Assistant Psychologist

Job description

Job summary

We are delighted to advertise two exciting opportunities for Assistant Psychologists to join the expanding psychology provision within our female adult acute inpatient ward in Stockport.

These full-time Band 4 permanent positions forms part of significant new investment in our service and form a key part of developing, supporting and strengthening our female model of care. As part of our improvement journey, our female acute wards strive to create a safe, respectful and trauma and gender-informed environment where women and staff feel valued, heard and supported. Care is shaped by dignity, choice and collaboration, with clarity around individual needs. We want each admission to be both purposeful and therapeutic.

The successful candidates will join qualified practitioner psychologists and the wider multidisciplinary team to support the delivery of high-quality, compassionate, psychologically informed care for women experiencing a distressing mental health crisis.

The postholders will be required to work flexibly, which will include evening and weekend hours to meet service needs.

Main duties of the job

As outlined in the job description, the main duties include:

• To support and enhance the psychological care of adults within acute mental health wards setting.This includes supporting the delivery of the female model of care, ensuring the ward environment and daily interactions reflect psychological and gender- and trauma-informed and recovery focused principles
• Providing psychological assessments and interventions under clinical supervision. This may be through 1:1 and/or group sessions, to adults with complex mental health needs.
• Carrying out structured assessments, observations and outcome measures
• Supporting the development of care plans and ward-based formulations
• Assisting with audits and projects, evaluation, and service improvement activity
• Helping to maintain high-quality clinical documentation and data collection
• Attend and contribute to multi-disciplinary meetings, reflective spaces, staff support, and the wider ward culture

You will receive clinical supervision from a Practitioner Psychologist and join peer supervision with other Assistant Psychologists in the acute pathway.

About us

Our acute and crisis pathway provides an evidence-based, high quality service across psychiatric intensive care units, adult acute wards, Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment Teams and Mental Health Liaison Teams covering half of Greater Manchester.

The Trustwide acute and crisis psychology team meets regularly for team meetings, CPD and a facilitated reflective group and has leadership from a Clinical Lead for the adult acute pathway.

We are passionate about staff well-being and compassionate leadership. Our staff survey results support this. In the latest national NHS Staff Survey (2024) Pennine Care was ranked as the best mental health and learning disability trust in the North .

We support staff to work flexibly and recognise and respect the roles our colleagues hold outside of working hours. This focus helps us to retain staff and ensure people are happy in their place of work.

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the top of our agenda. We know a diverse, inclusive and engaged culture is vital; that everyone's value should be recognised and respected.

Job description

Job responsibilities

For a more detailed overview of the roles job description and main responsibilities, please see the attached job description and personal specification.

Please refer to the essential criteria in the person specification which will highlight the skills, knowledge and experience you will need to demonstrate in your application, by way of example, to give yourself the best opportunity to be shortlisted.

Job description
Job responsibilities

For a more detailed overview of the roles job description and main responsibilities, please see the attached job description and personal specification.

Please refer to the essential criteria in the person specification which will highlight the skills, knowledge and experience you will need to demonstrate in your application, by way of example, to give yourself the best opportunity to be shortlisted.

Person Specification

Education / Qualifications

Essential

• A first or upper second class honours degree in psychology
• Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society

Desirable

• Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and / or research design and analysis

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with people with mental health problems
• Experience of working within a multi-disciplinary team.
• Previous experience as an Assistant Psychologist

Desirable

• Previous experience of paid or voluntary work in an acute mental health setting
• Experience of working with complex mental health difficulties including psychosis
• Experience of adapting materials to make them accessible for people with cognitive difficulties.
• Experience of using neuropsychological and psychometric assessments.
• Experience of service evaluation.
• Experience using word processing tools, spread sheets and statistical

Knowledge

Essential

• Have an understanding of psychological approaches to understanding complex mental health difficulties
• Have a good knowledge of psychological theories.

Desirable

• High standard of report writing

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• High level of communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive and challenging.
• Ability to communicate sensitive information to patients, carers and colleagues in way that enhances psychological mindedness.

Desirable

• Ability to design and evaluate research projects relevant to Applied Psychology.

Work Related Circumstances

Essential

• Use of a car or access to a means of mobility to travel across the Trust footprint in line with service needs
• Willing to carry out all duties and responsibilities of the post in accordance with the Trust's Equal Opportunities and Equality and Diversity policies
• Appointments to regulated and controlled activities require an enhanced DBS disclosure.
• Be able to work flexibly in accordance with service need (e.g. evenings, weekends)

Person Specification
Education / Qualifications

Essential

• A first or upper second class honours degree in psychology
• Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society

Desirable

• Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and / or research design and analysis

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with people with mental health problems
• Experience of working within a multi-disciplinary team.
• Previous experience as an Assistant Psychologist

Desirable

• Previous experience of paid or voluntary work in an acute mental health setting
• Experience of working with complex mental health difficulties including psychosis
• Experience of adapting materials to make them accessible for people with cognitive difficulties.
• Experience of using neuropsychological and psychometric assessments.
• Experience of service evaluation.
• Experience using word processing tools, spread sheets and statistical

Knowledge

Essential

• Have an understanding of psychological approaches to understanding complex mental health difficulties
• Have a good knowledge of psychological theories.

Desirable

• High standard of report writing

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• High level of communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive and challenging.
• Ability to communicate sensitive information to patients, carers and colleagues in way that enhances psychological mindedness.

Desirable

• Ability to design and evaluate research projects relevant to Applied Psychology.

Work Related Circumstances

Essential

• Use of a car or access to a means of mobility to travel across the Trust footprint in line with service needs
• Willing to carry out all duties and responsibilities of the post in accordance with the Trust's Equal Opportunities and Equality and Diversity policies
• Appointments to regulated and controlled activities require an enhanced DBS disclosure.
• Be able to work flexibly in accordance with service need (e.g. evenings, weekends)

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the .

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. .

Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the .

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. .

Employer details

Employer name

Pennine Care NHS FT
Address

Norbury Ward, Stepping Hill Hospital

Poplar Grove

Stockport

SK2 7JE

United Kingdom

Employer's website