Job summary
Are you looking to specialise in working with people with psychosis? Are you seeking a friendly, supportive team committed to the recovery of clients with complex needs?
Title: Band 4 Assistant Psychologist, West London NHS Trust
Role 1: Full-time Assistant Psychologist, Ealing Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, 1 year fixed term contract
Role 2: 0.4 WTE Assistant Psychologist, Hammersmith & Fulham Early Intervention in Psychosis Service, permanant
Role 3: Full-time Assistant Psychologist, Ealing Community Rehab Team (working with complex psychosis)
We are seeking 3 committed and enthusiastic Assistant Psychologists, with an interest in working with people with psychosis. You will be working in supportive and innovative specialist teams supporting service users with psychosis to lead fulfilling lives in their local communities.
At West London NHS Trust we want to employ talented, passionate and skilled professionals, so that we can provide the best service possible to those who use our services.
Main duties of the job
The successful candidates will work closely with psychologists in the teams to provide and support the delivery of individual and group interventions, and the administrative tasks that support this.
You will use your excellent written and verbal communication skills for data collection and service evaluation. The role requires you to engage sensitively and with positivity with people experiencing psychosis, their carers, and other organisations involved in their care, demonstrating an awareness of the experiences and challenges that a person with psychosis may face in their lives. The ability to work collaboratively with other professions is crucial in order to provide holistic care within a bio-psycho-social model.
Inreturn, we invest in and support our staff. In this role, we offer:
- Close support from an extensive psychology team.
- A stable, supportive, and dynamic working environment
- A friendly MDT, passionate about working with people with psychosis and additional complex needs.
- Opportunity for creativity and innovation in the development and provision of the service
- A values driven environment - Togetherness, Responsibility, Excellence and Caring underpin how we treat each other and our patients
- Regular line management and supervision
About us
West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse healthcare providers in the UK, delivering a range of mental health and physical healthcare and community services. The Trust runs Broadmoor Hospital, one of three high secure hospitals in the country, with an international reputation.
Our high secure services care for patients from South of England and we provide low and medium secure services across eight London boroughs. The Trust also provides mental and physical healthcare in three London boroughs (Ealing, Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham). We employ 4,500 staff, of whom 56% are BME. Our turnover for 2023-24 is £426m.
The Trust is rated as 'Good' overallby the Care Quality Commission. Forensic services are rated as 'Outstanding'.
The Trust is an established partner and contributor in the development of the evolving North West London Integrated Care System and the Integrated Care Board. The Trust leads the NW London Children and Adolescent Mental Health provider collaborative.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached
The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Candidate Pack provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge required. Please view as attached
The person specification below is not the full person specification, but outlines the criteria against which your application form will be assessed.
Person Specification
Training & Qualifications
Essential
- An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology.
- Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.
Desirable
- Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis.
- Advanced keyboard skills
Experience
Essential
- Relevant as an assistant psychologist, a research assistant or as an HCA or equivalent in a setting for those with severe and enduring mental disorder.
Knowledge
Essential
- Able to understand a number of psychological models and their applications for service users with severe and enduring mental health problems.
- An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems or other disabilities.
- An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a mental health context.
- Understanding of psychology applied to health care.
Communication Skills
Essential
- High level communication skills (both written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive.
- Ability to communicate complex, sensitive and potentially contentious information to service users in a way that addresses psychological resistance and the propensity of the service users towards hostile reactions.
Desirable
- High standard of report writing.
Analytical & Judgement Skills
Essential
- Able to make judgements based on psychological knowledge, clinical information and environmental events within a session and make decisions on this basis e.g. with regard to feedback to nursing or other staff.
- Able to plan, and organise straightforward tests and activities.
Desirable
- Experience of using databases or data analysis, knowledge of SPSS for Windows.
Planning & Organisational Skills
Essential
- Able to manage their own time.
Physical & IT Skills
Essential
- Able to administer psychological tests using co-ordination and other psychomotor skills.
- Able to operate video equipment.
- Able to use word processing, database and test/administration scoring software.
Personal
Essential
- Able to sit for lengthy periods of time while demonstrating active listening skills.
- Able to maintain intense concentration frequently with service users (e.g. in the assessment and treatment of service users with a history of mental disorder and offending).
- Able to function in potentially traumatic circumstances and in highly emotionally distressing circumstances on a frequent basis (e.g. in dealing with service users with serious mental illness, histories of homicide and serious violence, self-harm, sexual abuse).
- Able to provide services in a highly secure environment with service users who are disturbed and sometimes violent and where the awareness of the risk of assault must always be maintained.
- Able to "hold" the stress of service users compulsorily detained in a secure hospital.
- An interest in working with people with mental health problems or other disabilities
Other Requirements
Essential
- Knowledge of the professional code of conduct of the BPS.
- Capable of being guided by precedent, clearly defined policies, procedures and codes of conduct.
- Able to accept the professional advice and guidance of qualified psychologists
Desirable
- A desire to explore a career in professional psychology.
Person Specification
Training & Qualifications
Essential
- An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology.
- Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.
Desirable
- Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis.
- Advanced keyboard skills
Experience
Essential
- Relevant as an assistant psychologist, a research assistant or as an HCA or equivalent in a setting for those with severe and enduring mental disorder.
Knowledge
Essential
- Able to understand a number of psychological models and their applications for service users with severe and enduring mental health problems.
- An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems or other disabilities.
- An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a mental health context.
- Understanding of psychology applied to health care.
Communication Skills
Essential
- High level communication skills (both written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive.
- Ability to communicate complex, sensitive and potentially contentious information to service users in a way that addresses psychological resistance and the propensity of the service users towards hostile reactions.
Desirable
- High standard of report writing.
Analytical & Judgement Skills
Essential
- Able to make judgements based on psychological knowledge, clinical information and environmental events within a session and make decisions on this basis e.g. with regard to feedback to nursing or other staff.
- Able to plan, and organise straightforward tests and activities.
Desirable
- Experience of using databases or data analysis, knowledge of SPSS for Windows.
Planning & Organisational Skills
Essential
- Able to manage their own time.
Physical & IT Skills
Essential
- Able to administer psychological tests using co-ordination and other psychomotor skills.
- Able to operate video equipment.
- Able to use word processing, database and test/administration scoring software.
Personal
Essential
- Able to sit for lengthy periods of time while demonstrating active listening skills.
- Able to maintain intense concentration frequently with service users (e.g. in the assessment and treatment of service users with a history of mental disorder and offending).
- Able to function in potentially traumatic circumstances and in highly emotionally distressing circumstances on a frequent basis (e.g. in dealing with service users with serious mental illness, histories of homicide and serious violence, self-harm, sexual abuse).
- Able to provide services in a highly secure environment with service users who are disturbed and sometimes violent and where the awareness of the risk of assault must always be maintained.
- Able to "hold" the stress of service users compulsorily detained in a secure hospital.
- An interest in working with people with mental health problems or other disabilities
Other Requirements
Essential
- Knowledge of the professional code of conduct of the BPS.
- Capable of being guided by precedent, clearly defined policies, procedures and codes of conduct.
- Able to accept the professional advice and guidance of qualified psychologists
Desirable
- A desire to explore a career in professional 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.
