The closing date is 18 June 2026
Assistant Psychologist
The Central England Rehabilitation Unit (CERU) is a national level 1 neurorehabilitation unit that provides inpatient and outpatient services to individuals with acquired brain injury. The assistant psychologist will work closely with the inter‑disciplinary team – medical staff, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and nurses – under the supervision of experienced clinical psychologists. Duties include conducting specialist neuropsychological assessments and interventions with patients under supervision, contributing to the assessment and management of behaviours of concern, providing well‑being/positive behavioural support interventions, and performing audit and service evaluation where appropriate.
Applicants must hold at least a 2:1 BPS‑recognised psychology degree, have a graduate basis for membership of the BPS, and possess experience working with patients who have acquired brain injuries in a neurorehabilitation setting.
Main duties of the job
* Support the ongoing development and provision of clinical neuropsychological services within CERU.
* Assist in the assessment of emotional and cognitive disorders following acquired brain injury.
* Assist in planning, implementation and delivery of anxiety, fatigue and mood interventions for patients post‑acquired brain injury.
* Carry out cognitive screens and specific neuropsychological assessments under supervision.
* Conduct cognitive rehabilitation programmes under supervision to support cognitive deficits.
* Select and deliver psychological measures to assess the effectiveness of patient work, training and group work, and develop systems for baseline and outcome data capture.
* Develop materials and deliver training to staff within CERU.
* Undertake audit and research projects, including the collection of statistics, teaching and project work.
Job responsibilities
* Work independently on a day‑to‑day basis under clinical supervision, following agreed plans and objectives.
* Administer cognitive screens and specific neuro/psychological assessments, and score these assessments.
* Deliver individual and group‑based psychological interventions under clinical supervision as required.
* Provide assessments and interventions autonomously to patients during inpatient stay.
* Communicate with families of patients under the guidance of the clinical supervisor.
* Work flexibly, including from home, staff base and hospital inpatient ward.
* Liaise and build relationships with staff within the service to promote psychological understanding of patient needs.
* Support governance, audit, research and clinical administrative activities; analyse data, write reports and assist in project development.
* Assist in planning and organising teaching/training programmes for staff within the Neuropsychology service.
* Participate in appraisal and continuing professional development activities as agreed with the line manager.
* Represent the department publicly and promote activities to service users and Trust staff.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Upper second‑class honours degree or higher in psychology.
* Eligibility for graduate basis for chartered membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society.
* Further training course, e.g., mental health or psychological therapies.
* Further postgraduate training in relevant areas such as neuropsychology, health services or research design and analysis.
Experience
* Experience of cognitive/neuropsychological assessments.
* Experience of carrying out cognitive rehabilitation programmes for patients with neuropsychological impairment.
* Experience working with patients who have varying cognitive deficits and adapting input accordingly.
* Experience of group work and/or teaching and training others.
* Experience of scoring and writing up the findings of cognitive assessments and screens.
* Experience in a health or occupational health setting, paid or voluntary.
* Experience of searching literature.
* Experience using Microsoft Office packages, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and databases.
* Experience as an assistant psychologist (paid or voluntary).
* Experience of service development and/or training.
* Experience of virtual working, e.g., Microsoft Teams.
* Experience teaching and training through different media.
* Experience as a participant or facilitator of a reflective practice group.
Skills
* High‑level interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal).
* High standard of report writing.
* Ability to collect clinical data and maintain accurate records.
* Postgraduate experience of research, audit or service evaluation.
* Skilled in using computers for databases or data‑analysis, including SPSS and Excel.
Personal Qualities
* Interest in neuropsychology.
* Ability to work independently and take initiative, reliably and consistently.
* Evidence of good time‑management skills.
* Capacity to withstand exposure to emotional or distressing circumstances.
* Ability to manage professional boundaries.
* Working knowledge of NHS policies and procedures.
* Flexibility, including the possibility of working from home.
* Ability to maintain a safe working environment.
Other
* Appropriate acceptance of clinical supervision.
* Awareness of and sensitivity to the needs of diverse groups.
* Willingness to meet the travel requirements of the post.
* Desire to explore a career in professional psychology.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975. A submission for Disclosure and Barring Service check will be required to confirm no relevant convictions.
South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust
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