Assistant Psychologist Wymondham, East of England, England
Job description
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust provides child and adult mental health services, learning disability, wellbeing, older people's and eating disorder services across Norfolk and Suffolk.
At any one time, around 23,000 people in Norfolk and Suffolk are receiving care and attention from the Trust. We believe in whole life care - seeing people in the context of their whole lives, understanding the importance of good physical health, friends, family, spirituality, culture, home, work, education and a sense of purpose and achievement to experience good mental health.
Nearly 3,200 full and part-time practitioners care for our service users in hospitals, in the community and in their own homes, whilst an additional 900+ staff provide non-clinical support, including cleaning, delivering supplies, ward administration, information technology, human resources and financial services.
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and want to reflect the diversity of our local communities within our teams. We welcome applications from all talented individuals with the relevant qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience.
We are committed to delivering quality driven mental health services. Every individual makes a valuable contribution. We are proud of our staff who have been commended for the care they provide. Do you value working positively, respectfully and together? If so, we’d love you to join us!
We will consider flexible working arrangements for our roles, please indicate in your application if this is something you require
JOB DESCRIPTION/PERSON SPECIFICATION
Please read the job description/person specification carefully and ensure your application reflects the knowledge, skills and experience needed.
YOUR APPLICATION
It is important that you complete a formal application form as CV’s alone will not be accepted.
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Job overview
We are seeking to recruit a full time Band 4 Assistant Psychologist who is intending to pursue a career as a clinical psychologist and therefore has or is expected to achieve at least a 2:1 degree in Psychology with Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) eligibility. This role is for a 2 year fixed term position. You will be based at Gateway House in Wymondham within the South Norfolk Adult CMHT. You will be well-supported in an established and valued post, working within the multi-disciplinary team, alongside and supervised by the Principal Practitioner Psychologist.
The post will suit an enthusiastic and motivated psychology graduate, ideally with post graduate clinical experience in the NHS, who can show an ability to work well within a multi-disciplinary team and is passionate about the contribution of a psychological approach to multi-disciplinary care. Prior experience of working with adults with mental health difficulties would be an advantage, or evidence of significant transferrable skills. You will be part of a friendly and supportive clinical psychology and psychological therapies team, and there will good opportunities for professional development.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be responsible for providing time limited, focused psychological interventions, including co-facilitating group sessions, and work in a psychologically informed way alongside other members of the psychology team and wider MDT. There will be opportunities to contribute to team training and reflective practice, as well as involvement in service-related audits and evaluation relevant to service needs, all under the supervision of a qualified member of staff.
The successful candidate will have excellent verbal and written communication skills, good organisational skills, the ability to build positive working relationships with service users and colleagues, and work effectively as a member of the multidisciplinary team.
We have close relationships with the Clinical Psychology Doctorate training course at the University of East Anglia and routinely offer placements to trainee clinical psychologists. We also have an excellent research department in the Trust.
Working for our organisation
You will join a supportive and proactive psychology team of 7 staff embedded within the wider CMHT. A range of specialist skills and interests are represented, including working with personality difficulties, trauma and dissociation, psychosis, CBT, MBT, CAT, EMDR, art psychotherapy etc.
Gateway House offers a modern pleasant environment, with dedicated psychology office space, shops and green spaces nearby, and train station within walking distance. West Norfolk is a mixed rural and urban area and offers a high quality of life in terms of housing, culture and leisure pursuits. The beautiful Norfolk coast is on the doorstep, whilst there are good road and rail links with London, Cambridge, Norwich and the Midlands.
Please note that this vacancy may close ahead of the published expiry date so an early application will ensure that you don’t miss out on this opportunity.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Main responsibilities to include:
- Psychological assessment, formulation and intervention as appropriate under close supervision of a clinical psychologist
- Co-facilitating psychologically informed groups
- Contributing to the practice of psychologically informed interventions within the team via teaching and developing resources
- Attending MDT and professional meetings to bring a psychological perspective to clinical discussions
- Contributing to service development projects
- Monitoring and evaluating data, outcomes and writing reports
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- A BPS accredited degree in Psychology 2:1 or above
- Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) eligibility
Desirable criteria
- Post graduate CPD/training
Skills
Essential criteria
- Skills using databases, including Excel
Desirable criteria
- Presentation skills
- Experience of group work
- Ability to communicate sensitive information to patients and colleagues
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Knowledge of mental health
- High standard of report writing
- An understanding of psychology applied to healthcare
- Ability to apply existing knowledge to a mental health context
Desirable criteria
- An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of working with people with mental health difficulties
Desirable criteria
- Previous experience working as an Assistant Psychologist in the NHS
- Experience of MDT working
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
Apart from its legal duties in relation to equality and diversity, the Trust recognises and actively promotes the benefits of a diverse workforce and is committed to treating all employees with dignity and respect regardless of race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief.
Additionally, people with disabilities that fall under the Two Ticks - Guaranteed Interview Scheme will be offered an interview providing they meet the minimum criteria for the post (outlined in the Person Specification).
DISCLOSURE AND BARRING SERVICE CHECK (formerly CRB)
FOR POSTS WITH DIRECT SERVICE USER CONTACT - Please be advised that due to recent changes in the DBS Service, organisations no longer receive copies of DBS Disclosures – these are sent directly to candidates only. Therefore, it will be your responsibility, if successful, to ensure that this is taken to the appointing officer as soon as you receive it.
Alternatively, if you have subscribed to the update service, we will be able to check your status once we have your authority to do so.
The Trust has now introduced a DBS Update Service which is a contractual requirement. You need to subscribe when you have applied for your DBS clearance and there is a time limit to subscribe of 19 days after receipt of your DBS disclosure. Please ensure that this is completed within the set time scale.
This update service is an annual subscription at a cost of £13 to you. This will enable the Trust to have instant online access to your DBS record, with your consent, and so will remove the need for you to have to apply for this repeat check again.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
