Assistant Psychologist

PAN TRADE; Ipswich; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job description

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

About

Our mission: To improve the quality of life for people in Cheshire and Wirral by providing specialist health and social care services and support to individuals, families and communities affected by mental illness or learning disabilities.

Key details

Location
Site: Stein Centre
Address: Derby Road
Town: Birkenhead
Postcode: CH427HB
Major / Minor Region: Cheshire

Contract type & working pattern
Contract: Fixed term: 12 months (N/A)
Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week

Salary
Salary: £26,530 - £29,114 per annum (pro rata)
Salary period: Yearly
Grade: (Band 4)

Specialty
Main area: Assistant Psychologist

Job Overview

1.0 fte Assistant Psychologist working predominantly with adults (18-65)
1.0 fte Assistant Psychologist working predominantly with older adults (65+)
Please specify if you have a preference in your application/if successful for interview.

Wallasey and West Wirral Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) covers the Wirral and supports people with mental health difficulties from the age of 18, including older people. We are looking for an Assistant Psychologist to join our team. This is an exciting time of change as the team participates in the national Community Mental Health Transformation programme.

The successful applicant will be joining a friendly, supportive, and forward-thinking CMHT, and will be well supported by our Clinical Psychologists, including the provision of regular supervision. There will be opportunities for developing clinical skills through direct and indirect work with service users. They will take responsibility for carrying out psychological screening assessments and brief interventions, including group interventions. There will be opportunities to complete audit and small-scale research projects, and to contribute to, and deliver training to colleagues. Additionally, there will be opportunities to contribute to service development projects.

The post holder will also assist in clinically related administration, conduct of audits, collection of statistics, and development of audit and/or research projects, teaching and project work.

Main duties of the job

1. Completion of Psychological Screening Assessments with service users on the therapy waiting lists, including completion of initial formulations.
2. Contribute to the assessment of dementia, including neuropsychological assessment.
3. Provision of low-level and brief psychological interventions.
4. Completion of audits and small scale service-related research.
5. Designing and co-facilitating psychological group interventions, including the potential for developing group interventions in the community.
6. Attendance at relevant meetings including weekly Team Meetings.
7. Providing support to the psychology team, and the wider CMHT.
8. Support for ongoing service development projects, including projects relating to the psychology team and to the Community Mental Health Transformation Programme.

Working for our organisation

CWP provides health and care services for local people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care including the provision of three GP surgeries.

Our aim is to help people to be the best they can be, adopting a compassionate, person-centred approach to everything we do. We were recently rated as Outstanding for Caring by the Care Quality Commission with a Good rating overall.

CWP are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences.

To support this, we offer up to three weeks induction, dependent on role, with our Prepare to Care programme for all new starters. This programme welcomes you to CWP and provides you with information and training to support you in your role.

We welcome applications from people who have direct experience of accessing our services.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

Please download a copy of the job description for full details.

Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) values. CWP recruits people that can demonstrate the Trusts Values and Behaviours in their everyday life. Therefore, if you are invited to interview, you will be undertaking a Values Based Interview/Assessment, which explores not only what you do but how and why you do it.

Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trusts Values and Behaviours which are the 6 Cs: Communication, Competence, Courage, Care, Compassion and Commitment. The supporting information section in your application should therefore reflect your understanding of the Trusts Values and associated behaviours. You will be expected to provide us with examples from work experience and/or personal life which demonstrate these values through your behaviour.

An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page. Further help and support for completing your application can be accessed via our website. If you need any further guidance to help you complete your application, contact our recruitment team via email or by calling 01244 393100.

If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the essential criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer YES to the question: Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?

Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes.

CWP is proud to be an accredited Veteran Aware organisation helping to provide and share best practice in NHS care for our armed forces community. As a veteran aware organisation, CWP is committed to delivering on the principles of the Armed Force Covenant and has a Silver award with the MOD Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (DERS).

The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post and encourages applications from armed forces reservists or cadet force adult volunteers.

Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16 per year applies.

New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.

Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.

If you experience any technical difficulties or need help when making an application please contact our Recruitment Team on 01244 393100.

Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team CWP very soon.

Applicant requirements

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.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Good honours degree in Psychology (2.1 or above). Eligibility for Graduate Membership of BPS.
• To undertake breakaway training or equivalent following appointment.

Desirable criteria

• Advanced keyboard skills.
• Other related academic qualifications to Masters or Doctorate level.

Knowledge and Expertise

Essential criteria

• The ability to communicate complex/ sensitive information where barriers to understanding exist. For example, instances requiring empathy and reassurance.
• The ability to make judgements involving a range of facts or situations requiring analysis or comparison of a range of options. Also skills for assessing clients in one-to-one sessions, group dynamics or who are participating in research.
• The ability to organise straightforward tasks, activities or programmes, some of which may be ongoing. Also, the ability to plan and prioritise own workload, research programme activities; group sessions, etc.
• Working to Professional Guidelines.
• Must be capable of working within guidelines; receives regular supervision and direction.

Desirable criteria

• Ability to use routinely available spreadsheet/database software (Excel, Access, etc.).
• Record of having published in either peer reviewed or academic or professional journals and/or books.

Experience

Essential criteria

• Demonstrable relevant work experience or knowledge of working with people who have complex mental health problems, risk patterns and challenging behaviour.

Desirable criteria

• Relevant work experience of people with mental health problems.
• Desire to progress to Clinical Training (DClinPsy).

Further details / informal visits contact

Name: Stephanie Davis Le Brun
Job title: Psychologist
Email address: [email protected]
Telephone number: 03003033157

Additional information: If you consider yourself Neurodivergent and need help to complete your application form, please contact [email protected] or telephone [phone].