Assistant Psychologist

Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust; Telford; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

An exciting opportunity awaits a dedicated professional to join a small multi-disciplinary team as an Assistant Psychologist. In this rewarding role, you will support the Adult Autism Assessment Service in delivering compassionate, evidence-based care. Collaborating closely with qualified clinical psychologists, you will contribute to psychological assessments and service development projects. This role offers a chance to make a meaningful impact on the lives of autistic individuals while benefiting from extensive career development support and a generous benefits package. If you are passionate about working with neurodiverse populations, this position is perfect for you.

Benefits

Excellent NHS Pension Scheme

Generous Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Leave

Options for Flexible Working

Up to 27 Days Annual Leave

Health and Wellbeing Support

Free Car Parking

Free Flu Vaccinations

Salary Sacrifice Car Options

Salary Sacrifice Bikes

Qualifications

• Experience supporting neurodiverse individuals in various settings.
• Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.

Responsibilities

• Conduct psychological assessments under supervision.
• Assist in service development and research projects.
• Participate in multi-disciplinary meetings.

Skills

Psychological Assessments

Neuropsychological Tests

Data Analysis

Multi-disciplinary Collaboration

Education

First or Upper Second Honours Degree in Psychology

Post-graduate Qualification (e.g., Master's Degree)

Tools

RiO

Statistical Software

PowerPoint

Job description

Job Overview

Are you an enthusiastic and dedicated professional with significant knowledge and/or experience in Autism?

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a fixed term Assistant Psychologist post to support in our Adult Assessment Service in Shropshire Telford and Wrekin.

The Adult Autism Assessment Service is a small multi-disciplinary Team and as part of your role you will contribute towards specialist autism diagnostic assessments for Adults. The team is led by a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and made up of Speech and Language Therapist and Occupational Therapist.

The team is reliant upon effective working relationships and we work closely with local services, including mental health teams and adult social care. We provide compassionate, person-centred and evidence-based care.

This is a challenging but rewarding role and we encourage applications from experienced professionals who have lived experience and/or who are passionate about working with autistic people.

Please note, we may be required to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications.

Main duties of the job

As Part Of This Role You Will

• Attend and contribute to appropriate multi-disciplinary meetings.
• Under the clinical supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist, to undertake protocol based psychological assessments of clients, including neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the client’s care.
• Assist in the formulation of a client’s problems, under the supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist.
• To assist in the design and implementation of service development projects within the service as required.
• To attend meetings in which service developments are planned and discussed.
• 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 practice in individual work and work with other team members.
  
  

Working for our organisation

By joining Team MPFT, you will be helping your communities and in return for this, we will support you by;

• Supporting your career development and progression
• Excellent NHS Pension scheme
• Generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave
• Options for flexible working
• Up to 27 days annual leave (increasing with service up to 33 days)
• Extensive Health and Wellbeing support and resources
• If you work in our community teams, we pay for your time travelling between patients
• Lease car if you complete more than 500 business miles per annum, fully insured and maintained (including tyres), mileage paid at lease car rate
• Salary sacrifice car - fully insured and maintained (including tyres), your gross pay is reduced by the cost of the vehicle before tax, NI and pension deductions are calculated, mileage paid at business rates
• Salary sacrifice bikes up to £2k
• Free car parking at all trust sites
• Free flu vaccinations every year
• Citizens Advice support linked with a Hardship Fund for one off additional support up to £250 (if the criteria is met)
  
  

We are proud to be a diverse and inclusive organisation and there is a choice of staff networks that help you meet like-minded people.

Please be aware that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in completing application forms will be monitored to ensure fairness and transparency. If you have used AI you must state this in your application.

Please note, we may be required to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

Under the clinical supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist, to undertake protocol based psychological assessments of clients, including neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the client’s care.

To assist in the formulation of a client’s problems (involving recommendations for the psychological treatment and/or management), under the supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist, across a range of settings within the community.

To assist in the coordination and running of therapeutic groups where required.

To assist in the development of a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings where care takes place.

To attend and contribute to appropriate multi-disciplinary meetings.

Teaching, training and supervision

To receive regular clinical supervision in accordance with professional practice guidelines.

To gain wider experience of professional psychology within the NHS over and above that provided within the principal service area where the post holder is employed.

To develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties.

To contribute to the training and support of other staff in psychological care.

To participate in Mandatory Trust training.

To attend regular line management meetings, to participate in annual appraisal and to advise the Service Manager and relevant Consultant Clinical Psychologist/ Senior Clinical Psychologist of own developmental needs.

Management, recruitment and service development

To assist in the design and implementation of service development projects within the service as required.

To attend meetings in which service developments are planned and

discussed.

IT Responsibilities

Responsible for personally updating client records and inputting data onto RiO.

Responsible for inputting and statistically analysing data for the purposes of research, audit and clinical assessment.

Responsible for producing reports relating to clients, service developments and research papers.

To use PowerPoint and other audio-visual media for presentation at

professional and multi-disciplinary meetings.

Research and service evaluation

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 practice in individual work and work with other team members.

General

To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest

professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the post holder’s professional and team/operational manager(s).

To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing in accordance with professional codes of practice of the British Psychological Society and Trust policies and procedures.

To prepare test materials and visual aids as required.

To undertake specific administrative duties as required.

To perform other duties of a similar kind appropriate to the grade, which may be required from time to time by the Lead Psychologist or Clinical Lead for South Staffordshire.

To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues in relation to both the specific service user group and mental health.

To participate in the Trust’s annual staff appraisal process.

To participate fully in the Clinical Governance Policies of MPFT

To maintain working practices and relationships according to the standards laid down by MPFT

To maintain and adhere to the professional codes of conduct and ethics laid down by the British Psychological Society and HCPC.

To undertake any other duties of a similar nature consistent with the responsibilities of this position in order to provide quality psychological services.

This job description may be subject to change, according to service needs, in consultation with the post holder.

Please also see Job Description & Person Specification document attached.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• A First or Upper Second honours degree in psychology OR a lower Second degree with a post-graduate qualification, e.g. Masters degree.
• Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Undergraduate degree included study of Psychopathology/Clinical issues.
  
  

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience supporting neurodiverse people (either in a paid, voluntary or lived experience capacity) in a hospital/residential or community settings.
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working as an Assistant Psychologist.
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team.