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Job summary

Main area
Psychology
Grade
4
Contract
12 months (Fixed Term)
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
363-BED7569046
Employer
East London NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Florence Ball House
Town
Bedford
Salary
£27,485 - £30,162 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
23/11/2025 08:00

Employer heading

East London NHS Foundation Trust logo

Assistant Psychologist - Bedford

4

ELFT has long been recognised as a centre of excellence for mental and health care, innovation and improvement. So it is a very exciting time for you to come and work for us. Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

Job overview

We are seeking a highly motivated and organised Assistant Psychologist to support the work of our Clinical Psychologists and Psychological Therapists in our CMHT in Bedford.    You will be able to take up a fixed-term contract for a period of 12 months and be available to start the post in January 2026. The role will be critical to supporting the provision of psychological therapies within the teams and of community-based psycho-educational and skills groups.  There are Quality Improvement (QI) projects running in the teams and involvement in these projects as a member of the QI project team is integral to the role.

Interviews are in person at the CMHT in Bedford and will be held on Wednesday 26th November 2025.

 

Main duties of the job

The successful applicant will ideally have experience of supporting and facilitating groups under supervision. They will also have a strong academic record with excellent written and verbal communication skills, excellent IT literacy skills and skills in data collection and evaluation.  We are also looking for people who are able to engage positively and sensitively with people with mental health difficulties and their support networks. The ability to work collaboratively with other professions is a central part of the post in order to provide holistic care within a bio-psychosocial model.

 

Working for our organisation

Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve. Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive – so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Your supporting statement must start with “three reasons to shortlist me” and must give those reasons within 300 words. If this section is not included you will not be considered for shortlisting.   Please see detailed Job Description and Person Spec for details of the post. 

Person specification

Education/qualification/training

Essential criteria
  • A first or upper second class (2:1) honours degree in Psychology conferring eligibility for graduate basis for registration with the British Psychological Society
Desirable criteria
  • Attendance at short courses relevant to the post (eg further training in working with people with Complex Emotional Needs or Psychosis/Bipolar Disorder)

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Work with client groups with severe mental health problems (eg Complex Emotional Needs, Psychosis, Bipolar Disorder)
  • Experience in supporting psychological assessment and delivering individual and/or group interventions under supervision
  • Completing and conducting service-related research or service evaluation
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of work in the NHS giving awareness of NHS values and structures.
  • Experience working in a clinical multi-disciplinary team, as an Assistant Psychologist or direct care giver.
  • Experience in communicating sensitive information to patients, carers and colleagues.
  • Experience of QI Framework and working on QI Projects

Knowledge and Skills

Essential criteria
  • An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems.
  • An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a mental health context.
  • Aware of the potential impact of discrimination & disadvantage on mental health.
  • Skills in engaging positively with a wide range of people with respect for diversity and encouraging inclusion.
  • Able to draw upon a specific theoretical knowledge base in the analysis of facts or situations to arrive at appropriate formulations, under clinical supervision.
  • 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 work independently, prioritising workload, within agreed time frames, and using supervision appropriately within limits of competence.
  • Ability to create and maintain effective relationships within the Clinical team and with a range of professionals.
  • IT literate including expertise in using Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) to a professional standard

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Capital Nurse, LondonCommitted to being an Inclusive EmployerApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyPositive about disabled peopleAge positiveHSJ Best places to workArmed Forces Covenant (Silver Award)Mindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerCare quality commission - OutstandingStonewall equality policy. Equality and justice for lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans people.

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
Sarah Chadwick
Job title
Principal Clinical Psychologist
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07384249671
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