Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen to appoint a motivated and dynamic Band 5 Senior Assistant Psychologist to work in the North and West Hampshire Community Learning Disability Service (covering the New Forest, Eastleigh and Test Valley).
Main duties of the job
This post is available for 12 months at 33.75hpw (0.9WTE), with a possibility to extend to 24 months confirmed at interview. The post-holder will work with a friendly and passionate team including psychologists, art therapists and other multidisciplinary health professionals, and be involved with assessment and therapeutic interventions for adults with learning disabilities. Clinical work will be in the areas of complex physical health, mental health (including dementia), autism, epilepsy, challenging behaviour and forensic needs. The post-holder will promote staff wellbeing within the service, liaise with family carers and paid support staff, engage in service evaluation and draft submissions for publication.
Supervision will be provided by a Principal Clinical Psychologist, with opportunities for joint working. One session a week will be available for personal development time. The service covers a large geographical area, so use of a car and business class insurance are essential to this post.
For further information about this post, please contact Dr Matt Symes (Consultant Clinical Psychologist) via mailto:matt.symes@southernhealth.nhs.uk
About us
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a newly established organisation, bringing together expertise from across mental health, learning disabilities, community, and physical health services. We are dedicated to delivering compassionate, high-quality, and accessible care to the diverse communities of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
With over 13,000 dedicated staff working across more than 300 sites, we place patients and staff at the centre of everything we do. Our goal is to create an integrated healthcare system that improves accessibility and ensures more consistent care for patients. By working together, we aim to improve patient outcomes, drive innovation, and meet the unique needs of the populations we serve.
Our Trust unites services from Southern Health, Solent NHS Trust, Isle of Wight NHS Trusts community and mental health teams, as well as Hampshire CAMHS, originally part of Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust. This transformation enables us to deliver more seamless care across the region, ensuring that patients receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time.
Join us as we embark on this exciting journey to shape the future of healthcare across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. We are deeply committed to our CARE values of compassion, accountability, respect, and excellence, and offer outstanding opportunities for career development, training, and collaborative working.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached. It is important to us that we ensure our recruitment processes are accessible and inclusive to everyone - if as a potential candidate you are concerned a person specification may prevent or restrict your application for employment as a result of unintentional barriers on the grounds of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, religion/belief or disability please initially contact the Trust's Recruitment team - detailed in the advert. The Trust will seek to resolve this issue wherever possible.
We are happy to talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Further information about the Trust and this role can be found on the Job Description and Person Specification document attached. It is important to us that we ensure our recruitment processes are accessible and inclusive to everyone - if as a potential candidate you are concerned a person specification may prevent or restrict your application for employment as a result of unintentional barriers on the grounds of your sex, race, age, sexual orientation, religion/belief or disability please initially contact the Trust's Recruitment team - detailed in the advert. The Trust will seek to resolve this issue wherever possible.
We are happy to talk Flexible Working - all requests for flexible working options can be discussed as part of the interview process.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology.
- Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.
- Full UK drivers license.
Desirable
- Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis, for example a masters, diploma, or certificate.
Experience
Essential
- An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with a learning disability and mental health problems.
- An understanding of the NHS context and how psychology applies to health care.
- A knowledge of a range of psychological models and how to adapt and apply these with service users, families and staff.
- An understanding of ethical and professional guidance in practice.
- High level communication skills (written and verbal).
- Ability to acknowledge diversity and promote anti-discriminatory practice/equal opportunities and cultural awareness.
- Evidence provided for ability to undertake literature review, service evaluation, research and/or audit.
- Skills for undertaking assessment of clients and their carers.
- Able to communicate effectively in a highly emotive atmosphere and overcome psychological resistance to potentially threatening information on a regular basis.
- Evidence provided for effective problem-solving skills in practice.
- Skills in developing accessible information for people with a range of different abilities.
- Ability to have a high level of resilience in challenging situations.
- An ability to build rapport with staff, service users, families and colleagues.
- Ability to work independently, reliably and consistently with work agreed and managed at regular intervals.
- Ability to accept and use supervision appropriately and effectively.
- Ability to use reflective and critical thinking.
- Able to work well within a multi-disciplinary team.
- Have at least one year working as an Assistant Psychologist or equivalent.
- Experience of working with individuals with complex health needs and/ or challenging behaviour.
Desirable
- How to conduct psychometric and cognitive assessments.
- How to conduct a functional assessment.
- In depth knowledge of Positive Behavioural Support principles
- High standard of report writing.
- Practice of using Positive Behaviour Support.
- An interest in working with people with a learning disability and complex health needs.
- A desire to explore a career in professional psychology.
- Direct work with people with a learning disability and experience of applying psychological theory in this context.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology.
- Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.
- Full UK drivers license.
Desirable
- Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis, for example a masters, diploma, or certificate.
Experience
Essential
- An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with a learning disability and mental health problems.
- An understanding of the NHS context and how psychology applies to health care.
- A knowledge of a range of psychological models and how to adapt and apply these with service users, families and staff.
- An understanding of ethical and professional guidance in practice.
- High level communication skills (written and verbal).
- Ability to acknowledge diversity and promote anti-discriminatory practice/equal opportunities and cultural awareness.
- Evidence provided for ability to undertake literature review, service evaluation, research and/or audit.
- Skills for undertaking assessment of clients and their carers.
- Able to communicate effectively in a highly emotive atmosphere and overcome psychological resistance to potentially threatening information on a regular basis.
- Evidence provided for effective problem-solving skills in practice.
- Skills in developing accessible information for people with a range of different abilities.
- Ability to have a high level of resilience in challenging situations.
- An ability to build rapport with staff, service users, families and colleagues.
- Ability to work independently, reliably and consistently with work agreed and managed at regular intervals.
- Ability to accept and use supervision appropriately and effectively.
- Ability to use reflective and critical thinking.
- Able to work well within a multi-disciplinary team.
- Have at least one year working as an Assistant Psychologist or equivalent.
- Experience of working with individuals with complex health needs and/ or challenging behaviour.
Desirable
- How to conduct psychometric and cognitive assessments.
- How to conduct a functional assessment.
- In depth knowledge of Positive Behavioural Support principles
- High standard of report writing.
- Practice of using Positive Behaviour Support.
- An interest in working with people with a learning disability and complex health needs.
- A desire to explore a career in professional psychology.
- Direct work with people with a learning disability and experience of applying psychological theory in this context.
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
