Assistant Psychologist

The Methodist Church in Britain; Lancaster; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company pension scheme

25 days' annual leave rising to 28

Public bank holidays

Extensive wellbeing benefits

Discounts on shopping and leisure

Career development opportunities

Induction and LMS support

24/7 employee assistance

Job summary

Practice Plus Group Health in Justice seeks an Assistant Psychologist to join the mental health team at HMP Lancaster Farms. The role focuses on psychological assessment and one-to-one and group interventions, under supervision, including trauma-informed groups within a secure setting.

You will contribute to ACCT and CSIP processes, manage complex caseloads, and support patients throughout custody. A psychology degree is essential and security vetting is required.

Qualifications

• Degree in Psychology is essential.
• Paid experience as Assistant Psychologist in prison, community or psychiatric setting.
• Experience facilitating patient therapeutic groups.
• Experience delivering psychological assessment, formulation and intervention (CBT/CFT/DBT).

Responsibilities

• Provide psychological assessment and interventions under supervision.
• Run clinics, assessments and one-to-one sessions with patients.
• Prepare and deliver trauma-informed group sessions.
• Support psychological care throughout custody.
• Carry out triage assessments and identify patient needs.
• Work with people with complex needs and challenging behaviours.
• Work within ACCT processes and contribute to CSIP plan.
• Monitor patients’ function and mental health and report changes.

Skills

Therapy groups facilitation

CBT/DBT/CFT knowledge

Assessment & formulation

Education

Degree in Psychology

Job description

This Assistant Psychologist post sits in the mental health team at HMP Lancaster Farms, a Category C men's prison that is expanding, and is run by Practice Plus Group's Health in Justice service. The work centres on psychological assessment and one-to-one and group intervention, including trauma-informed groups, under a qualified psychologist's supervision. It is full time at 37.5 hours across weekday shifts, with complex and sometimes challenging caseloads, and includes ACCT and CSIP processes. A psychology degree is essential, and offers depend on right to work and additional vetting and security checks.

What the job involves

• Provide psychological assessment and interventions under the supervision of a qualified psychologist
• Run clinics, assessments and one-to-one sessions with patients
• Prepare and deliver trauma-informed psychological intervention group sessions
• Support the psychological care of patients throughout their time in custody
• Carry out triage assessments and identify patient needs
• Work with people with complex needs, including challenging situations or behaviours
• Work within the ACCT process and contribute to the CSIP plan
• Monitor patients' function and mental health during interventions and report changes to the mental health team

What’s required

Qualifications

• Degree in Psychology

Experience

• Paid experience as an Assistant Psychologist in a prison, community or psychiatric setting
• Experience facilitating patient therapeutic groups
• Experience delivering psychological assessment, formulation and intervention within an evidence-based model such as CBT, CFT or DBT

Checks & eligibility

• Legal right to work in the UK
• Additional vetting and security checks

Nice to have

• Masters degree
• Experience of working in a secure environment

What’s offered

• Company pension scheme
• 25 days' annual leave rising to 28 days with service, plus public bank holidays
• Extensive wellbeing and lifestyle benefits
• Discounts on shopping and leisure activities
• Regional and national career development opportunities, internal and external
• Bespoke induction including the Introducing Health in Justice course
• Bespoke Learning Management System and support from the wider team
• 24/7 employee assistance helpline and financial assistance