Job summary
- Main area
- Assistant Psychologist
- Grade
- Band 4
- Contract
- Fixed term: 18 months (Potential for extension)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 373-SMH2364
- Employer
- Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS FoundationTrust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Stein Centre
- Town
- Birkenhead
- Salary
- £26,530 - £29,114 per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 16/04/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Assistant Psychologist
Band 4
Job overview
An opportunity has arisen to apply for the post of Assistant Psychologist within the Wirral Complex Needs Service . The Complex Needs Service plays a role in delivering mental health care for adults with personality-based difficulties and complex trauma. The post-holder will be part of a multi-disciplinary team who are predominantly providing direct and indirect psychological care to our client group, whilst also helping to support the wider system that works with our clients. The Complex Needs Service are a team committed to making a difference and creating change for the service users we support. We would like an enthusiastic and motivated person who shares these values to join our dynamic team as an Assistant Psychologist.
This is an exciting opportunity for an Assistant Psychologist to help shape our services and work in a specialist team.
Main duties of the job
We are seeking to recruit an Assistant Psychologist to support and enhance the psychological care of clients within the service, across all sectors of care. The role will involve working collaboratively with members of the Multi-disciplinary Team providing psychological assessment and psychological interventions under the supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist, working independently according to a plan agreed with a qualified psychologist and within the overall framework of the team’s policies and procedures.
The post holder will also assist in clinically related administration, conduct of audits, collection of statistics, and development of audit and/or research projects, teaching and project work.
Working for our organisation
Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP) provides health and care services for a population of over one million people, including mental health, learning disability, community physical health and all-age disability care, as well as the provision of three GP surgeries in Cheshire.
We employ around 4,500 staff across 73 sites and have services across Wirral and Cheshire, as well as Trafford, Warrington, Bolton, Halton and Liverpool. We also provide specialist services for the North West as a whole.
Our aim is to help improve the lives of everyone in our communities, adopting a compassionate, person-centred approach to everything we do. We are rated as Outstanding for Caring by the Care Quality Commission, with a Good rating overall.
As a Disability Confident Employer, Rainbow Badge Scheme member, Veteran Aware organisation and proud holder of the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award, CWP is committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible and developing a culture that values differences, and welcome applications from people who have direct experience of accessing our services.
We also offer up to three weeks’ induction, with our Prepare to Care programme for all new starters. This aims to give you all the knowledge and guidance to help you hit the ground running with CWP.
Whether you are just starting out in your career or looking to use your existing skills and experience in a new role, you’ll find something to suit you at CWP.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please download a copy of the job description (see ‘documents to download’ section below) for full details of the main responsibilities for this role.
At CWP, our recruitment selection processes are based on both competence (see person specification for details) and values.
CWP recruits people that can demonstrate the Trust’s Values in their everyday life and we use a values-based approach in our interviews, which explores not only what you do but how and why you do it.
Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trust’s Values and think about how these align with your own personal values. The supporting information section in your application should reflect your understanding of the Trust’s Values and associated behaviours and you should provide examples from your work experience and/or personal life which demonstrate these values through your behaviours.
An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page. Further help and support for completing your application can be accessed via our website. If you need any further guidance to help you complete your application, contact our recruitment team via email at: [email protected] or by calling 01244 393100.
If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the ‘essential’ criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer ‘YES’ to the question: ‘Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?’
Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes.
The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post and encourages applications from armed forces reservists or cadet force adult volunteers.
Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16 per year applies.
New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.
Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team CWP very soon!
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Good honours degree in Psychology (2.i or above). Eligibility for Graduate Membership of BPS
- To undertake breakaway training or equivalent following appointment.
Desirable criteria
- Advanced keyboard skills
- Other related academic qualifications to Masters or Doctorate level.
Knowledge & Expertise
Essential criteria
- Previous experience of working with clients with Personality Disorder and Complex Trauma
- The ability to communicate complex/ sensitive information where barriers to understanding exist. For example, instances requiring empathy and reassurance.
- The ability to make judgements involving a range of facts or situations requiring analysis or comparison of a range of options. Also skills for assessing clients in one-to-one sessions, group dynamics or who are participating in research.
- The ability to organise straightforward tasks, activities or programmes, some of which may be ongoing
- The ability to plan and prioritises own workload, research programme activities; group sessions, etc.
- Working to Professional Guidelines.
- Must be capable of working within guidelines; receives regular supervision/ direction
- Must be familiar with MS teams and/or Accru Fleming online platforms
Desirable criteria
- Experience of cofacilitating therapy groups.
- Ability to use routinely available spreadsheet/database software (Excel, Access, etc.)
- Record of having published in peer reviewed or academic or professional journals and/or books
Experience
Essential criteria
- Demonstrable relevant work experience with people who have complex mental health problems/ learning disabilities risk patterns and challenging behaviour.
Desirable criteria
- Relevant work experience of people with mental health problems
- Desire to progress to Clinical Training (DClinPsy)
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Katie Dougherty
- Job title
- Team Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
If you consider yourself Neurodivergent and need help to complete your application form, please contact [email protected] or telephone 01244 393100
When contacting the service to discuss this post or recruitment process, please add in the email subject line FAO Katie Dougherty and James Taylor.
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