Assistant Psychologist | South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust; City Of London; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS trust in London is seeking an Assistant Psychologist to support clinical and administrative tasks within a psychological therapies clinic specializing in anxiety disorders. The role requires excellent organizational and communication skills, a strong academic background, and a genuine interest in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Opportunities for supervision and clinical assessments under trained professionals will be provided.

Qualifications

• Must demonstrate abilities in both clinical and administrative tasks.
• Should have a strong academic background in psychology.
• Experience or interest in psychological therapies, particularly CBT.

Responsibilities

• Engage in clinical assessments under supervision.
• Assist in maintaining clinical databases relevant for outcomes.
• Monitor treatment waiting lists and coordinate clinic activities.

Skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Interest in CBT

Education

Excellent academic track record

Job description

This is a fantastic opportunity for an enthusiastic and Assistant Psychologist. The Centre for Anxiety Disorders and Trauma (CADAT) is an outpatient psychological therapies clinic which specialises in assessing and treating people with anxiety disorders using CBT.

We take great pride in our work and treat local and national patients across a range of severities, to a very high standard.

We are looking for someone with an interest in learning more about how we treat anxiety using CBT. Prospective candidates should be able to demonstrate an excellent academic track record, good organisational and communication skills, and the ability to assist in clinically related administration.

We are seeking eager and creative individuals who will be directly involved in the running of the clinic and who are interested in pursuing a career in psychology. The post will include both clinical and administrative parts and the applicant will be required to demonstrate abilities in both areas.

Key Responsibilities:

• The post holder’s duties will include tasks which are predominantly clinical/clinical administrative and others which are predominantly organizational/administrative/reception duties in a clinic serving patients with specific anxiety disorders.
• The successful applicant will be offered supervision by a qualified clinical psychologist and will have opportunities to observe treatment sessions and conduct clinical assessments under supervision.
• The applicant will ensure that systems are in place and working effectively to support service delivery, including monitoring of outcomes across primary, secondary and tertiary care.

The Centre for Anxiety Disorders and Trauma’s remit includes the delivery and dissemination of empirically validated cognitive-behavioural treatments for panic disorder, specific phobias, social phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and body dysmorphic disorder.

Please see the following website for further information: https://slam.nhs.uk/service-detail/service/centre-for-anxiety-disorders-and-trauma-112/

Tasks:

1. Set up, update and maintain clinical databases relevant for outcomes, activity and patient flow through the clinic and produce reports for a variety of purposes as needed.
2. Observe assessment and treatments in the clinic and contribute to aspects of treatment delivery and clinical administration under close supervision of a qualified therapist.
3. Work with the senior administrator in CADAT and contribute to numerous clinical administration tasks as required.
4. Fulfil in-person administrative duties in the main admin office as required.
5. Travel to home visits, multi-disciplinary meetings, community placements and psychology meetings as appropriate and across the Trust when required.
6. Administer questionnaires and conduct assessments with service users, under appropriate supervision.
7. Use Qualtrics and other programs to ensure the timely and accurate distribution of questionnaire and other materials related to assessment and research.
8. Monitor treatment waiting lists, coordinate the activity of the clinic staff and therapists and assist with patient allocation to therapists in the clinic.
9. Participate in the consultation and engagement of service users in the planning and delivering services as required.
10. Contribute to, with close supervision, the setting up and running of psychoeducation groups for people on the clinic’s waiting list dependent on service needs.
11. Participate in demonstrating work methods to newly recruited Assistant Psychologists, interns and honorary psychologists as required.
12. Maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, according to professional and Trust guidelines.
13. Assist in the design and implementation of audit, research and development projects to inform the service.
14. Respond appropriately and professionally to emotionally distressing situations.
15. Monitor completion of key performance indicators (KPIs) by the team and support clinicians in achieving target completion rates for the service.
16. Act in a manner that supports a psychologically informed framework for the service, and participate in the team or service’s delivery of accessible and acceptable services to diverse local communities.
17. Follow policies and procedures in own area of work.
18. Receive supervision from a qualified therapist in the service and attend fortnightly group supervision led by clinical psychology trainees.
19. Ensure that all information generated by own work is recorded as required by Trust policies and local procedures.
20. Work flexibly, which may include offering some regular commitment to late clinics, within the overall Job Plan.
21. Contribute to allocating clinical observations to trainees and assistant psychologists in the service.
22. Keep an inventory of and track IT equipment allocated to staff and manage room bookings for staff.
23. Act as fire warden and/or health and safety champion and collate regular audit information in relation to these roles.