# Assistant Psychologist > NHS job listing from Job Clerk for Devon Partnership NHS Trust. ## Canonical URLs - **HTML:** https://www.jobclerk.com/job/assistant-psychologist/1eab8cc9-22fc-4faf-9c6c-5a6bb0e93292 - **Markdown:** https://www.jobclerk.com/job/assistant-psychologist/1eab8cc9-22fc-4faf-9c6c-5a6bb0e93292.md ## Summary - **Status:** Live - **Employer:** Devon Partnership NHS Trust - **Town:** Exeter - **Region:** South West - **Country:** England - **Profession:** Healthcare support worker - **Grade:** Band 5 - **Salary:** £32,073 to £39,043 a year - **Contract type:** Permanent - **Employment type:** Full-time - **Closing date:** 2026-07-24T23:59:00.000Z - **Posted:** 2026-07-09T15:49:17.941Z - **Source information URL:** https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/candidate/jobadvert/C9369-26-0535?employerCode=C9369 - **Application URL:** https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/candidate/application/C9369-26-0535/pre-application-questions-pause?referrer=jobadvert&ref=C9369-26-0535 - **Employer website:** https://www.dpt.nhs.uk ## Job Content ### Job summary We are looking for an assistant psychologist to join the Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) pathway services across Devon. The pathway is based in Prison & Probation, with NHS and HMPPS staff working to increase the wellbeing & reduce the risk of those screened into the pathway, whilst improving the knowledge and attitudes of wider workforce. Teams within the service: Support to Succeed (STS) community-based service offering support to probation staff through consultation, formulation & training; and psychologically-informed intervention & risk management (IIRMS) for those leaving prison. Outside the Box (OTB) intervention service in HMP Channings Wood supporting those who are stuck & would benefit from relational ways of working. This role is available within OTB service. The role will include developing and facilitating psycho-educational and/or skills-based groups, providing psychologically-informed and relational support to people on caseload, consultation and training for probation/prison staff, and discrete pieces of psychological intervention. There may be opportunity in the future for staff to rotate between the services and in exceptional circumstances, staff may be asked to provide support into the other service to help meet service need. These are cohesive and enthusiastic teams with staff from a range of professions and with well-embedded partnership working. Space is consistently protected for supervision, reflective practice and training. ### Main duties of the job The roles will include working on an individual and group basis with those on caseload to support them to achieve shared goals based on a collaborative psychological formulation. In both services, the post holders will have the chance to develop and facilitate psycho-educational and skills based groups such as DBT skills, emotional regulation etc. There is also scope to be involved in co-facilitating pro-social groups such as cooking, bee keeping (OTB), social group, and gardening (OTB). Additionally, in OTB, the post holder will hold a caseload jointly with prison staff, and for those individuals will develop a shared formulation and intervention plan/goals, and then work towards these, with supervision from the psychologist/clinical lead. There will be opportunity to offer support and consultation to operational staff within OTB, as well as to the wider prison workforce. In STS, the post holder will provide consultation and practice support to probation staff, as well as undertaking joint work alongside them with those on their caseloads. The post holder will also hold a caseload of individuals working with IIRMS, where the primary identified needs relate to psychological work. The services work closely together with the aim of creating a supportive pathway for those leaving prison. There is also opportunity for involvement with a research project and service evaluation. We would be happy to arrange a visit to/conversation about the service for anyone interested. ### About us About Devon Partnership Trust We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery. We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do Our values We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas. We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader. ### Details - Date posted: 09 July 2026 - Pay scheme: Agenda for change - Band: Band 5 - Salary: £32,073 to £39,043 a year - Contract: Permanent - Working pattern: Full-time - Reference number: C9369-26-0535 - Job locations: Outside the Box Service, HMP Channings Wood, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 6DW, United Kingdom ### Job responsibilities For more information about this role, please refer to the detailed Job description and Person specification attached in the supporting documents section ## Person Specification ### Experience **Essential** - Significant experience as an assistant psychologist in a related setting. - Experience of working as part of a team. - Experience of group work and individual therapeutic contact. **Desirable** - Experience of working with people with complex needs. - Experience of working with people with personality problems, preferably in a mental health or forensic setting. - Experience of the use of psychometric tests. - Experience working within the Criminal Justice System e.g. prison or probation. - Experience of teaching health, prison or probation professionals. - Lived experience of mental health issues. ### Qualifications **Essential** - Honours degree at 2:1 or above in psychology and the qualification renders the applicant eligible for graduate membership of the BPS or a BA or BSc (Hons) in modular studies incl. psychology & related fields. **Desirable** - Further post graduate training in relevant area of professional psychology, health and social care practice, and / or research design and analysis. ### Knowledge and Skills **Essential** - To be able to communicate effectively under pressure and maintain a high degree of professionalism at all times. - To be able to provide and receive complex sensitive or contentious information in a potentially highly emotive atmosphere. - High standard of report writing. - Ability to integrate complex data; make evaluations; produce psychological formulations and contribute to decisions. - To assimilate complex information and use reflective/analytic thinking, to apply psychological perspectives in work in a criminal justice setting - Relevant clinical and research skills. - Basic knowledge of databases, research skills and methodology. - Ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a health, mental health and offence context. - Organisation and time management skills: - Ability to be flexible and cope with multiple demands. - Capable of using initiative and organise work to agreed goals. - Ability to work independently and know when to ask for and use supervision, identifying when there is need for advice and using supervision at agreed intervals. - Small-scale project management skills. - Information technology skills: - To have highly developed IT skills and good working knowledge of statistical packages - Ability to sit in restricted positions for prolonged periods of time. - Ability to work independently within defined occupational procedures and use initiative. - Ability to work as a member of a team. **Desirable** - Ability to tolerate ambiguity, and maintain own morale and motivation in challenging service delivery contexts. - Ability to travel between bases preferably being able to drive and having access to a vehicle. ## Documents - [Job Description (DOC, 642 KB)](document:2986313) - [Additional Support for Job Seekers (DOCX, 69 KB)](document:2986314) - [Using AI Responsibly in Your Job Application (DOCX, 25 KB)](document:2986315) ## Agent Notes - This Markdown page is generated from the same Job Clerk job record as the HTML job detail page. - Use the canonical HTML URL for user-facing references. - Use the application URL when the user wants to apply on the source NHS site.