Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust

Senior Assistant Psychologist

The closing date is 28 August 2025

Job summary

Band 5 Assistant Psychologist post in Community Mental Health Team North (CMHTs)

This vacancy may close earlier if a large number of applications are received. Please ensure you submit your application as soon as possible to be considered in the selection process.

Please note we have another advert for a fixed term part time post in West Northamptonshire.

We are very excited to be recruiting a number of CMHT Assistant Psychologist posts in Northamptonshire. The Community Mental Health Teams are multi-disciplinary teams that provide support and intervention to people with a range of mental health difficulties. We are undergoing a positive transformation in line with the Long Term Plan for mental health and as part of this, the provision of psychological therapy and psychologically informed therapy is being expanded.

Main duties of the job

There are 4 teams across the North, based in Kettering and Wellingborough. The aim will be for Assistant Psychologists to be based primarily in either location but to work flexibly across the area as needed.

The post holder will support and enhance the professional psychological care of clients within the service; providing psychological assessment and low intensity psychological interventions under the supervision of a qualified professional psychologist in a variety of community settings. The post holder will also assist in clinically related administration, conduct of audits, and collection of statistics, development of audit and/or research projects, teaching and project work when required. The successful applicant(s) would be line managed and supervised by a Clinical/Counselling Psychologist but overall accountable to the Principal Psychologist.

We want to recruit a diverse workforce, who are values driven, compassionate and have a desire to deliver high quality care every day. We believe that supporting and involving our staff means that they enjoy their work more, and that our clinical services are better as a result. Northamptonshire is a pleasant area with a mix of rural and urban locations and is within easy distance of other key locations in the Midlands with excellent rail and road links.

About us

NHFT is an integrated primary care and mental health Trust, providing physical, mental health and specialty services in both hospital settings and out in the community. Because we put the person at the centre of all we do, we focus on delivering care that is as easy to access as possible. This means many of our services can be provided at home, work or in schools. We also provide health services to various prisons and detention centres in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation NHS Trust was rated as "Outstanding" by CQC in 2018 and is a great place to work. We are proud of the Psychology provision within the Trust, and feedback has consistently been that we have a well-developed Psychology network in the Trust which offers a strong sense of professional identity, support and strategic influence. There are excellent opportunities for professional development through regular monthly psychology meetings and active peer supervision networks. The Trust enjoys good links with both Oxford and Leicester Doctoral training courses.

Date posted

14 August 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£31,049 to £37,796 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

270-TG285-MH

Job locations

St Mary's Hospital / Isebrook Hospital

Kettering / Wellingborough

NN8 1LP

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB DESCRIPTION

Clinical

To undertake protocol based psychological assessments of clients including: neuropsychological tests; self-report measures; rating scales; direct and indirect structured observations; and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the clients care.

To assist in the formulation and delivery of care plans involving the psychological treatment and/or management of a clients problems, under the supervision of a qualified professional psychologist, in both NHS community and other settings.

To assist in the coordination and running of therapeutic groups

To work with other staff to assess clients and review their care in preparation for multi-disciplinary reviews.

To assist in the development of a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings where care takes place.

To attend and contribute to appropriate multi-disciplinary meetings.

To communicate professionally and effectively and to use interpersonal skills effectively with clients.

Teaching, training and supervision

To receive regular clinical supervision in accordance with professional practice guidelines.

To gain wider experience of professional psychology within the NHS

To develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties.

To contribute to the training and support of other staff in psychological care.

Management, recruitment and service development

To assist in the design and implementation of service development projects within the service as required. To attend meetings in which service developments are planned and discussed.

IT responsibilities

Routine use of email, word processing and the Internet. Use computerised software to collate and analyse psychometric results, produce indicators of clinical outcome and to compile reports.

To extensively engage with web-based information resources specific to the client group, and then facilitate access to these resources by staff and clients.

Research and service evaluation

To assist in the design and implementation of audit and research projects.

To undertake data collection, analysis, the production of reports and summaries, using IT and statistical programmes.

To undertake searches of evidence-based literature and research to assist qualified clinical psychologists in evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members.

General

To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the post holders professional and team/operational manager(s).

To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing in accordance with professional codes of practice of the British Psychological Society and Trust policies and procedures.

To prepare test materials and visual aids as required.

To undertake specific administrative duties as required.

To perform other duties of a similar kind appropriate to the grade, which may be required from time to time by their Psychology Manager.

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB DESCRIPTION

Clinical

To assist in the coordination and running of therapeutic groups

To work with other staff to assess clients and review their care in preparation for multi-disciplinary reviews.

To assist in the development of a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings where care takes place.

To attend and contribute to appropriate multi-disciplinary meetings.

To communicate professionally and effectively and to use interpersonal skills effectively with clients.

Teaching, training and supervision

To receive regular clinical supervision in accordance with professional practice guidelines.

To gain wider experience of professional psychology within the NHS

To develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties.

To contribute to the training and support of other staff in psychological care.

Management, recruitment and service development

To assist in the design and implementation of service development projects within the service as required. To attend meetings in which service developments are planned and discussed.

IT responsibilities

Routine use of email, word processing and the Internet. Use computerised software to collate and analyse psychometric results, produce indicators of clinical outcome and to compile reports.

To extensively engage with web-based information resources specific to the client group, and then facilitate access to these resources by staff and clients.

Research and service evaluation

To assist in the design and implementation of audit and research projects.

To undertake data collection, analysis, the production of reports and summaries, using IT and statistical programmes.

To undertake searches of evidence-based literature and research to assist qualified clinical psychologists in evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members.

General

To prepare test materials and visual aids as required.

To undertake specific administrative duties as required.

To perform other duties of a similar kind appropriate to the grade, which may be required from time to time by their Psychology Manager.

Person Specification

Behaviours and Values

Essential

Ability to manage your own time and responsibilities reliably and consistently, with work agreed and supervised at regular intervals.
Ability to engage with diverse groups and engage individuals with little prior experience of psychology services

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

An upper second-class honours degree or higher in psychology, with evidence of entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.
An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge/theory to a mental health context.
Work with people with mental health problems and/or other disabilities.

Desirable

Experience of paid work directly providing care/support to people with mental health problems and/or other disabilities.
Previous work providing psychological assessment, formulation and structured psychological interventions in a relevant setting
IT literate: routine use of email, word processing and the Internet. Ability to use computerised software to collate and analyse psychometric results, produce indicators of clinical outcome and to compile reports
Further postgraduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis.
Experience of teaching or delivering training

Skills and Abilities

Essential

High level communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive.
Ability to communicate sensitive information to clients, carers and colleagues in a way that addresses psychological resistance.
An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a mental health context
Ability to use clinical supervision appropriately, effectively and reflectively.
A desire to explore a career in Clinical or Counselling Psychology.
Full clean driving license and access to a vehicle for use at work.
The ability to reflect on and learn from experiences in clinical work

Desirable

A high standard of report writing.

Person Specification

Behaviours and Values

Essential

Ability to manage your own time and responsibilities reliably and consistently, with work agreed and supervised at regular intervals.
Ability to engage with diverse groups and engage individuals with little prior experience of psychology services

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

An upper second-class honours degree or higher in psychology, with evidence of entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.
An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge/theory to a mental health context.
Work with people with mental health problems and/or other disabilities.

Desirable

Experience of paid work directly providing care/support to people with mental health problems and/or other disabilities.
Previous work providing psychological assessment, formulation and structured psychological interventions in a relevant setting
IT literate: routine use of email, word processing and the Internet. Ability to use computerised software to collate and analyse psychometric results, produce indicators of clinical outcome and to compile reports
Further postgraduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis.
Experience of teaching or delivering training

Skills and Abilities

Essential

High level communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive.
Ability to communicate sensitive information to clients, carers and colleagues in a way that addresses psychological resistance.
An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a mental health context
Ability to use clinical supervision appropriately, effectively and reflectively.
A desire to explore a career in Clinical or Counselling Psychology.
Full clean driving license and access to a vehicle for use at work.
The ability to reflect on and learn from experiences in clinical work

Desirable

A high standard of report writing.

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.