Assistant Psychologist - Intensive Community Support Service

Nurture Health And Care Ltd; Cambourne; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Nurture Health and Care is recruiting an Assistant Psychologist to support psychologically informed, formulation-led care for people with complex needs. Working under supervision, you will contribute to ABC formulations, assessments and reflective practice, while developing competencies toward professional training.

You will collaborate with the Consultant Psychologist and multidisciplinary team, participating in MDTs, service development and group-based interventions.

Qualifications

• Upper second-class (2:1) honours degree in Psychology.
• Entitlement to Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) with the British Psychological Society (BPS).
• Paid or voluntary experience in a role involving direct work with people.
• Experience of working with people with mental health problems, complex needs, or other disabilities.

Responsibilities

• Support the embedding of psychologically informed practice across the service under supervision.
• Undertake structured psychological assessments and outcome measures.
• Contribute to reflective practice and supervision sessions.
• Assist with data collection, audit and service evaluation.
• Support literature searches and production of clinically relevant summaries.
• Maintain accurate clinical records in line with professional standards.

Skills

Written communication

Verbal communication

IT skills

Teamwork

Resilience

Flexibility

Education

Upper second-class honours in Psychology (2:1)

Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) - BPS

Job description

Job summary

PLEASE NOTE - Right to Work: You must hold a permanent, restriction-free Right to Work in the UK. Visa sponsorship or transfers are strictly unavailable.

The role is based in Peterborough. The vacancy may be advertised across Cambridgeshire and surrounding county areas to reach a wider pool of suitable applicants, but the work location will be Peterborough with travel across Cambridgeshire and surrounding areas as required.

Are you a psychology graduate looking to build the clinical experience needed for professional training? We're looking for an Assistant Psychologist to join our Intensive Community Support Service, supporting people with complex needs through a formulation-led, relationally safe model of care.

You’ll work closely with our Consultant Psychologist and multidisciplinary team, contributing to psychological formulations, assessments and reflective practice, all under regular clinical supervision in line with BPS guidance.

Main duties of the job

• Support the development and review of psychological (ABC) formulations under supervision including a handbook
• Undertake structured psychological assessments and outcome measures with people supported by the service
• Contribute to reflective practice and consultation sessions for the multidisciplinary team
• Support delivery of psychoeducation and group-based interventions
• Attend MDTs, case reviews and team meetings
• Assist with data collection, audit and service evaluation
• Support literature searches and evidence summaries to inform practice
• Maintain accurate clinical records in line with Trust and professional standards

About us

Nurture Health and Care exists nurture you to nurture others with a value of psychological safety. Our Intensive Community Support Service delivers relational, formulation-led care to people with complex needs, underpinned by strong psychological leadership. As an Assistant Psychologist here, you'll be part of a service that invests in your development, with regular clinical supervision supporting professional training.

Important Location Information

This role is based in Peterborough. The advert may be posted across Cambridgeshire and surrounding county areas for recruitment reach only. Candidates must be able to work from Peterborough and travel locally where required.

Safer Recruitment

Appointment will be subject to satisfactory references, enhanced DBS clearance, right-to-work checks and completion of pre-employment requirements.

Details

Closing date: 01 November 2026
Salary: £32,073 a year
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working
Reference number: E0446-26-0017

Job responsibilities

Reports To: Registered Manager and Consultant Psychologist (clinical supervision)

Professional Support: Consultant Psychologist

Works Collaboratively With: Registered Manager, Intensive Support Practitioners and the wider Network

Salary: £32,073 Substantive employed post, full or part-time, to cover 24/7 rota

Location: Peterborough service base, with community and remote working as required

Purpose

Support the delivery of psychologically informed, formulation-led care under the supervision of qualified psychology staff

About Nurture

Nurture Health and Care exists to support people, professionals and systems to move forward safely, compassionately and have a positive experience. Psychology strengthens therapeutic relationships through formulation, consultation and reflective practice.

Purpose of the Role

The Assistant Psychologist supports the Consultant Clinical & Forensic Psychologist and Educational Psychologist in embedding a psychologically informed, formulation-led model of care. Working under regular clinical supervision, in line with British Psychological Society (BPS) guidance on the Assistant Psychologist role, the post holder contributes to ABC formulation, relational safety practice, understanding of distress behaviours, and the psychological wellbeing of people supported by the service, while developing their own competencies towards professional training.

Scope of the Role

• Support the development, review and communication of psychological formulations under supervision.
• Undertake, under direction, structured psychological assessments and outcome measures with individuals supported by the service.
• Contribute to consultation and reflective practice sessions for the multidisciplinary team on a 24/7 real time coaching basis.
• Support the delivery of psychoeducation and group-based interventions.
• Attend and contribute to MDTs, case reviews and team meetings.
• Assist with data collection, audit, service evaluation and quality improvement projects.
• Support research activity, literature searches and the production of clinically relevant summaries.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the embedding of psychologically informed practice across the service, working within guidelines set by supervising psychologists.
• Help translate psychological formulations into everyday, practical guidance for the care team as a real time coaching opportunity due to the distress behaviours that our young people exhibit and the impact on the staff.
• Create a handbook that uses the documented presentation to develop an individualised approach to each young person to support the formulation.
• Support the Registered Manager with information and evidence to inform complex decision-making.
• Maintain accurate clinical records, correspondence and reports in line with professional standards.
• Contribute to workforce education, training delivery and competency development activities.
• Work within the BPS Code of Conduct and organisational policies, recognising the professional and legal limits of the Assistant Psychologist role, and seek supervision or elevate as required.
• Engage in regular clinical supervision, CPD and progress towards professional (Doctoral) training in psychology.

Typical Deliverables

• ABC formulation contribution and review
• Psychological assessment summaries and outcome measures
• Reflective practice and psychoeducation session support
• Case notes, correspondence and audit records including development of a handbook
• Data collection, analysis and reporting for service evaluation
• Training material and induction support
• Literature searches and evidence summaries

Our Philosophy

The Assistant Psychologist supports the therapeutic relationships delivered by Intensive Support Practitioners by helping formulation, consultation and supervision reach everyday practice working alongside, and under the supervision of, qualified psychology colleagues rather than delivering care independently.

Person Specification

Knowledge

Essential

• An understanding of psychology applied to health and social care settings.
• An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems, complex needs or behaviours that challenge.

Desirable

• Knowledge of psychologically informed and relational safety approaches.
• Knowledge of safeguarding frameworks relevant to adults and/or children's services.

Skills & Abilities

Essential

• High-level written and verbal communication skills, including with people in distress or highly emotive situations.
• Ability to apply existing psychological knowledge within a mental health or forensic context.
• Good organisational skills and ability to manage a varied, supervised workload.
• Competent IT skills, including data entry and basic analysis.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Willingness to work flexibly to meet service needs, this is a role where you will be part of the 24/7 rota.
• Resilience and self-awareness when working with distress, risk or challenging behaviour.

Desirable

• Ability to support the design and delivery of psychoeducation or group interventions.
• A high standard of report writing.

Qualifications

Essential

• Upper second-class (2:1) honours degree or higher in Psychology
• Entitlement to Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) with the British Psychological Society (BPS)

Desirable

• Further postgraduate training or study relevant to clinical/forensic psychology, mental health or complex needs

Experience

Essential

• Paid or voluntary experience in a role where working directly with people is central to the role.
• Experience of working with people with mental health problems, complex needs, or other disabilities.

Desirable

• Previous experience as an Assistant Psychologist, Research Assistant or in a similar support role.
• Experience of working within a forensic, secure, or intensive support setting.

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 details

Employer name: Nurture Health and Care

Address: Nurture Health and Care Ltd, Peterborough City Centre, Peterborough, PE1 1HF, United Kingdom

Employer's website: https://nurturehealthandcare.co.uk/

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