Assistant Psychologist

Job description

Job responsibilities

The MHST is hosted by PALMS (Positive behavior, Autism, Learning disability, Mental health Service). PALMS offer individually tailored support for children and young people (CYP), aged 0-18 who have a global learning disability and/or Autistic Spectrum Disorder, helping families to manage challenging behavior and/or to support mental health needs. PALMS aim to keep children and young people with their families within Hertfordshire thereby improving outcomes for all family members. PALMS provides early intervention where necessary and intensive support to families reaching crisis with a step up and step down approach throughout their care journey. Interventions include workshops, groups, individual therapy, and therapeutic work with parents/carers/siblings.

We can offer you:

• Regular appraisal, personal development planning and opportunities for continuing professional development.
• Opportunities to work closely with a multi-disciplinary team and learn from other evidence based frameworks and approaches.
• Involvement in service development including undertaking clinical audits, project work and service forums.
• 27 days annual leave, 29 if you have worked for the NHS for 5 years and 33 if you have worked for the NHS for 10 years, in addition to 8 days bank holidays.
• Entitlement to the NHS pension scheme.

This role requires you to drive across Hertfordshire and West Essex to visit children and schools. You must hold a full valid driving license, and access to a car to use regularly for business purposes is essential (unless you have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010).

If you do not meet both criteria, it is unlikely that you will be shortlisted for this role.

Closing date for applications will be 11th December 2022with Interviews running on 19th December 2022. Due to COVID19, interviews will be run using video conferencing and full details and instructions will be provided to successful candidates.

Whilst it is not a legal requirement, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust encourages and supports all staff to be vaccinated as this remains the best line of defence against COVID-19.

We are committed to supporting flexible working options for staff, wherever possible, and welcome discussions on flexible working patterns to support our staff to maintain a healthy work life balance.

Person Specification

Training And Qualifications

Essential

• An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology
• Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society

Desirable

• Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis.

Experience

Essential

• Some experience as an Assistant Psychologist or Honorary Assistant Psychologist

Desirable

• Experience as an Assistant Psychologist or Honorary Assistant Psychologist in a child and/or learning disability context
• Experience of working with people with a learning disability and/or Autistic Spectrum Disorder.
• Experience of working in education settings
• Experience in psychological interventions - CBT or interpersonal therapy / dialectical behaviour therapy interventions or other evidence based approaches.
• Experience of multidisciplinary team working.
• Experience of undertaking clinical audit.
• Experience of teaching and training others, using a variety of multi-media materials.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• High level of communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive, abusive or hostile.
• Practical computing skills including the use of databases and spreadsheets.
• Ability to communicate sensitive information to service users, carers and colleagues in a way that addresses psychological resistance.
• Experience of working with individual's who are non-verbal or who have significant communication difficulties.
• An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to the MHST population.

Desirable

• High standard of report writing
• Knowledge and understanding of CYP-IAPT

Other

Essential

• Car driver (unless having a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010)

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust

Address

Sandridge Gate Business Centre

Ronsons Way

St Albans

AL4 9XR

Employer's website

https://www.hct.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)