LOCUM Clinical/Counselling Psychologists, Nationwide (Band 7 equiv.)
Potential applicants should note:
- Incremental credit is provided by the Irish Prison Service.
- A significant personal-professional CPD budget is allocated to permanent staff on an annual basis, in addition to routine service-wide training such as MBT, HCR-20v3 and DBT Skills, amongst others.
- Candidates who are considering relocating to Ireland and may have queries or concerns relating to the current Irish validation process, please note the Irish Prison Psychology Service can provide support in relation to this application during your locum contract, including subsidising the application fee of €500. With this support, the statement of equivalence must be achieved within a period of 12 months of starting a locum contract.
- The IPS now engages in an annual recruitment drive for permanent psychologists, typically beginning in May/June of each year.
The Irish Prison Service (IPS) is made up of 10 closed prisons and two open centres as well as a number of other ancillary offices and facilities. Typically, the IPS manages approximately 4,000 people in custody at any one time, both male and female, aged 18 and over.
The IPS Psychology Service is a national psychological service employed by the IPS. Psychologists work as part of broad multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs) within all prisons across the country. The Service provides an integrated-care model, in that it accepts referrals for a broad range of mental health and criminogenic need. The Service prides itself on thorough, individualised, evidence-based assessment and interventions with clients, and to this end, there are excellent Continuing Professional Development opportunities for all staff members.
The vast majority of referrals to Psychological Services are in relation to any, or a combination of the following: a) mental health difficulties including, but not exclusive to: Mood and Anxiety Disorders, Disorders of Personality and Behaviour, (complex) Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Self-Harm and Suicidal Behaviour, Eating Disorders, Psychosis and Schizophrenia, Addiction, and b) offence-specific needs, including the need for formal offence related risk assessments, preparation of Parole Board reports, offence related group and individual work, complex case consultation and risk management work. In addition to the above presentations, the Service works with people presenting with developmental disorders, intellectual difficulties, cognitive decline, traumatic brain injuries, people with limited literacy, and people from a wide variety of cultural (national and international) backgrounds.
The IPS Psychology Service is currently made up of a Head of Psychological Services, supported by a Principal Psychologist, Senior Psychologists, Staff Grade Psychologists, Trainee Psychologists and Assistant Psychologists. IPS Psychology Service Headquarters is based at Arbour Hill Prison, Dublin 7.
Essential qualifications and competencies
Candidates must:
(a) Be eligible for graduate membership of the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) or the British Psychological Society (BPS).
and
(b) (i) Hold a postgraduate professional qualification in Clinical Psychology recognised by PSI. (Applicants with qualifications obtained outside of Ireland must obtain a statement of equivalence in Clinical Psychology from the Department of Health); (see note above in red)
or
(b) (ii) Hold a postgraduate professional qualification in Counselling Psychology recognised by PSI. (Applicants with qualifications obtained outside of Ireland must obtain a statement of equivalence in Counselling Psychology from the Department of Health); (see note above in red)
For further information, please contact Brian Murray at www.cplhealthcare.com, +353 1 482 5421 / +353 872226752 or email [email protected]
