Good Lives Practitioner

Oxford Health; Oxford; On-site; GBP 60,000 - GBP 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS service provider in the Thames Valley is seeking a Good Lives Practitioner to support trauma-informed care and engage individuals with complex needs. The role involves delivering psychosocial interventions under clinician supervision, contributing to multidisciplinary care plans, and working collaboratively with various partner agencies. Candidates should possess a relevant degree and demonstrate experience in engaging difficult populations. This is an opportunity to make a genuine impact in a supportive environment.

Benefits

27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, increasing with service

NHS Discounts

Competitive pension scheme

Lease car and cycle to work schemes

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology or similar social science subject.
• Experience working with difficult-to-engage populations, particularly those with interpersonal difficulties.
• Effective communication skills including ability to communicate in highly emotive settings.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver appropriate psychosocial interventions for service users.
• Support qualified clinicians in the delivery of psychological interventions.
• Monitor service user progress and adapt interventions through supervision.

Job description

Job overview

Are you looking for a new challenge within an innovative NHS service? Do you have a compassionate, creative approach and a commitment to trauma-informed care and supporting people with complex needs?

We are recruiting Band 4 Good Lives Practitioners to join our team across the Thames Valley region.

The Enhanced Intensive Intervention and Risk Management Service (EIIRMS) is a specialist partnership between Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). The service aims to improve psychological wellbeing, address barriers to engagement, reduce risk linked to offending, and minimise the risk of serious harm.

The role involves supporting the assessment and delivery of practical psychosocial interventions under the supervision of qualified clinicians, engaging service users, and contributing to recovery-focused, multidisciplinary care plans.

Main duties of the job

• Work collaboratively with members of the Thames Valley Integrated OPD Pathway Service multidisciplinary team to develop and deliver appropriate psychosocial interventions for service users.

• Support the planning, development, and delivery of a psychosocial and psychologically informed service for individuals with offending histories and associated interpersonal difficulties.

• Deliver interventions under the supervision of the Clinical Lead for the Thames Valley Integrated OPD Pathway Service.

• Contribute to service governance and evaluation by supporting the collection and reporting of data for commissioning and quality improvement purposes.

• Support qualified clinicians in the delivery of psychosocial formulations and interventions as required.

• Participate in wider forensic psychology team activities, including continuing professional development opportunities.

• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with partner agencies, including Probation Services and voluntary sector organisations.

Working for our organisation

Oxford Health is a great place to work and to be able to showcase the best of yourself when making an application please read the “candidate guide to making an application” and ensure your supporting statement is tailored to the role you are applying for and addresses any essential criteria.

As a Trust we provide physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and Northeast Somerset. Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people’s homes, delivering care as close to home as possible. Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive: “Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team”

Our values are: “Caring, safe and excellent”

We offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:

• Excellent opportunities for career progression
• Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and development
• 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
• NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
• Competitive pension scheme
• Lease car scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Mental Health First Aiders
• Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists apply)
• Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Support the identification of appropriate referrals to the service through suitability consultations with HMPPS staff.

• Support and contribute to the planning, delivery, and evaluation of evidence-based psychosocial interventions, working collaboratively with relevant professionals to ensure interventions are meaningful and integrated within a wider framework of support.

• Contribute to the delivery of a psychosocial and psychologically informed service across the Thames Valley, including travel to Probation and Health bases. The post holder will manage a caseload across multiple sites within the region.

• Encourage and support service users to maintain regular engagement with the Thames Valley Integrated OPD Pathway Service, promoting the development and use of skills.

• Build effective and supportive working relationships with individuals who may be experiencing distress or communication difficulties, and motivate them to engage with the service.

• Monitor service user progress, taking account of environmental factors, and adapt interventions through supervision as required.

• Manage an agreed, prioritised caseload under the supervision of senior clinical staff and with support from a qualified clinician.

• Work collaboratively with colleagues and partner agencies to ensure a coordinated approach to risk management, care, and treatment.

The role is subject to Job evaluation

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology or similar social science subject.

Desirable criteria

• Further training relevant in relevant areas of psychology, social science or mental health.

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience of working with difficult to engage populations, particularly individuals with interpersonal difficulties and/or diagnosed personality disorders.
• Experience of working with people from a range of diverse social and ethnic backgrounds.
• Experience of multi-disciplinary working and in the development and maintenance of professional relationships with external partner agencies.
• Effective skills in using supervision, which includes self-reflective skills around workload monitoring, personal development and performance appraisal.
• Experience of motivating people to attend sessions or take part in tasks / activities.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working in forensic settings or with people with offending histories.
• Experience of planning and running therapeutic interventions.

Essential criteria

• Understanding of risk factors associated with working with service users within offending histories and personality difficulties and how to manage these risks effectively.
• Demonstrates a professional approach including boundary keeping to relationships with staff and service users.
• Ability to work as a team member, remaining adaptable to changing demands within the team.
• Able to solve problem and use solution-focused approaches and recognise own limitations.
• High level communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive.

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of Criminal Justice System structure and procedures.

Personal

Essential criteria

• Ability to maintain high level of when faced with highly distressing material, problems and circumstances, including challenging behaviour, verbal abuse and occasional threatened physical abuse from clients.
• An ability to reflect on their practice with peers and within supervision.
• Ability to work independently, reliably and consistently with work agreed and managed at regular intervals.
• Ability to accept and use supervision appropriately and effectively.

Other

Essential criteria

• Driving licence and access to a vehicle.
• Ability to travel between sites as required by service delivery.

Documents to Download

Thames Valley OPD Service - Good Lives Practitioner Role (DOC, 170.5KB)

Guidance Notes for Candidates Applying for a job at OHFT (PDF, 424.6KB)

Recruiter Contact Details

Name: john cordwell

Title: Consultant Forensic Psychologist

Email: [e-mail]

Telephone: [phone]