Assistant Psychologist

An opportunity has arisen to apply for the role of Assistant Psychologist in the Community Perinatal Team (CPT). The CPT is a welcoming and dedicated multi-disciplinary team, serving the county of Hertfordshire, supporting women with mental health needs, through pregnancy and postnatally as well as working closely with maternity staff and providers of primary, secondary and inpatient care. This is an excellent opportunity for a committed psychology graduate, interested in perinatal mental health. The role entails a number of responsibilities, including;

• supporting clinical psychologists in the delivery of 1:1 psychological therapy as well as holding a small caseload of clients and delivering simple CBT, CFT and DBT-informed 1:1 interventions
• assessments of participants, co-ordination and co-facilitation of the group therapy programme
• working across the psychology and parent-infant therapy pathways to help coordinate interventions and plan effective care pathways for women under the team
• the collation and management of clinical outcome data for patients under the care of the team
The successful applicant will receive regular supervision from a Clinical Psychologist and be an integrated member of the MDT; attending team meetings and perinatal-specific training sessions as well as liaising with team members and healthcare professionals throughout Hertfordshire.,
• To assist in the formulation and delivery of intervention plans involving the psychological treatment and/or management of a service user's problems, under the supervision of a Clinical Psychologist, holding in mind the mother, baby and wider family at all times
• To contribute to the assessment and ongoing management of clinical risk, under the direct supervision of the Clinical Psychologists
• To assist in the co-ordination, running, evaluation and development of a programme of therapeutic groups
• To be an integrated member of the multi-disciplinary team, attending and contributing to appropriate team and multi-disciplinary meetings
• To maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing, To participate in regular clinical and line management supervision with the supervising Clinical Psychologist in accordance with professional guidelines.
To assist the supervising Clinical Psychologist and the managers to identify and meet the training needs of the direct care staff To contribute to the training and support of other staff within the Perinatal Community Team, as well as other healthcare professionals throughout the county according to a plan agreed with the supervising Clinical Psychologist and the Team within the overall framework of the team's policies and procedures 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 attend induction at HPFT so as to become familiar with the policies, guidelines, and culture of the organisation To contribute to the development and maintenance of professional standards through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes in consultation with the supervising Clinical Psychologist Please see attached documents for detailed job description and person specification. Please note: access to transportation is essential for this position as the role requires some travel throughout Hertfordshire.


• An honours degree (2:2 or above) in Psychology with entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.
Desirable criteria
• Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice, therapeutic approaches and/ or research design and analysis
• To have knowledge and/or experience of working with clients with high-risk presentations, and have knowledge of safeguarding protocols, Under the day-to-day direction of a qualified psychologist, has ability to work independently, reliably, consistently and with initiative (seeking guidance when necessary).
• Experience of work with people with mental health and/or other disabilities in a care setting.
• An understanding of psychology applied to a mental health context
• Experience of working with people in group settings
Desirable criteria
• Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice, therapeutic approaches and/ or research design and analysis
• To have knowledge and/or experience of working with clients with high-risk presentations, and have knowledge of safeguarding protocols
• Experience of paid work within a direct care provision.
• Experience of working in the NHS
• A desire to explore a career in Professional Psychology.
• Experience of setting up and/or co-facilitating therapy groups in a mental health setting.
• Experience and competence in using cognitive - behavioural therapeutic (and/or 3rd wave) techniques or other relevant therapeutic approaches.
• Published research and/or service development projects in a peer-review journal.
• Experience of using complex data analyses and data reporting.
  
  Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission.
Our family of over 4,000 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout, Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is rated by the Care Quality Commission as an Outstanding provider of mental health and learning disability services. In 2021, we won the prestigious Health Service Journal award for Mental Health Trust of the Year, with the judges saying they were "blown away" by our people's achievements and that everything they saw "sings and hums". This year, our staff rated us the 4^th best mental health and learning disability trust to work for out of all 52 trusts in the country. Our staff tell us that they are proud to be part of the HPFT team, proud of the standard of care we provide and proud that service users are our top priority. Our people tell us they feel supported though a great development, wellbeing and work-life balance offer and a highly compassionate, values-driven culture. We are equally proud of our staff, who live our values of being welcoming, kind, positive, respectful and professional