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Assistant Psychologist (or similar) posts

Fixed term post (6 months initially) – with possible 12 month extension

Health Boards in Scotland are recruiting to a number of Assistant Psychologist and similar posts. Successful applicants will undertake an Enhanced Psychological Practice (EPP) educational programme within their Assistant Psychologist or similar role. The education programme is provided by NHS Education for Scotland (NES).

These are fixed term posts for up to 18 months consisting of a learner phase and post-qualification consolidation phase. Posts commence at Agenda for Change Band 4 with possible eligibility to progress to Agenda for Change Band 5 on successful completion of the Enhanced Psychological Practice Programme. It is anticipated learners will complete the educational programme within the first 6 months of the 18-month post.

You will be employed by the same NHS Scotland Health Board for the duration of both contracts. Your Band 4 employment is conditional upon you remaining registered on the EPP Programme.

You will undertake clinically supervised work with individuals or groups linked to the learning programme objectives on a full-time basis.

Enhanced Psychological Practice Educational Programme

The EPP educational programme provides comprehensive training in evidence-based interventions for people presenting with common mental health problems, such as anxiety and low mood. It equips staff with the competences to deliver a set of Enhanced Psychological Interventions (EPIs). EPIs are Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) informed, high volume approaches. There are two training pathways: one focusing on working with adults (EPP-A) and one focusing on working with children, young people and their families (EPP-CYP).

Who you are

You are an Honours Psychology graduate of a British Psychological Society (BPS) OR Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) accredited psychology degree programme that confers the Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC). You will have an interest in applying psychology to working with common mental health problems. You will be able to provide evidence of right to work in the UK without restriction.

What you’ll bring

You will bring enthusiasm and commitment to learning through supervised practice alongside further academic study.

Selection Procedure

The selection and appointment procedure reflects the partnership of NHS Scotland employers and NES, in the commitment to attract excellent candidates. Successful candidates will be employees of the individual NHS Health Boards. Applicants will be asked to rank order the Health Board areas for which they wish to be considered as part of the application process, as well as which EPP educational programme training pathway they wish to be considered for (Adult or Children and Young People).

Representatives from the NHS Board areas and members of the NES Educational Programme Team will participate in the shortlisting process of the application forms submitted. All decisions regarding screening, shortlisting and inviting to interview are made with the applicant’s identity concealed from the shortlisting panel. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview where the panels will comprise of representatives from the employing NHS Health Boards and the Educational Programme Team. Interviews will be held remotely via Microsoft Teams.

Following interviews, each NHS Board area will appoint the appropriate number of applicants to places available within their health board.

After interview, candidates will receive a definite offer or reserve listing, or will be informed that they have been unsuccessful. Feedback after interviews is not given routinely, but is available to unsuccessful applicants on request. Funding for the EPP educational programme is provided by NHS Education for Scotland (NES).

On acceptance of programme and employment offers, appointees will - through a combination of face to face and remote delivery - work with a caseload in their health board for the duration of the education programme. All employment arrangements are undertaken directly with the employing NHS Board, who will carry out pre-employment checks such as employer references, verifying qualifications and your right to work in the UK, carry out health assessments and arrange Protection of Vulnerable Groups (criminal records) checks. Offers of employment and training places are subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks.

All of the work you do within the Assistant Psychologist post (both further study and supervised practice) will support your participation in the EPP educational programme. It should be noted participation in the programme is a full-time commitment.

Please note: As you will have undertaken a recruitment and selection process, if you are not successful in appointment to this post, NHS Boards may contact you with an alternative offer of employment for other Assistant Psychologist vacancies within their local Health Board area.

Informal enquiries relating to the EPP educational programme are welcomed by the NES Programme Team at [email protected] If you have enquiries relating to the posts in a specific Board(s), please refer to the local descriptor in the information pack for local contact details. The NES Programme team at the above email address can also direct you to a local contact if required.

If you are interested in this vacancy and would like further information, please refer to the corresponding documents including job descriptions and person specifications.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS (click links below for pdf documents)

Applicant Information Document
Adult Programme Leaflet
CYP Programme Leaflet
Band 4 Person Specification – Adult
Band 4 Person Specification – CYP
Band 5 Person Specification – Adult
Band 5 Person Specification - CYP
NHS Ayrshire & Arran Job Descriptions
NHS Borders Job Descriptions
NHS Forth Valley Job Descriptions
NHS Grampian Job Descriptions
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde Job Descriptions
NHS Lothian Adult Job Descriptions
NHS Lothian CYP Job Descriptions
NHS Tayside Job Descriptions

Unless otherwise stated the deadline for applications is 23:59 hours on the closing date.

The educational programme and posts will commence on Monday 6th November 2023. You will need to be available for work in your designated health board from this date.

Interviews will be held between Monday 28th August and Friday 1st September 2023, remotely via Microsoft Teams.