Senior Assistant Psychologist

This is an exciting opportunity for a Senior Assistant Psychologist (Band 5, full time, one-year contract with potential to extend) to join our friendly Psychological Professions team based at The Hellingly Centre, which is part of Sussex NHS Foundation Trust Forensic Healthcare Service. You will be involved with:
Helping provide ward teams with psychologically informed understanding of the challenges often seen with our patients, and to utilise a trauma informed approached to support this.

Assessment work including direct observations, formal psychometric testing, semi-structured interviews, and writing appropriate reports.

Assisting qualified psychologists to carry out interventions with individuals or groups, and writing appropriate reports.

Research, audit and service evaluation.

Literature searches, developing and maintaining training packs, information leaflets, libraries of equipment, and other tasks necessary to the efficient running of the service.

Working with other team members to improve care practices and the quality of life of clients

Assisting qualified psychologists in delivering training for other professionals.

You will join a dedicated multidisciplinary inpatient team and a friendly Psychological Professions team that includes a varied range of practitioners and specialisms.

As part of our experienced psychological professions team, you will work alongside a clinical or forensic psychologist or both, providing assessments and supporting the psychological therapies provision for two wards at the Hellingly Centre. There will be the opportunity to develop your forensic and neuropsychological assessment skills. There will also be the opportunity to be part of the provision of existing therapeutic groups such as DBT-informed groups, offending behaviour groups and mindfulness-based groups. You will attend MDT meetings and contribute to supporting psychological practice within the team. The team prides itself in being highly supportive, with regular opportunities to think together in team meetings, reflective practice and team days. You will receive regular supervision from a practitioner psychologist. You will be supported in thinking about how to achieve next steps in your career goals.

Many of our previous assistant psychologists have progressed from this post to pursue their clinical or forensic psychology training - and have been provided with support from qualified psychology team members through this process.

We have a thriving, well-funded, friendly and highly skilled psychological professions department. We strive toward compassionate leadership and flexible support. We offer the opportunity to learn about the very best psychological therapies, in a safe therapeutic environment, with a challenging and often traumatised and marginalised client group.

The Hellingly Centre is a low and medium secure unit for people between the ages of 18-65 who have mental health problems and who have become involved with the criminal justice system. We offer assessment and treatment for people whose conditions cannot safely be treated other than in a secure environment. We work with male and female clients, including transgender clients.

There are three medium secure inpatient wards and one low secure ward, housed in a modern unit in the beautiful surroundings of the Sussex countryside.

**Main responsibilities**:
To undertake assessments and interventions (including neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect observations and semi-structured interviews of clients, family members and others involved in the client's care).

To assist in the development of psychologically based frameworks of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service.

To formulate and deliver care plans involving the psychological treatment and/or management of a client’s problems within settings where there may be a hostile atmosphere, challenging behaviour or high levels of expressed emotion.

To assist in the coordination and running of therapeutic groups.

To compile risk histories to inform care plans, risk and crisis plans.

To work with other team members to improve care practices and the quality of life of clients.

To design and implement agreed elements of audit and research projects.

**Scope and Authority**:
To undertake projects relating to service development and evaluation.

To set up and maintain databases, spreadsheets and using advanced IT skills in evaluation audit and research.

To support assessment and treatment interventions undertaken by the service.

To undertake direct and indirect clinical work that is managed and goals agreed and reviewed through regular supervision by a qualified applied HCPC registered Practitioner Psychologist.

**Key knowledge and skills**:
Honours degree at 2:1 or above in Psychology, or equivalent. Eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartership with the BPS

Experience of working with people with complex needs.

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