Assistant Psychologist

An exciting new assistant psychologist post has been created for a fixed term of one year. The role will work into the Neuropsychiatry Service based in Hafan y Coed at the Llandough university hospital site. The Welsh Neuropsychiatry Service is a specialist tertiary mental health service for people who have suffered a serious acquired brain injury, and provides a comprehensive resource for the assessment, investigation, management and rehabilitation for those suffering with neuropsychiatric, psychological, cognitive, emotional and behavioural difficulties as a result of that injury. The Neuropsychiatry Service is commissioned via the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee (WHSSC), and hosted by Cardiff and Vale UHB.

This service requires an assistant psychologist to support the qualified clinical psychologist to facilitate assessment, formulation, intervention and staff consultation.

The post will have strong links with the Older Adult Psychology specialty which has psychologists and therapists working into a range of different areas including Mental Health services for Older People, Stroke service, Parkinson’s and Movement Disorder service and the Memory service. The specialty is part of a large and progressive health board wide Directorate of Psychology and Psychological Therapies. Continued professional development is strongly encouraged and supported as is excellent opportunity for supervision and training.

Both full and part-time options will be considered.

The role of the assistant psychologist will involve offering psychological assessments, individual and group-based interventions and service evaluation under the supervision of the qualified clinical psychologist. There will be good opportunities for team working with multi-disciplinary colleagues.

We are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic individual with an interest in working with people who have an acquired brain injury and who present with an interaction between cognitive changes, mental health related difficulties and psychological distress.

To assist with the provision of cognitive assessments to aid in the process of assessment.

To assist in the provision of psychological therapy for people within the Neuropsychiatry Service

To provide support to Clinical Psychology staff working with people within the service

To deliver specific interventions under the management and supervision of the Clinical Psychologist; working independently with an agreed plan and following the framework of policies set out by the services

To assist in the development and evaluation of psychology provision to the Neuropsychiatry service.

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this role; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is one of the largest Integrated Health Boards in the UK, employing over 15,000 staff, providing over 100 specialist services. Working across 6 hospital sites, we have a diverse range of career opportunities to offer. Serving around 500,000 people living in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, we are focussed on the health and care needs of our local population whilst working with our partners to develop regional services.

Our mission is “Caring for People, Keeping People Well”, and our vision is that every person’s chance of leading a healthy life should be equal. As an organisation we are unashamedly ambitious for our population’s health, rising to the challenges of today and tomorrow through our 10-year strategy, Shaping our Future Wellbeing. We are contributing to a healthier Wales with great emphasis placed on innovation and improvement, learning from around the world and leading the way in clinical research. Partnership working is strong at Cardiff and Vale, and we work closely with our staff and our community.

Cardiff, the thriving Welsh capital, is a fantastic city to live and work in with an abundance of sports, arts and cultural attractions. Situated to the west of Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan offers a combination of beautiful Welsh countryside and a dramatic natural coastline. Whether city life or rural living, Cardiff and the Vale offers the best of both worlds.

This post is fixed term/secondment for 12 months to meet the needs of the service.