Assistant Psychologist - FINDS - Thames Valley & Wessex

Oxford Health NHS Trust; Oxford; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in Oxford is seeking an Assistant Psychologist to support patients with neurodiversity, autism, and brain injuries. This role involves working closely with a multidisciplinary team to enhance patient care and contribute to risk assessments. Ideal candidates should have a relevant Psychology degree and experience in forensics or learning disabilities. This full-time position promises a supportive environment with opportunities for professional growth.

Benefits

27 days annual leave plus bank holidays

NHS Discounts

Competitive pension scheme

Responsibilities

• Undertake protocol-based psychological assessments of clients.
• Consultation on learning disabilities and autism across various settings.
• Facilitating training on relevant issues.

Skills

High level communication skills (written & verbal)

Experience using software for databases

Understanding of neurodiversity

Organisational skills

Education

Upper second-class honours degree in Psychology

Post graduate training in relevant area

Job description

Assistant Psychologist - FINDS - Thames Valley & Wessex

Are you a Psychology graduate with learning disability, autism or acquired brain injury experience looking for a new challenge?

We are looking for an Assistant Psychologist on a full-time basis to join our team of practitioners working in the Forensic Intellectual and Neuro-developmental Disabilities Service (FINDS). FINDS has been developed to ensure that care is provided as close to home as possible and in the least restrictive environment for patients with a diagnosis of learning disability and/or autism and/or an acquired brain injury and who also have a forensic need.

Our Service focuses on the secure pathway and offering upskilling to community services to support the complex needs of this client group. In this role you'll contribute towards risk reduction, risk management and improving the quality of life, mental health and well-being of service users.

You will be working with a small team of psychology, psychiatry, nursing and admin staff to develop and provide a highly specialist service across the Thames Valley and Wessex areas.

If you have an upper second or higher Psychology degree and experience working in Forensics, Learning Disabilities, Autism or ABI pathways then we'd love to hear from you!

Main duties of the job

• Undertake protocol-based psychological assessments of clients, applying psychological, 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.
• Consultation to professionals working with people with learning disabilities and/or autism and/or brain injury across community, inpatient and secure setting
• Co-facilitating training to staff on learning disabilities, autism, brain injury and/or forensic issues
• Maintaining database of referrals
• Support with audit and service evaluation
• Facilitating team formulations
• Contributing to specialist risk assessments
• Developing easy read/accessible resources

Please refer to the job description attached for a comprehensive list of duties. Applicants must have a full valid driving licence and have access to a vehicle for work. Adjustments can be considered in line with the Equality Act 2010 where required.

About us

Oxford Health is a great place to work and to be able to showcase the best of yourself when making an application please read the "candidate guide to making an application" and ensure your supporting statement is tailored to the role you are applying for and addresses any essential criteria.

As a Trust we provide physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and Northeast Somerset. Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people's homes, delivering care as close to home as possible. Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive: "Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team"

Our values are: "Caring, safe and excellent"

We offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:

• Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and development
• 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
• NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
• Competitive pension scheme
• Lease car scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Mental Health First Aiders
• Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists apply)
• Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team

Job responsibilities

We hope that the advert has given you a clear understanding of the skills we are seeking and the opportunity at hand. You will need to use the supporting statement element of your application form to demonstrate your suitability for this role and you should refer to the job description, person specification and the guidance notes attached to this role to help you tailor your application.

The essential and desirable criteria will be used to shortlist for interview and you should ensure that you refer to these within your application to increase your chances of being selected for interview.

We are aware that some candidates may choose to use AI tools to support their application. We kindly remind applicants that submissions should remain an honest and accurate representation of their experience and must take care to ensure the use of AI tools does not generate an application that does not accurately reflect their knowledge, skills and values.

Interviews for this role will be held on Thursday 9 October at the Slade Site in Oxford.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• An upper second-class honours degree, or higher in Psychology. Entitlement to graduate membership of the BPS
• Further post graduate training in relevant area

Experience

• Post graduate work with people with neurodiversity or brain injury or forensics
• Previous assistant psychologist experience with neurodiversity
• Previous assistant psychologist experience with individuals with forensic needs

Knowledge and Skills

• High level communication skills (written & verbal) including an ability to communicate and working settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive.
• Experience using software for databases and data analysis
• Understanding of neurodiversity in clinical settings
• High degree of organisational skills, ability to adjust priorities.
• High standard of report writing
• An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a forensic context

Personal

• Interest in working with people with neurodiversity
• Able to interact effectively with staff from other disciplines
• Able to work independently and use supervision
• Willing to work flexibly and manage change
• Able to travel across the provider collaborative region
• Able to deliver training to a range of professional groups
• Interest in working with people with forensic needs
• Able to drive and has a car

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.