Assistant Psychologist

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust; Harrow; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Harrow invites applications for an Assistant Psychologist to enhance trauma-informed care delivery in a supportive multi-disciplinary team. This position requires a solid foundation in psychological assessment and interventions, coupled with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology. The role includes assisting in individual and group therapy, contributing to team meetings, and supporting the development of innovative mental health services. Candidates will thrive in a culturally diverse environment while making a meaningful impact on individuals facing severe mental health challenges.

Benefits

Flexible working

Personal development opportunities

Access to CPD opportunities

Qualifications

• A First‑class or Upper‑second‑class Bachelor’s degree with Honours in Psychology that is accredited by the British Psychological Society.
• Sufficient post‑graduate experience of psychological assessment.
• Skills in relevant psychological assessment and interventions.

Responsibilities

• Support delivery of psychological interventions under supervision.
• Assist with psychological assessments and formulations.
• Contribute to multi‑disciplinary team meetings.

Skills

Psychological assessment skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Collaboration in multidisciplinary teams

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Psychology

Job description

Job Overview

The Harrow Psychology team is delighted to offer an exciting opportunity for a new Assistant Psychologist to join the adult Community Mental Health Hub (CMHH) at Bentley House. We provide a holistic range of multi-disciplinary interventions to adults experiencing severe and enduring mental health difficulties and Assistant Psychologists play an integral role in supporting with the delivery of ‘Step 2’ psychological therapies. Central and North West London (CNWL) Trust is pioneering in its Trauma‑Informed Approach (TIA) which focuses on Power Threat Meaning Framework Team Formulation (PTMF), manualised stabilisation interventions and staff training. Over the last year, our CMHH has rolled‑out TIA, and the Assistant Psychologists will play an important role in the ongoing development of this work. This project builds on Harrow’s innovative TIA work in its acute services over the last six years and is now also influencing National Policy (see NHSE Guidelines for Acute Inpatient Mental Health Care for Adults and Older Adults, 2023).

If you are passionate about supporting the delivery of innovative psychologically‑informed care, come and join our established team of psychologists and assistant psychologists, with a diverse range of expertise. You must have a strong commitment to teamwork, an interest in supporting the ongoing development of the psychology service, and to work sensitively within a culturally diverse environment.

Tentative Interview Date – after the 29th Dec 2025.

Main duties of the job

The following is a summary of some of the main roles and responsibilities for the Assistant Psychologist position at Harrow CMHH. It is not an exhaustive list, please see the Job Description and Person Specification for further details.

Assistant Psychologists play an integral role in supporting with the delivery of ‘Step 2’ psychological interventions and will join a team committed to trauma‑informed psychological care, integrated across this system.

The post holder(s) will support the Clinical/Counselling Psychologist with the Psychology waitlist.

The post holder(s) will support the delivery of both individual and group evidenced based trauma informed psychological interventions.

The post holder(s) will support with the preparation and delivery of trauma‑informed training and Team Formulation to multi‑disciplinary professionals.

The post holder(s) will work closely with the full range of multi‑disciplinary professionals, including psychiatry, and occupational therapy as well as attend and contribute to multi‑disciplinary meetings.

The post holder(s) will work under the supervision of a clinical psychologist for all pieces of work they undertake, and will join an expanding therapies team, committed to providing trauma‑informed psychological care, integrated across this system.

Working for our organisation

We are delighted that you are interested in working with us here at CNWL. At CNWL, we work in collaboration with our multidisciplinary colleagues and value the lived experiences of both our staff and service users. CNWL is recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ in line with our values, our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries.

With us, you will get:

• A Trust committed to staff personal development, with a trust wide culture change and leadership programme that has staff wellbeing at its core.
• Flexible working.
• Variety of work.
• Access to a variety of CPD opportunities.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

• To assist qualified practitioner psychologists in the delivery of a specialist applied psychology service in the Adult Mental Health Hub (Harrow CMHH) at Bentley House.
• To provide clinical work as required by the service, under the direct guidance, close clinical and professional supervision of a practitioner psychologist. This will may include psychological assessment, formulation and intervention of individual clients as well as working in groups.
• To assist in clinically related administration, conduct of audits, collection of statistics, development of audit and/or research projects, teaching and project work.
• To work following clinical guidelines and the policies and procedures of the service, while closely supervised and regularly seeking help from clinical/professional supervisor or manager.
• To provide psychological assessments and formulation for clients in the Adult Community Mental Health Hub (CMHH) at Bentley House in Harrow under the close supervision of a practitioner psychologist.
• To provide protocol based individual psychological interventions for clients experiencing severe and enduring mental health difficulties at ‘Step 2’, including manualised psychological Stabilisation.
• To arrange, schedule and provide protocol‑based group psychological interventions for clients experiencing severe and enduring mental health difficulties at ‘Step 2’.
• To assist the psychologists in the development of individual or group clinical materials or training materials.

General

• Your base will predominantly be at Bentley House. Some travel may be required occasionally where appropriate to service users’ homes (in Harrow) or Northwick Park Hospital.
• To be aware of risk relating to aggressive and challenging behaviour amongst the client group, and follow trust policies relating to its management.
• To respond appropriately and professionally to high levels of distress and to support others involved in such situations.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Essential criteria: A First‑class or Upper‑second‑class Bachelor’s degree with Honours in Psychology that is accredited by the British Psychological Society and confers the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society.

Desirable criteria

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

Experience

Essential criteria

• Sufficient post‑graduate experience of psychological assessment and treatment of adult clients with severe and enduring mental health difficulties with close direct supervision.
• Post‑graduate experience of conducting research projects or audits.Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and / or lived experience.

Desirable criteria

• Applications from people with lived experience of mental health challenges. We see this as valuable and recognise the positive impact this experience can have on the work we do.
• Substantial paid post‑graduate work with people with mental health problems and/or other disabilities.

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Graduate level knowledge of psychological research methodology and statistical analysis.
• Good theoretical knowledge of the problems experienced by and the needs of Adults with severe and enduring mental health needs and of methods of assessment and treatment.
• Awareness of racial and diversity issues through attendance of relevant training.

Desirable criteria

• An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems or other disabilities.
• An understanding of Trauma Informed Approaches (TIA) and Power Threat Meaning Framework (PTMF).

Skills

Essential criteria

• Skills in relevant psychological assessment and interventions that enable working as a pre‑qualified practitioner with close clinical supervision.
• Well‑developed verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex, information to clients, families and colleagues.
• Skills in providing supporting teaching and training provided by psychologists or others to other professional groups.
• Well‑developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data.

Desirable criteria

• High standard of report writing.

Abilities

Essential criteria

• Ability to work effectively within a multi‑disciplinary team, participating in effective team functioning and holding team roles.
• Ability to identify and follow relevant clinical governance procedures.
• Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions.
• Ability to manage occasional emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self‑harming or aggressive behaviour.
• Ability to communicate complex, sensitive or contentious information to people who may have impediments to understanding.
• Ability to manage verbal abuse and hostility directed at self.
• Ability to manage physical aggression directed at self, including use of physical interventions as prescribed by Trust policies.

Desirable criteria

• Ability to accept and use supervision appropriately and effectively.
• Ability to communicate sensitive information to patients, carers and colleagues in a way that addresses psychological resistance.