Job summary
- Main area
- Eating Disorders Unit
- Grade
- Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 371-CFS708
- Employer
- Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- St Marks Hospital
- Town
- Maidenhead
- Salary
- £28,860 - £31,671 per annum (inc. of HCAS)
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 29/03/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Assistant Psychologist
Band 4
Job overview
We have an exciting opportunity for you to join the Berkshire Eating Disorder Service Adult team as a full time (37.5 hours) Band 4 Assistant Psychologist.
Our Assistant Psychologists are highly valued and important members of our team, contributing to the compassionate and professional care of people accessing our service. The role will be varied and include a balance of clinical activities, service-evaluation and project work. The post offers the valuable opportunity to learn from a highly skilled team of Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Dieticians and Mental Health Practitioners.
We are looking for an AP to join our Day Programme team with the role being based at St Marks Hospital in Maidenhead.
The successful applicant will have previous experience of working with people with mental health difficulties. You will be a team-player and thrive in a varied role, using initiative, and demonstrating self-reflection. Excellent communication, time-management and organisation skills are essential. Innovation and service improvement will excite you. Above all, you will show warmth, sensitivity and compassion in your care of our patients. Your contribution will be rewarded with the support of a dedicated team that strives to create a progressive, responsive, respectful and happy environment.
Main duties of the job
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To provide support to all aspects of the Day Programme and to all team members in their activities
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To provide clinical interventions on a one-to-one basis and to lead and co-facilitate therapeutic groups including implementing behavioural/cognitive programmes.
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To engage patients in therapeutic activities and interventions as part of their care and treatment plans and to monitor and evaluate progress, refining interventions as necessary.
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To be involved in service development, quality improvement and audit.
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To be actively involved in our online support network, SHaRON.
Working for our organisation
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist mental health and community health services trust. Rated ‘outstanding’ by the CQC, we’re committed to providing the best possible care to people across Berkshire. As an employer, we’re committed to offering an inclusive and compassionate environment where our people share in a sense of belonging and are supported to flourish.
Our values at Berkshire Healthcare are:
- Caring for and about you is our top priority
- Committed to providing good quality, safe services
- Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions
Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:
- Flexible working options to support work-life balance
- 27 days’ annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
- Generous NHS pension scheme
- Excellent learning and career development opportunities
- ‘Cycle to Work’ and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
- Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
- Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
- Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
- Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
- Free parking across Trust sites
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The “must haves” for this role:
- An upper second-class honours degree or higher in Psychology
- Eligible for Graduate membership of British Psychological Society.
- Previous work experience (paid or voluntary) in mental health.
- Experience of assessment and psychological intervention
For further information about the role, please see attached job description and person specification.
We strongly encourage you to review how you meet the criteria in the person specification and write about this point-by-point in your supporting statement for the best chance of being shortlisted.
We’re committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our commitment to inclusion is reflected in our accreditations: Race Equality Matters Silver Trailblazer, Neurodiversity in Business Corporate Member, Disability Confident Leader, Carer Confident Level 2, and the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award. Reasonable adjustments will be provided to candidates as needed.
We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don’t hesitate to call: Sarah Plumley on 0118 904 3011 who’ll be delighted to help.
Please note, if we receive a high number of applications, we may close this role earlier than the advertised closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible.
Person specification
Education/Qualifications/Training
Essential criteria
- An upper second class (2:1) honours degree or higher in psychology or equivalent, which confers eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society (BPS)
- (Entitled to) Graduate Membership of British Psychological Society
Continuous Professional Development
Essential criteria
- Can demonstrate additional interest and/or learning in relevant areas of applied psychology and mental health practice
- Evidence of an interest in pursuing a career in the psychological professions
Desirable criteria
- Undertaken additional training (e.g. practice-based training and workshops) in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice, neuropsychology, health and social care practice and/or research design and analysis
Previous Experience
Essential criteria
- Previous experience working with people with any of the following: mental health difficulties; neurological difficulties, learning disabilities, eating disorder, personality difficulties or people with emotion regulation difficulties or equivalent within an inpatient or community setting
- Experience of audits/evaluations or other forms of research
Desirable criteria
- Experience of providing direct clinical or social care
- Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
- Awareness of psychological theory, practice and evidence-based psychological interventions as relevant to this role
- High level communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotional
- Appreciation of the needs and challenges face by people with mental health difficulties, neurological difficulties and learning disabilities
- Ability to apply existing psychological theory and knowledge within a mental health, dementia and/or learning disabilities context
- Ability to appropriately communicate sensitive information to service users, carers and colleagues
- Excellent IT skills including knowledge of Microsoft Office including a high standard of letter and report writing
Desirable criteria
- Experience conducting service evaluation and research, particularly within a clinical setting
Additional Requirements
Essential criteria
- Ability to interact and engage with people who may be experiencing mental health difficulties, neurological difficulties and learning disabilities
- Ability to work under supervision, using own initiative to think quickly on the spot in often challenging situations and to deliver work as agreed and reviewed at regular intervals
- Ability to recognise the limits of own competencies and to seek supervision and support as required to practice safely and within professional guidelines
- Able to work flexibly as required
- Able to travel independently between locations to fulfil the requirements and duties of the position, with minimal impact on daily productivity
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.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Sarah Plumley
- Job title
- Occupational Therapist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01189043011
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