Assistant Psychologist

Are you a dedicated, compassionate mental health professional committed to providing great care? Do you want the chance to help shape a new and genuinely innovative service for the women of Kent and Medway?

We're creating Kent and Medway's first, and only, NHS Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for women, and are seeking a talented Assistant Psychologist to help us deliver this vital service.

Please note that the start date for this post will be March 2026, to allow for sufficient time for onboarding, induction, and training before the anticipated arrival of the first patient in April 2026.

We are looking for a skilled and enthusiastic Assistant Psychologist who enjoys working with women with complex presentations in acute crisis. You will be working with a close MDT and a Principal Psychologist and Art Psychotherapist. The role will involve working running psychological groups, brief individual interventions, PBS plans and working alongside the MDT to offer therapeutic input for patients.

If this sounds like the opportunity you have been waiting for, come and join our diverse and compassionate team committed to delivering excellent care and support for service users and their loved ones.

All positions also benefit from a High Cost Area allowance.

To participate in the provision of Psychological Services to adults in the female PICU

To work as an integral part of the mental health in-patient ward team.

The assistant will bring a psychologically informed perspective to the ward, assisting with developing trauma informed wards.

To facilitate psychology groups on the PICU, brief psychological interventions and assist with developing Positive Behaviour Support plans for patients.

To meet with Service users and under supervision and in conjunction with colleagues, devise and implement effective individualised programmes of support on the ward.

Formulate implement and review person centred care plans including the psychological treatment and management of the service user's problems working closely with the service users and senior staff.

To be responsible for supporting and enhancing the provision of Specialist Psychological Services to clients with complex, severe and enduring mental health difficulties entering the Acute psychiatric Services in the area under the professional guidance of a qualified psychologist.

To reflect on oneself and one's practice and clinical cases in the context of the clinical work.

Working in a PICU is very rewarding but we want to be honest and share that it is demanding too. It is likely to be needed by people with severe and complex mental health conditions (e.g. Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder and may be associated with Personality Disorder, Substance Misuse and PTSD).

While emotionally challenging, the opportunity to support critically unwell women back to their communities, ensuring 'right care, in the right place, at the right time', is immense, and your skilled, multidisciplinary, team will be there to support you.

You would be working as part of a team of mental health experts, dedicated to making sure the most unwell women in our communities have the same access to specialist care as men.

We are recruiting now to make sure our new female PICU team is in place with enough time to train, form team bonds and prepare. So you can all make a profound difference to patient outcomes from day one.

We also offer ongoing professional development to help you adapt and progress your career, including bespoke training and a comprehensive induction program.

All jobs based at our Dartford unit come with a High Cost Area Supplement: 5% of basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £1303 per year and a maximum payment of £2198 per year (the agreed annual amount will be divided into 12 equal amounts and paid monthly). The salary listed is inclusive of the High-Cost Area Allowance.

Please refer to the attached job description for full details and main responsibilities of the role.