Employer Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust Employer type NHS Site Norwich Community Hospital, Bowthorpe Road, Norwich Town Norwich Salary £27,485 - £30,162 pro rata per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 24/11/2025 23:59 Interview date 16/12/2025
Assistant Psychologist
NHS AfC: Band 4
NCH&C is proud to be the first standalone NHS community trust in the UK to achieve an ‘Outstanding’ rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Our focus is on continually improving the quality of care we offer to local people and on improving access to that care, helping people to move seamlessly from one service to another. Praising NCH&C’s “compassionate, inclusive and effective leadership at all levels”, the CQC observed that our staff are well supported to make positive changes and innovations.
Norfolk Community Health & Care NHS Trust is committed to continuing to create a modern and inclusive work environment. As part of this commitment we actively promote flexible working opportunities where possible, to meet the needs and wishes of our workforce to maintain and improve their wellbeing. The trust offers a range of flexibility, including flexible working patterns, and we would encourage you to discuss this with the recruiting manager before or during the application process if this would interest you.
We welcome applications from people who share our values and can help us deliver outstanding care in our local community.
Before applying for this vacancy, please make sure you’re familiar with ongoing GOV.uk sponsorship eligibility criteria which will impact the organisations ability to provide sponsorship, whether this is currently or in the future.
Specifically for band 3 roles within healthcare please be aware of the salary threshold required for a certificate of sponsorship to be granted, and that unfortunately overseas applicants who are new to care will not reach the minimum salary threshold to obtain a certificate of sponsorship and therefore your application will be withdrawn.
Job overview
This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated and enthusiastic Assistant Psychologist to join our multi-disciplinary team, working in a hybrid format both virtually/remotely and clinic-based, to support individuals with long term physical health conditions.
The successful candidate will have a passion for using psychological knowledge to improve people's quality of life, and would work under the supervision of the Principal Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist.
There will be many opportunities to develop skills and experience in delivering patient-centred assessments and brief interventions, including through group work, individual work, and joint working with other healthcare professionals.
The successful candidate will work part‑time as a part of a supportive and established team, with opportunities for further training and continuing professional development.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will have a keen interest in developing their knowledge and experience in working with adults who have long term conditions.
The post holder will work directly with patients and families and will also work indirectly to advise the multi-disciplinary team, e.g., providing advice on psychological management of patients and rehabilitation approaches.
There will also be opportunities to assist with the planning and facilitation of groups. The post holder will support and enhance the professional psychological care of clients within the service, across all sectors of care; providing psychological assessment and psychological interventions under the supervision of a HCPC registered Practitioner Psychologist, working independently according to a plan agreed with the HCPC Registered Practitioner Psychologist and within the overall framework of the team’s policies and procedures.
They will also assist in clinically related administration, conduct of audits, collection of statistics, and development of audit and / or research projects, teaching and project work.
Working for our organisation
Find out more about working for our organisation here:
Please note, the selection processes at Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust are in place to ensure we recruit candidates with the right values and skills, please be advised that the use of AI in applications are monitored. We remain watchful of candidates who misuse these tools to generate an application that doesn’t accurately reflect their skills.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The post holder will:
* Use a multi-disciplinary and research-led approach.
* Provide assessment and short-term tailored interventions to adults with post Covid syndrome and associated anxiety, low mood, distress, difficulty adjusting to their conditions; or who require screening to support future interventions with onward appropriate service.
* This post will be under the supervision of the team’s HCPC Registered Clinical Psychologist.
* The post may have opportunities to deliver both individual and group interventions in line with new commissioning arrangements.
* There will also be opportunities to assist with the planning and facilitation of the service.
Clinical
* Under supervision from the Clinical Psychologist, the post holder will:
* Develop their knowledge of a wide range of assessment skills and psychometric tools appropriate for the client group.
* Where appropriate, undertake protocol based psychological assessments of clients applying psychological tests, 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.
* Assist in the formulation and delivery of care plans involving the psychological treatment and/or management of a client’s problems.
* Plan and prioritise their own workload.
* Apply the knowledge acquired through their Psychology Degree on psychological theory to interventions. Independently research conditions and theories to supplement knowledge and contribute to clinical assessments, formulations, and therapeutic interventions. Do this via books, literature searches using the internet, direct observation, and training via clinical psychologists.
* Assist in the coordination and running of therapeutic groups or clinical projects.
* Attend and contribute to appropriate multi-disciplinary meetings.
* Provide indirect support to the wider team through formulation meetings and psychologically informed discussions.
* Create graphs or charts to collate or summarise data on individual interventions or treatment programmes.
* Assist in producing visual or material or user-friendly information for interventions with clients.
* Communicate complex information sensitively.
* Be required to work with individuals who have experienced or may experience emotional distress: a high degree of professionalism at all times must be maintained.
* To respect diversity. To treat everyone with dignity and respect and act in ways that acknowledge and recognise people’s expressed beliefs, preferences and choices.
* The post demands periods of concentrated effort, both mental and physical (report writing, assessment sessions).
Research and Service Evaluation
* Under supervision from the Clinical Psychologist, the post holder will:
* Prepare and present materials of effective teaching and training (e.g. power point, graphic representations); record and analyse data for research and audit (e.g. databases, spreadsheets, statistical analysis packages e.g. Excel or SPSS).
* Assist in the design and implementation of audit and research projects.
* Undertake searches of evidence-based literature and research to assist qualified clinical psychologists in evidence-based practice in individual work and work with other team members.
* Undertake data collection, analysis, the production of reports and summaries, using IT and statistical programmes.
Organisational
* Under supervision of a Clinical Psychologist, the post holder will:
* Keep up to date with service and professional policies, procedures and standards as appropriate.
* Offer, comment on and contribute to the formulation of new policies, procedures and standards as appropriate.
* Schedule appointments, room booking and booking test equipment.
* Maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing in accordance with professional codes of practice of the British Psychological Society and Trust policies and procedures.
* Undertake specific administrative duties as required.
* Be required to travel between a range of appointment venues in both rural and urban locations where required.
* Maintain an up-to-date diary with details of activities and locations in line with the Lone Working Policy enforced due to the nature of countywide working.
* Maintain the confidentiality of personal information and patient records in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act/GDPR.
Professional
* Under supervision from a Clinical Psychologist, the post holder will:
* Receive regular supervision from a qualified Clinical Psychologist in accordance with professional practice guidelines.
* Develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties.
* Contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the post holder’s professional and team/operational manager(s).
* Complete and keep up to date with all mandatory training required by NCHC.
Administration
* The post holder will use computerised systems for record keeping and reference.
* The post holder will provide travel returns in accordance with Trust regulations.
Person specification
Qualifications
* 2:1 degree or above in Psychology
* Eligibility for graduate membership of BPS
* Other related academic qualifications to Masters Level
* Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis
Experience
* Experience of working with people with mental health problems and/or other disabilities.
* Relevant paid or voluntary work
* Experience of working within or completing assessment of long-term conditions or in rehabilitation as an assistant psychologist or support worker role
* Experience of working within a multidisciplinary setting
* Experience of using standardised assessment tools and/or psychometrics
Skills, Abilities, and Knowledge
* An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems
* An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a mental health context
* Ability to work unsupervised and use own initiative
* High-level of communication skills using the English language both written and verbal, including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive
* Knowledge of National strategies and guidance relating to Long Term Conditions
* Knowledge of client group
* Knowledge of relevant legislation and implications for clinical practice
* High standards of report writing
* Good observational & reporting skills
* An understanding of psychology applied to health care
Communication
* Ability to modify communication to allow for patient presentation
* Good communicator with patients, carers and colleagues
* Advanced keyboard skills
* Ability to confidently and articulately compile and produce written and verbal reports
Personal Attributes/Behaviours
* Ability to use own initiative
* Excellent organisation skills and the ability to manage own caseload and prioritise workload
* Well-motivated with respect to developing clinical and academic skills
* Able to manage own work timetable
* Able to manage stress generated by work/work environment
* Able to utilise own clinical supervision effectively
* Willingness to work flexibly to accommodate patient/service needs
* Relevant additional training
Other
* Works to professional guidelines
* Must hold full and valid driving licence and have access to a vehicle
* A desire to explore a career in Clinical Psychology
Equal Opportunities - We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome all applications irrespective of age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, race or religion. Additionally, people with disabilities that fall under the Disability Confident Scheme will be offered an interview providing they meet the minimum criteria for the post (outlined in the Person Specification). All sites are Smoke Free.
If you need this application in an offline format, please let us know.
Immigration Status- Norfolk Community Health & Care NHS Trust is a diverse employer and welcomes all job applications. However, potential applicants should note that although the Trust is registered with the Home Office as a sponsor organisation for migrant workers, sponsorship can only be offered against Skilled Worker visas. If you are an applicant from outside the UK and do not already hold a self-gained right to work, we recommend you check the Home Office eligibility requirements before making an application.
Please note: Although we are a registered sponsor organisation, we are unable to offer sponsorship for some job roles, and this will be identified through filtering questions at the start of any job application on the Trac recruitment system.
Redeployment - Please note that in the first instance priority for this vacancy will be given to NCH&C staff who are on the Trusts Redeployment Register.
DBS - If this post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and you are not a current employee of Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust or being recruited as an Apprentice then the cost of the DBS check will be automatically removed from your first month’s salary. However if you are registered with the update service this may not be required.
Closing and Interview Dates -This vacancy may close early if sufficient applicants are received.
Data Protection - A privacy notice detailing how we will handle your data is attached to this advert as a document. Your application will be transferred to our recruitment management system (Trac) once the advert has closed and you will receive notification then detailing how Trac will handle your data.
On April 1st 2025, the Boards of Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust and Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust will come together to deliver services as a group, with a singular board operating across both organisations. Both trusts are high performing specialist community health and care providers working in the East of England. Both have a strong track record, with the highest ratings from the Care Quality Commission, best in class NHS staff survey outcomes, and a decade of experience in innovation and clinical development.
The group model provides health and care services to a population of 3.2 million in their homes and neighbourhoods. We provide care that supports people from the very beginning to the very end of their lives.
We will remain two separate employers until further notice, and this role being advertised will be employed by Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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.
Name Dr Josephine Scott Job title Highly Specialist Principal Clinical Psychologist Email address josephine.scott@nchc.nhs.uk Additional information
Dr Scott can be contacted Tues-Thurs by email.
#J-18808-Ljbffr