Assistant Psychologist

An excellent opportunity has arisen for experienced assistant psychologists or psychological well-being practitioners to join the Specialist Community Forensic Team (SCFT) at West London Forensic Service. There are two full-time posts available which are based on St Bernard’s Hospital site in Ealing.

You will work within the team supporting the provision of a highly specialist psychology service to service users with a diagnosis of mental illness and an offending history who are living in the community or in the process of moving from a secure hospital to the community.

West London is one of the most diverse and vibrant areas in London and our staff reflect the diverse communities we serve. Our sense of community and pride in our work stems from the difference which every member of our staff makes.

You will be responsible for supporting the provision of a highly specialised psychology service to culturally diverse service users with enduring mental health disorders and forensic histories, who are living in the community or in the process of moving from a low or medium secure forensic mental health setting to the community.

As a member of the MDT, you will provide psychological assessments, formulations and interventions (group and individual) focused on mental health and risk, under the supervision of a qualified member of the psychological services who will retain clinical responsibility for work carried out. You will assist in clinically related administration, conduct of audits, collection of statistics, development of audit and/or research projects, teaching and project work. The role involves working independently according to a plan agreed with the line manager and within the overall framework of the team’s policies and procedures.

West London NHS Trust is one of the most diverse providers of mental health, community and social care in the UK. It provides a broad range of forensic mental health care in adult male and female services, across high, medium and low security settings, as well as in a community and court diversion setting. West London Forensic Service was recently rated as outstanding by the CQC.

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 thirty psychologists and psychological therapists, is well-established and supportive with high standards of clinical supervision and excellent opportunities for continuing professional development.

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.

Job Responsibilities

You will work within the Specialist Community Forensic Team to provide a high quality, specialist applied psychology service to service users with a diagnosis of mental illness and an offending history who are living in the community or in the process of moving from secure inpatient care to the community.

You will have a psychology degree or higher in psychology, conferring eligibility to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.

You will have experience of working as an assistant psychologist or psychological wellbeing practitioner in a mental health and/or forensic clinical setting or equivalent, providing psychological assessments and interventions.

You will share our Trust values of Togetherness, Responsibility, Excellence and Caring.

Person Specification

Skills and Knowledge

Essential
- Experience of working as an assistant psychologist or psychological wellbeing practitioner in adult mental health or forensic services.
- An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems
- To be able to implement appropriate psychological assessment and interventions relevant to the client group
- The ability to draw upon a specific theoretical knowledge base in the analysis of facts/observations to arrive at appropriate formulations under clinical supervision.