Assistant Psychologist

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust; Aylesbury; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

An established healthcare provider is seeking an enthusiastic Assistant Psychologist to join their dedicated team. This role offers a unique opportunity to gain invaluable experience in applied clinical psychology within a Clinical Health Psychology setting. You’ll engage directly with patients, contributing to their psychosocial assessments and interventions while collaborating with a multidisciplinary team. The position is situated in a renowned Burns Unit, where you will support both inpatient and outpatient care. If you are passionate about psychology and eager to make a difference in the lives of patients, this role is perfect for you. Join a supportive and inclusive environment that values diversity and offers career progression opportunities.

Benefits

Generous annual leave entitlement

Pension scheme

Access to NHS discount schemes

Learning and development opportunities

Health and wellbeing services

Flexible working opportunities

Qualifications

• Good degree in Psychology required, preferably with experience as an Assistant Psychologist.
• Operational knowledge of SPSS is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Undertake psychosocial screening and assist in patient care plans.
• Support psychological needs of burn patients and their families.

Skills

High-level communication skills

Knowledge of SPSS

Excel coding skills

Understanding of psychology applied to healthcare

Ability to work independently

Experience with psychological assessment tools

Education

Upper second class honours degree in psychology

Graduate membership of the British Psychological Society

Post graduate training in relevant areas

Tools

Statistical software (SPSS)

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT) is an integrated provider of acute hospital and community services for people living in Buckinghamshire and the surrounding area.

We care for over half a million patients every year:

• Provide specialist spinal services at our world renowned National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, the birthplace of the Paralympics.
• Nationally recognised for urology and skin cancer services.
• Regional specialist centre for burns, plastic surgery, dermatology, stroke and cardiac services.
• Deliver community services in health centres, schools, patients’ own homes, community hospitals and community hubs.

More than 6,500 people from different nations, cultures and backgrounds work for us.

We would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options. We strive to be a family friendly, inclusive employer.

If you require any assistance in making this application, please contact [e-mail] or phone [phone].

We pride ourselves in being a great place to work – and invite you to join our BHT family.

Job overview

Applications are invited for an enthusiastic Assistant Psychologist who is interested in gaining experience in applied clinical psychology within a Clinical Health Psychology setting. The successful candidate will contribute to the clinical, research and professional activity of the department. This includes direct clinical contact in the form of psychosocial screening, assessment and psychologically informed intervention with burns inpatients and outpatients. Applicants should possess a good degree in Psychology, and preferably experience as an Assistant Psychologist. An operational knowledge of SPSS is desirable.

This 6-bedded Burns Unit provides a regional service for adults, children and their relatives who sustain a burn injury. Care is offered in both inpatient and outpatient settings. The successful candidate will within the small Burns Unit Clinical Psychology team, liaise closely with the Lead Clinical Psychologist for the Unit, and be part of the large Department of Clinical Psychology that exists within the trust. The department has close links with the Oxford Doctoral Course in Clinical Psychology and has excellent computer and library facilities.

HOURS: 33.75 fixed term contract (12 months)

Main duties of the job

• Undertake patient and relatives psychosocial screening and assist in the formulation and delivery of patient care plans in inpatient and outpatient settings.
• Support the psychological needs of burn patients and their families at paediatric dressing clinics and specialist scar clinics.
• Contribute to the psychological assessment, management and treatment of people with a burn injury and their relatives, as appropriate and under the supervision of the Clinical Psychologist.
• Work and liaise with other multidisciplinary staff, as appropriate.
• Contribute in the development of patient information and standard operating procedures.
• Be based on the Adult Burns ward on weekday late afternoons to provide administrative and logistical support to the ward based care team.

What does Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust offer you?

As part of our BHT family, you’ll benefit from learning and development opportunities to support your career progression.

We offer flexible and agile working opportunities, alongside your NHS benefits of generous annual leave entitlement, pension and access to NHS discount schemes.

We provide a range of health and wellbeing services to promote a healthy, happy workforce.

Why work for us?

We’re committed to promoting inclusion and making sure all colleagues feel they belong. We encourage new colleagues from a diverse range of backgrounds to apply.

As an employer, we aim to create a workplace where differences are valued and colleagues treat one another with dignity and respect.

Greater diversity within our BHT family improves positive outcomes for the people and communities we serve.

A keen supporter of the Armed Forces Community who know the value of employing a service leaver/veteran and their families.

What do we stand for?

Our vision is to provide outstanding care, support healthy communities and be a great place to work.

Our mission is to provide personal and compassionate care every time.

Our CARE values are collaborate, aspire, respect and enable.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For a comprehensive list of responsibilities and duties, please kindly refer to the Job Description and Person Specification by downloading the JD and PS attachment in the advert.

If you are an internal applicant, there is the option for secondment; all applicants must have the endorsement/support of their line manager prior to application.

If you have a disability that makes submitting this online application difficult and would like assistance, please contact us on [e-mail] quoting the vacancy reference number.

Person specification

Education, Training & Qualifications

• An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology or equivalent qualification.
• Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.
• Post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis.

Skills, Abilities & Knowledge

• High-level communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive.
• Ability to communicate sensitive information to patients, carers and colleagues in a way that addresses psychological resistance.
• An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with psychological and physical problems.
• Understanding of psychology applied to healthcare and desire to explore a career in clinical psychology.
• Knowledge of computer statistical packages and word processing including knowledge of SPSS.
• Excel coding skills.
• Capable of working productively as a team member and ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines.
• High standard of report writing or previous publications.
• Ability to work independently, reliably and consistently and be able to accept and use supervision appropriately and effectively.
• Knowledge of good clinical practice, data storage.
• Knowledge of psychological assessment tools, psychometric reliability and validation would be a positive advantage.
• An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a physical health rehabilitation context.

Experience

• Relevant work experience with people with psychological and/or physical health problems e.g. Assistant Psychologist or other health, social care or research jobs.
• Experience of working to a demanding schedule and capable of completing and finishing tasks.
• Experience of working as an Assistant Psychologist would be desirable.
• Experience of working in acute or rehabilitation care settings.

PPE requirements: Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust requires all colleagues to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with our infection prevention and control procedures.

COVID-19 and Flu vaccinations remain the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course our patients from the viruses when working in our healthcare settings. We encourage our staff to be vaccinated when recommended.

If you are successful at interview, we will require you to complete a Covid-19 risk assessment document.

Application deadline: This post will close on the closing date stated at midnight. If we receive a large number of applications or there is a change in circumstance, we may be required to close a job before the closing date.

Contacting you: We will contact candidates through the email address supplied on their application form. Please make sure you check this regularly.

Application information: If you are offered a job, information will be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Shortlisting: The monitoring and safeguarding sections are not made visible to the shortlisting panel. The safeguarding section may be made visible to the interview panel, dependent on the role being recruited into.

Travel expenses: It is Trust policy that travel expenses for interview will not be reimbursed.

Smoking: All Trust sites are NO SMOKING. Smoking in all areas of the buildings and premises is prohibited.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.