Job summary
DEMENTIA AND FRAILTY (Older People's Mental Health)
Band 5 Assistant Psychologist
Inpatient Services
Base: Reservoir Court Inpatient Unit, Erdington, Birmingham
Job type: Fixed term
Interview date: To be confirmed, but likely will be weeks commencing 8th or 15th September 2025. Please note, the interview will be held in person at Reservoir Court, Erdington, Birmingham. If you anticipate you will not be able to attend on this date, or will not be able to attend in person, please contact us before applying to discuss whether alternative arrangements will be possible. If you let us know you cannot attend in person after you have been offered an interview, we may not be able to accommodate this request.
Main duties of the job
We have one post at Reservoir Court in Erdington. This post will support older people with dementia or mental health problems such as depression, psychosis or anxiety who are admitted to our in-patient units. As such people may be in severe distress and there will be exposure to behaviour that challenges. Service users will often have significant co-morbid physical health conditions or care needs. You will be supported by senior psychology staff and by a large and varied multi-disciplinary team who have good relationships between clinical and operational colleagues. You will assist in the provision of direct clinical services to clients, their families and other carers, and facilitate access to evidence informed psychological practice by supporting the use of psychologically informed assessments, protocols, guidelines and procedures by other members of the MDT.
Our inpatient services are innovative and focussed on providing the right care to people in the right place. Clinical staff have a high degree of engagement with quality improvement projects which aim at improving recovery, providing the least restrictive care and facilitating discharge options.
About us
Welcome to Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. Our 4,000 clinical and support staff help us to improve mental health wellbeing and meet the needs of the 70,000 people we serve each year. We provide a range of mental healthcare services across Birmingham and Solihull, as well as specialised services nationally. We also offer medical, nursing and psychology training and are proud of our international reputation for both research and innovation.
Our population is culturally diverse, characterised in places by high levels of deprivation which create an increasing demand for our services and a necessity for us to make sure everyone can access the help they need. We are a team of compassionate, inclusive, and committed people working together to provide excellent care to support our community. If you are looking for a place to belong, where you can make a real difference to people's lives, join our team where our warm welcome is waiting for you.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For further information about the main responsibilities please view the attached job description and person specification.
We highly recommend you submit your application as soon as possible, this post may close earlier than the indicated closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For further information about the main responsibilities please view the attached job description and person specification.
We highly recommend you submit your application as soon as possible, this post may close earlier than the indicated closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received.
Person Specification
Qualification
Essential
- Undergraduate degree in Psychology (minimum 2:1) accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), conferring eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC).
Desirable
- Postgraduate training in mental health, neuropsychology, or related field.
- Additional training in dementia care, older adult mental health, or psychological interventions.
Experience
Essential
- Direct or indirect experience working with individuals with mental health needs or cognitive impairments
- Experience supporting people in distress in a professional, voluntary, or educational capacity
Desirable
- Experience working specifically with older adults in a clinical or care setting
- Experience in mental health inpatient or residential environments
- Experience assisting with clinical research or service evaluation projects
Skills
Essential
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to adapt to a range of audiences
- Awareness of importance of verbal and non-verbal communication
- Strong organisational and time-management skills
- Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team
Desirable
- Skills in administering and scoring standardised psychological assessments
- Ability to build rapport and work therapeutically with older adults, including those with cognitive impairments
- Ability to facilitate group activities or interventions in an inpatient setting
Knowledge
Essential
- Experience of working with people with mental health problems or disability in a health/social care context
- Experience of working in a psychological assessment and/or therapy capacity with 'service users'
- Understanding of the principles of person-centred care
Desirable
- Knowledge of neuropsychological assessment tools used with older adults
- Awareness of common mental health conditions in older adults, including dementia, depression, and delirium.
- Familiarity with NICE guidelines for older adult mental health
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Emotional resilience and ability to manage challenging situations
- Commitment to equality, diversity, and anti-discriminatory practice
Person Specification
Qualification
Essential
- Undergraduate degree in Psychology (minimum 2:1) accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), conferring eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC).
Desirable
- Postgraduate training in mental health, neuropsychology, or related field.
- Additional training in dementia care, older adult mental health, or psychological interventions.
Experience
Essential
- Direct or indirect experience working with individuals with mental health needs or cognitive impairments
- Experience supporting people in distress in a professional, voluntary, or educational capacity
Desirable
- Experience working specifically with older adults in a clinical or care setting
- Experience in mental health inpatient or residential environments
- Experience assisting with clinical research or service evaluation projects
Skills
Essential
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to adapt to a range of audiences
- Awareness of importance of verbal and non-verbal communication
- Strong organisational and time-management skills
- Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team
Desirable
- Skills in administering and scoring standardised psychological assessments
- Ability to build rapport and work therapeutically with older adults, including those with cognitive impairments
- Ability to facilitate group activities or interventions in an inpatient setting
Knowledge
Essential
- Experience of working with people with mental health problems or disability in a health/social care context
- Experience of working in a psychological assessment and/or therapy capacity with 'service users'
- Understanding of the principles of person-centred care
Desirable
- Knowledge of neuropsychological assessment tools used with older adults
- Awareness of common mental health conditions in older adults, including dementia, depression, and delirium.
- Familiarity with NICE guidelines for older adult mental health
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Emotional resilience and ability to manage challenging situations
- Commitment to equality, diversity, and anti-discriminatory practice
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.
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.
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).
