Higher Assistant Psychologist

NHS; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 24,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and wear (CNTW) NHS Foundation Trust invites applications for a Higher Assistant Psychologist within the Northumbria Stalking Interventions Programme (NSIP). The role involves risk assessment, formulation, liaison with professionals and delivering training across agencies.

You will hold a psychology degree (2:1 or above), pursue postgraduate training, and work under supervision in a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to service evaluation and clinical practice.

Qualifications

• A psychology degree with 2:1 or higher.
• Eligible for graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.
• Further postgraduate training in psychology, mental health practice or research.

Responsibilities

• Work independently under supervision within NSIP.
• Collate information to produce clear formulations from multi-professional input.
• Identify risk, needs and responsivity factors for intervention options.
• Undertake risk assessments (SRP, SASH, HCR-20) after training.
• Prepare and participate in the monthly multi-agency stalking clinic.

Skills

Communication skills

Graduate membership of BPS

Research methodology

Independent working

Interviewing skills

Education

2:1 psychology degree

BPS graduate membership eligibility

Postgraduate psychology training

Tools

SPSS

Databases

Job description

Go back Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and wear (CNTW) NHS Foundation Trust

Higher Assistant Psychologist

The closing date is 01 October 2026

The post is based within the Northumbria Stalking Interventions Programme (NSIP) - a multi-agency partnership including Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW), Northumbria Police, North East Probation Service, Paladin National Stalking Advocacy Service). The team provides risk assessment and management advice to health and criminal justice professionals working with people posing risks because of stalking behaviour via case discussion, formulation and a monthly multi-professional Stalking Clinic. The role involves collation of relevant information into formulation summaries, liaising with involved professionals, some joint work with perpetrators to assist assessment, provision of training in multi-agency contexts, liaison with national networks and collection and analysis of information for service evaluation purposes.

The team is based in the probation Service at Victoria House in Newcastle upon Tyne with additional desk space available in Secure Care services at Sycamore, Northgate Park Hospital, Morpeth.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will have a Psychology degree (2:1 or above) and should have experience of working with people with mental health difficulties/learning disability/personality disorder/or other disabilities. Experience of working with forensic populations is desirable.

About us

We aim to attract and retain a diverse, talented and committed workforce, who are caring and compassionate, and therefore able to meet the demands of the modern NHS now and in the future. In return we can offer a dynamic working environment in which to build a career.

NHS Employees identified as at risk of compulsory redundancy and those eligible for the NENC Re-Deployment careers hub will receive prior consideration.

Job responsibilities

This Higher Assistant Psychologist post-holder will:

• Work independently under supervision within a range of settings, representing CNTW within the multi-agency NSIP team
• Collaboratively identify and assess referrals into NSIP with the team and collate information to produce clear formulations following multi-professional consultations regarding high-risk stalking behaviours
• Use these formulations to identify risk, needs and responsivity factors important in considering a range of intervention options
• Following training, undertake structured professional judgement-based risk assessments such as the Stalking Risk Profile (SRP), Screening Assessment for Stalking and Harassment (SASH) and HCR-20
• Have direct involvement in monthly multi-agency stalking clinic, including preparing information prior to the clinic and participation in the clinic to synthesise and collate formulatory information to summarise clinic discussion
• Deliver and support training to community teams, prison teams and other agencies to raise awareness of stalking
• Provide advice to Probation Practitioners (PP) on engagement and motivational challenges linked to mental health, personality difficulties and neurodiversity.
• Support qualified members of the team to deliver reflective practice, supervision groups.
• Undertake service evaluation in relation to NSIP
• Undertake psychological assessment with stalking perpetrators as part of multi-agency assessment of stalking risk
• Receive weekly clinical supervision from a Consultant Clinical Psychologist within Secure Care.
• Maintain effective relationships with colleagues in different agencies and work to uphold the shared vision and values of NSIP

Please find attached job description for full details.

We welcome your application.

Please note - this vacancy may close early once a suitable number of applications are received.

Person Specification

Education and Qualifications

• 2nd class honours degree, or higher, in psychology.
• Eligibility for graduate membership of British Psychological Society
• Further post graduate training in relevant areas of psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis

Knowledge and Experience

• Paid or unpaid work with people with mental health problems and/or other disabilities
• Experience as an assistant/research psychologist
• Knowledge of evidence based practice
• Experience of paid work in direct care provision.
• Experience with client group relevant to post
• Experience of psychometric test administration and interpretation
• Experience of providing individual or group interventions.

Skills and Competencies

• High level of communication skills (written and oral), including an ability to communicate and work in highly emotive circumstances.
• Ability to communicate sensitive information to clients, carers and colleagues.
• An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems and other disabilities.
• Ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a mental health / cognitive impairment / disability context.
• Computer literate, including use of databases & data analysis, e.g. SPSS for Windows.
• Demonstrates graduate level knowledge and experience of research and research methodology
• An understanding of psychology applied to healthcare
• A high standard of report writing.

Personal Characteristics

• An ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines.
• An ability to interact appropriately with people with mental health problems and/or other disabilities.
• Ability to work independently, reliably and consistently with work agreed and managed at regular intervals by supervisor.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to accept and use supervision appropriately and effectively.
• Able to manage own stress in difficult conditions and to identify when additional personal support may be necessary
• A desire to explore a career in applied Psychology

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

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and wear (CNTW) NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Northgate Park/Victoria House Probation office

Psychology Service, Sycamore, Northgate Park/Newcastle Quayside

Northgate Park/Victoria House Probation office

Psychology Service, Sycamore, Northgate Park/Newcastle Quayside