About this role
Job summary
Assistant Psychologist - Join a Growing, Innovative Healthcare TeamAre you passionate about psychology, neurodevelopmental assessment, and making a meaningful difference in people's lives? At Haven Medical, you'll have the opportunity to develop your clinical skills, contribute to assessment pathways, and play a key role in shaping the future of a growing independent healthcare service.
What makes Haven Medical different is our commitment to innovation, quality, and continuous improvement. You'll be encouraged to contribute ideas, participate in service development initiatives, and help shape pathways that improve patient experiences and outcomes. Alongside regular supervision and professional development opportunities, you'll gain valuable experience in audit, quality improvement, governance, and multidisciplinary working.
This role is ideal for aspiring psychologists seeking high-quality experience before postgraduate training.
If you're looking for more than a traditional Assistant Psychologist role and want the chance to develop your expertise while making a genuine impact on patients and families, Haven Medical offers an exciting opportunity to build your future in psychology within a dynamic, expanding healthcare organisation.
Build your psychology career while helping transform lives. Join Haven Medical and be part of something meaningful.
Main duties of the job
As an Assistant Psychologist, you will work alongside experienced psychologists, psychiatrists, and multidisciplinary clinicians, supporting psychological and neurodevelopmental assessments. You'll be involved in structured clinicalinterviews, psychometric testing, report writing, service evaluation, and day-to-day running of a diagnostic service. This is a varied and rewarding role that offers exceptional exposure to both clinical practice and service development.
You will liaise regularly with children, adults, parents, carers, schools and other professionals, undertaking screening and booking calls, gathering background information and ensuring patients receive a high-quality experience throughout their journey. The role also includes maintaining clinical databases, analysing service data, collecting and reviewing patient feedback, and supporting quality improvement initiatives that help enhance patient care. Working closely with the Clinical Director, you will gain valuable experience in service development, and clinical governance while receiving regular supervision. This unique combination of clinical, operational and development responsibilities makes the role an outstanding opportunity for aspiring psychologists seeking meaningful hands-on experience and a strong foundation for future postgraduate training and professional progression.
About us
At Haven Medical, you'll join a friendly, ambitious, and highly supportive multidisciplinary team dedicated to delivering outstanding patient care. Our clinicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, and administrative teams work collaboratively, sharing expertise and learning from one another in an environment that values professionalism, innovation, and compassion. We are passionate about improving lives and are committed to creating a workplace where every team member feels valued, respected, and empowered to contribute ideas.
As a growing independent healthcare provider, we offer a unique opportunity to be involved in service development and quality improvement, giving you exposure that extends far beyond a traditional Assistant Psychologist role. We encourage curiosity, continuous learning, and professional growth through supervision and development opportunities. You'll benefit from working alongside experienced clinicians, gaining valuable experience in neurodevelopmental assessment, research, audit, governance, and multidisciplinary practice. Most importantly, you'll be part of a team that genuinely enjoys working together, celebrates success, supports one another through challenges, and shares a common goal of delivering exceptional care to patients and families.
Job description Job responsibilities
1. JOB PURPOSE
To support and enhance the professional psychological care of within Haven Medical, across all sectors of care, providing psychological assessment and psychological interventions. To work under the supervision of a qualified professional psychologist working independently, where appropriate, according to a plan agreed with a qualified psychologist and within the overall framework of the teams policies and procedures. To assist in clinically related administration, conduct of audits, collection of statistics, development of audit and/or research projects, teaching and project work.
2. ROLE OF DEPARTMENT
Haven Medical is an independent healthcare company that provides a range of healthcare services across the lifespan. The clinical director is responsible for the oversight of the clinic as well as core governance features such as CQC compliance and maintenance of accurate records. Service development and improvement is a key part of the role given the age of the clinic and the goals to increase and improve service provision.
3. ORGANISATIONAL POSITION
Reporting to clinical director
4. SCOPE AND RANGE
Service development, service delivery, audit and improvement:
Psychology and psychiatry services across the lifespan
Neurodevelopmental assessment pathways across the lifespan
Developing and maintaining databases, records, feedback and audit information
Training and development for assessments and intervention
Providing specialist psychological expertise to the clinic and staff
5. MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
Clinical
1.To undertake protocol based psychological assessments with patients applying psychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews.
2.To assist in the formulation of neurodiversity diagnoses including participating in MDTs and compiling reports summarising MDT assessments
3.Screening calls, liaison with families, general screening as part of the role, including maintenance of a database of these calls and outcomes
4To assist in the coordination, collection and analysis of feedback.
5.To attend and contribute to appropriate multi-disciplinary and review meetings.
6.To undertake small-scale research projects, audit and service evaluation with a
view of publishing these internally
7. Routine audit and improvement of service through CQC review and internal process development
Teaching, training and supervision
1.To receive regular clinical supervision in accordance with professional practice guidelines.
2.To gain wider experience of professional psychology within Haven Medical
3.To develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties.
4.To assist the Clinical Director in the delivery of teaching, training or support to staff.
Management, recruitment and service development
1.To assist in the design and implementation of service evaluation and development projects within the service as required.
2.To attend meetings in which service developments are planned and discussed.
3.To attend routine clinical meetings.
Research and service evaluation
1.To assist in the design and implementation of audit and research projects.
2.To undertake data collection, analysis, the production of reports and summaries, using IT and statistical programmes.
3.To undertake searches of evidence-based literature and research to assist the clinical director in evidence based practice in individual work, service development and work with other team members.
General
1.To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the post holders manager.
2.To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing in accordance with professional codes of practice of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) British Psychological Society (BPS) and Haven Medical policies and procedures.
3.To prepare test materials and visual aids as required.
4.To adhere to the code of conduct as outlined by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and British Psychological Society (BPS).
5. SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT
1.The post holder would be responsible for the correct and appropriate use of psychometric testing equipment involving the precise manipulation of equipment in a clinical setting in tests which are sometimes timed.
2.The post holder would be required to use computer software for databases, statistical analysis for research and for the preparation of materials for clinical use. In addition a requirement of the job would be to maintain a clinical database and extract appropriate information for the purposes of research and audit and to inform service developments and data-driven care.
3.Competence in the use of internet/intranet systems is essential for accessing the internal e-mail system and for computer-based literature searches.
6. DECISIONS AND JUDGEMENTS
The post holder will be supervised on at least a weekly basis, by the clinical director, through a combination of formal and informal supervision. Clinical supervision will be available as required. While work would be carried out independently, this would be within the confines of a specified treatments, clearly-defined assessments and guidance from the clinical director.
7. COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS
Within the clinical work:
1.To communicate clearly and empathically to patients, families and carers, as well as external agencies.
2.To establish a rapport with individuals who have mental health disorders, Learning Disabilities or other difficulties, some of whom may be distressed or demonstrate behaviours that challenge.
3.To discuss and negotiate work with colleagues within a multidisciplinary team and in agreement with the clinical director.
4.To discuss clinical work with other agencies and professionals under supervision from the clinical director.
5.To provide written reports and assessments for patients, their families and other agencies.
6.To establish excellent rapport with the clinicians within the service
For research, audit and training:
1.To write reports on research and audit activities which are clear, concise and provide interpretation/analysis of work.
2.Where appropriate to present to internal and wider audience research and audit findings.
8. PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB
1.The post holder is sometimes required to maintain concentration over lengthy meetings or interviews with patients and to be active throughout in maintaining the therapeutic relationship, in pursuing the therapeutic process and in recording the interview.
2.In psychometric testing, the post holder would be required to manipulate intricate test materials in specific ways, and sometimes under pressure of time while recording responses.
3.Keyboard and IT skills would be necessary in the use of computers and data analyses.
4.Sometimes required to sit in a constrained position for resident therapy/ interview /observation sessions.
5.Ability to drive is preferred.
9. MOST CHALLENGING/DIFFICULT PARTS OF THE JOB
1.To use theoretical understandings in the applied setting.
2.To balance the demands of research/audit and clinical aspects of the post.
3.To exercise initiative within the boundaries of supervised practice and defined clinical/research parameters.
4.Maintaining a sense of emotional and psychological resilience.
Person Specification
Experience Essential
Some paid or voluntary experience in work where relating to other people is a central part.
Desirable
Experience of paid work in direct care provision. Work with people with mental health problems and/or other disabilities. Experience of work with people given a diagnosis of a Learning Disability and or Autism. Experience of work within Learning Disability care settings. Previous experience working as an Assistant Psychologist or Honorary Assistant Psychologist. Voluntary work experience in a relevant field.
Knowledge and Skills Essential
High level communication skills (written and verbal) Ability to communicate at a high level information to service users, carers and colleagues in a way that addresses psychological resistance. An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems or other disabilities. An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a mental health context A theoretical framework in psychology, particularly in the areas of applied psychology and developmental psychology A good understanding of social science methodology and statistics Good IT skills with an ability to use word processing, database and statistical software packages
Desirable
Experience using Excel to a high level or AI-based tools such as copilot Understanding of data collection and ability to complete an audit/service evaluation High standard of report writing. Ability to communicate with people across age range and abilities. Experience of working in the independent healthcare sector Experience of using psychometric assessments.
Qualifications Essential
An upper second class honours degree (2:1) in psychology. Accredited honours degree which confers entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society (BPS).
Desirable
A First Class honours degree in psychology. Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis.
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.
Employer details Employer name Haven Medical
Address Haven Medical Primary Healthcare Services Ltd
15 Haven Road
POOLE
Dorset
BH13 7LE
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.thehavenmedical.com/ (Opens in a new tab)