About this role
Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and motivated Assistant Psychologist to join our Community Mental Health Team (CMHT).
Working under the supervision of a qualified Clinical Psychologist, the successful candidate will support the delivery of psychological assessment, formulation and intervention for adults experiencing a range of mental health difficulties within the community. The role will involve working closely with service users, carers and multidisciplinary colleagues to promote recovery-oriented, psychologically informed care.
This is an excellent opportunity for a psychology graduate seeking to develop their clinical, research and service development skills within a supportive and innovative community mental health setting. The post holder will contribute to direct clinical work, group interventions, audit, service evaluation and quality improvement initiatives, while receiving regular clinical supervision and opportunities for professional development.
The successful applicant will join a well-established multidisciplinary team and wider psychology network, contributing to the delivery of evidence-based psychological care and the continued development of psychologically informed services.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will assist qualified psychology staff in the delivery of psychological assessment, formulation and intervention within the Community Mental Health Team. This will include direct clinical work with service users, facilitation of psychological groups, development of clinical resources, administration and scoring of outcome measures, and contribution to audit, research and service improvement projects. The post holder will work closely with multidisciplinary colleagues and receive regular clinical supervision from a qualified psychologist.
About us
This is an exciting opportunity to join a well-established Community Mental Health Team within Mersey Care. We are committed to delivering compassionate, recovery-focused care and recognise the important contribution that psychology makes to understanding and supporting people experiencing mental health difficulties.
You will be part of a supportive multidisciplinary team and a wider psychology service that values curiosity, learning and innovation. The successful applicant will receive regular supervision and have opportunities to develop clinical, research and service development skills while contributing to meaningful improvements in the lives of service users and their families.
We are proud to be an inclusive employer and are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued and able to thrive. We welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and are dedicated to supporting the wellbeing and professional development of our staff.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Assistant Psychologist will work as part of the Community Mental Health Team (CMHT), supporting the delivery of psychologically informed assessment, formulation, intervention, and service development activities under the supervision of a qualified Clinical or Counselling Psychologist.
The post holder will contribute to the provision of high-quality, evidence-based psychological care for adults experiencing a range of complex mental health difficulties. Working within a multidisciplinary team, they will support the integration of psychological thinking into routine clinical practice and contribute to the ongoing development of psychologically informed services.
Clinical Responsibilities
- Assist qualified psychologists in the assessment of service users experiencing a range of mental health difficulties, including gathering psychological, clinical and risk-related information.
- Support psychological formulation by collecting, analysing and presenting relevant information from interviews, psychometric measures, clinical records and MDT discussions.
- Deliver protocol-driven and low-intensity psychological interventions, guided self-help, psychoeducation and psychologically informed support under the supervision of a qualified psychologist.
- Co-facilitate therapeutic groups, workshops and psychologically informed interventions for service users and carers.
- Administer, score and interpret psychological outcome measures and questionnaires as directed by a supervising psychologist.
- Maintain accurate, timely and comprehensive clinical records in accordance with Trust and professional standards.
- Monitor service user progress and provide feedback to the supervising psychologist and wider MDT.
- Participate in duty and triage processes where appropriate to the needs of the service.
Multidisciplinary Team Working
- Work collaboratively with psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, support workers and other professionals within the CMHT.
- Attend and contribute to multidisciplinary meetings, care planning reviews and case discussions.
- Assist in promoting psychologically informed approaches across the team and wider services.
- Support colleagues in considering psychological factors that may influence engagement, risk, recovery and treatment outcomes.
Audit, Research and Service Development
- Assist in clinical audit, service evaluation and quality improvement projects.
- Collect, analyse and present data to support service development initiatives.
- Contribute to the development of clinical resources, information leaflets, group materials and outcome monitoring systems.
- Participate in projects aimed at improving patient experience, outcomes and access to psychological interventions.
Communication and Professional Responsibilities
- Communicate effectively and sensitively with service users, carers, families and professionals, including in situations where information may be complex or distressing.
- Develop and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues and partner agencies.
- Prepare written reports, summaries and presentations as required.
- Work within professional, ethical and organisational policies and procedures.
- Ensure confidentiality and information governance standards are maintained at all times.
- Participate in regular clinical supervision and training opportunities.
- Maintain an awareness of current developments in psychological practice and community mental health services.
Teaching and Training
- Support the delivery of psychoeducational sessions and psychologically informed training activities within the CMHT.
- Contribute to the development of resources that enhance psychological knowledge and skills amongst team members.
- Assist in raising awareness of psychological approaches and interventions across the service.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- An honours degree in that satisfies the British Psychological Society criteria for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership
Desirable
- Post graduate training in areas relevant to psychological practice, mental health and/or research design and analysis
Experience
Essential
- Work experience in any organisation
- Experience of research methodology, data collection, analysis and report writing
Desirable
- Experience co-facilitating or supporting groups
- Experience designing and conducting large scale research, audit or service evaluations
- Previous experience working with service users and families
Skills
Essential
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- High level communication skills - verbal and written - with professionals, service users and families
- Good time management skills
Desirable
- Proficient IT skills
Knowledge
Essential
- Knowledge of a broad range of psychological theories and the application of these to mental health self-harming behaviours
Desirable
- Knowledge of Psychological Therapies
- Knowledge of NICE guidelines
- Knowledge of policies and legislation relevant to gender based 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
Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Hartley Hospital
1b Curzon Road
Southport
PR8 6PL
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.merseycare.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)