Practitioner Psychologist

ABOUT THE ROLE 

Are you a dedicated and experienced Registered or Practitioner Psychologist with a strong background in forensic and clinical psychology? We are seeking a passionate individual to become an integral part of our clinical team at our specialist service in Croydon.

In this creative, evolving, and impactful position—less standalone, mainly advisory, and with more staff-focused work than client-based—you will work within a 27-bed residential facility dedicated to individuals with forensic mental health needs, complex conditions, and dual diagnoses. You will work closely with, and be clinically accountable to our Group Psychological Lead, whilst reporting into the Head of Service.

As a Practitioner Psychologist, your expertise will drive the delivery of evidence-based psychological assessments and interventions aimed at the rehabilitation and reintegration of our residents. You will play a crucial consulting role to support staff and managers, offering guidance and expertise to foster a psychologically informed and supportive environment. This includes advising on best practices, providing clinical supervision, and enhancing the overall capability of the staff team to deliver high-quality care. Your contributions will help shape the strategic direction of the service and ensure that staff are equipped to meet the complex needs of residents effectively.

Penrose Croydon: Our Croydon facility offers a psychologically informed environment across four distinct sites, providing medium and low-support forensic mental health services to men and women. The job holder will work across different sites in the South London area, offering flexibility and the opportunity to engage with a variety of services and residents in need of support. 

Shift Pattern: 22.5 hours per week, with flexible scheduling based on service needs. There may be opportunities for remote work, depending on service requirements. 

Job Reference ID: 245404

Additional benefits include: 

• A CPD budget of £500 per annum
• NHS Blue Card eligible  
• Employee Assistance Programme, including counselling
• Reflective Practice regular sessions by an external provider to support Mental Health and Wellbeing.
• Life Assurance Scheme
• Cycle-to-work scheme

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS ROLE 

This is more than just a job - it’s an opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of individuals with complex forensic mental health needs. As a Forensic Psychologist, you’ll thrive in a creative and evolving role that challenges and inspires you daily. You will be part of a multidisciplinary team that values collaboration, where your expertise will be key to enhancing clinical outcomes and shaping the future direction of our services.

Essential Qualifications and Registration:

• Post-graduate doctoral level training in Applied Psychology (or equivalent) as accredited by the BPS (or equivalent awarding body) 
• HCPC registration as an applied Psychologist (registration number must be provided in the application form)

What else we look for as part of our essential criteria:

• Previous experience working as a qualified forensic psychologist, including working with people with complex backgrounds/needs and a good understanding of the sector
• Ability to teach, train, consult, and deliver clinical supervision
• Understanding of criminology, psychology, and behavioural patterns, and how they link to different behaviours and engagement
• Ability to understand and apply safeguarding protocols as they arise
• Ability and willingness to show flexibility of working patterns, responding to the needs of the service and residents

WHAT'S SOME OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES YOU WILL HOLD?

• Referral, assessment, and care planning MDT working
• Risk assessment, formulation, and management responsibilities ongoingly
• Clinical caseload where appropriate – 1:1 and group
• Reflective practice lead for staff on-site
• Cross working across a service that has 4 sites
• Central office collaborative working to assist with ongoing charity-wide psychological deliverables
• Possible consultation on risk and development areas for the charity led by Group Psychology Lead for SIG
• Research, audit, and evaluation components
• Possible supervision provision as the team expands
• Staff support in training ongoingly 

Please refer to the JDPS attached for more details on the vacancy and our requirements/key criteria. 

What more do we offer?

• 25 days annual leave, increasing with the length of service
• Training and Development, including access to courses, upskilling, and progression plans
• Annual Staff Awards
• Regular all staff webinar - access to leadership team to ask any related questions     

ABOUT US

Social Interest Group (SIG) believes good care and support improve lives. Our values of ambition, empowerment, transparency, and inclusivity drive everything we do. Our mission is to empower people who are marginalised by building powerful partnerships and creative solutions that bridge gaps in provision and aid recovery, reablement and resettlement.

SIG is a not-for-profit organisation providing thousands of people with good-quality support and care in residential, drop-in centres, community floating support settings (including people's own homes), probation settings, and hospitals awaiting discharge. We do so across London, Brighton, Bedfordshire, Luton, and Kent. We believe in the power of well-planned, well-managed services to make a difference. We work with high standards and external and internal regulatory frameworks.

Want to know how we work? Watch our short Theory of Change video to see how we support people towards a brighter future: Theory of Change

Further details can be found on our website here: Theory of Change - Social Interest Group - Social Interest Group. 

Our Values

Ambition – Eager to succeed and to accomplish as much as possible for our people

Empowerment – Giving staff and the people we support the tools, training, and information they need to achieve their potential

Transparency – Upfront and visible about our actions and open to scrutiny from stakeholders, service users, and staff

Inclusivity – Listening to, understanding, and including all our stakeholders to ensure we make a difference and get things right

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Please note that this job advert may close early due to screening applications on an ongoing basis. We advise applying as soon as possible for your application to be taken into consideration at the early stages.

Additional information on our company policies including Gender Pay, Equality and Diversity, Company Benefits and our Candidate Privacy Policy can be found on our website. We are an inclusive employer, committed to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). We value and celebrate the unique backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences of all our employees. We have a team of ambassadors who are staff volunteers and actively support us in fortifying our organisational value of Inclusivity. SIG actively encourages applications from individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds, particularly lived experience ; Naturally, we approach any emerging issues with empathy and sensitivity.

As an organisation, we’re proud to mention that our staff Ambassadors career aspirations generally benefit from embracing this unique opportunity to develop their respective skill sets in spaces that exist outside of their daily roles.

For Recruitment related enquiries, or if you need support with making your application for example due to learning needs or a disability, please email recruitment@socialinterestgroup.org.uk or call us on 020 3668 9270.

Please note that as part of our process, we complete an enhanced DBS check, some roles may require further vetting. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds. If you have any questions regarding this, please contact us on the details above. 

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide sponsorship, please ensure you have full right to work in the UK prior to applying to our positions.