Featured job: Clinical Psychologist, Magna House

Hugo Santos, Lead Psychologist, describes Magna House as 'a rehabilitation centre which has a genuinely homely feeling. This is partly because many of the multi-disciplinary team have worked there for some time and the whole place is focused on the individual clients. It's also because of the way it is set up. Clients live in one of three cottages in which they have their own en-suite room with shared living room, kitchen and dining areas. We can take up to 18 clients.'

Magna House's situation also helps. 'It's in Sleaford Lincolnshire, an old agricultural village in the Fenlands with 17,000 inhabitants. Because it's not a huge place people know each other. Our clients have access to local services and services and we know what times are best to go to the shops, for instance. We understand and control risk factors.'

The therapy that the house offers is focused on returning people to the community. 'Our website gives a good view of the sorts of conditions we work with but our clients may suffer from anxiety, depression, psychosis, OCD, PTSD and similar conditions, for instance. We also work with people who relapsed and need a period of respite before they return to their jobs, family, and community. We do not admit clients whose primary diagnosis is addiction, eating disorders and learning disabilities. The team working with them includes psychologists, occupational therapists, psychiatrists, nurses and others.'

'We're looking for someone dynamic who can learn new things. It's a very varied job involving clinical as well as managerial jobs: contributing to policy at senior management meetings, supporting other workers, developing care plans, and investigating new therapies and approaches. We will consider people with both clinical and forensic experience. Magna House is one of a number of similar units run by the same organisation. They operate independently but I'm very keen that research is carried out across the organisations and published. I see this as an important development.'

'There are other real possibilities for extending and developing this role partly through CPD. Across the network there are a number of areas we want to develop – neurology and trauma studies for instance – as well as extend our services along the entire treatment pathway: for instance, we're very keen to develop a rehabilitation community focused with potential outreach service.'

What do you see as key to this role? 'An ability to lead by example and also to come up with new ideas.' And how would you convince someone to work at Magna House? 'I've worked in lots of areas from prison and the NHS to private centres. This organisation invests in you in return for your commitment. I love working here and I'm fully committed with the service and the company and we are looking for a dynamic professional to support our growing team.'

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