We have an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic assistant psychologist to work across two acute inpatient wards in the Bexley borough. You will work alongside qualified and trainee psychologists in the development and promotion of psychological provision on the wards. The post requires the ability to work both autonomously and collaboratively with MDT staff, good organisational skills, empathic communication, and commitment to maintaining up to date knowledge of mental health.
The post will suit applicants seeking to pursue a doctorate in Clinical Psychology. If you are passionate about enhancing care for people with complex needs, and have relevant experience, we would love to hear from you.
The post holder would support and enhance the professional psychological care of clients within the acute service in the Woodlands Unit, Queen Mary's Hospital Sidcup ; providing psychological assessment and psychological interventions under the supervision of a qualified professional psychologist, working independently according to a plan agreed with a qualified psychologist and within the overall framework of the team’s policies and procedures.
The post holder will join the multi-disciplinary team on the Woodlands Unit, which has two acute adult mental health wards.
Specific opportunities and roles will involve facilitation of psychologically informed therapeutic groups on the wards including dual diagnosis groups, Narrative Tree of Life groups, DBT skills groups, ACT for psychosis, trans-diagnostic psychoeducation groups as well as associated individual or family psychotherapeutic provision. Individual work may also include neuropsychological assessments. There will additionally be opportunity to support the Bexley Home Treatment Team psychologist one day per week.
These tasks will be supported by regular clinical supervision with the qualified psychological therapists within the team.
Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children’s centres, schools and people’s homes.
We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.
Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:
• We’re Kind
• We’re Fair
• We Listen
• We Care
Key Task and Responsibilities:
• To undertake psychological assessments of clients applying psychological theory, including neuropsychological tests; risk assessment; self-report measures; rating scales; direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the client’s care, under the supervision of a qualified clinical psychologist.
• To develop formulations and deliver therapeutic interventions involving the psychological treatment and/or management of a client’s problems as part of a care plan, under the supervision of a qualified professional psychologist.
• To assist in the coordination and running of therapeutic and/or psycho educational groups, training, or clinical projects.
• To work with other staff to assess or support service users in care homes and other community settings and contribute to multi-disciplinary discussions or care guidelines as agreed with the clinical psychologist providing supervision.
• To assist in the development of a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings where care takes place.
• Educate and involve carers, family members and others in treatment and interventions as necessary.
• Adhere to an agreed activity contract relating to the number of client contacts offered, and clinical sessions carried out per week.
• To create graphs or charts to collate or summarise data.
• To assist in producing visual material or user-friendly information for interventions with clients.
• To update the RIO and/or any other patient records database in relation to contact with clients.
• In common with all clinical psychologists, to receive regular clinical supervision in accordance with professional practice guidelines.
• To gain wider experience of professional psychology within the NHS over and above that provided within the principal service area where the post holder is employed.
• To develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties.
• To contribute to the training and support of other staff in provision of psychological care.
This advert closes on Tuesday 20 May 2025
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