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Job summary

Main area
Assistant Psychologist
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 4
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
395-KM015-26
Employer
NELFT NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Maidstone/Canterbury
Town
Maidstone/Canterbury
Salary
£27,485 - £30,162 per annum
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
06/02/2026 23:59

Employer heading

NELFT NHS Foundation Trust logo

Assistant Psychologist - Eating Disorders

NHS AfC: Band 4

Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.

The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for five consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.

Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video

Job overview

The post holder will be a member of the Kent and Medway All-age Eating Disorders team.The post holder will support people and enhance the professional psychological care within the service, across all sectors of care, providing psychological assessment and psychological interventions of a routine nature, under the direct supervision of a qualified professional psychologist drawing on their supervisor’s expertise.

Main duties of the job

The main duties of the assistant psychologist role are outlined in the job description attached to this vacancy. 

Working for our organisation

Our Values 2025 - 2030

Working with our colleagues, patients and carers we have co-produced three new values that we aim to embed within our culture here at NELFT.

They are:

  • We are kind. 
  • We are respectful.
  • We work together with our communities.

These three values help us to strive to provide the best care by the best people.

Probationary Period

This post will be subject to a probationary period. 

Starting with Us

NELFT places great importance on new starters being properly welcomed into the Trust.  All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks, including mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment.  As part of the process, new starters will also have the opportunity to meet the executive team, senior managers, and attend several drop-in sessions focusing on engagement, health and wellbeing, and key processes.  The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.

High Cost Area Supplement - Outer London

This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £4,313 to a maximum of £5,436 p.a. pro rata for part time).

High Cost Area Supplement - Fringe

This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 5% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £1,192 to a maximum of £2,011 p.a. pro rata for part time).

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The main duties and responsibilities of this role are outlined in the job description which is attached to this vacancy. 

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • NVQ level 2 or equivalent standard of literacy and numeracy
  • 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/or research design and analysis.

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Work with people with mental health problems and/or other disabilities
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of paid work in direct care provision

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • An awareness of NHS priorities
  • High level communication skills (written and verbal). Ability to communicate sensitive information to patients, carers and colleagues in a way that addresses psychological resistance.
  • An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with eating disorders.
  • An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a mental health context and an understanding of psychology applied to health care.

Skills

Essential criteria
  • Basic awareness of IT and IT skills
  • An ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines and An ability to interact with people with eating disorders
  • Ability to work reliably and consistently with work agreed and supervised at regular intervals.
  • An interest in working with people with eating disorders

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Employers for CarersApprenticeships logoAge positiveDisability confident employerHappy to Talk Flexible WorkingDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - GoldEmployers Network for Equality & InclusionTop 10 Employer 2023

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

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible to ensure consideration.

If you require any additional support during the application process please contact [email protected]. We are happy to make reasonable adjustments to support you throughout the recruitment journey.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Susie Greenwood
Job title
Interim Clinical and Strategic Lead
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