Assistant Psychologist (Essex Learning Disability - IST)

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust; Braintree; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust invites applications for an Assistant Psychologist in the North Essex Intensive Support Teams. The role supports Clinical Psychologists with assessments and interventions for adults with learning disabilities, across community bases with occasional home visits. Training and research opportunities may be available.

Closing date: 12 November 2026. Sponsorship is not offered.

Qualifications

• High level communication skills, including handling emotive settings.
• Experience and competence in cognitive-behavioural techniques or other relevant approaches.
• Willingness to travel across bases and to clients' homes as required.

Responsibilities

• Assist in planning, delivering and monitoring psychology interventions under supervision.
• Assist in assessment of behavioural and psychological functioning and data gathering.
• Contribute to writing psychological reports and maintaining accurate records.

Skills

Communication skills

Interdisciplinary teamwork

Assessment/report writing

Education

Upper second class honours in psychology

Graduate membership of the British Psychological Society

Postgraduate training in psychology/mental health

Job description

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

Assistant Psychologist (Essex Learning Disability - IST)

The closing date is 12 November 2026

We welcome all applications from all suitable candidates, unfortunately, we will not be offering sponsorship for this role.

To work in the Specialist Health Learning Disability Service,North Essex Intensive Support Teams (IST), under the supervision of a Clinical Psychologist. The role is community based and includes assisting the Clinical Psychologists with a range of assessment and intervention work, as part of an inter-disciplinary team working with adults with a learning disability. There may also be opportunities for participating in training, research and service development work.

All staff should comply with the Trust's Anti-Discriminatory Statement, Employee Charter, Trust Policies and Procedures, Code of Conduct and Equality and diversity.

Main duties of the job

Clinical responsibility remains with the Clinical Supervisor.

The Assistant Psychologist will be required to assist in planning, delivering and monitoring psychology interventions under their direction.

This will include direct and indirect work with service users and their families; contributing to the assessment of behavioural and psychological functioning; gathering, analysing and reporting relevant data and information; and assisting in compiling and writing psychological reports.

About us

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is an outstanding organisation with ambitions to match. We are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission, and our aim is to be the leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country.

Our family of over 4000 members of staff provide health and social care for over 400,000 people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. We also deliver a range of nationally commissioned specialist services including Tier 4 services for children and young people, perinatal services, plus medium and low secure learning disabilities services.

The care we provide makes a fantastic difference to the lives of our service users, their families and carers - everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:

Our Trust values are:

Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.

These values are at the core of who we are, everything we do, and how we do it!

Would you like to be part of the HPFT family? Would you like work with us to ensure our service users live the fullest lives possible they can? Would you like to be supported in your career to be the best that you can be?

Then please read on...

Job responsibilities

Whilst we welcome all applications from all suitable candidates, unfortunately, we will not be offering sponsorship for this role.

The work of the assistant psychologist is across across North Essex Intensive Support Teams (IST) (Lexden Hospital, Colchester / Tekhnicon Centre, Braintree, and surrounding communities).

You will work under the supervision of a qualified Clinical Psychologist and may, from time to time, include any of the following:

• To undertake protocol based psychological assessments of service users applying psychological measures, including psychometric assessments, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with service users, family member and others involved in the service users care.
• To assist in the development of a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all users of the service, across all settings where care takes place.
• To assist in the formulation and delivery of intervention plans involving the psychological treatment and/or management of a service users problems, under the supervision of a Clinical Psychologist.
• To assist in the co-ordination and running of intervention groups, activities, social skills groups, and to be an integrated member of the multi-disciplinary team.
• To work with other staff to assess service users in preparation for multidisciplinary reviews.
• To attend and contribute to appropriate team and multiple discipline meetings.
• 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 HPFT policies and procedures.
• To maintain contemporaneous psychological records using the Trust electronic database (Paris).
• To prepare test materials and visual aids, as required.
• To perform other duties, appropriate to their grade, that may be required from time to time by the supervising Clinical Psychologist.
• To work flexibly but responsive to service user needs as agreed with the supervising Clinical Psychologist and in discussion with the relevant manager.
• Please note that this a community role and travel is required across bases and to clients' homes for example.

Person Specification

TRAINING & QUALIFICATIONS

• An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology.
• Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society
• Experience working with learning disability or neurodivergence, or a clear desire to do so
• Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis
• An interest in working with people with learning disability, autism, mental health problems or other disabilities.
• Experience of paid work in direct care provision.
• Experience and competence in using cognitive-behavioural therapeutic techniques or other relevant approaches.

EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

• High level communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive
• Ability to communicate sensitive information to service users, carers and colleagues
• An ability to interact with people with autism spectrum disorders and learning disabilities.
• An ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines.
• High standard of report writing.
• Experience using computers for databases or data-analysis.
• Competence using IT and media equipment.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

£32,073 to £39,043 a yearPer annum, Pro rata