News

26 Apr, 2022

RMA Accredit Five New Assessors

The work of the RMA focusses on protecting the public by reducing the risk of serious harm posed by violent and sexual offending. We have specific responsibilities that support the Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR) sentence, including the accreditation of experienced risk assessors.

Find out more about the role of an Accredited Assessor

Accredited Risk Assessors carry out Risk Assessment Reports for the High Court where an OLR sentence is being considered. They are not employed by the RMA but accredited by us and engaged and remunerated by the court. Last year we revised our accreditation process to make sure it is thorough and supportive. In early 2022 we opened applications for experienced, confident risk assessors from psychology and psychiatry to become accredited by the RMA. We are thrilled to welcome five new assessors to the accredited cohort.

“Following a very successful recruitment campaign, we are pleased to welcome five new assessors. These individuals are highly skilled and experienced in risk assessment and will play a vital role in the Scottish Justice System through the accredited assessor role. I am confident that the accredited assessors, both new and existing, will provide a high-quality service to the high court to support decision making around the OLR sentence.”
Debbie Campbell, Head of OLR

DR ELIZABETH FLYNN

Dr Flynn is a Forensic Clinical Psychologist who has been employed by NHS Lothian as the Lead Psychologist within the Serious Offender Liaison Service since 2016. This team provides both clinical and strategic input as part of the MAPPA process across NHS Lothian and, as an NHS Lothian MAPPA representative, Dr Flynn is a standing member on the Edinburgh and Lothian MAPPA Panel. In addition, this team provides an assessment and consultancy service to other agencies managing people convicted of serious violent and sexual offences. This role also involves delivering training to partner agencies. As the Lead psychologist for MAPPA, Dr Flynn is also a member of NHS Lothian’s Public Protection Action Group.

Dr Flynn is also the Forensic Network Clinical Lead for MAPPA & Serious Offending and Chairs the National MAPPA health Liaison group and the MAPPA clinical forum.

Prior to this post, Dr Flynn was Head of Forensic Clinical Psychology within NHS Forth Valley for 7 years. As well as providing similar input to MAPPA partners in Forth Valley and chairing MAPPA meetings, Dr Flynn also had a remit managing the clinical psychology provision to the three National prisons in that area and overseeing forensic services in both hospital and community settings. During her time in Forth Valley Dr Flynn was also involved with a number of Forensic Network working groups and delivered training on behalf of the Network and the School of Forensic Mental Health.

LORNA GRAY

Lorna is a Chartered and Registered Forensic psychologist and has been in practice since 2006. She started her career in the private sector in 2006 and in 2001 moved to the Scottish Prison Service (SPS). Lorna currently holds the position of Head of Psychology in HMP Shotts.

Lorna leads on risk assessment practice within the SPS, which includes developing training in risk assessment for other psychologists within the service. She also works independently in private practice, doing risk assessments at the request of the Parole Board for England and Wales which she has done since 2017. She is trained and experienced in a wide variety of risk assessment tools, personality assessments and cognitive functioning assessments.

Additionally, Lorna is trained in a variety of interventions, including accredited offending behaviour programmes, trauma approaches (e.g., Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing) and Schema Therapy. She achieved accreditation status in schema therapy in March 2021.

MARK KOZLOWSKI

Marc has been Head of (forensic) Psychology at four UK prisons, two in England and two in Scotland. In 2018 he became an Associate Professor in Forensic Psychology at Edinburgh Napier University, where he developed a new Masters programme in Applied Forensic Psychology, which is now accredited by the BPS.

Marc has worked extensively with male perpetrators of general violence, intimate partner violence, and sexual violence. He has overseen and has been involved in the delivery of accredited treatment programmes for perpetrators of intimate partner violence, general violence, sexual offending, and addiction-related offending. Marc has also developed and delivered individualised offending behaviour interventions for people who were unable to access group-based programmes. While Head of Interventions and Psychology at HMP Erlestoke, Marc led on the launch of a new residential treatment unit that specialised in treating men with a history of intimate partner violence or addiction-related offending.

Marc has a special interest in offenders who have attracted a diagnosis of personality disorder, and in the traumatic life experiences which in many cases preceded this diagnosis. Marc developed and delivered training for non-psychology staff in working effectively and supportively with offenders with these complex needs and presentations.

NAVEEL SALEEMI

Naveel attained a BSc(Hon) in Psychology from the University of Dundee; a MSc in Applied Forensic Psychology from the University of York and The Qualification in Forensic Psychology from the British Psychological Society (BPS). The latter being a doctoral level qualification providing eligibility to use the protected title of Forensic Psychologist.

Naveel has gained considerable experience assessing and treating adult males within a high security custodial setting. For over 20 years he has worked across two jurisdictions, gaining much of his expertise assessing and providing interventions for those in custody who have caused harm by their violence. Whilst working for Her Majesty’s Prison Service he was a Facilitator, Treatment Manager and National Trainer for the prison and community intimate partner violence programme (HRP & CDVP). Within the Scottish Prison Service, he was the lead developer for accredited medium intensity violence programme (Discovery). He is currently the Head of Psychology at HMP Perth and the National Psychology Lead for case management; informing policy and practice in relation to the risk/need assessments and sentence planning.

He is trained in the application of a number of risk, cognitive, personality and psychometric tools. He has received training and professional development in the provision of Schema Therapy, Brainspotting and the Trauma Processing.

During his career he has undertaken several guest inspections for Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland. He is a professional Supervisor for several candidates enrolled on the professional BPS Qualification in Forensic Psychology and is on the Register of Applied Psychology Practice Supervisors. He is an Assessor for this qualification on the behalf of the BPS Forensic Psychology Qualifications Board.

LOUISE TANSEY

Louise is a Consultant Forensic Clinical Psychologist, currently working in the NHS. She is registered as a Clinical and Forensic Psychologist with the HCPC and Chartered Psychologist with the BPS. Having graduated in Psychology from the University of Strathclyde and later in Clinical Psychology from the University of Edinburgh in 2010, she has worked in a variety of services including intellectual disability, adult mental health, prison mental health services and forensic mental health undertaking assessments and delivering direct and indirect psychological treatments. She has over fifteen years’ experience of working in forensic mental health settings.

Louise is particularly interested in psychological formulation; using relational and transdiagnostic approaches; working with those with complex presentations, including those who may receive a diagnosis of personality disorder; as well as risk assessment and risk management. She values and enjoys working with those from other disciplines and agencies; and regularly does so, supporting them to integrate psychological formulation into their practice. She trains and supports other professionals to develop skills in risk assessment and risk management and regularly provides expert opinion to the courts.