Job Summary
Band 4 Assistant Psychologist required to join the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service within the Atkinson Secure Children's Home in Exeter. 22.5 hours per week. The role supports delivery of psychological care to children and young people with complex social, emotional, and mental health needs within a secure setting, working closely with a multi-disciplinary team to promote emotional wellbeing and support onward transitions.
Young people are placed on Welfare Orders under Section 25 of the Children’s Act. The home follows a trauma recovery model with a focus on therapeutic parenting. Livewell Southwest is the employer, delivering integrated health and social care services across the region.
Main duties
* Provide supervised support to the psychology service and wider health and wellbeing team within the Atkinson Secure Children’s Home.
* Under the supervision of a qualified Practitioner Psychologist, conduct psychological assessments (including neuropsychological and cognitive assessments) and develop psychological formulations to inform care plans.
* Collaboratively establish individual service users’ goals towards recovery.
* Deliver psychological interventions (e.g., CBT-informed, cognitive remediation, PBS-informed, EMDR-informed, guided self-help, and co-facilitated group work).
* Support the wellbeing of the multidisciplinary team through reflective supervision and resilience group work.
* Support audit, research, data collection and analysis as part of service evaluation and improvement initiatives.
* Contribute to effective outcomes through evaluation of clinical measures and user satisfaction.
* Maintain confidential and up-to-date clinical records and communicate effectively with service users, carers, and colleagues from diverse backgrounds.
* Work as part of a team, review and revise practices to deliver best clinical practice and efficiencies, and participate in reflective practice.
* Engage with wider health, education and social care teams and external networks to support service users’ needs.
* Demonstrate flexibility, confidentiality, and the ability to manage multiple priorities; use initiative to learn new information.
About Us
Livewell Southwest is an independent, award-winning social enterprise delivering integrated health and social care services across Plymouth, South Hams, and West Devon, with services in Devon and Cornwall. The organisation values kindness, respect, inclusivity, ambition, responsibility, and collaboration, and focuses on transforming services to empower staff and those they serve. We offer protected CPD time, training pathways, leadership programs, and funding for qualifications. Induction and preceptorship programs help new staff transition smoothly.
Livewell Southwest values diversity and encourages applications from all sectors of the community. If you need assistance or reasonable adjustments during the application process, contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the job advert.
Person Specification
Knowledge
* Essential: Knowledge of mental health issues and related problems; knowledge of research and audit methodologies.
* Desirable: Knowledge of complex mental health problems, neurological conditions, and learning disabilities.
Experience
* Essential: Experience of working with mental health service users or individuals with neurological or chronic health conditions, or who have learning disabilities, in a statutory or voluntary capacity; or life experience of coping with mental health problems or chronic health difficulties (including personal experience, active carer role, or volunteering).
* Desirable: Experience of working with young people in care; experience of research and audit in real-world settings; experience of co-facilitating groups; experience of cognitive assessment and administration; knowledge of community and inpatient mental health settings.
Qualifications
* Essential: Undergraduate degree in psychology (minimum 2:1 or 2:2 with evidence of additional academic abilities); eligible for graduate membership of the BPS.
* Desirable: Training or qualification in counselling skills, CBT, brief therapy or similar.
Skills
* Essential: Ability to work as part of a team; excellent verbal and written communication; ability to reflect on and critically appraise own performance; ability to set priorities; maintain effective relationships; manage sensitive information; apply psychological theories to practice; excellent organisational skills; IT skills including SPSS and Excel; competency in using spreadsheets/databases.
* Desirable: European Computer Driving License (ECDL)/ITQ.
Other information
This post is subject to Disclosure and Barring Service checks and may require the applicant to meet sponsorship requirements for Skilled Worker visas. Details provided in the job advert or by the Recruiting Manager.
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