Job summary
- Main area
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
- Grade
- Band 4
- Contract
- 12 months (fixed term)
- Hours
- Part time
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 267-OC7265781
- Employer
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Forensic CAMHS
- Town
- Keynsham
- Salary
- £26,530 - £29,114 pa /pro-rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 03/07/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Assistant Psychologist
Band 4
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust has been rated as Good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
We are a responsive and innovative Foundation Trust that places our values of Caring, Safe and Excellent at the heart of everything we do. We take great pride in our staff and believe that investing in you is key to us achieving our vision of outstanding care delivered by outstanding people.
We work with a wide range of partner organisations to deliver care and support to people in their own homes and from a number of hospitals and community bases. We focus on delivering care as close to home as possible for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset.
We actively support anti-racism, equality, diversity, and inclusion so, if you’re excited about this job opportunity and you meet our Trust values, but feel unsure about applying, then please get in touch and we will be happy to have a conversation with you.
We are also committed to increasing diversity in the workforce, that is why we actively encourage applications from those groups of people who are currently under-represented, which include amongst others: people with disabilities; men from all socio-economic backgrounds; people from diverse ethnic backgrounds; and people from the LGBTQIA+ community.
Good luck and we hope to hear from you.
Job overview
Are you compassionate, motivated, and ready to make a difference in the lives of young people?
We’re looking for an Assistant Psychologist to join our Forensic Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (FCAMHS) team, supporting children and adolescents with complex mental health needs. This role offers valuable experience in a community forensic setting within a small, supportive team of experienced clinicians, including Clinical Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Nurses, and Admin staff.
While the role includes key support tasks such as data collection and audit, it also provides training in specialist assessments and risk work not typically available in similar positions. You’ll receive regular clinical supervision and take part in monthly team meetings focused on wellbeing and reflective practice.
Applicants should hold a Psychology degree (2:1 or above) or higher qualification, with experience in mental health—preferably working with young people and ideally in a forensic setting. Strong communication, organisation, and IT skills (including Microsoft Office and basic Excel) are essential, along with a genuine interest in supporting young people with mental health challenges.
*Please be aware that this advert may close early if a high number of applications are received.*
Main duties of the job
Under regular supervision from a Clinical Psychologist, you will develop skills to support and enhance the professional psychological care of clients within the service, across all sectors of care; supporting consultation to other professionals and agencies, providing psychological
assessment and brief psychological interventions.
In addition, you will support the service in collection of routine data and create reports for commissioners and assist in the development of service
evaluation within the service. Previous experience of the above is desirable.
You will work with colleagues within the multi-disciplinary team and so should be able to demonstrate the ability to do so. The role will also involve
participation in audit, service evaluation and service development projects.
Working for our organisation
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust provides physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset.
Our services are delivered at community bases, hospitals, clinics and people’s homes, delivering care as close to home as possible
Our vision is that no matter who you are or where you are, you will tell us that you receive: “Outstanding care delivered by an outstanding team”
Our values are: “Caring, safe and excellent”
At Oxford Health we offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your career and wellbeing. These include:
- Excellent opportunities for career progression
- Access to tailored individual and Trust wide learning and development
- 27 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 33 days with continuous service
- NHS Discount across a wide range of shops, restaurants and retailers
- Competitive pension scheme
- Lease car scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Mental Health First Aiders
- Staff accommodation (please note waiting lists may apply)
- Staff networking and support groups hosted by our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We hope that the advert has given you a clear understanding of the skills we are seeking and the opportunity at hand. You will need to use the “supporting statement” element of your application form to demonstrate your suitability for this role and you should refer to the job description, person specification and the guidance notes attached to this role to help you tailor your application.
The essential and desirable criteria will be used to shortlist for interview and you should ensure that you refer to these within your application to increase your chances of being selected for interview.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology. Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society
Desirable criteria
- Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional Psychology, Mental Health practice and research design and analysis.
Experience
Essential criteria
- Previous experience of working with people with emotional, behavioural and/or mental health/ learning difficulties.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of working with families and/or carers
- Experience of paid work in direct care provision that have a number of Mental Health and social need
- Previous experience of audit and/ or research in a clinical setting
- Previous experience in an assistant psychology post
Skills/Knowledge
Essential criteria
- High level communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive.
- Ability to communicate sensitive information to patients/parents and colleagues.
- An understanding of psychology applied to mental health care.
Desirable criteria
- High standard of report writing.
Personal
Essential criteria
- An ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines.
Other
Essential criteria
- Ability to accept and use supervision appropriately and effectively.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
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
- Emily Garner
- Job title
- Clinical Psychologist
- Telephone number
- 01865 903038
- Additional information
At Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust we want to employ people not just with experience, but with the aptitude and motivation to succeed and whose values resonate with our own.
Therefore, if you don’t meet all the requirements of the role and are unsure about applying but are excited about the opportunity, please do get in touch. We will be happy to discuss the requirements in more detail ahead of making a written application.
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