Oxford Health NHS Trust

Assistant Psychologist - Mental Health Wards

The closing date is 04 October 2025

Job summary

Are you passionate about working alongside individuals experiencing acute mental health difficulties? Are you looking to develop your skillsets further in a supportive setting?

We are seeking three committed and motivated individuals to join as Assistant Psychologists across the adult wards in Buckinghamshire. Please note these roles are offered on an 18 month fixed term contract on a part-time basis of 30 hours per week.

We have two acute mental health wards (female and male) and one mental health rehabilitation ward (mixed) - previous applicants have gained places on doctorate training, or gone on to other assistant psychologist roles across the trust.

Under the supervision of qualified psychological practitioners, you will have the opportunity to deliver a range of psychological interventions both on an individual basis as well as within groups.

This is for anyone who is keen to develop a career in mental health and to gain key skills which will help further their development. This role is ideally suited to a graduate in Psychology, who has experience working with people with disabilities or within mental health.

Main duties of the job

Key roles of the Assistant Psychologist will include:

To assist in the formulation and delivery of care plans involving psychological intervention, under the supervision of the qualified Practitioner Psychologist / Clinical Psychologist.
Deliver group work as part of the wards therapeutic programme.
Encourage the development of the psychological skill set of the multidisciplinary team through contribution to training / teaching / supervision / consultation and reflective practice.
Curation of appropriate psychological resources.
Attendance and contribution to appropriate multi- disciplinary meetings.

Please use the JD provided as an attachment to see a full detailed description of the main responsibilities.

About us

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust provides physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset.

Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people's homes, delivering care as close to home as possible

Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive:"Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team"

Our values are:"Caring, safe and excellent"

At Oxford Health we offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:

Excellent opportunities for career progression
Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and development
27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
Competitive pension scheme
Lease car scheme
Cycle to work scheme
Employee Assistance Programme
Mental Health First Aiders
Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists may apply)
Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team

Date posted

01 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 to £30,162 a year pro-rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

18 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

267-BM7455844

Job locations

Whiteleaf Centre

Bierton Road

Aylesbury

HP20 1EG

Job description

Job responsibilities

We hope that the advert has given you a clear understanding of the skills we are seeking and the opportunity at hand. You will need to use the supporting statement element of your application form to demonstrate your suitability for this role and you should refer to the job description, person specification and the guidance notes attached to this role to help you tailor your application.

The essential and desirable criteria will be used to shortlist for interview, and you should ensure that you refer to these within your application to increase your chances of being selected for interview.

We are aware that some candidates may choose to use AI tools to support their application. We kindly remind applicants that submissions should remain an honest and accurate representation of their experience and must take care to ensure the use of AI tools does not generate an application that does not accurately reflect their knowledge, skills and values.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Person Specification

Question 1

Essential

Describe a time when you supported someone experiencing significant psychological distress. - What approaches did you use, and what did you learn from the experience?

Question 2

Essential

Give an example of when you worked as part of a multidisciplinary team to support someone with complex needs. - What role did you play, how did you communicate with colleagues, and what did you learn about effective teamwork?

Question 3

Essential

Tell us about your knowledge and/or experience of assisting clinicians to run psychological therapy groups; what things do you have to consider? - You may wish to comment on your role, how you supported group members, challenges that can arise, and what you learned from the experience.

Person Specification

Question 1

Essential

Describe a time when you supported someone experiencing significant psychological distress. - What approaches did you use, and what did you learn from the experience?

Question 2

Essential

Give an example of when you worked as part of a multidisciplinary team to support someone with complex needs. - What role did you play, how did you communicate with colleagues, and what did you learn about effective teamwork?

Question 3

Essential

Tell us about your knowledge and/or experience of assisting clinicians to run psychological therapy groups; what things do you have to consider? - You may wish to comment on your role, how you supported group members, challenges that can arise, and what you learned from the experience.

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 details

Employer name

Oxford Health NHS Trust

Address

Whiteleaf Centre

Bierton Road

Aylesbury

HP20 1EG

Employer's website

https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Oxford Health NHS Trust

Address

Whiteleaf Centre

Bierton Road

Aylesbury

HP20 1EG

Employer's website

https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)