Assistant Psychologist

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust; Harlow; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days holiday plus bank holidays

Excellent pension

Staff discounts

Season ticket loans

Job summary

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an Assistant Psychologist to support the psychology team in delivering assessments and interventions within a first-episode psychosis service across Harlow, Loughton and Stansted. The role involves administrative duties, data collection, and collaborative work with carers and families.

You will work under supervision, contribute to service development, and help maintain high standards of care in a multidisciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Support specialist psychological assessments and evidence-based interventions under supervision.
• Provide administrative and organisational support for referrals and appointments.
• Maintain accurate clinical records and use IT/research systems.
• Support carer and family involvement and access to services.
• Contribute to service innovation via user involvement, audits and evaluations.

Skills

Administrative support

Data collection

Team collaboration

Carer support

Family support

Tools

IT systems

Job description

Job Overview

The FEP team is a community Early Intervention in Psychosis service for people aged 14 and above experiencing a first episode of psychosis. We are a small, supportive multidisciplinary team where psychological input is highly valued. We work across the West Essex area covering three main bases – Harlow, Loughton and Stansted. The At Risk Mental State (ARMS) service is integrated within the FEP team and works with young people aged 14-35 who may be at risk of developing a psychotic episode. ARMS works with unusual experiences and other mental health difficulties with the aim of preventing individuals progressing to developing a psychotic illness.

Job Overview

The FEP team is a community Early Intervention in Psychosis service for people aged 14 and above experiencing a first episode of psychosis. We are a small, supportive multidisciplinary team where psychological input is highly valued. We work across the West Essex area covering three main bases – Harlow, Loughton and Stansted. The At Risk Mental State (ARMS) service is integrated within the FEP team and works with young people aged 14-35 who may be at risk of developing a psychotic episode. ARMS works with unusual experiences and other mental health difficulties with the aim of preventing individuals progressing to developing a psychotic illness.

Within the MDT, we have a small Psychology Team which works in close collaboration with colleagues from other disciplines. The role of the Assistant Psychologist is to support the work of the Psychology Team. This will involve supporting qualified psychologists in delivering assessments and evidence-based interventions, providing administrative support, managing referrals and appointment booking, managing collection of routine outcome data, supporting groups, providing carer and family support, and more.

In addition, the role includes contributing to service innovation through our service user involvement group, and audit and evaluation.

All duties are undertaken in accordance with Trust values, BPS standards, and a commitment to compassionate, person-centred care.

Main duties of the job

This advert will close early due to an anticipated high number of applicants.

Clinical

• Support the delivery of specialist psychological assessment and evidence-based interventions for individuals/groups under the supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist.
• Support provision of carer and family support.
• Provide administrative and organisational support for the management of referrals, appointment booking, etc.

IT

• Maintain accurate clinical records and use relevant IT, research and assessment systems in accordance with information governance and Trust policies.
• Research & service evaluation
• Apply research evidence to practice and contribute to research, audit, service evaluation and clinical governance to improve quality and outcomes.

General

• Maintain high professional standards, confidentiality and accurate record keeping in line with BPS and Trust requirements.
• Build effective relationships with service users, carers and colleagues and remain up to date with legislation, guidance and mandatory training.

Working for our organisation

Valuing you. Recognising your dedication. At EPUT, we look after you.

• Receive supervision and support to help you fulfil your potential.
• Join an inclusive EPUT community and connect with others through engagement events and equality or champion networks.
• If you need help, we provide mental health and wellbeing services, occupational health advice and counselling.

Benefits

• 27 days holiday, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days after 10 years’ service.
• Excellent pension of up to 14.5% of your pensionable pay.
• Staff discounts include Blue Light Card, NHS discount offers, and staff benefits.
• Season ticket loans are interest-free to cover the cost of travelling to and from work via tram, rail, or bus.

Please be aware that, due to current allocation constraints, Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) are being prioritised for registered roles at this time.

Important note: please ensure that as part of your application, you include professional references with business contact information covering your last three years of employment history. We are unable to accept personal or character references.

As a newly appointed employee, you are responsible for incurring the cost of your initial DBS check relevant to your post; the amount will be deducted from your first salary with the Trust.

Our Trust is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We particularly welcome applications from people with experience of using mental health services. We also hold the Disability two tick symbol and have made the pledge to commit to employing more people with learning disabilities, we encourage people with a disability to apply. If you require this application form in another format i.e. Braille or audio tape etc, please contact the Recruitment Department on 01375 364513 or email [e-mail] and we can arrange for this to be dispatched to you.

The Trust has the right to expire vacancies prior to the closing date if they so wish. The Trust makes every attempt to contact all applicants and we strongly advise that you check the email account which is registered with NHS Jobs regularly, we would advise however due to the high number of applications we receive that if you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expect all staff to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to robust safer recruitment processes.

Important Notice: Recently the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2021 (the Regulations) which amended on 22 July 2021 and come into force on 11 November 2021 that anyone directly employed to work in a Care Home or who are required as part of their role to be deployed to a CQC registered care home are required to have had both their COVID vaccinations, unless they are exempt. This is therefore a requirement of this role and will form part of our pre‑employment checks.

Please note - staff who are formally at risk within the organisation will be given priority in securing alternative employment. Should it come to light that a post being advertised by the Trust is considered ‘suitable alternative employment’ to an individual who is at risk, the recruiting manager will be advised and the post will be withdrawn from NHS Jobs.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.