Assistant Psychologist

Practice Plus Group; Wymott; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company pension scheme

25 days annual leave increasing to 28

Wellbeing and lifestyle benefits

Discounts on shopping and leisure

Professional development opportunities

24/7 employee assistance helpline

Job summary

Practice Plus Group is seeking an Assistant Psychologist at HMP Wymott to support psychological care for a diverse, complex prison population. You will run clinics, conduct assessments and deliver individual and group interventions under supervision, contributing to trauma-informed care and safety plans.

The role offers development opportunities within the Health in Justice division, with a clear pathway to enhance your clinical skills in a secure environment.

Qualifications

• Degree in Psychology is required for the role.
• A Masters degree would be beneficial but not essential.
• Experience in a paid Assistant Psychologist role is preferred.
• Experience delivering psychological assessments and group-based interventions.

Responsibilities

• Support the psychological care of patients throughout their journey.
• Run clinics, assessments and 1-1 sessions with patients.
• Triage assessments and identify patient needs.
• Prepare and deliver trauma-informed group intervention sessions.
• Provide psychological assessment and interventions under supervision.
• Work with patients with complex needs and challenging behaviours.
• Engage in ACCT processes and CSIP planning.
• Monitor patient function and mental health, reporting changes to the team.

Skills

Group facilitation

Psychological assessment

Psychological interventions

Trauma-informed care

Education

Bachelor's degree in Psychology

Masters degree (desirable)

Job description

About the Role

We have a fantastic opportunity for an Assistant Psychologist to join the team at HMP Wymott. HMP Wymott is a large Category C prison in Leyland, accommodating approximately 1,200 adult males, and we have a varied and complex population. Practice Plus Group provides primary care, mental health and substance misuse services across the wings, clinic areas, inpatient facilities, and reception services.

This is a fantastic opportunity to work in an everchanging, challenging environment, which is hugely rewarding! You will be a key part of the mental health team, supporting stress tolerance, harm reduction, emotional dis-regulation, trauma, anxiety and more!

Hours: This is a full time role, 37.5 hours per week, working Monday to Friday 08:00 - 16:00.

Salary: This position is full time , you'll receive an annual salary of £29,264 - £33,510 per annum.

How will we support you?

• Bespoke induction, including our Introducing Health in Justice training course
• Competency framework
• Regional and national career development opportunities
• Our bespoke Learning Management System to address your learning needs
• Support from the wider team

Candidates are required to have a Legal right to work in the UK and due to the nature of the role, offers of employment will be subject to additional vetting and security checks

What you'll be doing

• Support the psychological care of patients throughout their journey with us
• Run clinics, assessments, and 1-1 sessions with patients
• Triage assessments and identifying patient needs
• Prepare and deliver psychological intervention group sessions (trauma informed)
• Provide psychological assessment and interventions under the supervision of the qualified psychologist
• Work with people with complex needs, which can present / lead to challenging situations or behaviours
• Work within the Assessment Care in Custody Teamwork (ACCT) process, and contribute towards the Challenge, Support and Intervention Plan (CSIP)
• Monitor and provide feedback on the patients' function and general mental health condition during the course of intervention, reporting and changes to the mental health team

If you are interested in career development, we have a wide range of opportunities for you to develop your skills and experience, which include both internal and external options for development and learning.

We also offer

• Company pension scheme
• 25 days annual leave increasing with service up to 28 days per year, plus public bank holidays
• An extensive range of wellbeing and lifestyle benefits
• Discounts on shopping and leisure activities
• Support to grow in your role and continue your professional development
• 24/7 employee assistance helpline and financial assistance when you need it

What we'll look for in you

The Health in Justice team at Practice Plus Group makes a real difference across over 53 prisons, young offenders and immigration removal centres. We’re the UK’s leading independent provider of NHS services to over 40,000 patients in secure environments, always putting their needs first, regardless of their background.

Our core values

• we treat patients and each other as we would like to be treated
• we act with integrity
• we embrace diversity
• we strive to do things better together

Our new Assistant Psychologist will:

• Hold a Degree in Psychology
• Although not essential, a Masters Degree would be beneficial
• Have experience within a paid Assistant Psychologist role, whether in a prison, community setting, psychiatric environment
• Be experienced in facilitating patient therapeutic groups, and delivering psychological assessment, formulation and intervention in the structure of an evidence based therapeutic model (e.g. CBT / CFT / DBT)
• Experience of working within a secure environment would be a bonus, although not essential

Secure environments are one of the most challenging, yet rewarding places for healthcare professionals to work. If you’re looking for a role where you can develop your existing healthcare skills and learn something new every day in an environment that never stands still, then this could be the right opportunity for you.