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Job summary

Main area
Psychology and psychological therapies
Grade
Band 4
Contract
18 months (fixed term)
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
267-OA7520954
Employer
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
City East Oxford Primary Care Mental Health Hub.
Town
Oxford
Salary
£27,485 - £30,162 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
03/11/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust logo

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 looking for a career in mental health and keen to build your clinical experience?

We have an opportunity for an Assistant Psychologist to join our Oxford City locality Keystone Primary Care Mental Health Team, working across East Oxford. 

In this role, you will have the opportunity to develop your skills including intervention and assessment skills within the  multidisciplinary Keystone hubs. You will have the opportunity to  co facilitate CBT based groups, work with people individually using guided self-help and assess and develop care plans for people experiencing significant mental health difficulties.

 Previous assistants within the team have successfully gone on to train as Clinical or Counselling Psychologists, or have secured other assistant psychologist roles within the NHS.

Please note that as we anticipate a high volume of applicants for these roles, the advert may close before the advertised date. We therefore recommend submitting your application as soon as possible.

It is important that you have a driving license and access to a car during the working day, or that you are able to navigate how you will be able to travel between bases and client homes as required for the role (noting that much of the county may not be accessible by public transport).

Main duties of the job

A fantastic opportunity has arisen for a full-time Assistant Psychologist within Oxford City Locality Keystone Primary Care Mental Health Team (PCMHT).

This is a new post and you will be part of the development of new MDT, as part of the Community Mental Health Framework. You will be working in an integrated primary care setting, and will enjoy the chance to be part of an interdisciplinary team of colleagues from across mental health services, voluntary and community sectors.

  • Play a key role in providing holistic, trauma-informed care to people with serious mental health conditions.  You must be organised, self-motivated and have excellent interpersonal skills.
  • Be responsible for collecting and reporting outcome data, and for managing Excel spreadsheets and other databases - therefore, you must have excellent Excel and database skills.
  • Be responsible for carrying out triage and assessments, under the supervision of qualified staff. 
  • Be responsible for carrying out guided-self help and psychoeducation interventions, under the supervision of qualified staff.
  • Be responsible for co-facilitating psychological therapy groups together with qualified staff, as well as evaluating and auditing these.

Working for our organisation

Oxford Health is a great place to work and to be able to showcase the best of yourself when making an application please read the “candidate guide to making an application” and ensure your supporting statement is tailored to the role you are applying for and addresses any essential criteria.

As a Trust we provide physical, mental health and social care for people of all ages across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and Northeast 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”

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 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

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Psychology degree (2.1. or above; BPS accredited).
  • Experience of working within NHS mental health clinical teams for one year
  • Confident presentation style for deliver to large groups
  • An ability to interact with people with mental health problems and disabilities
  • Ability to develop good therapeutic relationships including telephone work with clients.
  • Ability to communicate sensitive information to patients, carers and colleagues in a way that addresses psychological resistance.
  • Good computer skills and the ability to use computer based information systems to record all client clinical information.
Desirable criteria
  • Experience co facilitating psychological therapy groups
  • Experience of conducting assessment and interventions within a psychology team
  • Experience of working with SMI presentations
  • Experience of using clinical supervision
  • Experience of use of CBT based interventions.
  • Experience of undertaking client assessment including risk assessment
  • Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis.
  • High degree of organisational skills, ability to adjust priorities.
  • Good computer skills and the ability to use computer based information systems to record all client clinical information.
  • High level communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotive.
  • Experience of undertaking client assessment including risk assessment

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience of working within NHS mental health clinical teams for one year

Experience

Essential criteria
  • An ability to interact with people with mental health problems and disabilities

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Confident presentation style for deliver to groups

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Good computer skills and the ability to use computer based information systems to record all client clinical information.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleCare quality commission - GoodArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerStep into healthNHS 75th BirthdayDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - Gold

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

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Natalie Barnes
Job title
Senior Locality Lead
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01865 904873
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