I have been a qualified Clinical Psychologist, based in the NHS, from 1983-2016. I have worked in a range of settings; primary care, prisons, courts and probation settings, community mental health teams and assertive outreach teams, community drugs services, open mental health wards, low and medium secure inpatient services.
I have contributed to services for people aged 16-90. Most of my work has been with men and women with complex mental health problems, substance misuse or personality disorder. I have also worked with people with HIV and AIDs and assessing people applying for gender reassignment.
I have worked with the Department of Health as regards mental health legislation; I have participated with commissioners in forensic services to develop service user led quality standards. Much of my work has been with multidisciplinary teams, providing risk assessment with formulation, supervision and consultation to staff. I held an individual and group caseload throughout my career.
I worked as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist from 1988-2016. I was Lead Clinician for a forensic Service from 2004-2016. I have been involved in developing and managing services and my focus has been on service user empowerment.
Professional memberships and activities
I am registered as a Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council. I am a Graduate member of the British Psychological Society (BPS) a member of the Division of Clinical Psychology. I am a member of the Psychosis and Complex Mental Health Faculty and Women’s Section of the BPS.
I am a member of the Mental Health Act Advisory Group of the BPS and the Approved Clinician Peer Review panel.
I am a lifetime member of the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies.
I am a trainee member of the Association of Cognitive Analytical Therapy
Academic qualifications
BSc (Hons) Behavioural Science (1980)
MSc in Clinical Psychology (equivalent to the Doctorate qualification) (1983)
Certificate in Managing Health Services (2001)
Expertise
I have Approved Clinician status under the Mental Health Act until 2019.
I am on the BPS Register of Applied Psychology Practice Supervisors.
I have expertise in risk assessment of mentally disordered offenders and stalking using the Structured Professional Judgement model
I have completed the Knowledge and Understanding framework training for working with people with personality disorders.
I have gained Compassion focussed therapy advanced skills training
My preferred clinical perspective combines Cognitive Analytic Therapy and Compassion focussed therapy, but much of my work has required creative adaptation of psychological approaches to match complex presentations or team issues.
I presently provide a day on legal issues to trainees on the Hull D Clin Psych course.
Research interests
I have completed and published research in node link mapping interventions for people in forensic settings with comorbid substance misuse and mental health problems; I have contributed to research validating national measures such as the Recovery Star and the FACE outcome measure.
Enterprise and commercial interests
I have been a specialist advisor to the Care Quality Commission since 2014.
I presently work as an independent psychologist providing supervision and therapy.
Teaching
Clinical practice, placement preparation and supervisor training
Publications
Ledwith.S 2007 ' Everyday Human Rights'
Issues in Forensic Psychology, Issue 6 pp102 – 105 British Psychological Society
Melton.V, Ledwith,S 2016 'Node-link mapping; an asset?
Advances in Dual Diagnosis Vol 9, Issue 1 p316-337