About this role
Job summary Second Step have been delivering the HWYNI service across Bristol since 2024. After a successful recommissioning process, from 1st October 2026, Second Step joined in partnership with Rethink to deliver the Help When You Need It service with additional components to support inclusion and psychological, adversity and trauma (PAT) informed practice to enhance both client and staff experience and outcomes. This new senior psychologist role within the service is fundamental to achieve our ambitions. Together, we will provide practical goal-focused support for adults with mental health needs and their carers, helping people access the right support at the right time, building on their strengths, allowing them to achieve goals and more sustainable recovery journeys.
Main duties of the job This is a unique opportunity for a self-motivated, forward-thinking psychologist to be responsible for introducing a PAT approach to HWYNI to shape the culture of the team and support clients and staff to thrive.
About us Second Step is a leading mental health charity in the South-West offering housing, support and hope to thousands of people with mental health and other needs. We promote wellbeing by supporting people and communities to build brighter futures. We value relationships and making sense of what has happened to those accessing our services, rather than labelling what is wrong with them.
Job description Job responsibilities Work alongside the team, service and senior operations managers to ensure effective development of the new community HWYNI service.
Provide a psychological perspective representing the voluntary sector within management and multi-agency meetings.
Work closely with our Head of Psychology to ensure the service and psychological offers within this align with Second Steps wider PAT strategy.
Provide psychological consultation/coaching to managers and internal staff to promote understanding of a PAT informed approach.
Support effective change management, cultural development and team cohesion.
Share learning with external stakeholder organisations, to build psychologically informed capacity across the system.
Be a representative for the voluntary sector and Second Step, promoting our reputation as a PAT informed organisation and liaise with and attend relevant meetings with delivery partners and stakeholders e.g. Rethink etc as required.
Develop and report on relevant key performance indicators associated with the delivery of psychology and evaluation of processes as required.
Person Specification
Experience Essential
Considerable experience and interest in working with people with histories of trauma and multiple disadvantage including a range of adult mental health presentations and/or substance misuse, forensic histories and homelessness. Experience in working in NHS or VCSE mental health settings with fluctuating and complex risk presentations Significant experience offering supervision. Experience in group facilitation and offering reflective contexts and developing and delivering training to various audiences. Experience of working autonomously across services or teams offering consultation and influencing the networks of support around individuals and creating system change
Desirable
Experience of the voluntary sector and/or working across multiple services/teams simultaneously Experience of working with clients with High intensity use of services
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 Second Step
Address 162 Pennywell Road (Head Office)
St Jude's
Bristol
BS5 0TX
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.second-step.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)