Job summary
This Mental Health Practitioner (MHP) will join a team of clinicians working in the Therapies Service within the prison's Mental Health Hub. This team includes qualified Psychologists and Assistant Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, and Speech and Language Therapists. The broader Mental Health Hub consists of psychiatric nurses, a social worker and psychiatrists. The post holder will provide assessment and support for residents with a range of emotional and mental health difficulties, such as anxiety, depression, stress and adjustment difficulties, and deliver evidence-based 1:1 and group interventions, using (but not limited to) Cognitive Behavioural Therapy approaches. They will gain some experience of teaching, training and consultation through joint working with other clinicians, and will be required to risk assess in line with local operational policies.

Main duties of the job

• Contribute to the assessment of, and deliver outcome focused, evidence-based interventions for residents of the prison experiencing moderate mental health difficulties.
• Undertake risk assessments for residents who present as risk to themselves, to others or from others and attend ACCT reviews for those on caseload.
• Take an active role in assessing residents in early days in custody (EDIC) where there may be mental health needs, contribute to health promotion and education in early days to prevent the development of more serious mental health needs.
• Provide a range of information and support for evidence based psychological treatments. This may include guided self-help or face to face intervention, both in group or individual format.

About us
North London NHS Foundation Trust (NLFT) is committed to improving mental health care across North London to deliver excellent services to our local people.

Our Five-Year Strategy

• We will provide consistently high-quality care closer to home.
• With our partners in North London and each borough we will ensure equity of outcome for all
• We will offer great places to work, providing staff with supportive environment to deliver outstanding care.
• We will be more effective as an organisation by pioneering research, quality improvement and technology.

Why NLFT?

• We develop and retain our staff through leadership behaviours and managers programme and many more opportunities.
• We promote flexible working and support staff with a range of health and wellbeing initiatives.
• NHS Discounts, generous annual leave and NHS pension scheme
• Excellent internal staff network

Job responsibilities
The work will be varied, and suitable for anyone who is looking to further develop their skills as a qualified Mental Health Practitioner, and there will be considerable opportunities for future career development. The post holder will be supervised and line managed by the Lead Psychologist for the Therapies Service. There is a specific focus on working alongside other therapy clinicians to improve the general culture of emotional support within the prison, and a longer term aim of implementing trauma informed care across the site.

Person Specification
Essential qualifications

• 2:1 or above Psychology degree
• Training in Psychological approaches

Desirable qualifications

• Mental Health qualification
• Masters in Psychology or related

Essential experience

• 2 years experience in mental health services
• Experience working in a forensic setting
• MDT working

Desirable experience

• Experience working in prisons
• Group work experience

Essential knowledge

• Therapeutic knowledge
• Trauma Informed

Desirable knowledge

• Working in prison
• Forensic
• Assessment

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship
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. 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.

Location: HMP Pentonville, Caledonian Road, London, N7 8TT
Closing date: 19 November 2026
Contact: Suzanne Lee, Therapy Lead, suzanne.lee26@nhs.net

In order to meet the needs of the Trust you may be required from time to time to work at different locations to your normal place of work. This may mean that you are required to work at any location that fall under Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey or Islington. The Trust reserves the right to require staff to work at such other places or locations as it considers reasonable and necessary on a temporary or permanent basis.