Job summary
Assistant Psychologists (x 3) for the Windsor, Ascot & Maidenhead Community Mental Health Services (WAM CMHS) and Reading Community Mental Health Services (Reading CMHS)
BASE: Dependent on position offered (Nicholson House, Erlegh House and Prospect Park Hospital)
We would love you to join our CQC rated 'Outstanding' Trust, joining a ground-breaking but friendly and caring Mental Health Community Services. Areyousolution-focused, inquisitive and self-motivated? Do you enjoy working as part of a team? Are you eager to build on your experience to apply your psychological knowledge and interests and develop your potential further? If so, we would like to meet you!
This is a fantastic opportunity to be involved in the development and shaping of a major new and innovative approach to providing mental health care within the community. You will be joining energetic,friendlyand progressive teams, where you will be well supported and supervised. We are keen to work with the right people to develop their skills and their careers.
We are seeking to recruit 3 assistant psychologists to work within WAM MHS in East Berkshire and Reading MHS in West Berkshire. These are exciting posts, supporting the development and implementation of a new and comprehensive psychological offer for people with significant mental health needs in primary and secondary care.
Interviews will be held on 3rd December, 2024
Main duties of the job
1. You will be working as part of a team to support and enhance the psychological care of adults with significant mental health issues presenting to services within Berkshire.
You will deliver a range of individual and group interventions under supervision of a qualified psychologist. This will include helping people to access and work with existing online resource packages promoting mental health, often as an adjunct to additional therapeutic intervention being undertaken by other members of the team, but also potentially as a stand-alone intervention.
You will work to promote and support independence and take a strengths' and recovery-based approach.
You will also have opportunities to enhance your skills in research, audit, data management and service development.
About us
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:
2. Caring for and about you is our top priority
3. Committed to providing good quality, safe services
4. Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions
Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:
5. Flexible working options to support work-life balance
6. 27 days' annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
7. Generous NHS pension scheme
8. Excellent learning and career development opportunities
9. 'Cycle to Work' and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
10. Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
11. Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
12. Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
13. Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
14. Free parking across Trust sites
Job description
Job responsibilities
The must haves for you to be considered for this role:
15. An upper second class (2:1) honours degree or higher in psychology
16. Entitlement to graduate membership of a core professional body ( BPS, BABCP, Social Work England, HCPC, NMC, or equivalent)
17. Previous experience of delivering CBT informed interventions under supervision
18. Previous experience working with people experiencing significant mental health difficulties.
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.
Were 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 are happy to answer any questions that you may have. Please dont hesitate to callBethan Whiteman, Principal Psychologist on 01189047300 or Dr Emma Benjamin, Principal Psychologist on 01189605063 or email: or who will 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
19. 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)
20. Entitlement to graduate membership of British Psychological Society
Continuous Professional Development
Essential
21. Can demonstrate additional interest and/or learning in relevant areas of applied psychology and mental health practice
22. Evidence of an interest in pursuing a career in psychological therapies
Desirable
23. Undertaken additional training ( 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
24. 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 in-patient or community setting
25. Experience of audits/evaluations or other forms of research
Desirable
26. Experience of providing direct care provision
27. Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential
28. Awareness of evidence-based psychological interventions as relevant to this role
29. High level communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotional
30. Appreciation of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health difficulties, neurological difficulties and learning disabilities
31. Ability to apply existing psychological knowledge within a mental health and/or learning disabilities context
32. Ability to appropriately communicate sensitive information to service users, carers and colleagues
Desirable
33. Experience conducting service evaluation and research, particularly within a clinical setting
Additional Requirements
Essential
34. Ability to interact and engage with people who may be experiencing mental health difficulties, neurological difficulties and learning disabilities
35. 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 managed at regular intervals
36. Ability to recognise the limits of own competencies and to seek supervision and support as required to practice safely and within professional guidelines
37. Able to work flexibly as required and to travel independently between locations to fulfil the requirements and duties of the position.