Leverndale Hospital - Forensic Psychiatry (2026)

Individual placement description

Forensic Psychiatry

F2

West

Leverndale Hospital

The F2 will join the multidisciplinary team on Bute Ward, providing comprehensive assessment, treatment, and ongoing care for women with mental disorders within a low secure forensic setting. 

They will contribute to the delivery of safe, effective, and person-centred care, while developing competencies in psychiatry, forensic risk assessment, and collaborative teamwork.

The F2 also offers opportunities to participate in the assessment of administration referrals, provide forensic opinions, and engage with the prison in-reach mental health service in HMP Low Moss. The later includes observing clinic and attending at multidisciplinary team meeting within the prison setting.

The core hours of this post are Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5pm. However, LTFT schedules can be accommodated.

The F2 will also be expected to join the general psychiatry core/foundation resident's rota which has a frequency of 1 in 22. 

• All learning opportunities would be underpinned by ongoing formal assessments as required by the F2 curriculum.
• Develop skills in assessment (history taking, and mental state examination), formulation, and management of acute (prison) as well as chronic (Bute ward) presentations of mental illness.
• Develop an understanding of clinical risk assessment methods and the management of harm to self as well as others.
• Develop an understanding of the link between mental illness and violence and other criminally offending behaviours.
• Develop an understanding of capacity, mental health act, and the relevant criminal law legislations.
• Participate in MDT meetings in in-patient and prison settings to deliver high-quality and holistic care.
• Develop communication skills by communicating with patients (in hospital and prison), their families, and other professionals.
• Opportunities to participate in audits/quality improvement projects via the Directorate’s involvement with SPSP and our research and audit program.
• Reflect on complex ethical considerations and discuss medico-legal issues working in Forensic Psychiatry in clinical supervision.
• Attending mental health tribunals, medico-legal assessments, and giving expert evidence in court appearances as opportunities arise.
• Taster days visiting services at other levels of security, including medium and high secure units. Other learning experiences can be arranged based on the post holder's interests.

• Formal teaching is provided through weekly clinical supervision.
• In addition, the F2 is expected to participate in the established mandatory F2 teaching programme for the West of Scotland.
• Opportunities for academic engagement include contributing to the Forensic Directorate journal club on a rota basis, attending the local Leverndale Hospital Psychiatry teaching, attending the Academic Series in Psychiatry, and any other relevant opportunities e.g. court simulations.
• These structured learning opportunities support the development of clinical knowledge, critical appraisal skills, and professional growth within forensic and general psychiatry.

Working in a specialised forensic mental health unit is a rare clinical experience that will provide skills and knowledgeable transferable to any branch of medicine. Moreover, being at the interest of psychiatry and law, working in Forensic Psychiatry invites critical reflection on both.

This post provides a focused experience in female mental health and trauma-informed care, supported by the home-style model of care used by the Bute Ward multidisciplinary team, which enhances understanding of rehabilitation psychiatry and person-centred practice. The slow turnover on the ward allows for the development of meaningful, sustained therapeutic relationships, providing insight into individual recovery journeys and supporting the growth of communication, empathy, and a deeper understanding of the impact of mental illness and recovery within a secure setting.

Attending prison mental health clinics with the clinical supervisor offers multiple opportunities for learning, assessment, as well as feedback in a supported and safe environment.