Job summary
- Main area
- Mental Health
- Grade
- Band 4
- Contract
- 12 months (Fixed Term - 12 months)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 351-SPS1512-SRP
- Employer
- Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Guild Lodge, Guild Park
- Town
- Preston
- Salary
- £27,485 - £30,162 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 17/11/2025 08:00
Employer heading
Assistant Psychologist
Band 4
Our Vision is to provide the best mental health, learning disability, autism and community based services for the populations we serve.
As an integrated mental health, learning disability and community Trust, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including:
• Primary and secondary mental health care for children and adults including specialist inpatient child and adolescent mental health provision, perinatal mental health, forensic services including low and medium secure care.
• Specialist community support for children and adults with learning disabilities and autism, including intensive support.
• Community physical health and well-being services for children and adults.
The Trust was first established in 2002 and employs approximately 7,000 staff who provide care from more than 400 sites. The organisation offers opportunities for medics, mental health and general nurses, allied health professionals, psychology, administration and clerical staff, apprentices and volunteers.
Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust supports flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, home/remote working, and flexi-time.
For more information visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT.
Please note that further communication from Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCft) will normally be to the email address given on the application form. You should also ensure that email addresses and telephone numbers are provided for your referees, to enable LSCft to contact them.
Job overview
We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated candidate who can be flexible and responsive to client and service needs in a secure setting. Guild Lodge is the home of LSCFTs adult secure services, a specialist regional unit for individuals with a range of complex and enduring mental health and risk related needs detained under the Mental Health Act. Our multidisciplinary teams provide high standards of assessment and formulation, care and treatment interventions ensuring rehabilitation and recovery, across a range of secure settings including medium, low secure, and step-down rehabilitation, for men and women.
This fulltime post will be split between the men’s secure service line (0.5wte) and the women’s secure service line (0.5wte). The role will be varied and will offer the successful applicant the opportunity to develop a range of skills within a supportive service with excellent clinical supervision and a wide range of CPD opportunities. There may also be scope for opportunities to gain skills and experience in our nationally recognised Forensic Brain Injury service.
Please note that this vacancy may close earlier than the stated deadline if a high volume of applications is received. Early submission is therefore encouraged.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will assist with psychological assessment and psychological interventions under the supervision of a qualified member of the psychology team. Other tasks may include assisting in clinically related administration, conduct of audits and collection of statistics related to departmental research projects, outcome evaluation work, teaching, and project work. Collaborative therapeutic work with multi-disciplinary colleagues is encouraged, and assistants are considered valuable members of our multi-disciplinary psychological services team.
Working for our organisation
Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust provides a range of services including secondary mental health care across this area. Specialist provision comprises inpatient child and adolescent mental health services, perinatal mental health and forensic services including low and medium secure care.
The Trust also provides a range of physical health and well-being services in the community alongside a range of partners in the Lancashire, Cumbria and Sefton area.
Lancashire & South Cumbria Foundation Trust encourages flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as; term time, part time, compressed hours, flexi-time and career breaks. We encourage applicants to state clearly on their application forms this request and discuss these options at interview.
For more information please visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For more details on this vacancy please review the attached job description and person specification.
Person specification
Education & Qualification
Essential criteria
- An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology.
- Eligibility for graduate membership of BPS.
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of working with clients with complex and enduring needs.
- Experience of working in institutional and/or multi-agency and disciplinary service settings.
Knowledge & Skills
Essential criteria
- Understanding of clinical, personal, and professional challenges of working in institutional settings and with risk-related needs.
- A good knowledge of lifespan psychology applied to health care.
- Ability to communicate complex and sensitive information effectively in both oral and written formats, and in environments which are highly emotive and stressful.
- Commitment and ability to work with clients where there may be significant clinical, service, and system barriers to engagement.
- Computer literacy including skills in statistical packages, databases, and spreadsheets and in undertaking literature searches.
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Dr. Claire Purtill
- Job title
- Principal Clinical Psychologist
- Telephone number
- 01772 406636
- Additional information
If you would like further information or to discuss this role please contact Dr Claire Purtill, Principal Clinical Psychologist or Dr Christian O’Dea, Principal Clinical Psychologist on 01772 406636.
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