StR/ SpR POST DETAILS 2009-2010

DESCRIPTION OF PLACEMENT

The placement is based at Guild Lodge, the centre for secure services in Lancashire. Inpatient work is with 10-12 detained patients in medium and low secure setting. Psychiatrists from Guild Lodge also provide psychiatric input to prisons in Lancashire (remand/sentenced/young offenders), provide advice and conduct assessments in district services and high secure hospital and provide follow up to a number of community patients via Forensic CMHT.

DUTIES OF SPR AND EXPERIENCE GAINED

1. Assessment of offenders and individuals who exhibit challenging behaviour.
2. Introduction to prison work – the trainee will hold a clinic in one of the prisons (remand/sentenced/YOI depending on trainee’s interest and clinical needs) with consultant supervision.
3. The trainee will form part of the inpatient multi-disciplinary team caring for detained patients in medium and low secure conditions, taking on responsibility (depending on level of seniority) for a selection of inpatients under consultant supervision.
4. Experience in working as part of the forensic community team seeing patients in their homes or supported accommodation.
5. Experience in report writing for court, Tribunals and Parole Board and liaison with Ministry of Justice, MAPPA.
6. Development of an understanding of risk assessment/management.

There is an ST1-3 in the team.

ON CALL COMMITMENT

No on call commitment to forensic on call rota. The trainee remains on adult on call rota.

TEACHING / ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE

There are regular opportunities to teach medical students and occasional opportunities to teach junior medical staff including exam practice. Tutorials for advanced nurse practitioners and other disciplines are also performed by senior trainees.

The trainee will be encouraged to become involved in the in-house teaching programme within the unit and to attend the monthly regional teaching event at Ashworth Hospital, Liverpool, or Edenfield Centre, Manchester.

RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

Research advice or inclusion in a forensic research project is possible and trainees are encouraged to liaise with Professor Jenny Shaw at Guild Lodge in this respect.

MANAGEMENT TRAINING

The trainee will have the opportunity to become involved in various management/administrative activities e.g. attendance at clinical governance and service development meetings, attendance at risk management group, Mappa liaison meetings and unit development meetings (low secure unit currently being developed). Shadowing of senior managers may also be possible.

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE AVAILABLE

Visits to Calderstones (forensic LD), Gardner Unit (adolescent forensic services) and Ashworth Hospital (high secure hospital) can be arranged.

Attendance at court to observe psychiatric evidence giving and advice in writing reports for court are available. The trainee will receive training in safety and security. The trainee will be encouraged to attend breakaway training whilst in post.

Experience in liaising with the Ministry of Justice for restricted patients (e.g. leave requests, annual statutory reports).

Within the service, special interest opportunities in women’s service, secure rehabilitation, prison, challenging behaviour, personality disorder service and FCMHT (community patients and community clinics) exist. Trainees may also be interested in co-facilitating therapy groups e.g. anger management, voices and visions groups.

An ABI service is in the process of being set up and trainees may express an interest in being involved in the development of the service/clinical work.

PROBABLE TRAINEE TIMETABLE

IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL DETAILS

The post gives an interesting and useful grounding in forensic psychiatry including risk assessment, report writing, use of MHA and related legislation and work in prisons.