Location
Charter House
Salary
£39,959 - £48,117 per annum
Profession
Psychologist
Grade
Band 6
Deadline
30 Aug 2026
Contract Type
Permanent
Posted Date
14 Aug 2026
Job overview
We are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated Clinical Associate in Psychology to join our Adult Community Mental Health Hubs in Luton. This is an exciting opportunity to work alongside other Psychologist practitioners and within a supportive multi-disciplinary team. We welcome applications from psychologists who are passionate about delivering compassionate, trauma-informed and recovery-focused care.
We are located in Luton town centre, with excellent transport links to London, the Midlands and beyond. Working in Luton offers the opportunity to make a meaningful difference within a vibrant, diverse and culturally rich community.
Main duties of the job
The successful candidate will provide brief psychological assessments, formulation and evidence-based group and individual interventions for adults with complex and enduring mental health difficulties, and their families.
They will possess an enthusiasm for multidisciplinary team working and the skills to support care planning, consultation and service development.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
| Main Duties and Responsibilities | |
| Patient Care | To communication constructively with a range of healthcare professionals as part of a multidisciplinary team Build relationships with key stakeholders Liaise with relevant external agencies to facilitate and enable psychological interventions Communicate to others the core concepts of psychological theory, research and practice in order to enhance their delivery of psychological interventions Provide training within teams to enhance delivery of clinical and research practice interventions appropriate to the health and psychological needs of patients across a range of service settings To effectively communicate decision making processes which have informed the psychological management of risk; implement and respond appropriately to risk, using appropriate guidance and support, maintaining compliance with service policy and values Understand impact of multiple perspectives within the context of multidisciplinary teams Explain the rationales to individuals, groups and other healthcare colleagues, for evidence based psychological treatment models and protocols |
| Clinical | All clinical duties will be carried out under the supervision and direction of a qualified Practitioner Psychologist. The post-holder has a responsibility to perform all tasks within the spirit and the policies of the East London NHS Foundation Trust. Under such direction and with these conditions the duties will be: Will work with patients in their own home, in the community or hospital, or in any settings where their needs are supported and managed Will work with individuals and groups with complex and long-term needs Act as a psychological resource providing support, guidance and supervision using psychological models to the wider health or social care teams Use psychological measurement tools to evaluate psychological treatments and improve the quality of clinical practice Deliver treatment interventions developed with a Practitioner Psychologist who will review their practice through supervision Provide a range of psychological treatments working within their scope of practice, whilst the supervising Practitioner Psychologist retains overall clinical responsibility for their work Planning, delivering and evaluating psychological interventions which may include more long term and complex presentations whilst working with individuals or groups with long-term and complex needs Acting as a psychological resource to the wider health or social care teams including residential settings whilst seeing patients in their own homes or in the community Performing assessments as well as planning and evaluating their own psychological interventions To conduct risk management assessments and evaluations Understand fundamentals of psychometric principles to guide the use of standardised assessment tools with specific populations Understand how to analyse and appraise the range of psychological assessment methods used within applied clinical practice to underpin assessment, drawing on formulations in psychological theory, providing a clinical framework describing an individual’s problem and/or needs, whilst providing a rationale for how problems have developed and are maintained Analyse and appraise the range of psychological assessment methods used within applied clinical practice to underpin formulation, taking into account the preferences of the person with complex and chronic conditions, and that of their caregivers when planning a psychological intervention Maintaining awareness of prevalence, incidence and impact of common mental health myths, misconceptions and stereotypes on patients and the importance of therapeutic alliance in embedding positive behaviour change and maintain awareness that mental health stigma and discrimination are major barriers to effective psychological interventions in the management of psychological problems Use a range of evidence-based psychological models and protocols when addressing individualised patient need and critically appraise these models and interventions to inform treatment planning and appropriate choice of treatment protocols and understand how to interpret treatment choices with individuals, groups and other healthcare colleagues, when managing complex and chronic needs Understand how psychological interventions may impact upon self-management strategies and action plans already in place and that they should minimise harm, maximise benefits and result in improvement of overall quality of life indices Setting appropriate intervention goals and agreeing these with patients, their families and their caregivers Conduct an individualised psychological evaluation utilising behavioural observation and measurement using valid and reliable measurement tools for the purposes of self and other observation of outcome and evaluation of treatment, incorporating evaluation from formal and informal carers Carry out risk assessments in relation to psychological distress and to ensure that risk formulations are integrated with interventions understanding contingency management and the use of risk indicators in mitigating against crises Implement appropriate crisis interventions that are safe, effective and compassionate and follow a rights-based approach consistent with service standards, reporting and reflection upon critical incidents and serious adverse events influencing and changing clinical practice Create, implement and appraise formulations based upon multiple sources of clinical and other data to inform the management of psychological interventions and where no protocols or treatment guidance exists. Develop collaborative formulations with patients so as to sense-check understandings and influence delivery of evidenced-based individualised psychological interventions. Actively engage patients in treatment regimes to address and resolve emotive contexts and circumstances. Apply psychological interventions that are consistent with self-management strategies and action plans for people with complex and chronic needs. Accurately measure and evaluate outcomes in a range of care settings, by selecting the appropriate measurement tools from a range of possible options in the context of individual and service level change Apply psychological theory and research to address emotive and challenging situations, taking account of conflicting and contradictory information from carers and other healthcare professionals To spend sustained amounts of time with service users whose behaviour may be aggressive and hostile, who may have poor verbal communication skills and self-care and special physical and/or mental needs. To understand of the needs and assets of individuals and families from a wide range of racial, cultural, sexual, religious and social backgrounds. To join with service users and colleagues, co-produce innovative ways of communicating and working across language and cultural differences. |
| Administration | Implement, produce and maintain clear, legible and contemporaneous patient records regarding direct and indirect patient contacts and wider working within teams adhering to professional and ethical standards Act on the duty to comply with service and national standards of clinical record-keeping Use Trust electronic systems as required for the role Undertake any required e-learning as directed by the Trust Be proficient in using a variety of software packages |
| Management | To be accountable for professionals delivering psychological assessments, formulations, interventions and research within their scope of practice To manage a caseload while undertaking their own clinical programmes of work, within their scope of practice To be responsible for own learning and development using reflection and feedback to analyse their own capabilities Responsible for ensuring that resources are managed effectively Use the principles of leadership theory to influence best psychological practice when working in teams Recognise the importance and impact of organisational culture in service delivery and development Understand the appropriate boundaries of professional competency in offering support and supervision and work within the scope of practice of the role and within the bounds of professional competence, in line with employer’s requirements around values, conduct and ethics |
| Human Resources | In all clinical and professional activities, act in accordance with the BPS Professional Code of Conduct, identifying and challenging discriminatory behaviour Work to BPS Professional Code of Conduct, local and national policies and procedures that define scope of practice Implement, plan and manage psychological interventions when working with complex and long term needs Undertake regular clinical psychology supervision accordance with British Psychological Society (BPS) standards for accredited practice; understanding clinical supervision provides opportunities for others to review and modify their practice, maintain high professional standards of competence and to enhance the delivery of individualised care |
| Performance and Quality | Participate in the delivery of audit and service improvement projects leading to the continuous enhancement and quality improvement of clinical practice Use applied service research and evaluation to inform interventions Use a range of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies relevant to situation and service context Use a range of research approaches drawing on specialist psychological tools to collect data to evaluate own practice as well as to enhance service delivery |
| Financial and Physical Resources | Contribute to the responsible management of equipment and resources required for the ongoing provision of a high standard of psychological service to the directorate. |
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Person specification
OTHER
Essential
- Dedicated in treating residents with dignity, respecting individuals’ diversity, beliefs, culture, needs, values, privacy and preferences
- Able to show respect and empathy for residents and colleagues and have the courage to challenge concerns, working to evidence-based best practice
- Ability to travel independently where required
- Adaptable, reliable and consistent, show discretion, resilience and self-awareness and demonstrate professional and clinical competence
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working with long-term mental health conditions in the NHS
- Communicate effectively, share information and check understanding using clear language and appropriate, written materials, making reasonable adjustments where appropriate in order to optimise people’s understanding
- Take account of how conflicting and sometimes contradictory information from carers and other healthcare professionals, in emotive and challenging situations and contexts, may impact on the outcome of assessment
Desirable
- Knowledge or experience of lived experience with mental health
Knowledge/Skills
Essential
- To be able to assess and formulate someone’s experiences drawing on a range of psychological models and theory
- Able to correctly handle confidential information and knowing how and when to share this information for appropriate professional purposes and only with appropriate individuals, and as necessary with appropriately gained consent
Desirable
- Awareness of diversity of cultural norms across the borough, and being able to respond to this appropriately
- Knowledge and implementation of local, regional and national policy
Education and training
Essential
- Fully qualified as a Clinical Associate Psychologist
- An approved qualification in psychology conferring eligibility for graduate basis for registration with the British Psychological Society, (Class 2.2 or higher)
Desirable
- Further training in areas appropriate to the Complex Emotional Needs client group
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Clinical Associate Psychologist with East London NHS Foundation Trust in Charter House. It is listed as a Band 6 Psychologist role. The advertised salary is £39,959 - £48,117 per annum. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 30 Aug 2026.
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