Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and compassionate Assistant Psychologist to work within our MHTR Team.
If you are seeking a new challenge, and have a keen interest in the criminal justice services, we encourage you to apply and join our supportive and welcoming team!
The Mental Health Treatment Requirement (MHTR) Team are part of MPFT's Health and Justice Service. The MHTR team provide psychological assessments and interventions to people with mental health difficulties who have come into contact with criminal justice services and whose offences may attract a community or suspended sentence order.
The team aims to prevent short term custodial sentences and reduce reoffending by improving access to psychological interventions and addressing underlying mental health problems, thereby improving health and social outcomes for the individual and their family.
MPFT deliver services across England. We are experienced in working across a wide geographical area and there is no necessity to travel to headquarters, training and IT support is virtual.
What do previous Assistant Psychologists say about working in the MHTR Team?
'The MHTR team is a friendly and supportive team. This job role has given me the opportunity to work with diverse populations, gain experience working with different presentations and develop my skills in a variety of therapeutic approaches. There is a great network of practitioners across the UK which meets regularly'.
Main duties of the job
This post will be based at Guildford
You will:
o Be responsible for supporting a Practitioner Psychologist in the development and evaluation of new service delivery models for people with severe and enduring mental health difficulties.
o Undertake protocol based psychological assessments of service users including self-report measures, rating scales and semi-structured interviews.
o Assist in the formulation and delivery of care plans involving the psychological treatment of a service user's problems, including simple procedures and techniques related to psychological therapies.
o Communicate and liaise with other disciplines involved in the service user's care.
o Assist in the development of a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all service users.
o Attend and contribute to appropriate multi-disciplinary meetings.
o Provide advice, guidance and support to service users to enhance awareness of their psychological needs.
o Prepare assessment/service evaluation reports.
o Undertake literature reviews and audits.
About us
By joining Team MPFT, you will be helping your communities and in return for this, we will support you by;
- Supporting your career development and progression
- Excellent NHS Pension scheme
- Generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave
- Options for flexible working
- Up to 27 days annual leave (increasing with service up to 33 days) and the opportunity to purchase additional leave
- Extensive Health and Wellbeing support and resources
- If you work in our community teams, we pay for your time travelling between patients
- Lease car if you complete more than 500 business miles per annum, fully insured and maintained (including tyres), mileage paid at lease car rate
- Salary sacrifice car - fully insured and maintained (including tyres), your gross pay is reduced by the cost of the vehicle before tax, NI and pension deductions are calculated, milage paid at business rates
- Salary sacrifice bikes up to £2k
- Free car parking at all trust sites
- Free flu vaccinations every year
- Citizens Advice support linked with a Hardship Fund for one off additional support up to £250 (if the criteria is met)
And more. We are proud to be a diverse and inclusive organisation and there is a choice of staff networks that help you meet like-minded people.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For further information on the Job Description, main responsibilities and Person Specification to ensure you have the relevant skills for the post, please see the attached documents.
As a member of the team you will be responsible for undertaking assessments, formulating service users needs and delivering psychological
interventions, under the supervision of a qualified Practitioner Psychologist.
An understanding of the needs of people with a diagnosis of personality disorder, mental illness, and/or learning disabilities is needed in this role, with the ability to communicate sensitive information to the patient, carer and colleagues in a way that addresses psychological resistance.
We are seeking somebody who will confidently develop and support the involvement of service users and carers in all aspects of the Health and Justice Service, from individual care planning to the design and evaluation of the overall service.
We look forward to receiving your application. If you have any questions regarding the role, do not hesitate to contact us in advance of submitting your application.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For further information on the Job Description, main responsibilities and Person Specification to ensure you have the relevant skills for the post, please see the attached documents.
As a member of the team you will be responsible for undertaking assessments, formulating service users needs and delivering psychological
interventions, under the supervision of a qualified Practitioner Psychologist.
An understanding of the needs of people with a diagnosis of personality disorder, mental illness, and/or learning disabilities is needed in this role, with the ability to communicate sensitive information to the patient, carer and colleagues in a way that addresses psychological resistance.
We are seeking somebody who will confidently develop and support the involvement of service users and carers in all aspects of the Health and Justice Service, from individual care planning to the design and evaluation of the overall service.
We look forward to receiving your application. If you have any questions regarding the role, do not hesitate to contact us in advance of submitting your application.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
Essential
- A First or Upper Second honours degree in psychology OR a lower Second degree with a post-graduate qualification, e.g. Masters degree.
- Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.
Desirable
- Undergraduate degree included study of Psychopathology/Clinical issues.
- Postgraduate degree in a relevant area of study.
Experience
Essential
- Has significant experience of face-to-face work with people with psychological difficulties.
- Experience supporting people (either in a paid, voluntary or lived experience capacity) with a learning disability in hospital/residential or community settings.
- Has worked closely with clinical psychologists and has an awareness of professional standards/issues.
Desirable
- Experience of working as an Assistant Psychologist.
- Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team.
Skills, Knowledge and abilities
Essential
- High level communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive, service users may show hostile or severely challenging behaviour and may be verbally abusive or physically violent.
- An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a learning disability service context.
Desirable
- Experience using computers for databases or data-analysis (e.g. Excel, SPSS for Windows).
Personal Atributes
Essential
- Ability to interact with people with learning disabilities, mental health problems and/or offending behaviour.
- Ability to work independently, reliably and consistently with work agreed, and managed at regular intervals.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
Essential
- A First or Upper Second honours degree in psychology OR a lower Second degree with a post-graduate qualification, e.g. Masters degree.
- Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.
Desirable
- Undergraduate degree included study of Psychopathology/Clinical issues.
- Postgraduate degree in a relevant area of study.
Experience
Essential
- Has significant experience of face-to-face work with people with psychological difficulties.
- Experience supporting people (either in a paid, voluntary or lived experience capacity) with a learning disability in hospital/residential or community settings.
- Has worked closely with clinical psychologists and has an awareness of professional standards/issues.
Desirable
- Experience of working as an Assistant Psychologist.
- Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team.
Skills, Knowledge and abilities
Essential
- High level communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive, service users may show hostile or severely challenging behaviour and may be verbally abusive or physically violent.
- An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a learning disability service context.
Desirable
- Experience using computers for databases or data-analysis (e.g. Excel, SPSS for Windows).
Personal Atributes
Essential
- Ability to interact with people with learning disabilities, mental health problems and/or offending behaviour.
- Ability to work independently, reliably and consistently with work agreed, and managed at regular intervals.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
