Assistant Psychologist

Kent PLC; Canterbury; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Part time

Job summary

A healthcare organization is seeking a part-time Band 4 Assistant Psychologist based in Canterbury. The role involves facilitating psychological groups and supporting the clinical team in delivering psychological care under supervision. Ideal candidates will have experience in psychology and a passion for improving mental health services.

Qualifications

• Experience in facilitating psychology groups and brief interventions.
• Ability to work closely with patients and senior staff.
• Understanding of trauma-informed care.

Responsibilities

• Work as part of the mental health inpatient ward team.
• Assist with developing trauma informed wards.
• Facilitate psychology groups and brief interventions.
• Support Psychological Services for complex mental health difficulties.

Skills

Psychologically informed perspective

Reflection on clinical practice

Independent initiative

Job description

Please note, at this stage, the role is open only to internal staff (including NHSP and Agency staff currently on placement within our organisation) and staff substantively employed within Kent and Medway NHS Trusts and the Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB). Any individual who is at risk of redundancy will be given priority, provided they meet the essential criteria. We are looking for a part‑time Band 4 Assistant Psychologist to join our team based at St Martins Hospital in Canterbury. The role will involve running psychological groups and brief individual interventions for patients. All clinical duties relating to psychological assessment and intervention are delivered under the FULL clinical oversight and supervision of a qualified psychologist, with the qualified psychologist assuming clinical responsibility for the assistant's caseload.

Main duties of the job

• Work as an integral part of the mental health inpatient ward team.
• The assistant will bring a psychologically informed perspective to the ward, assisting with developing trauma informed wards.
• Facilitate psychology groups, brief psychological interventions and assist with developing Positive Behaviour Support plans for patients.
• Formulate, implement and review person‑centred care plans, including the psychological treatment and management of the service user's problems, working closely with the service users and senior staff.
• Be responsible for supporting and enhancing the provision of Specialist Psychological Services to clients with complex, severe and enduring mental health difficulties entering the Acute psychiatric Services in the area under the professional guidance of a qualified psychologist.
• Reflect on oneself and one's practice and clinical cases in the context of the clinical work.
• Undertake structured assessment and therapeutic psychological interventions in these services to a level appropriate to the post holder's skill, using own independent initiative within guidelines provided by a qualified psychologist.
• Undertake clinically related administration, audit and research projects, teaching and service improvement project work under the professional guidance of a qualified psychologist.

We are the Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust. We care for the mental health and wellbeing of people across Kent and Medway. Our teams support adults with a wide range of mental health needs. Because we cover the whole county and both hospital and community settings, we can make care more joined up and easier to access for the 1.8 million people of Kent and Medway. Rated “Good” by the CQC, we care for over 2 000 people in our hospitals and 54 000 in the community each year.

Our vision is simple

We are here to help communities not just live with mental illness, but live well. It’s why we’re passionate about working with communities to make mental health care better for everyone. And everything we do is guided by our values caring, inclusive, curious and confident. Join us – if you share our passion for better mental health care and want to be part of a team that’s doing well together.