Clinical Associate in Psychology (CAP) Apprentice

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust; Basildon; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust is seeking motivated individuals for the Band 5 Clinical Associate in Psychology apprenticeship. This role combines practical work with academic training aimed at delivering quality psychological care to adults with severe mental health challenges. Successful candidates will partake in a structured training program while offering support within multidisciplinary teams, leading to a Masters-level qualification.

Benefits

Season Ticket Loans

NHS discounts for staff

Excellent training facilities and opportunities

Buying and selling annual leave scheme

Flexible working options

Qualifications

• An honours degree in Psychology at 2.1 or better is essential.
• Paid or voluntary experience in mental health settings is crucial.
• Graduate-level knowledge of psychological theory and mental health presentations required.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality, evidence-based psychological interventions to service users.
• Work within multi-disciplinary teams to assist clients with severe and enduring mental health problems.
• Engage with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences in mental health.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Time management

Empathy

Education

Honours degree in Psychology at 2.1 or better

Eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartered membership of the British Psychological Society

Job description

Job summary

We are recruiting for an exciting Band 5 Clinical Associates in Psychology CAP apprenticeship post. Clinical Associates in Psychology fill an identified skills gap between assistant psychologists and qualified clinical psychologists. CAPs are trained to work with a particular service user group and in this case with adults with severe and enduring mental health problems. They are able to practice autonomously with appropriate support, working within their scope of practice, under the supervision of a registered clinical psychologist. CAPs work with specific populations and therefore provide a more prescribed range of activities than Clinical Psychologists. The purpose of this role is to provide high quality, evidence-based psychological interventions to service users. The CAP Apprenticeship is an eighteen-month full-time training divided between work-based experience (up to 4 days per week) and academic teaching and study, which leads to a Masters level qualification.

Main duties of the job

Work placements will be within South West Essex Adult Community Psychological (SW ACP) Service. The expected start for the apprenticeship is October 2025. The SW ACP Service comprises of qualified Clinical and Counselling Psychologists,Psychotherapists, Assistant Psychologists, support workers and peer support workers who contribute to the multidisciplinary team.The post holders will be fully integrated within multi-disciplinary teams in South West Essex, therefore they will work alongside a variety of experienced professionals from different backgrounds, including community mental health nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, psychiatrists, support workers and employment specialists.

About us

EPUT are looking for motivated staff who shares our Trust values of Care, Learn and Empower. In return, EPUT can offer you a range of benefits and development including;

• Season Ticket Loans
• NHS discounts for staff
• Excellent Training facilities and opportunities
• Buying and Selling annual leave scheme
• The opportunity to work bank shifts and expand knowledge and experience in other areas
• Salary Sacrifice schemes including lease cars and Cycle to Work
• Day One Flexible Employer

The Trust supports and actively encourages flexible working for all employees. We offer many options and you are encouraged to ask the recruiting manager what is possible for this role. If appointed, you will have the opportunity to apply for a flexible working request from the first day of your employment

Join our Staff bank

What is Staff Bank?

Our EPUT NHS staff bank is an entity managed by the trust that hires clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals to take on shifts at our trust hospitals and community settings. Here at EPUT we maintain our own bank of specialist staff to ensure that we are able offer safe and effective care at all times.

All our permanent staff are automatically enrolled onto the staff bank however this does not mean you have to work any additional shifts, but the option is there for you if you wish.

If you are joining our Trust in a fixed term role, please indicate on your New Starter Paperwork that you wish to join our staff bank.

Job description

Job responsibilities

We are particularly keen to hear from applicants with a Psychology degree who have a commitment to working in the local region, from those with diverse backgrounds and from people who bring lived experience relevant to mental health work. Ideally we would wish to recruit someone with familiarity in working with people experiencing mental health problems or within a multi-disciplinary team. The Clinical Associate in Psychology role is a new psychology career path in its own right, therefore the selection process will aim to recruit those suitable for and committed to training for this role. If successful in their training, on qualification, CAPs will be eligible to apply for a Band 6 CAP role.

Please note that since April 2022 if you are successful in being selected to undertake the CAP apprenticeship training, in line with national Health Education England policy, you will not be eligible to access further HEE funded training (including the doctorate in clinical psychology) for at least two years after completion of the original CAP training. Further information on the main responsibilities can be found in the job description.

Job description
Job responsibilities

We are particularly keen to hear from applicants with a Psychology degree who have a commitment to working in the local region, from those with diverse backgrounds and from people who bring lived experience relevant to mental health work. Ideally we would wish to recruit someone with familiarity in working with people experiencing mental health problems or within a multi-disciplinary team. The Clinical Associate in Psychology role is a new psychology career path in its own right, therefore the selection process will aim to recruit those suitable for and committed to training for this role. If successful in their training, on qualification, CAPs will be eligible to apply for a Band 6 CAP role.

Please note that since April 2022 if you are successful in being selected to undertake the CAP apprenticeship training, in line with national Health Education England policy, you will not be eligible to access further HEE funded training (including the doctorate in clinical psychology) for at least two years after completion of the original CAP training. Further information on the main responsibilities can be found in the job description.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential

• An honours degree (or equivalent) in Psychology at 2.1 or better OR Successful completion of a BPS accredited post-graduate Psychology conversion programme with 2.1 equivalent or above. OR A 2.2 honours degree (or equivalent) in Psychology with appropriate additional experience (or contextual information) demonstrating academic potential
• Eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartered membership of the British Psychological Society.

Desirable

• Further continuing professional development relevant to work in mental health and/or psychological interventions.

Experience

Essential

• Paid or voluntary experience relevant to working in health, mental health and/or psychological service settings, including work in community groups.

Desirable

• Experience of working in a setting with service users presenting with severe and enduring mental health difficulties.
• Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team.
• Experience of working with groups and/or delivering group interventions.
• Experience of audit and/or service evaluation.

Knowledge/Skills

Essential

• Graduate level knowledge of psychological theory and research.
• Graduate level knowledge of mental health presentations.
• Graduate level knowledge of research design and methodology.
• An awareness of wider healthcare systems, NHS services and the role of psychological services within the NHS.
• Excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to build rapport, communicate empathically and sensitively in a manner appropriate to the context and recipient.
• Skills in managing time and workload in the context of multiple competing demands

Desirable

• Skills in conceptualising, analysing and communicating complex information.
• Knowledge and understanding of the needs and profile of the local community.

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Awareness of their own competence and expertise, and ability to work within those boundaries.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
• Aligned with Trust values and able to model this in their attitude and behaviour: ensuring that the organisational values of being open, compassionate and empowering are demonstrated by self and others every day and that any matters of concern are addressed in a timely way, either directly; or raised with the relevant Line Manager; or through the relevant processes within the Trust as appropriate
• Ability to work with people from a wide range of backgrounds and awareness of impact of discrimination.

Additional

Essential

• Evidence of passing English and Maths at Level 2.

Person Specification
Education/Qualifications

Essential

• An honours degree (or equivalent) in Psychology at 2.1 or better OR Successful completion of a BPS accredited post-graduate Psychology conversion programme with 2.1 equivalent or above. OR A 2.2 honours degree (or equivalent) in Psychology with appropriate additional experience (or contextual information) demonstrating academic potential
• Eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartered membership of the British Psychological Society.

Desirable

• Further continuing professional development relevant to work in mental health and/or psychological interventions.

Experience

Essential

• Paid or voluntary experience relevant to working in health, mental health and/or psychological service settings, including work in community groups.

Desirable

• Experience of working in a setting with service users presenting with severe and enduring mental health difficulties.
• Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team.
• Experience of working with groups and/or delivering group interventions.
• Experience of audit and/or service evaluation.

Knowledge/Skills

Essential

• Graduate level knowledge of psychological theory and research.
• Graduate level knowledge of mental health presentations.
• Graduate level knowledge of research design and methodology.
• An awareness of wider healthcare systems, NHS services and the role of psychological services within the NHS.
• Excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to build rapport, communicate empathically and sensitively in a manner appropriate to the context and recipient.
• Skills in managing time and workload in the context of multiple competing demands

Desirable

• Skills in conceptualising, analysing and communicating complex information.
• Knowledge and understanding of the needs and profile of the local community.

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Awareness of their own competence and expertise, and ability to work within those boundaries.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
• Aligned with Trust values and able to model this in their attitude and behaviour: ensuring that the organisational values of being open, compassionate and empowering are demonstrated by self and others every day and that any matters of concern are addressed in a timely way, either directly; or raised with the relevant Line Manager; or through the relevant processes within the Trust as appropriate
• Ability to work with people from a wide range of backgrounds and awareness of impact of discrimination.

Additional

Essential

• Evidence of passing English and Maths at Level 2.

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.
Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the .

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. .

Additional information
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the .

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. .

Employer details

Employer name

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Address

Basildon Community Resources Centre

Basildon Mental Health Unit, Basildon Community Resources Centre

Nethermayne, Basildon.

SS16 5NL

Employer's website