Job overview

We are recruiting qualified Clinical Associates in Psychology (CAPs) to our adult mental health services in North East London.  The positions are full time and open to individuals who have completed the MSc Clinical Associate in Psychology course with an associated University.

You will be employed full time as a CAP, working within one of our Mental Health and Wellbeing teams in Waltham Forest. 

Successful applicants will undertake assessment, formulation and evidence based psychological interventions with people experiencing complex mental health issues from diverse backgrounds, as well as developing meaningful links between our service users and community-based resources which support social inclusion in our London Boroughs.  Interventions will include the facilitation of groups as well as individual therapy.

You will have a key role in contributing to the integration of psychological professionals within MDTs and in developing more accessible and coherent pathways into psychological therapy. 

You will work under the supervision of an experienced Clinical or Counselling Psychologist, and be a part of our supportive and skilled Community of Psychological Professions.

Applicants must have completed and passed the MSc CAP training and show a commitment to working within the NHS as a CAP to support improvement in access to psychological therapies

Main duties of the job

Provide psychological assessment, formulation and evidence-based interventions to people living with complex mental health issues, under the supervision of a qualified Practitioner Psychologist (clinical or counselling psychologist).

• To communicate constructively with a range of healthcare professionals in a variety of services including nurses, social workers, allied health professionals (AHPs) and medical colleagues as part of a multidisciplinary team (MDT)
• Work as part of a multidisciplinary community team and liaise with relevant external agencies to facilitate and enable psychological interventions
• Communicate to others the core concepts of psychological theory, research and practice in order to enhance their delivery of psychological interventions.
• Contribute to the training and development of the wider MDT regarding key psychological concepts and principles relevant to the clinical care of service users.
• Carry out risk assessments in relation to psychological distress and to ensure that risk formulations are integrated with interventions understanding contingency management and the use of risk indicators in mitigating against crises.
• To spend sustained amounts of time with service users whose behaviour may be aggressive and hostile, who may have poor verbal communication skills and self-care and special physical and/or mental needs.

Working for our organisation

Our Values 2025 – 2030

Working with our colleagues, patients and carers we have co-produced three new values that we aim to embed within our culture here at NELFT.

They are:

We are kind.

We are respectful.

We work together with our communities.

These three values help us to strive to provide the best care by the best people.

Starting with NELFT 

NELFT place a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks which will include mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers, and attend a number of drop-in sessions focusing on engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.

Probationary Period

This post will be subject to a probationary period.

High Cost Area Supplement - Outer London

This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (minimum payment of £4,714 and a maximum payment of £5,941 - per annum, pro rata for part time