Band 5 Assistant Psychologist

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Rehabilitation and Recovery Pathway at Sheffield Health & Social Care Trust. The post will require a skilled and enthusiastic Assistant Psychologist  to join the clinical team in the inpatient rehabilitation service serving people with complex and enduring mental health difficulties. Assistant Psychologists are embedded and valued members of the multidisciplinary team at Forest Close, contributing to direct and indirect care, via psychologically informed assessment, formulation and  interventions. You will be joining an established psychology team which includes a Senior Clinical Psychologist and two Clinical Associate Psychologists.

Main duties of the job

We are seeking a motivated and skilled Assistant Psychologist to join our dynamic team at Forest Close, part of Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust.

The successful candidate will bring a sound understanding of psychologically informed  assessment,  formulation, and the promotion of psychological thinking both within teams and across wider systems. You will demonstrate a passion for indirect psychological working and the ability to apply psychological knowledge under the supervision of a Senior Clinical Psychologist to support staff and service development.

You will have experience of working with service users presenting with a broad range of complex mental health needs, and the skills to contribute to the support of planning and delivery of evidence-based psychological assessments and interventions.

Forest Close offers a supportive and forward-thinking leadership team, committed to valuing and embedding psychology throughout the service. We are excited to work with someone who shares our enthusiasm for professional growth, service improvement, and innovative practice.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

General Requirements

To contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the post-holder’s professional and service manager(s).

To contribute to the development and articulation of best practice in psychology across the service, by continuing to develop the skills of a reflexive and reflective scientist practitioner, taking part in regular professional supervision and appraisal, and maintaining an active engagement with current developments in the field of clinical psychology and related disciplines.

To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping including electronic data entry, recording and report writing in accordance with professional codes of practice of the BPS and Trust policies and procedures.

To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation, national and local policies and issues.

To attend and contribute to relevant professional meetings.

To develop and maintain good working relationships with colleagues within Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust and in the statutory and voluntary services with the aim of promoting high standards of care and clinical practice

Principal Duties

Clinical:

To be required to work on a frequent basis with service users who present with severe and complex mental health difficulties including those diagnosed with psychosis.

To undertake protocol based psychological assessments of service users, including the use of psychometric tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with service users, family members and others involved in the person’s care under the management and clinical supervision of the Clinical Psychologist.

To assist in the formulation and delivery of care plans involving the psychological treatment and/or management of a service user’s problems, under the management and clinical supervision of the Clinical Psychologist, in inpatient settings.

To assist in the coordination and running of therapeutic groups.

To work with other staff to assess service users and review their care in preparation for multi-disciplinary reviews.

Where required, to attend and contribute to appropriate multi-disciplinary and care review meetings.

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

Teaching, training and supervision

To receive regular management and clinical supervision in accordance with professional practice guidelines.

To develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties.

To contribute to the training and support of other staff in psychological care.

Service Development

To assist in the design and implementation of service development projects within the service as required.

To attend meetings in which service developments are planned and discussed.

Research and service evaluation

To assist in the design and implementation of audit and research projects.

To undertake data collection, analysis, the production of reports and summaries, using IT and statistical programmes.

To undertake searches of evidence-based literature and research to assist the qualified clinical psychologist in evidence based practice in individual work and work with other team members.

Working Environment

The job role will involve working in situations where there may be occasional verbal or physical aggression from service users’ carers and the general public.