Forensic psychologist

Forensic psychology can be challenging but if you're resilient and willing to help and understand offenders, it could be your ideal career

Your work as a forensic psychologist will mainly relate to the assessment and treatment of criminal behaviour. You'll work not only with prisoners and offenders, but with other professionals involved in the judicial and penal systems, as well as with victims of crime.

You'll be heavily involved in providing research-based evidence to develop policy and working practices, to build a better understanding of offending behaviour and offenders' motivations. You will also give evidence in court and advise parole boards and mental health tribunals.

Your work will help to rehabilitate prisoners, reduce the risk of reoffending and lead to a safer society.

Responsibilities

As a forensic psychologist, you'll need to:

• carry out one-to-one risk assessments to assess the risk of re-offending (e.g. a person serving a term of life imprisonment who is being released into the community or sex offenders after a treatment programme) or the risk of suicide, self-harm or other high-risk behaviour
• conduct other assessments such as interviews and behavioural observations, IQ and personality testing, and neuropsychological tests
• develop and implement appropriate offender psychological therapy and rehabilitation programmes, on either a one-to-one or group basis, including anger management sessions, treatment for drug and alcohol addiction, social and cognitive skills training, and relaxation techniques
• review and improve treatment programmes
• undertake research projects to evaluate situations affecting prisoners, e.g. investigating the impact of bullying in prisons or the effectiveness of an anger management programme
• recommend changes to care where appropriate
• undertake statistical analysis for forensic offender profiling
• deliver training to support staff in areas such as stress management or working effectively in teams, or training on recognising bullying and techniques for crisis (hostage) negotiation
• provide consultancy to staff to help promote safety and reduce violence
• provide clinical supervision (with experience)
• provide expert witness testimony at court, for parole boards and mental health tribunals
• balance the interests of the individual offender with the safety of the public as a whole
• contribute to policy and strategy development to ensure continuous service improvement.

You may also need to:

• work with victims of crime and the general public in relation to their fear around crime
• conduct applied research
• design and deliver training
• provide organisational consultancy.

Salary

• Salaries for trainee forensic psychologists working for HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) start at £33,104 (Band 5). Once qualified, salaries for registered psychologists within HMPS start at £47,907 (Band 7).
• With experience, you can become a senior registered psychologist (Band 8) with a salary starting at £46,549 and then progress to the role of principal registered psychologist (Band 9) with a starting salary of £59,623. Salaries for regional or theme lead psychologists (Band 10) and directorate lead psychologists (Band 11) start at £65,633 and £74,243, respectively. Salaries in London will be higher.
• Salaries for forensic psychologists within the NHS are at a similar level. Those in training are on Band 6 of the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay scale and earn £37,338 to £44,962, while fully-qualified psychologists (Band 7) earn between £46,148 and £52,809. There are opportunities, with experience, to earn more.

Salaries in other areas of work may vary.

Starting salaries in HMPPS are based on a 37-hour working week and vary depending on your location and experience.

Additional benefits may include a competitive pension, childcare vouchers, cycle to work scheme and travel loans.

Income data from HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and NHS Health Careers. Figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

You'll usually work a 37-hour week from Monday to Friday.

Job-share and part-time working options are possible, and HMPPS also offers some flexible working patterns.

What to expect

• This can be a challenging job as you'll be working in situations with prisoners or ex-offenders who may not want to be helped. There may be some personal risk, and you'll need to be resilient. However, it can also be rewarding as you can have a positive impact on people's lives.
• Working environments vary. In prisons, for example, you'll need to acclimatise to noise and lock-up procedures. There will be cameras and entry searches in prisons and some other forensic settings.
• You may work in one location or across a number of sites, including prisons, secure hospitals, rehabilitation units and police stations. You may also have to travel to court to provide expert witness testimony.
• Jobs are available across the UK. Some locations are difficult to access without your own transport.
• You need to be prepared to work with a range of offenders including young people, violent or sexual offenders, and offenders with severe personality disorders. You'll also work closely with other staff groups, including prison officers, psychiatrists and senior managers.

Qualifications

To practise as a forensic psychologist in the UK you must be registered with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC), which involves training at postgraduate level.

To become a registered forensic psychologist, you'll need:

• Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) - can be achieved by completing a British Psychological Society (BPS)-accredited psychology degree, or an accredited postgraduate conversion course if your first degree is not BPS-accredited
• a BPS-accredited Masters in Forensic Psychology - which, as well as full time, may also be available on a part-time or distance-learning basis
• completion of an HCPC-approved programme - offered by the BPS or a small number of universities.

For a list of all BPS-accredited courses, see BPS Accredited Psychology Courses.

The BPS Qualification in Forensic Psychology (Stage 2) is a Doctoral-level qualification and provides an independent route to training as a forensic psychologist. It involves two to four years of supervised practice that allows you to become a competent practitioner and researcher. You'll need to be working in a suitable role to undertake the supervised practice. Relevant settings include prisons, probation services, secure hospitals, rehabilitation units, social services or forensic care settings.

The University of Nottingham and the University of Birmingham offer a Doctorate programme in forensic psychology, which is the equivalent of both an accredited Masters in Forensic Psychology and the QFP (Stage 2). The University of Nottingham also offers a Forensic Psychology Top-up (DForenPsy) if you have already completed the BPS-accredited Masters in Forensic Psychology.

On successful completion of either the BPS QFP (Stage 2) or the Doctorate in Forensic Psychology, you're entitled to chartered status and full membership of the BPS Division of Forensic Psychology. You'll also be eligible for entry onto the HCPC register, which entitles you to use the title 'forensic psychologist'.

Cardiff Metropolitan University and the University of Derby offer a Post Graduate Diploma in Forensic Psychology Practice, which leads to eligibility to apply for HCPC registration as a forensic psychologist.

Search the full list of HCPC-approved programmes.

Entry without a degree may be possible at assistant level or as an interventions facilitator working for HMPS, but your progression will be limited unless you carry out further study to achieve GBC.

Skills

You'll need to have:

• communication and listening skills to establish a relationship with the offender community and build trust
• a systematic approach to work
• teamworking and leadership skills
• influencing skills
• motivation and commitment
• problem-solving ability and decision-making skills
• planning and research skills
• the ability to analyse and present statistical information
• resilience, self-awareness and a high level of security awareness
• a non-discriminatory, non-judgemental approach
• a passion for helping both offenders and staff.

Work experience

Competition is fierce for both BPS-accredited Masters degrees and entry-level forensic psychologist jobs. To succeed in both, it's crucial that you build up as much work experience as possible. You'll have an advantage if you can show course tutors that you have mentored young offenders or done voluntary work with organisations such as the Witness Service or Victim Support, for example.

Preference for jobs is usually given to those with experience of working in a forensic setting. This may include work within prisons, probation services or social services, or as a psychological assistant or operational support grade.

Many psychologists start in HMPPS as group workers/intervention facilitators to get experience before applying for trainee psychologist roles.

You may also get valuable experience in a range of settings such as:

• bail hostels and refuges
• drug or alcohol treatment centres
• secure hospitals and rehabilitation units
• young people's services, such as a regional youth offending service.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

The main employer of forensic psychologists is HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). You will often work in prisons, youth offender institutions and in the community with people on probation.

However, there are also opportunities in the broader criminal justice field, and you may be employed by:

• the Home Office
• the NHS - in special hospitals and rehabilitation units, local forensic services and secure hospitals
• the police
• social services
• charities
• universities - in research and lecturing roles.

There may also be opportunities for experienced forensic psychologists to work in private consultancy.

Trainee psychologist positions with HMPPS are usually advertised once a year. The application process includes an online application form, situational judgement test, behaviour-based assessment and assessment centre.

Look for job vacancies at:

• HMPPS
• Jobs in Psychology
• NHS Jobs
• Northern Ireland Prison Service
• Scottish Prison Service (SPS)

Professional development

Once you've qualified as a forensic psychologist, you must carry out continuing professional development (CPD) in order to stay registered with the HCPC. CPD helps to keep your skills and knowledge up to date and relevant activities can include:

• work-based learning, such as the maintenance of a log of cases
• professional activity, e.g. mentoring, teaching or involvement in a professional body such as BPS
• attending appropriate courses, provided by organisations such as BPS
• self-directed learning, through reading literature and professional journals.

You must keep a record of all CPD activities and be able to provide a written profile, which explains how you've met the standards for CPD if requested. Find out more at HCPC - Standards of continuing professional development.

You may be encouraged by your employer to develop skills in teaching, training or supervising others and will receive regular clinical and professional supervision from experienced colleagues.

It's possible to carry out further research at PhD level or to specialise in a particular area of forensic psychology, e.g. the assessment and treatment of sexual offenders. If you're working for HMPPS, for example, you will have access to funding to support your academic progression.

With experience and further training, you may be eligible to join the BPS Register of Applied Psychology Practice Supervisors (RAPPS) so that you can supervise and mentor trainees.

Career prospects

Progression within HM Prison and Probation Service is based on ability and experience. More opportunities may be available if you're willing to relocate. As a qualified forensic psychologist, you'll be able to progress into a number of roles, including developing policy, management or delivery of services. It's also possible to specialise in a particular area of forensic psychology.

Once you have around two years post-qualifying experience, you may move into a senior registered psychologist role, working more strategically and helping to manage and develop others. With further experience you may be appointed to principal psychologist level, with overall responsibility for the management and delivery of offending behaviour programmes.

Regional or theme leads will have a strategic role, overseeing teams and supporting the delivery of programmes at a regional or national level. You will collaborate with prison directors and other senior stakeholders, providing a consultancy service and advice/guidance to develop strategies in relation to the assessment, treatment and management of offenders. At the very highest level, you will help to shape and deliver overall service strategy.

There are also opportunities to move sideways to other employers, for example, from the prison service to the NHS. There are a range of job opportunities in the NHS, including treatment leads for therapy initiatives and supporting the forensic wards. You can also progress to senior management levels, such as head of services.

Freelance work and self-employment are sometimes possible. For example, you could move into consultancy in a forensic context.