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Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Assistant Psychologist

The closing date is 30 July 2025

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Job summary

Are you a current or aspiring Assistant Psychologist wanting to explore for the first time the fascinating world of Clinical Neuropsychology? Perhaps you already have neuropsychology experience and wish to apply your skills and knowledge in new settings and with different clinical populations. Either way, here is an exciting opportunity to join a friendly, professional, community-based neuropsychology team working with a diverse range of referrers and service users across numerous settings, affording ample opportunity for both professional and personal development.

Main duties of the job

You will play a vital role in the functioning of our small and supportive team, which works alongside and closely with the Trust's Physical Health Psychology service. Both teams are welcoming, open-minded, skilled and experienced and enjoy good relationships with colleagues both within the Trust and beyond. The post is clinically overseen and supported by Clinical Psychologists, a Senior Clinical Psychologist and a Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist, and the opportunities for learning are many and varied, with a focus on personal development being valued alongside the professional. There are good links with the Staffordshire University DClinPsy course and both teaching and trainee placements are provided by the teams. The successful applicant will be joining the service at an exciting time as it looks to the future and how it can best serve its service users and colleagues.

About us

By joining Team MPFT, you will be helping your communities and in return for this, we will support you by;

  • Supporting your career development and progression
  • Excellent NHS Pension scheme
  • Generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave
  • Options for flexible working
  • Up to 27 days annual leave (increasing with service up to 33 days)
  • Extensive Health and Wellbeing support and resources
  • If you work in our community teams, we pay for your time travelling between patients
  • Lease car if you complete more than 500 business miles per annum, fully insured and maintained (including tyres), mileage paid at lease car rate
  • Salary sacrifice car - fully insured and maintained (including tyres), your gross pay is reduced by the cost of the vehicle before tax, NI and pension deductions are calculated, mileage paid at business rates
  • Salary sacrifice bikes up to £2k
  • Free car parking at all trust sites
  • Free flu vaccinations every year
  • Citizens Advice support linked with a Hardship Fund for one off additional support up to £250 (if the criteria is met)

We are proud to be a diverse and inclusive organisation and there is a choice of staff networks that help you meet like-minded people.

Please be aware that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in completing application forms will be monitored to ensure fairness and transparency. If you have used AI you must state this in your application.

Please note, we may be required to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications

Details

Date posted

17 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 to £30,162 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

301-ME-25-7278808

Job locations

Argyle St Clinic,

Argyle Street

Tamworth,

B77 3EW


Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

Under the clinical supervision of qualified Clinical Psychologists, to undertake protocol based psychological assessments of service users, including the use of neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in service users care.

To assist in the formulation and delivery of care plans involving the neuropsychological treatment and/or management of service users problems, under the supervision of qualified Clinical Psychologists, in both community and in-patient/residential settings.

To assist in the coordination and running of therapeutic and/or psychoeducational groups.

To work with other staff to assess in-patients, day patients or residents and review their care in preparation for multi-disciplinary reviews.

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

To attend and contribute to appropriate multi-disciplinary meetings.

Please refer to the attached JD/PS for further information on this role

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

Under the clinical supervision of qualified Clinical Psychologists, to undertake protocol based psychological assessments of service users, including the use of neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in service users care.

To assist in the formulation and delivery of care plans involving the neuropsychological treatment and/or management of service users problems, under the supervision of qualified Clinical Psychologists, in both community and in-patient/residential settings.

To assist in the coordination and running of therapeutic and/or psychoeducational groups.

To work with other staff to assess in-patients, day patients or residents and review their care in preparation for multi-disciplinary reviews.

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

To attend and contribute to appropriate multi-disciplinary meetings.

Please refer to the attached JD/PS for further information on this role

Person Specification

QUALIFICATIONS & TRAINING

Essential

  • A First or Upper Second honours degree in psychology OR a lower Second degree with a post-graduate qualification, e.g. Master's degree.
  • Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.

Desirable

  • Undergraduate degree included study of Psychopathology/Clinical issues.
  • Postgraduate degree in a relevant area of study

EXPERIENCE

Essential

  • Has significant experience of face-to-face work with people with psychological difficulties
  • Has experience of working alongside staff from other disciplines
  • Has worked closely with clinical psychologists and has an awareness of professional standards/issues.

Desirable

  • Experience of working in an MDT
  • Experience of research methods, audit or other service evaluation techniques
  • Experience of working as an Assistant Psychologist
  • Experience of facilitating therapeutic groups

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & 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, and where service users may show hostile or severely challenging behaviour and may be verbally abusive or physically violent.
  • Ability to communicate sensitive information to patients, carers and colleagues in a way that addresses psychological resistance.
  • 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 physical health context
  • An understanding of psychology applied to health care.
  • Experience using computers for databases or data-analysis, especially SPSS for Windows
  • Able to use library effectively, conduct literature searches
  • High standard of written communication.
Person Specification

QUALIFICATIONS & TRAINING

Essential

  • A First or Upper Second honours degree in psychology OR a lower Second degree with a post-graduate qualification, e.g. Master's degree.
  • Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.

Desirable

  • Undergraduate degree included study of Psychopathology/Clinical issues.
  • Postgraduate degree in a relevant area of study

EXPERIENCE

Essential

  • Has significant experience of face-to-face work with people with psychological difficulties
  • Has experience of working alongside staff from other disciplines
  • Has worked closely with clinical psychologists and has an awareness of professional standards/issues.

Desirable

  • Experience of working in an MDT
  • Experience of research methods, audit or other service evaluation techniques
  • Experience of working as an Assistant Psychologist
  • Experience of facilitating therapeutic groups

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & 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, and where service users may show hostile or severely challenging behaviour and may be verbally abusive or physically violent.
  • Ability to communicate sensitive information to patients, carers and colleagues in a way that addresses psychological resistance.
  • 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 physical health context
  • An understanding of psychology applied to health care.
  • Experience using computers for databases or data-analysis, especially SPSS for Windows
  • Able to use library effectively, conduct literature searches
  • High standard of written communication.

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

Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Argyle St Clinic,

Argyle Street

Tamworth,

B77 3EW


Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Argyle St Clinic,

Argyle Street

Tamworth,

B77 3EW


Employer's website

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

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist

Dr Peter Walpole

peter.walpole@mpft.nhs.uk

01827308830

Details

Date posted

17 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 to £30,162 a year per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

301-ME-25-7278808

Job locations

Argyle St Clinic,

Argyle Street

Tamworth,

B77 3EW


Supporting documents

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