Assistant Psychologist

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust; Harrogate; Remote; GBP 28,000 - 31,000; Full time

Job summary

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an Assistant Psychologist to join the Harrogate CAMHS team for three months, with a split between clinical work and a service evaluation project. The post is funded by NHS England for graduates seeking clinical experience, offering weekly supervision and development opportunities in a supportive NHS environment.

The role includes ADHD assessments, cognitive testing, service evaluation tasks, and exposure to leadership and quality

Qualifications

• Academic Criteria: Psychology BSc Degree with GBC.
• No substantial assistant psychologist or research assistant experience.
• No postgraduate training course started or completed.
• Eligibility under FESB criteria for financial/educational barriers considered.

Responsibilities

• Assist with ADHD assessments and neurodevelopmental work alongside the MDT.
• Administer, score, and interpret standardised cognitive assessments.
• Attend clinical meetings and contribute to service evaluation tasks.
• Develop training resources for Service Evaluation activities.
• Lead or participate in group teaching on quality improvement and outcomes.
• Support 1-1 SE consultations and screen SE projects for suitability.
• Integrate SE activity within multiprofessional clinical teams and present at internal events.

Education

Psychology Degree with GBC

Job description

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust

Assistant Psychologist

The closing date is 16 November 2026

We are looking to employ one full-time (or part-time equivalent) highly motivated, enthusiastic and values-driven assistant psychologists to join our Harrogate CAMHS team for three months. This is a split post, with time allocated to clinical work and a service evaluation project. This post is funded by NHS England for recent psychology graduates looking to gain relevant clinical experience, who may be unable to take on unpaid voluntary work.

Existing routes to gain clinical experience can be challenging to navigate and can further disadvantage aspiring clinical psychologist psychology graduates who experience financial, educational or social barriers (FESB). Eligibility for the post is detailed below. Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust is passionate about increasing diversity within the clinical psychology profession and is committed to making changes to improve access to the profession.

The successful candidate will be a highly valued member of the team. Whilst in post, the successful candidates will receive weekly supervision from a qualified psychological professional, relevant clinical and research experience, and opportunities to further develop their understanding of clinical psychology within the NHS. Additional support structures will be available including peer support, supervision and an assistant psychologist buddy system.

Main duties of the job

Harrogate CAMHS is a community mental health service that assesses and treats young people with mental health difficulties that are impacting on their daily life. The successful candidate will work alongside experienced psychologists and other members of the multidisciplinary team, gaining valuable experience in neurodevelopmental assessment and psychological practice. Main responsibilities will include supporting the MDT in the delivery of ADHD assessments; assisting with the administration, scoring, and interpretation of standardised cognitive assessments and attending clinical meetings.

The portion of the role sitting under the Service Evaluation arm would include a variety of tasks focussed on the embedding of best practice for Service Evaluation within the Trust, including but not limited to:

The development of training resources for people completing Service Evaluations

Participating in group teaching sessions on quality improvement,outcome measurement, and Service Evaluation

Potential to support 1-1 consultations on SE projects

Supporting the screening of registered SE projects

Conducting and supporting SE activity into your multiprofessional clinical team

Attend quality improvement meetings where appropriate (Specialty CEGs)

Participating in the dissemination of SE projects at internal trust events

About us

We are the Mental Health & Learning Disability NHS Trust for County Durham and Darlington, Teesside, North Yorkshire, York and Selby.

From education and prevention, to crisis and specialist care --our talented and compassionate teams work in partnership with our patients, communities and partners to help the people of our region feel safe, understood, believed in and cared for.

We nurture the recovery journey of anyone in need of our help. In Our Trust, everyone has a say in how they are supported and treated because we listen to every person in our care until they feel understood. Our patients, their families and carers work together with us towards better mental health.

We're committed to new thinking that improves the wellbeing of our region. We connect with our communities and partners to get mental health care right, in areas that really need it.

We are an anti-racist organisation. We believe racism and discrimination have no place within our Trust and are committed to creating a culture where everyone can thrive. We are seeking people whose behaviours and values align with this commitment, and who are willing to actively promote inclusion, challenge discrimination and support equity for all.

Job responsibilities

Please see the job description and person specification.

Please provide a supporting statement with your application using the following guidance:

1 A statement confirming how/that you meet the Academic and FESB criteria for the role:

Academic Criteria

Psychology BSc Degree with GBC

Have not had substantial (more than four weeks full time equivalent) assistant psychologist or research assistant experience

Have not started or completed a postgraduate training course (including PHDs)

Experience of FESB to entering the profession that may include (but is not limited too)

Identify as an under-represented group within the Clinical Psychology profession (e.g. ethnically minoritised background/BAME)

Unable to take on unpaid voluntary work due to additional caring responsibilities or personal circumstances

Do not have family support

Grew up in an area that has a low level of engagement in higher education (POLAR4 quintilehttps://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/young-participation-by-area/)

Have experienced discrimination in academia or in the profession

Family being on low income or receiving benefits

Receiving government grants whilst at university

Please note, you do not need to have experience of all the above financial, educational or social barriers to be eligible for the post. For further information, please see the attached TEWV Aspiring Clinical Psychologist Programme document.

2. A personal statement that answers the following questions (500 words maximum):

• Why you are interested in pursuing a career in clinical psychology
• How your values and experiences have influenced you to be a suitable candidate for this post
• What you hope to gain from this post

Please note: There is no requirement to have prior clinical experience when applying for this post. Although you may wish to reflect on personal/lived experience, it is not a requirement that you do so. Please only include information in your application form that you feel comfortable to share

Interview

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust is piloting virtual multiple mini-interviews using the SAMMI platform. Candidates who have been shortlisted for this vacancy may be invited to complete their interview using SAMMI. To complete your interview, you will be required to have access to laptop or computer with audio and video functionality. For more information on the SAMMI platform, please see the attached document Virtual Multiple Mini Interviews: applicant information. By applying for this post, you are agreeing to take part in an interview using SAMMI.

Psychologists & Psychological Therapists provide key leadership roles within the Trust. To support this we have developed leadership profiles for each psychology band and the profile card associated with this post is attached on NHS Jobs. You can find more information about the NHS Leadership Academys Healthcare Leadership Model and the profiles at their website. We encourage you to look at these resources as they will play a part in the interview process.

You must have the Right to Work in the UK in order to be successfully appointed to this role. Please note, due to 3 month fixed term period this post will not be eligible for sponsorship under the Health and Care (Skilled Worker) visa. Health and Care Worker visa.

Person Specification

• Psychology Degree with GBC

FESB

• Experience of Financial Educational or Social Barriers

Reflective Writing

• Reflects on values related to role
• Reflects on experiences related to role
• Demonstrates awareness of client group
• Demonstrates awareness of service evaluation and/or research

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.

Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust

£28,392 to £31,157 a yearper annum, pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

3 months

Working pattern

Full-time,Part-time,Home or remote working