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Job overview
The Forensic Outreach Service (FOS) has a vacancy for an Assistant Psychologist. You will alongside an MDT including Doctors, Nurses, Recovery Workers, OTs and Social Workers.
The post holder will work with people who have complex mental health problems and forensic histories, who have been discharged into the community from secure psychiatric services. FOS offers community mental health services to clients from the 5 Boroughs of Wandsworth, Merton and Sutton, Kingston and Richmond.
Specialist training will be provided for aspects of the post as necessary. Regular clinical and educational supervision will also be provided along with academic sessions as part of the weekly team programme. The team prides itself in providing a high-quality services to people with complex Mental Health problems across the 5 Boroughs that the Trust serves.
The team is based at Springfield Hospital, although work with clients also takes place in a variety of community settings including their own homes and supported accommodation.
Main duties of the job
We are seeking to recruit an enthusiastic, compassionate and motivated Assistant Psychologist. The post holder will work with people who have complex mental health problems and forensic histories, who have been discharged into the community from secure psychiatric services. FOS offers community mental health services to clients from the 5 Boroughs of Wandsworth, Merton and Sutton, Kingston and Richmond.
Working under the clinical supervision of the team forensic psychologist, the role will involve delivering psychological services to clients as part of the wider multidisciplinary team consisting of doctors, community psychiatric nurses, psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists, and recovery support workers. In addition to client facing roles, the post holder will assist in clinically related administration, risk assessment, collection of statistics, development and implementation of audit and/or research projects, teaching and project work.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- To assist in the formulation and delivery of care plans involving the psychological intervention and/or management of a client’s problem, under clinical supervision.
- To administer, score and contribute to the interpretation of psychometric assessments.
- To assist in the development, coordination and co-facilitation of therapeutic groups.
- To work with the Substance Misuse worker in assessing and delivering interventions with clients with identified substance misuse needs.
- To contribute to team risk assessment and risk management for individual clients, including HCR-20 assessments.
- To attend and contribute to appropriate multi-disciplinary meetings (zoning, CPA and reflective practice meetings).
Teaching, training and supervision:
- To receive clinical supervision in line with professional practice guidelines from a registered psychologist.
- To develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties.
- To contribute to the training and support of other staff within the clinical team where appropriate.
Service Development:
- To attend meetings in which service developments are planned and discussed.
- To assist in the design and implementation of service development projects and recovery-focused projects within the service as required.
Research and service evaluation:
- To routinely contribute to the design and implementation of audit and research projects/programmes.
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Person specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with people with mental health or offending behaviour problems and/or learning disabilities.
Desirable
- Experience of working in forensic and/or substance misuse services.
- Experience of co-facilitating psychosocial groups.
- Experience of working within a Multi-Disciplinary Team.
KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS
Essential
- Highly developed communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate highly complex/sensitive information and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive.
- An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health and offending behaviour problems
- An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a mental health context.
- Experience using IT for databases or data-analysis.
Desirable
- The ability to consider difficult clinical situations and one’s own practice in a reflective manner.
- Knowledge and experience of using EXCEL for spreadsheets.
- Ability to contribute to formal research programmes.
TRAINING & QUALIFICATIONS
Essential
- An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology
- Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society
Desirable
- Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis
- Training in HCR-20 risk assessment.
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Assistant Psychologist with South West London and St George's Mental Health Trust NHS Trust in London, London, England. It is listed as a Band 4 Healthcare support worker role. The advertised salary is £34,186 - £37,389 pro rata per annum inclusive of inner London HCAS. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 10 Jul 2026.
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