community settings
  • Experience of safeguarding and risk management across several agencies, including appropriately escalating concerns

  Skills

  Essential

  • Highly developed theoretical and practical knowledge of the field of clinical psychology, consistent with doctoral level professional training and further post qualification study, training and supervised experience during a minimum of 4 years as a qualified psychologist
  • Skills in providing consultation and advice from a psychological perspective to members of other professional and non-professional groups.
  • Awareness and understanding of the differential needs of people from black and minority ethnic groups and of the service issues arising within a multicultural urban area.

  Desirable

  • In depth knowledge of information governance legislation and information sharing practices across agencies

  Personal

  Essential

  • Ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines.
  • Capacity for tolerating frustration, change and high levels of demand with an ability to work effectively under pressure.

  Desirable

  • Willing and eligible to apply for higher level security clearance

  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

  Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

  Address

  Tamarind Centre

  Birmingham

  B9 5PU

  
  

  Employer's website

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

  Employer details

  Employer name

  Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

  Address

  Tamarind Centre

  Birmingham

  B9 5PU

  
  

  Employer's website

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

• About the company

  National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly-funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). The founding principles were that services should be comprehensive, universal and free at the point of delivery—a health service based on clinical need, not ability to pay. Each service provides a comprehensive range of health services, free at the point of use for people ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom apart from dental treatment and optical care.

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