Assistant Psychologist

There are three permanent roles and one Fixed Term (12 months)

An excellent opportunity has arisen for a number of Assistant Psychologists to join West London Forensic Service. Three permanent posts will be attached to the Male Low Secure Service, the Women’s Secure service and the Drug and Alcohol Support Service. A further fixed term post will also be available in the Male Medium Secure Service.

The West London Forensic Service provides inpatient secure care and forensic community teams for service-users who have complex needs related to serious mental illness, personality disorder and offending behaviour. We are committed to providing high quality, evidence based interventions within a recovery framework.

The posts will be involved in providing assessments and interventions to service users on an individual and group basis. This will include assisting with initial psychological assessments, working individually with service users and co-facilitating off-ward group programmes. You will receive regular support and supervision from a Clinical or Forensic psychologist and will be expected to use principles of recovery in all aspects of service delivery. You will also have regular contact with a wider network of Psychologists working across the West London Forensic Services to share learning and ideas, in addition to established monthly development sessions for Assistant Psychologists and excellent opportunities for continuing professional development.

The post holder will assist in the development of a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all users of the service.

The post holder will be required to support and enhance the professional psychological care of service users under the clinical supervision of a qualified psychologist, working independently according to a plan agreed with a qualified psychologist and within the overall framework of the department’s policies and procedures. They will assist in clinical work and related administration, conduct of audits, collection of statistics, development of audit and/or research projects, teaching and project work.

Clinical work will include assessment and psychological treatment both individually and co-facilitating groups and the development of care plans and formulations with service users. Other duties include service evaluation, development and implementation of audits. High standards of communication both verbally and in writing are essential to this role as it requires a high degree of multidisciplinary working. The role requires a degree of autonomy but also the ability to utilise and respond to regular supervision. All tasks will be carried out under the supervision of a qualified psychologist.

West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse providers of mental health, community and social care in the UK.

Our 3,982 staff care for people in hospital and in the community, helping them to recover and go on to lead full and productive lives. We aim to be the best organisation of our kind in the country.

We provide care and treatment for more than 800,000 people living in the London boroughs of Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham and Hounslow, delivering services in the community (at home, in GP surgeries and care homes), hospital, specialist clinics and forensic (secure) units.

We’re rated Good overall by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), whilst West London Forensic Service has been rated Outstanding.

Together, we’re committed to promoting hope and wellbeing, working with patients, service users, carers, families and partners across the communities we serve.

We are keen to ensure that our workforce reflects the community it serves, particularly in terms of ethnicity, gender, disability, LGBTQ+ and experience of mental illness.

The post holder will assist in the development of a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all users of the service.

The post holder will be required to support and enhance the professional psychological care of service users within the clinical supervision of a qualified psychologist, working independently according to a plan agreed with a qualified psychologist and within the overall framework of the department’s policies and procedures. Under the supervision of a qualified psychologist, they will assist in clinical work and related administration, conduct of audits, collection of statistics, development of audit and/or research projects, teaching and project work.

Psychology plays a valued and integral role within West London Forensic Service. We are committed to providing high quality, evidence based interventions within a recovery framework. The psychological therapies department, which comprises a team of over 30 psychologists and psychological therapists, is well-established and supportive with high standards of clinical supervision and excellent opportunities for continuing professional development.