Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Assistant Psychologist

The closing date is 18 August 2025

Job summary

An opportunity has arisen for a Band 4 full-time (1 WTE) Assistant Psychologist to join the Psychology in Schools Team (PST) in the Early Intervention Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service. This innovative team is at the forefront of evoking change in the systems around children and young people, to empower individuals and communities to be champions of their own mental health.

Local CYFP services are transforming, utilising the THIRVE model which offers an exciting and original approach to mental health support.The Psychology in Schools Team and Early Intervention CAMHS are supporting this transformation using their knowledge of community alignment to promote and provide early intervention and strengthen confidence of systems surrounding young people.

Main duties of the job

Your role with the Psychology in Schools Team will include supportingwith:

  • Specialist assessment, formulation and intervention including direct work with young people and their families.

  • Running group intervention programmes for young people and their parents/carers.

  • Our digital offer and parent/carer workshop programmes - We are looking for those with a special interest in Neurodiversity as you will be allocated protected time to support our clinical psychologists develop our childhood neurodiversity programme.

  • Delivering training sessions and workshops to staff (education, GP practices, mental health professionals), parent/carers and young people on a variety of topics pertinent to CYFP mental health and emotional wellbeing.

  • Workforce development through consultation and direct work within school settings and GP practices.

  • Research and evaluation across the project (including Routine Outcome Measures, ROMS).

About us

PST hold the ethos of connecting with individuals and support systems by compassionate and, most importantly, human means. Through doing so, we aim to empower professionals and non-professionals alike to provide early intervention using a compassionate approach. By working closely with communities, we can recognise vulnerabilities in individuals and the wider system, allowing us to be responsive to need and draw on strengths.

The PST consists of several clinical psychologists and is a nurturing environment to work in. Although we highly value independent working and autonomy, we also place great emphasis on strong team working and all members of the team having an equally valuable contribution to make. We encourage personal growth and development and although the role allows for flexible working from home, we hope that you would be able to join us on team days so that we can properly get to know you. There is a strong ethos of collaboration and support, which will make this a fulfilling role.

This role also provides the opportunity to work in collaboration with other teams working in EI CAMHS including the Under 18 Wellbeing Service and the Mental Health Support Teams; commissioned as a result of the Green Paper: Transforming Children and Young People's Mental Health Provision. As well as other key early intervention and outreach services.

Details

Date posted

11 August 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 to £30,162 a year gross per annum/ pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

1 years

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

246-WSU7331924

Job locations

G Block Hospital Road and/or Endeavour House

Bury St Edmunds and/or Ipswich

IP33 3NR


Job description

Job responsibilities

The PST will maintain and further develop relationships with existing mental health services and provide close links with clinicians working in Suffolk. The role offers a variety of opportunities under the clinical supervision of the PST Clinical Lead (Consultant Clinical Psychologist) and will have a strong ethos of collaboration and support within the early intervention/primary care pathway.

You work will contribute to the wider system thinking about the development of services at the interface of education, health and social care. Making it a unique and exciting opportunity to transform local services for young people and their families.

You will be based in either Bury St Edmunds (West Suffolk) or Ipswich (East Suffolk). The service covers all of Suffolk, so there may be some need to travel (and a car is required). These are fixed-term posts for 12 months.

We are looking for well organised candidates with experience in working with children and young people and ideally with a special interest in neurodevelopmental diversity.

Please find attached our Job Description and Person Specification for more detail on your Key Accountabilities, then if you feel you have what it takes to make a difference in your local communities, click APPLY!

Some of the benefits you can expect:

  • NHS pension
  • a comprehensive in house & external training programmes
  • career progression
  • starting annual leave of 27 days per annum increasing to 33 days pa based on length of service (plus paid bank holidays)
  • staff physio service
  • NHS discounts and many more.

Interview dates are yet to be set; you will be contacted via email and invited to book a time. These emails may go to your SPAM, so please keep checking all your emails if applying.

Please visit our Facebook and Twitter page @NSFTjobs

Job description

Job responsibilities

The PST will maintain and further develop relationships with existing mental health services and provide close links with clinicians working in Suffolk. The role offers a variety of opportunities under the clinical supervision of the PST Clinical Lead (Consultant Clinical Psychologist) and will have a strong ethos of collaboration and support within the early intervention/primary care pathway.

You work will contribute to the wider system thinking about the development of services at the interface of education, health and social care. Making it a unique and exciting opportunity to transform local services for young people and their families.

You will be based in either Bury St Edmunds (West Suffolk) or Ipswich (East Suffolk). The service covers all of Suffolk, so there may be some need to travel (and a car is required). These are fixed-term posts for 12 months.

We are looking for well organised candidates with experience in working with children and young people and ideally with a special interest in neurodevelopmental diversity.

Please find attached our Job Description and Person Specification for more detail on your Key Accountabilities, then if you feel you have what it takes to make a difference in your local communities, click APPLY!

Some of the benefits you can expect:

  • NHS pension
  • a comprehensive in house & external training programmes
  • career progression
  • starting annual leave of 27 days per annum increasing to 33 days pa based on length of service (plus paid bank holidays)
  • staff physio service
  • NHS discounts and many more.

Interview dates are yet to be set; you will be contacted via email and invited to book a time. These emails may go to your SPAM, so please keep checking all your emails if applying.

Please visit our Facebook and Twitter page @NSFTjobs

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • BPS accredited psychology degree

Skills

Desirable

  • Ability to communicate sensitive information to patients and colleagues.

Knowledge

Essential

  • An understanding of psychology applied to health care.

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of quantitative research.
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • BPS accredited psychology degree

Skills

Desirable

  • Ability to communicate sensitive information to patients and colleagues.

Knowledge

Essential

  • An understanding of psychology applied to health care.

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of quantitative research.

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 UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

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. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

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 UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

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. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Address

G Block Hospital Road and/or Endeavour House

Bury St Edmunds and/or Ipswich

IP33 3NR


Employer's website

https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/Pages/Home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Norfolk & Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust

Address

G Block Hospital Road and/or Endeavour House

Bury St Edmunds and/or Ipswich

IP33 3NR


Employer's website

https://www.nsft.nhs.uk/Pages/Home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Clinical Psychologist

Dr Kelsey Odgers

pst.admin@nsft.nhs.uk

Details

Date posted

11 August 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 to £30,162 a year gross per annum/ pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

1 years

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

246-WSU7331924

Job locations

G Block Hospital Road and/or Endeavour House

Bury St Edmunds and/or Ipswich

IP33 3NR


Supporting documents

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