Assistant Psychologist

Assistant Psychologist

Job description

Job summary

INTERNAL ONLY - This post is open to Berkshire Healthcare NHS Employees Only

Please note the PayScale currently in use is Agenda for Change 2023 / 2024. We will update the 2024 / 2025 PayScale once confirmed.

Interviews are due to be held on 25 September 2024.

We are looking to recruit an Assistant Psychologist to work full-time at Prospect Park Hospital on our Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).

Main duties of the job

- You will be based on our Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit at Prospect Park Hospital. Under supervision of a Counselling or Clinical Psychologist.
- You will take on a clinical caseload that will include both individual and group work with adults with complex mental health presentations.






- You will offer assessments and interventions (both individual and group) to patients and carers.
- You will support the running of team formulation sessions, teaching and staff support sessions.
- You will develop resources, write reports and gather background information on patients who have recently been admitted.
- You will input into your allocated ward's multi-disciplinary team meeting.
- You will be support the quality improvement work on your ward and in the Psychology team.
- You will be part of the Inpatients Psychology team and receive peer support from the six other Assistant Psychologists in the team.

At times you may work on the other wards at Prospect Park Hospital, as needed. Occasionally you might also support your ward or others wards at Prospect Park Hospital with non-Psychology tasks if there is a need for this.

About us

Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated 'outstanding' by the CQC,





we're committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire.

We value diversity and are proud to be a Stonewall Top 100 Employer.We work hard to create an inclusive environment where you'll be supported by friendly and professional colleagues to flourish.

Our values at Berkshire Healthcare :

- Caring for and about you is our top priority
- Committed to providing good quality, safe services
- Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions

We welcome people who share these values to come and work for us.

Benefits of working for us include :

- Flexible working options to support work-life balance
- 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
- Generous NHS pension scheme






- Excellent learning and career development opportunities

Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles

- Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
- Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
- Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
- Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
- Free parking across Trust sites

If you share our values and would like to come and work for us, please submit your application as soon as possible as we'll occasionally close roles early that have a high number of applications.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The must haves for this role :

- An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology.






- Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.
- Demonstrable understanding of an acute mental health environment.
- Experience of working with people with mental health problems and / or other disabilities.
- High level of communication and team-working skills.

For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.

We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.

We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations :





Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award.

Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.

We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please dont hesitate to call : Catherine Evans Jones on tel.

01189605111 or email : who will be delighted to help.

Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

Person Specification

Education / Qualifications

Essential

- An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology.






- Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society

Desirable

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

Training / CPD

Essential

Desire to undertake further training and self-improvement to support patient experience

Previous Experience

Essential

- Demonstrable understanding of an acute mental health environment
- Work with people with mental health problems and / or other disabilities

Desirable

Experience of working in an inpatient psychiatric ward

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Essential

- Ability to communicate sensitively with staff members, service-users, carers, and other parties,





in a work setting in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive and hostile.
- An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems or other disabilities. Some knowledge of common mental health problems.
- An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a mental health context
- An understanding of psychology applied to health care.
- Knowledge and skills in mental health assessments.
- Good knowledge of IT (Word, Excel, Access and SPSS) and a high standard of report writing.
- Sound research skills, including a working knowledge of statistics, and ability to analyse data and produce good quality reports.
- Able to work effectively with colleagues






- Able to work under pressure
- Ability to work in a stressful environment

Additional Requirements

Essential

- An ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines.
- Honest, trustworthy, reliable
- Understand the limits of your abilities