Devon Partnership NHS Trust

Assistant Psychologist

The closing date is 07 August 2025

Job summary

We are looking for Assistant Psychologists to join the Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) pathway services across Devon. The pathway is based in prison and probation with NHS and HMPPS staff working to increase wellbeing and reduce the risk of those screened into the pathway whilst improving the knowledge and attitudes of wider workforce.

Posts are available in:

Support to Succeed (STS) community-based service offering support to probation staff through consultation, formulation and training; and psychologically-informed intervention and risk management (IIRMS) for those leaving prison.

Outside the Box (OTB) intervention service in HMP Channings Wood supporting those who are stuck and would benefit from relational ways of working.

The roles will include developing and facilitating psycho-educational and/or skills-based groups, providing psychologically-informed and relational support to people on caseload, consultation and training for probation/prison staff and discrete pieces of psychological intervention.

There may be opportunity in the future for staff to rotate between services depending on preference. In exceptional circumstances, staff may be asked to provide support to the other service to help meet service need.

These are cohesive and enthusiastic teams with staff from a range of professions and well-embedded partnership working. Space is consistently protected for supervision, reflective practice & training.

Interviews will be held on 13 & 14 August.

Main duties of the job

The roles will include working on an individual and group basis with those on caseload to support them to achieve shared goals based on a collaborative psychological formulation.

In both services, the post holders will have the chance to develop and facilitate psycho-educational and skills based groups such as DBT skills, emotional regulation etc. There is also scope to be involved in co-facilitating pro-social groups such as cooking, bee keeping (OTB), social group, and gardening (OTB).

Additionally, in OTB, the post holder will hold a caseload jointly with prison staff, and for those individuals will develop a shared formulation and intervention plan/goals, and then work towards these, with supervision from the psychologist/clinical lead. There will be opportunity to offer support and consultation to operational staff within OTB, as well as to the wider prison workforce.

In STS, the post holder will provide consultation and practice support to probation staff, as well as undertaking joint work alongside them with those on their caseloads. The post holder will also hold a caseload of individuals working with IIRMS, where the primary identified needs relate to psychological work.

The services work closely together with the aim of creating a supportive pathway for those leaving prison.

There is also opportunity for involvement with a research project and service evaluation.

We would be happy to arrange a visit to/conversation about the service for anyone interested.

About us

About Devon Partnership Trust

We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do

Our values

We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

Date posted

24 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£31,049 to £37,796 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

C9369-25-0582

Job locations

Outside the Box Service

HMP Channings Wood

Newton Abbot

Devon

TQ12 6DW

National Probation Service

3 Barnfield Road

Exeter

Devon

EX1 1RD

National Probation Service

Nicholson Road

Torquay

TQ2 7TD

National Probation Service

Castle Street

Barnstaple

Devon

EX31 1DR

Job description

Job responsibilities

For more information about this role, please refer to the detailed Job description and Person specification attached in the supporting documents section

Job description

Job responsibilities

For more information about this role, please refer to the detailed Job description and Person specification attached in the supporting documents section

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Honours degree at 2:1 or above in psychology and the qualification renders the applicant eligible for graduate membership of the BPS or a BA or BSc (Hons) in modular studies incl. psychology & related fields.

Desirable

Further post graduate training in relevant area of professional psychology, health and social care practice, and / or research design and analysis.

Experience

Essential

Significant experience as an assistant psychologist in a related setting.
Experience of working as part of a team.
Experience of group work and individual therapeutic contact.

Desirable

Experience of working with people with complex needs.
Experience of working with people with personality problems, preferably in a mental health or forensic setting.
Experience of the use of psychometric tests.
Experience working within the Criminal Justice System e.g. prison or probation.
Experience of teaching health, prison or probation professionals.
Lived experience of mental health issues.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

To be able to communicate effectively under pressure and maintain a high degree of professionalism at all times.
To be able to provide and receive complex sensitive or contentious information in a potentially highly emotive atmosphere.
High standard of report writing.
Ability to integrate complex data; make evaluations; produce psychological formulations and contribute to decisions.
To assimilate complex information and use reflective/analytic thinking, to apply psychological perspectives in work in a criminal justice setting
Relevant clinical and research skills.
Basic knowledge of databases, research skills and methodology.
Ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a health, mental health and offence context.
Organisation and time management skills:
Ability to be flexible and cope with multiple demands.
Capable of using initiative and organise work to agreed goals.
Ability to work independently and know when to ask for and use supervision, identifying when there is need for advice and using supervision at agreed intervals.
Small-scale project management skills.
Information technology skills:
To have highly developed IT skills and good working knowledge of statistical packages
Ability to sit in restricted positions for prolonged periods of time.
Ability to work independently within defined occupational procedures and use initiative.
Ability to work as a member of a team.

Desirable

Ability to tolerate ambiguity, and maintain own morale and motivation in challenging service delivery contexts.
Ability to travel between bases preferably being able to drive and having access to a vehicle.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Honours degree at 2:1 or above in psychology and the qualification renders the applicant eligible for graduate membership of the BPS or a BA or BSc (Hons) in modular studies incl. psychology & related fields.

Desirable

Further post graduate training in relevant area of professional psychology, health and social care practice, and / or research design and analysis.

Experience

Essential

Significant experience as an assistant psychologist in a related setting.
Experience of working as part of a team.
Experience of group work and individual therapeutic contact.

Desirable

Experience of working with people with complex needs.
Experience of working with people with personality problems, preferably in a mental health or forensic setting.
Experience of the use of psychometric tests.
Experience working within the Criminal Justice System e.g. prison or probation.
Experience of teaching health, prison or probation professionals.
Lived experience of mental health issues.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

To be able to communicate effectively under pressure and maintain a high degree of professionalism at all times.
To be able to provide and receive complex sensitive or contentious information in a potentially highly emotive atmosphere.
High standard of report writing.
Ability to integrate complex data; make evaluations; produce psychological formulations and contribute to decisions.
To assimilate complex information and use reflective/analytic thinking, to apply psychological perspectives in work in a criminal justice setting
Relevant clinical and research skills.
Basic knowledge of databases, research skills and methodology.
Ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a health, mental health and offence context.
Organisation and time management skills:
Ability to be flexible and cope with multiple demands.
Capable of using initiative and organise work to agreed goals.
Ability to work independently and know when to ask for and use supervision, identifying when there is need for advice and using supervision at agreed intervals.
Small-scale project management skills.
Information technology skills:
To have highly developed IT skills and good working knowledge of statistical packages
Ability to sit in restricted positions for prolonged periods of time.
Ability to work independently within defined occupational procedures and use initiative.
Ability to work as a member of a team.

Desirable

Ability to tolerate ambiguity, and maintain own morale and motivation in challenging service delivery contexts.
Ability to travel between bases preferably being able to drive and having access to a vehicle.

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.