Please ~ sit nearer the front…. … and turn off your mobile Thanks.
Careers In Forensic Psychology Fern Hodges, CPsychol (foren) Head of Psychology, HMP&YOI Onley Practioner-Lecturer, Coventry University
Careers in Forensic Psychology: Overview - Employers + types of work - More detail on prison psychology - Where to look for jobs - Steps to registration as a chartered psychologist - Turning experience into applications - Questions (but also ask all through)
Where did your interest start? Reading forensic psychology journal? Reading book by forensic psychologist? Friend or relative works in forensic setting? Television documentary NewspapersTelevision drama
Want a job like Cracker ’ s?
Careers in Forensic Psychology: Employers ~ National Health Service ~ Private Forensic Residential Firms ~ Police ~ Universities ~ Ministry of Justice (NOMS) ~ HM Prison Service ~ Private Custodial Firms ~ Probation ~ Youth Offending Teams ~ Private Practice
National Health Service + Clinical work (including risk assessment) Lateral transfer possible for forensic Assistant psychologist post (PCTs, “specials”, DSPD = growth area) > clinical training course (Leeds clearing house) Huge competition to get on courses + Private firms
Police – Non-Crime Training (Some done by occupational psychologists) Research (University of Surrey has strong links)
Police Behavioural Investigative Analysis Accredited – very few! Individuals from - Police officers - Clinical psychologists - Forensic psychiatrist (doctor) - Academic National Policing Improvement Agency – Serious Crime Analysis Section Liverpool University MSc course
Research in other forensic areas Universities PhD Ministry of Justice (NOMS) Research, Development and Statistics (formerly part of Home Office) (all types)
Offenders outside prisons (Other Custody/Community) Juveniles ~Youth Offending Teams (Run by county councils) ~Secure Training Centres (Four - all privately run)
HM Prison Service Psychology Delivery of agreed organisational objectives Understanding of individuals and the organisation Design of strategies for change Evaluation of effectiveness
Prison and Probation Individual prisoners Assessment – including Risk Assessment Treatment Life-sentenced prisoners Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder (DSPD) – also NHS Special Hospitals Counselling (but rare)
Prison and Probation Group work with offenders Accredited programmes Tutor, treatment manager nders12.htm Other group work programmes (Planning, delivery, evaluation, approval under Prison Service Order 4350)
Staff Training Stress management HIV/AIDS awareness Suicide awareness Report writing Work with life sentenced prisoners Incident negotiation Offence parallelling behaviour
Management work Regime evaluation Monitoring schemes Key performance indicators Consultancy – varied topics (examples next slide)
Research/consultancy - some examples -Bullying (prevalence +) -Drug use -Evaluation of interventions -Staff views of association style -Travelling community
Looking for Jobs Local newspaper Job centres BPS Appointments Memorandum Professional house magazines HMPS & DH vacancy alerts (sign up on website) Internet – other (eg private prisons/health) National newspapers (eg “The Guardian”, particularly on Wednesdays)
Looking for experience Difficult for prison staff to take you on Try other employers Offer substantial time over long period (Not shadowing, not just a visit, not just one day per week) Often administrative tasks (Including SPSS data entry) Placement year?
Registration as a Chartered Forensic Psychologist Step 1 GBR (You needed this to get onto this MSc course) Step 2 BPS Diploma in Forensic Psychology Stage 1 -either DFP exams + publishable research (now one piece) with oral exam on the methods -or accredited MSc (19) Step 3 BPS Diploma in Forensic Psychology Stage 2 -Two years’ supervised practice >
Step 2 Accredited MSc BPS web site lists these in different applied specialisms courses_home.cfm?frmAction=results&Course_IDs_Selected=&CourseType=P G&Search_Type=NC&OrderBy=NAME&OrderDir=ASC&INSTITUTION_NUMBE R=&TRAINING_COMMITTEE=DFPTC Eg locally Coventry University (2) University of Birmingham (3) University of Leicester (2)
Registration as a Chartered Forensic Psychologist Step 3 Supervised Practice Show competence in four core roles: ~ 1 Conducting psychological applications and interventions ~ 2 Research ~ 3 Communicating psychological knowledge and advice to other professionals ~ 4 Training other professionals in psychological skills and knowledge … long haul
Demonstrating competence using your experience All jobs in HMPS/Probation Psychology ~ Job specification listing competences required ~ Use experience from work, university, family/social life
HMPS Job Competences 1 of 3 Three groups, each with four competences Working professionally Working with others Working to achieve results
HMPS Competences 2 of 3 Achieving a safe and secure environment Persuading and influencing Caring Organising and maximising performance Embracing change Developing self and others
HMPS Job Competences 3 of 3 Showing drive and resilience Acting with integrity Respecting others Building relationships and team working Problem solving and decision making Communicating effectively
You don’t have to be “a psychologist” to apply psychology
You don’t have to be a forensic psychologist to do valuable work with offenders
You could be … a volunteer mentor, a youth worker, a Social Services community support worker, a social worker, a volunteer Youth Offending Panel member, a YOT worker, on a prison’s Independent Monitoring Board, a drugs worker, a community psychiatric nurse or mental health nurse, educational support worker, a worker with an offenders’ charitable organisation such as Apex Trust, NACRO or SOVA, a prison officer, a prison governor, a police officer, etc
Big “ but …. ” Examine your motives …. People don’t stop offending because a well meaning person wants to help them….
Useful web addresses – BPS and government cfm cuments/ forensic_psych_info_shee t.doc rea/information/page/recruitment cuments/ forensic_psych_info_shee t.doc id=1fabe0e7-b570-4f14-a8a6-76f94b0b4d08http:// id=1fabe0e7-b570-4f14-a8a6-76f94b0b4d08
Useful web addresses (Operators of private prisons or secure training centres) airs/offendermanagement/Index.asp
Useful web addresses (Operators of other forensic units + recruitment specialists covering forensic work)
Useful web addresses- other jobs.ac.uk some psychology jobs not-for-profit jobs HMPS senior prison manager programme, closed Sept in 2008 but keep a look out for next year (for those with some management experience) jobs in youth and criminal justice organises volunteer mentors to work with ex-offenders for mental health jobs – keep looking and explore unpromising job titles
Useful web addresses – even more Site with voluntary work opportunities – some will have forensic relevance Booklet about ways of getting involved in the criminal justice system prepared by “ Rethinking Crime and Punishment ” (RCP), a charitably-funded grant-making organisation which seeks to raise the standard of public debate about the use of imprisonment and other punishments.
Thank you for your attention… any questions?