Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Positive Behavioural Support (PBS) Practitioner to work on the newly developed Forensic Learning Disability and Autism (LD-A) Ward which provides specialist care and treatment to people who have an intellectual impairment, some of whom also have an autism diagnosis. All service-users have additional mental health needs, challenging/offending behaviour, personality disorder and/or a history of problematic substance misuse.
Positive Behavioural Support (PBS) will be the main approach used by all staff members for addressing challenging behaviour and risk on the ward. The post-holder will have significant experience of using PBS in clinical settings and experience of training others in this approach would be a distinct advantage. The successful candidate may be a qualified psychologist, occupational therapist, nurse or other allied healthcare professional. We are seeking a dedicated professional with experience of working with people with intellectual impairments with or without autism. Experience of working in forensic settings would be a distinct advantage.
The ward works closely with three other forensic mental health wards (one 15-bedded male medium-secure, one 15-bedded female medium secure, and one 15-bedded male low-secure), a Forensic Outreach Service (FOS) and Support Plus Team, together comprising the Forensic Service.
Main duties of the job
- To oversee the implementation of Positive Behavioural Support (PBS) within the newly developed Forensic Learning Disability – Autism (LD-A) ward.
- To be responsible for ongoing training of all LD-A staff members in PBS, so that assessments, plans and treatment are adherent to the model (and helpful for service-users).
- To contribute to the psychology/occupational therapy/nursing input to the LD-A ward in conjunction with colleagues from your profession to provide the highest possible quality of care for service-users with intellectual impairments, with or without autism, challenging behaviour and/or offending histories, mental health problems and/or personality disorders and problematic substance misuse.
- To offer advice and consultation on service-users’ psychological/occupational therapy/nursing care and risk management to non-psychologist colleagues as well as other, non-professional carers, working autonomously within professional guidelines and the overall framework of the Forensic Service’s policies and procedures.
In addition to the ward MDT, you will be supported by a large Psychology and Psychotherapies department (Forensics) in assessing, prioritising and engaging with service-users on the ward and as such, there will be ample opportunities to work across the other three forensic wards.
About us
We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust.
We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’ – we aspire to be ‘outstanding’.
This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services.
We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.
We offer flexible working, career development and a variety ofbenefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.
Come and join our inclusive teams and help our patients on their recovery journey.
About our locations:
Springfield University Hospital, Tooting
Our largest, 19-ward site is in Springfield Village, created following our £150m investment into two new world class mental health facilities.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To oversee the delivery of PBS by LD-A ward staff members, as the main model for assessment, engagement and treatment to the service users on the LD-A ward.
- To develop PBS plans with service-users and implement in conjunction with ward staff members and Forensic P&P colleagues.
- To provide specialist assessments of clients referred to the team based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex 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 treatment and/or management of a clients mental health problems and/or offending behaviour, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings.
- To be responsible for implementing a range of interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, employed individually and in combination, adjusting and refining formulations drawing on a number of different explanatory theoretical models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
- To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.
- To attend Care Plan Review Meetings (ward round) and Care Programme Approach (CPA) meetings for clients on the LD-A ward to help coordinate PBS approach and psychological/occupational therapy/nursing input, with the help of the ward link psychologist and other members of the MDT.
- To attend Care and Treatment Reviews (CTRs) and other meetings with external agencies to help coordinate admission pathway and discharge planning.
- To provide specialist advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to the clients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.
- To contribute directly and indirectly to a PBS-based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all service-users on the LD-A ward.
- To undertake risk assessment and risk management for relevant individual service-users and to provide general advice to other professions on aspects of risk assessment and risk management, as well as to other agencies concerned with Public Protection, such as Social Services, Probation, Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA).
- To help the ward MDT in initiating, planning and review of care plans under enhanced CPA including service-users, their carers and others involved in the network of care.
- To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care and to monitor progress during the course of both uni- and multi-disciplinary care.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- To oversee the delivery of PBS by LD-A ward staff members, as the main model for assessment, engagement and treatment to the service users on the LD-A ward.
- To develop PBS plans with service-users and implement in conjunction with ward staff members and Forensic P&P colleagues.
- To provide specialist assessments of clients referred to the team based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex 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 treatment and/or management of a clients mental health problems and/or offending behaviour, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy, across the full range of care settings.
- To be responsible for implementing a range of interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, employed individually and in combination, adjusting and refining formulations drawing on a number of different explanatory theoretical models and maintaining a number of provisional hypotheses.
- To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual, family or group.
- To attend Care Plan Review Meetings (ward round) and Care Programme Approach (CPA) meetings for clients on the LD-A ward to help coordinate PBS approach and psychological/occupational therapy/nursing input, with the help of the ward link psychologist and other members of the MDT.
- To attend Care and Treatment Reviews (CTRs) and other meetings with external agencies to help coordinate admission pathway and discharge planning.
- To provide specialist advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to the clients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.
- To contribute directly and indirectly to a PBS-based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all service-users on the LD-A ward.
- To undertake risk assessment and risk management for relevant individual service-users and to provide general advice to other professions on aspects of risk assessment and risk management, as well as to other agencies concerned with Public Protection, such as Social Services, Probation, Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA).
- To help the ward MDT in initiating, planning and review of care plans under enhanced CPA including service-users, their carers and others involved in the network of care.
- To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care and to monitor progress during the course of both uni- and multi-disciplinary care.
Person Specification
Training & Qualification
Essential
- Foundation level degree in relevant healthcare profession (Nursing, OT, Psychology, Social Work)
- Registration with relevant professional body
- MSC in Positive Behavioural Support or equivalent periods of study, short courses, training modules demonstrating equivalence of MSC knowledge in PBS. or Successful completion of post graduate doctoral level training in Clinical or Forensic Psychology, as accredited by the BPS prior to July 2009 or approved by the HCPC from July 2009 or BPS accredited Masters in Forensic Psychology, plus Stage 2 of the Society’s Qualification in Forensic Psychology
Desirable
- Pre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology
Experience
Essential
- 2-3 years post degree level experience
- Completion of PBS masters or equivalent
- Extensive experience of utilizing the PBS approach
- 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.
Desirable
- Experience of utilizing PBS with people with intellectual impairments with or without neurodiverse conditions.
- Experience of the training and supervision of others in PBS.
- Experience of work in an in-patient rehabilitation, forensic or specialist personality disorder treatment setting
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of PBS applied to people with intellectual impairments with or without neurodevelopmental conditions
- Skills in the use of complex methods of assessment, intervention, and management
- Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively and well, 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
- High level knowledge of research methodology, research design and analysis.
Desirable
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of therapies in relation to specific difficult to treat groups, personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc.)
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialized psychological therapies
- Knowledge of the legislation in relation to the client group and mental health
Person Specification
Training & Qualification
Essential
- Foundation level degree in relevant healthcare profession (Nursing, OT, Psychology, Social Work)
- Registration with relevant professional body
- MSC in Positive Behavioural Support or equivalent periods of study, short courses, training modules demonstrating equivalence of MSC knowledge in PBS. or Successful completion of post graduate doctoral level training in Clinical or Forensic Psychology, as accredited by the BPS prior to July 2009 or approved by the HCPC from July 2009 or BPS accredited Masters in Forensic Psychology, plus Stage 2 of the Society’s Qualification in Forensic Psychology
Desirable
- Pre-qualification training and qualifications in research methodology, staff training and/or other fields of applied psychology
Experience
Essential
- 2-3 years post degree level experience
- Completion of PBS masters or equivalent
- Extensive experience of utilizing the PBS approach
- 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.
Desirable
- Experience of utilizing PBS with people with intellectual impairments with or without neurodiverse conditions.
- Experience of the training and supervision of others in PBS.
- Experience of work in an in-patient rehabilitation, forensic or specialist personality disorder treatment setting
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of PBS applied to people with intellectual impairments with or without neurodevelopmental conditions
- Skills in the use of complex methods of assessment, intervention, and management
- Well developed skills in the ability to communicate effectively and well, 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
- High level knowledge of research methodology, research design and analysis.
Desirable
- Knowledge of the theory and practice of therapies in relation to specific difficult to treat groups, personality disorder, dual diagnoses, people with additional disabilities etc.)
- High level knowledge of the theory and practice of at least two specialized psychological therapies
- Knowledge of the legislation in relation to the client group and mental health
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.
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
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).
