Job summary
- Main area
- Psychology MH Inpatients
- Grade
- Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (1 year fixed term role also available)
- Job ref
- 371-MHS1010-A
- Employer
- Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Prospect Park Hospital
- Town
- Reading
- Salary
- £27,485 - £30,162 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 22/04/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Assistant Psychologist
Band 4
Job overview
1 PERM & 1 ONE YEAR FIXED TERM ROLE AVAILABLE
We are looking to recruit an Assistant Psychologist to work full-time at Prospect Park Hospital on an adult acute mental health ward.
We are also looking to recruit an Assistant Psychologist to work full-time for one year at Prospect Park Hospital on an adult acute mental health ward. This is to cover maternity leave.
Main duties of the job
You will be based on one of the adult acute mental health wards at Prospect Park Hospital.
Under supervision of a Counselling or Clinical Psychologist you will take on a clinical caseload that will include both individual and group work with adults with complex mental health presentations.
You will offer assessments and interventions (both individual and group) to patients and carers.
You will support the running of team formulation sessions, teaching and staff support sessions.
You will develop resources, write reports and gather background information on patients who have recently been admitted.
You will input into your allocated ward’s multi-disciplinary team meeting. You will be support the quality improvement work on your ward and in the Psychological Therapies team.
You will be part of the Inpatients Psychological Therapies team and receive peer support from the six other Assistant Psychologists in the team. At times you may work on the other wards at Prospect Park Hospital, as needed.
Occasionally you might also support your ward or others wards at Prospect Park Hospital with non-Psychology tasks if there is a need for this.
Working for our organisation
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:
- Caring for and about you is our top priority
- Committed to providing good quality, safe services
- Working Together with you to develop innovative solutions
Your wellbeing is important to us. Some of the benefits of working for us include:
- Flexible working options to support work-life balance
- 27 days’ annual leave rising with service + opportunity to buy and sell
- Generous NHS pension scheme
- Excellent learning and career development opportunities
- ‘Cycle to Work’ and car leasing scheme including electric vehicles
- Access to a range of wellbeing tools and services
- Discounts at hundreds of popular retailers and restaurants
- Staff networks for race, diversity, disabilities, the environment and armed forces community to support equality
- Generous maternity, paternity, adoption and special leave
- Free parking across Trust sites
FOR SECONDMENT ROLES ONLY - If the secondment role becomes permanent, the successful candidate may be offered the permanent position.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The “must haves” for this role:
- An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology.
- Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society
- Demonstrable understanding of an acute mental health environment
- Experience of working with people with mental health problems and/or other disabilities
- High level of communication and team-working skills
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.
We’re 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 neede.
We welcome a conversation about flexibility and any other questions you may have. Please don’t hesitate to contact Upasana Bondopadhyay via email at [email protected] who’ll 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 criteria
- 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)
- (Entitled to) Graduate Membership of British Psychological Society
Continuous Professional Development
Essential criteria
- Can demonstrate additional interest and/or learning in relevant areas of applied psychology and mental health practice
- Evidence of an interest in pursuing a career in the psychological professions
Desirable criteria
- Undertaken additional training (e.g. 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 criteria
- 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 inpatient or community setting
- Experience of audits/evaluations or other forms of research
Desirable criteria
- Experience of providing direct clinical or social care
- Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
- Awareness of psychological theory, practice and evidence-based psychological interventions as relevant to this role
- High level communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to communicate and work in settings in which the atmosphere may be highly emotional
- Appreciation of the needs and challenges face by people with mental health difficulties, neurological difficulties and learning disabilities
- Ability to apply existing psychological theory and knowledge within a mental health, dementia and/or learning disabilities context
- Ability to appropriately communicate sensitive information to service users, carers and colleagues
- Excellent IT skills including knowledge of Microsoft Office including a high standard of letter and report writing
Desirable criteria
- Experience conducting service evaluation and research, particularly within a clinical setting
Additional Requirement
Essential criteria
- Ability to interact and engage with people who may be experiencing mental health difficulties, neurological difficulties and learning disabilities
- 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 reviewed at regular intervals
- Ability to recognise the limits of own competencies and to seek supervision and support as required to practice safely and within professional guidelines
- Able to work flexibly as required
- Able to travel independently between locations to fulfil the requirements and duties of the position, with minimal impact on daily productivity
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.
Application numbers
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Upasana Bondopadhyay
- Job title
- Clinical or Counselling Psychologist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01189605000
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