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Job summary

Main area
Assistant Psychologist
Grade
Band 5
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
001-PST038-0725
Employer
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Employer type
NHS
Site
Woodland House, Cardiff
Town
Cardiff
Salary
£30,420 - £37,030 per annum pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
27/07/2025 23:59

Employer heading

NHS

Assistant Psychologist

Band 5

WHO WE ARE:

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is one of the largest Integrated Health Board in the UK, employing over 16,000 staff and providing over 100 specialist services. Serving a population of around 500,000 people living in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, we are focussed on the health and care needs of our local population whilst also working with our partners to develop regional services. Together we are committed to improving health outcomes for everyone and to delivering excellent care and support.

Our mission is “Living Well, Caring Well, Working Together”. We have recently refreshed our strategy, Shaping Our Future Wellbeing, which sets out the Health Board’s Vision for improving the health and wellbeing of the populations we serve by 2035 through the delivery of our strategic objectives; Putting People First, Providing Outstanding Quality, Delivering in the Right Places, and Acting for the Future. We have challenging times ahead, but we are confident that by tackling these challenges together, we can support people to live healthier lives and reduce the unfair differences in the prevalence of illness and health outcomes we see in our communities today. We aspire to deliver outstanding care and treatment for people when they need it, where they need it; care that compares well with the best in the world, but to do so, we need to transform how we deliver services over the next decade and beyond.

We are a values-driven organisation and out goals will only be realised if our values are at the heart of everything we do. Created by colleagues, patients and their families and carers, our values are:

·         We are kind and caring

·         We are respectful

·         We have trust and integrity

·         We take personal responsibility

OUR REGION:

Wales has much to offer with miles of stunning coastline, UNESCO world heritage sites and beautiful countryside. Cardiff, the thriving Welsh capital, has something for everyone. It is a fantastic city to live and work in with an abundance of sports, arts and cultural attractions. Situated to the west of Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan offers a combination of beautiful Welsh countryside and a dramatic natural coastline, as well as charming towns including Penarth and Cowbridge. Those seeking more culture may find themselves drawn to the National Museum, St Fagan’s Museum of Welsh Life or the Millennium Centre, home of the Welsh National Opera. Whether city life or rural living, Cardiff and the Vale offers the best of both worlds.

Please be advised that there is a temporary top up for Bands 2 and 3 to reflect the incorporation of the top up to the living wage of £12.60 per hour - £24,638 per annum.

This temporary top up will be in place until the annual pay uplift for 2025/26 is confirmed


 

Job overview

We are excited to offer a rare opportunity to join the Enfys service as an Assistant Psychologist. The team support families of children who are in foster care, residential care and adopted children. This post is community based and offers a fantastic opportunity to work alongside families in their homes as well as linking in with schools and other agencies involved in a child's care, alongside our partners in the Local Authority. The post holder will have the opportunity to run groups, participate in research, work clinically in a variety of settings and receive supervision from a Clinical Psychologist in the Enfys team. 

The post holder will be part of the wider Child Psychology Service, which delivers psychological services to children and families in Cardiff and Vale. The department enjoys a good relationship with the South Wales Doctoral Programme in Clinical Psychology, and offers core and elective placements.

The service is committed to supporting staff in their continuing professional development and specialist interests.

It is essential for this post to hold at least an upper second-class honours degree or higher in Psychology, and to have eligibility for Graduate Basis for Chartership (GBC) with the British Psychological Society. 

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.

We warmly welcome applicants who identify as minority ethnic / global majority.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will contribute to the services provided for children, young people and their families with regard to assessment, intervention and consultation on development, behaviour and emotional wellbeing. Enfys are a DDP-informed team, and also draw on a wide range of psychological therapies e.g. systemic, ACT, DBT. You will promote service initiatives, take a role in enhancing multi-disciplinary team work and developing links with the wider network. You will also contribute to research and audit projects within the team.

Regular supervision, joint working and training are key aspects of the service. You will be expected to attend weekly team meetings, participate in reflective practice sessions, CPD sessions and team-based nurture activities.  

Working for our organisation

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is one of the largest Integrated Health Boards in the UK, employing over 15,000 staff, providing over 100 specialist services.   Working across 6 hospital sites, we have a diverse range of career opportunities to offer. Serving around 500,000 people living in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, we are focussed on the health and care needs of our local population whilst working with our partners to develop regional services.

Our mission is  “Caring for People, Keeping People Well”, and our  vision is that every person’s chance of leading a healthy life should be equal.   As an organisation we are unashamedly ambitious for our population’s health, rising to the challenges of today and tomorrow through our 10-year strategy, Shaping our Future Wellbeing.    We are contributing to a healthier Wales with great emphasis placed on innovation and improvement, learning from around the world and leading the way in clinical research.   Partnership working is strong at Cardiff and Vale, and we work closely with our staff and our community.    

Cardiff, the thriving Welsh capital, is a fantastic city to live and work in with an abundance of sports, arts and cultural attractions.    Situated to the west of Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan offers a combination of beautiful Welsh countryside and a dramatic natural coastline.  Whether city life or rural living, Cardiff  and the Vale offers the best of both worlds.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click “Apply now” to view in Trac.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • An upper second-class honours degree or higher in Psychology
  • Eligibility for graduate basis for chartership with the British Psychological Society -GBC
Desirable criteria
  • Additional training in relevant areas e.g., mental health practice, research design, psychological therapy

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Relevant clinical experience.
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of applying clinical/counselling psychology in the NHS (counselling or psychological interventions under supervision)
  • Experience working within a multi-disciplinary team
  • Previous experience of audit and/or service evaluation
  • Experience of working with children who are looked after and/or adopted

Skills and Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Ability to use high level communication skills in both spoken and written communication, including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive.
  • An ability to communicate complex, sensitive or contentious information to patients, carers and colleagues in a way that addresses psychological resistance.
  • An ability to interact with people with psychological problems.
  • Competence in research design and methodologies.
  • Ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a mental health context and an understanding of Psychology as applied to health care.
  • Ability to plan and prioritise own workload.
  • An ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines and be involved in training members of staff.
  • Ability to work independently with clinical supervision.
Desirable criteria
  • High standard of clinical and audit/research report writing.

Personal Qualities

Essential criteria
  • Interest and enthusiasm for working with people to increase their psychological skills.
  • An ability to manage emotional issues arising from working with clients in significant distress.
  • Empathic interpersonal style.
  • Reflective capacity.
  • Ability to be flexible towards service requirements.

Other

Essential criteria
  • Ability to use word processing and computer packages for both report- writing, layout and data analysis.
  • Ability to accept and use clinical supervision appropriately and effectively.
  • Willingness to undertake continuing professional development.
  • Ability to travel across the Health Board to meet the needs of the service.
Desirable criteria
  • Ability to travel between sites in a timely manner.
  • Ability to speak Welsh.

Special Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • An understanding of the needs and difficulties of (older) people with mental health problems.
Desirable criteria
  • Ability to carry out standardised psychological assessments.
  • Specialist knowledge related to the area of work.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Veteran AwareApprenticeships logoAge positiveDisability confident leaderhyderus o ran anableddAccredited Living Wage EmployerDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - GoldArmed Forces CovenantDFN Project Search LogoStonewall Top 100 Employers in 2023Stonewall Top 100 Employers in 2023Core principles

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.

Welsh language skills are desirable

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Dr Georgia Glynn-Marron
Job title
Principal Clinical Psychologist
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07815995238
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