Job overview
We are looking for enthusiastic and keen assistant psychologist to join us at Rivington Unit as part of the psychological offer to our acute psychiatric inpatient wards.
The post holder will join an evolving acute service where provision of low intensity psychological interventions is a key priority. The post will suit someone who has a strong interest in working with people with significant mental health difficulties.
You will join a developing and innovative service that aims to provide the right care and treatment at the right time.
We recognise the importance of promoting the professional development of our staff and there will be a number of opportunities to participate in continued professional development including close supervision by qualified psychologists, access to group supervision for trainees and assistants and access to a regular Assistant Forum as well as Trust wide CPD opportunities.
The Trust has strong links with, and provides placements for, the clinical psychology courses.The Psychological Therapies Training Centre (formerly CBT Training Centre and Salford Cognitive Therapy Training Centre) is part of Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH) and was established in 2000 as part of what was then Mental Health Services of Salford, with the aim of creating a centre of excellence for cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) training in the northwest region.
Main duties of the job
The post would suit someone with a keen interest in low-intensity psychological interventions delivered both individually and in groups.
· To facilitate the running of psychologically informed groups on the wards.
· Independently deliver these groups and encourage other members of the multi-disciplinary team to become engaged in these activities.
· To ensure psychologically relevant resource material is available to the wards.
· When required, to assist with assessments / reviews / consultations by administering self- report measures, rating scales, neuropsychological tests, and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in clients care, all under supervision.
· Under clinical supervision, independently implement time limited psychological interventions, involving creative engagement with clients with complex relational and risk related needs.
· To document clinical records in accordance with Trust policy and to contribute towards report writing and letter writing.
· To contribute to appropriate multidisciplinary meetings, ward meetings and to liaise with family / carers, other staff, and agencies.
· To assist in the planning of appropriate psychological interventions according to the assessment.
Working for our organisation
Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) Foundation Trust employs over 7000 members of staff, who deliver services from more than 122 locations.
We provide inpatient and community-based mental health care for people living in Bolton, the city of Manchester, Salford, Trafford and the borough of Wigan, and a wide range of specialist mental health and substance misuse services across Greater Manchester, the north west of England and beyond.
Greater Manchester is one of the world's most innovative, original and exciting places to live and work. From the beauty of the surrounding countryside to the heart of the vibrant inner city with great shopping, entertainment and dining options.
Wherever you go you will experience a great northern welcome with people famed for their warmth, humour and generosity.
Our people enjoy their work, have opportunities to learn and develop their skills and are encouraged to generate new ideas that improve care for our service users.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see attached job description and person specification
Staff benefits
1. Pay Enhancements:
Band
Saturday (midnight to midnight) and any week day after 8pm and before 6am
All time on Sundays and Public Holidays (midnight to midnight)
1
Time plus 47%
Time plus 94%
2
Time plus 41%
Time plus 83%
3
Time plus 35%
Time plus 69%
4 – 9
Time plus 30%
Time plus 60%
2. 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising to 29 after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years
3. Excellent pension
4. Cycle to work scheme
5. Salary sacrifice car scheme
6. Wellbeing programme
7. Genie Fuel Cards (for applicable roles)
Person specification
expreince and knowledge
Essential criteria
8. relevant education-Minimum 2:1 degree in psychology, or equivalent qualification or experience.
9. Experience of working with people with severe mental health problems.
Desirable criteria
10. Other short courses in therapy such as CBT,CFT
11. Experience of delivering psychological interventions to clients with severe mental health problems.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
12. evidence of interpersonal skills to engage with a range of staff groups within the service and to engage a client group with a range of complex needs.
engagement
Essential criteria
13. Able to communicate effectively
The Trust mandates all post holders who require a DBS for their role to subscribe to the DBS Update Service. You will be required to enrol for this service for a fee of £16 per year and maintain registration throughout your employment with GMMH.
Applicants are encouraged to apply for posts at Greater Manchester Mental Health who have direct experience of mental health, learning disability or drug and alcohol services either as a service user or a carer.
The Trust is also committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
We are aspiring to ensure our workforce is representative of the diverse communities that we serve, and we are strongly committed to removing barriers to employment for candidates from under-represented groups, for example BAME, Disabled and LGBT+ communities. If you would like to have an informal chat about the recruitment process for this role or would value some additional support, we’d love to hear from you.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) when writing job applications
A candidate may utilise the help of AI when writing job application. The assessment of an application is made on its entirety and most times AI-generated content does not fully grasp the context and requirements of the job one applies for thus producing inaccurate and misleading information, especially in the supporting statement section of an application that can lack real life examples of one’s achievements, success and challenges.
We have added a disclaimer to our application process advising that the use of AI is monitored. GMMH reserves the right to follow up with a candidate at the interview on specific responses and those examples used in the supporting statement to explore it further.
Sponsorship
We are proud to be an approved sponsor for the Skilled Worker visa. Applications from individuals who require sponsorship will be considered alongside all other applications. Please be aware that not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible roles and salary requirements on the UK Government’s website – click .
If you are offered a role with us and you require sponsorship, we will check your eligibility in line with the information on the above website. Your offer of employment could be withdrawn if the role is not eligible for sponsorship, and you are not otherwise able to evidence your right to work in the UK.
The Home Office introduces new changes from 09/04/2025 that impact the health and care sector, you may wish to familiarise with it.
Do you have experience outside the NHS?
We want to attract and retain people with diverse skills and experience, to deliver inclusive healthcare services to our communities.
We will consider relevant experience outside the NHS to calculate your salary on appointment.