Assistant Psychologist

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust; Sefton; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Sefton is looking for a motivated Psychology graduate to join their dynamic Clinical Health Psychology team. You will support qualified psychologists in client assessments and interventions, while gaining valuable clinical and research experience. The ideal candidate should have a strong knowledge of Microsoft Office and Solution Focused Therapy, demonstrating an eagerness to learn and engage with patients. The position offers an opportunity to contribute to various psychological services within the community.

Benefits

Support and supervision

Flexible working requests

Qualifications

• Experience in psychological assessments and testing.
• Understanding of community and in-patient settings.
• Interest in evidence-based practice.

Responsibilities

• Support Qualified Psychologists with client assessments.
• Assist in the formulation and delivery of psychological interventions.
• Maintain clinical record keeping in accordance with Trust policies.

Skills

Knowledge of Microsoft Office

Solution Focused Therapy

Psychological assessments

Autonomy in consultations

Education

Psychology degree

Job description

Applications are invited from motivated and enthusiastic Psychology graduates with relevant experience to join a dynamic and successful department of Clinical Health Psychology (Southport).

You will be willing to learn and become part of an energetic team of Psychologists who work with adults and teams to maximise wellbeing in the face of illness and disability.

You will also be working as part of the Community Pain Service (Ainsdale) and providing input into the Paediatric Diabetes Team (Ormskirk).

You will be familiar with Microsoft Office and have a working knowledge of Solution Focused Therapy, and an interest in working closely with Expert Patients.

We have close links with the three regional Doctorate courses and the service and staff team have been recognised locally and nationally with a number of awards.

You will receive a range of experiences, both clinical and research, and excellent support and supervision.

An Enhanced DBS will be required. For further information or an informal discussion about the post please contact Dr Jo Iddon 01704 387252

Mersey Care is one of the largest trusts providing physical health and mental health services in the North West, serving more than 1.4 million people across our region and are also commissioned for services that cover the North West, North Wales and the Midlands.

We offer specialist inpatient and community services that support physical and mental health and specialist inpatient mental health, learning disability, addiction and brain injury services. Mersey Care is one of only three trusts in the UK that offer high secure mental health facilities.

At the heart of all we do is our commitment to perfect care care that is safe, effective, positively experienced, timely, equitable and efficient. We support our staff to do the best job they can and work alongside service users, their families, and carers to design and develop future services together. Were currently delivering a programme of organisational and service transformation to significantly improve the quality of the services we provide and safely reduce cost as we do so.

Flexible working requests will be considered for all roles.

Duties and Responsibilities

• To support Qualified Psychologists by undertaking psychological assessments of clients applying psychologically based psychometric tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the clients care.
• To assist in the formulation and delivery of interventions involving the psychological treatment and/or management of a clients problems, under the supervision of a qualified practitioner psychologist, in both community and in-patient/residential settings as appropriate to the specialty work.
• Having received instruction through supervision, to provide one-to-one consultations with service users, working autonomously within the limits of this instruction and within personal competence.
• To use a degree of initiative and work independently with service users on planned work, and to exercise judgement based on good practice (NICE) and local operating procedures.
• To work with potentially distressing material in relation to service users personal histories and presentation, including risk to self and others.
• Preparing agreed assessment reports accurately in the accepted format.
• Where required, to assist in the coordination and running of therapeutic groups.
• Where required, to work with other staff to assess inpatients, day patients or residents and review their care in preparation for multi-disciplinary reviews.
• In common with all professional psychologists, to receive regular clinical supervision in accordance with professional practice guidelines.
• To develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties through engagement with CPD opportunities and self-guided learning
• To contribute to the training and support of other staff.
• To assist in the design and implementation of service development projects within the service as required.
• To attend MDT meetings to be both appraised of clinical decision making and participate in clinical and service development discussions.
• To assist in the design and implementation of audit and research projects.
• To undertake data collection, analysis, the production of reports and summaries, using IT and statistical programmes
• To undertake searches of evidence-based literature and research to assist qualified professional psychologists in evidence based practice in individual work and work with other professionals.
• To contribute to the development and maintenance of high professional standards of practice, through active participation in training and development programmes, in consultation with the supervisor.
• To maintain clinical record keeping and report writing in accordance with professional codes of practice and Trust policies and procedures. Particularly to ensure timely electronic patient record updating.
• To prepare test materials and visual aids as required.
• To undertake specific administrative duties as required.

Research and Audit

Undertake and participate in appropriate audit, quality assurance programmes and research as directed.