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Job summary

Main area
Psychology
Grade
Band 5
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm)
Job ref
267-FS7329476
Employer
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Oxford Clinic, Littlemore Mental Health Centre
Town
Oxford
Salary
£31,049 - £37,796 per annum | pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
24/07/2025 23:59
Interview date
07/08/2025
Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust logo

Assistant Psychologist

Band 5

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

Do you want to work with forensic mental health service users to help reduce the length of their admissions and support them to successfully transition into the community? Are you creative and passionate about service development and trauma-informed care? 
 
We are recruiting for an Assistant Psychologist to to join our Specialist Forensic Community Team (SFCT) across Thames Valley (Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Berkshire), supporting forensic service users to transition from secure care into the community.
 
Our service users have complex mental health difficulties, often including trauma histories. Transitions are particularly a time of anxiety for our service users who often have complex attachment needs and may have spent a significant length of time in secure care. 
 
The role is varied and involves a combination of direct client contact for assessments, formulation and interventions, including group and individual work, service evaluation and audit, as well as opportunities for joint, multidisciplinary, and multiagency working.  There is scope for development within the role so would be an ideal opportunity for someone looking for professional growth. 
 
If you have previous experience in an assistant psychologist role with a 2:1 or higher in an undergraduate Psychology degree then we'd love to hear from you! 
 

Main duties of the job

  • Undertake protocol-based psychological assessments of clients, applying psychological, including neuropsychological tests, self-report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the client’s care.                             
  • Assist in the formulation and delivery of care plans involving the psychological treatment and/or management of a client’s problems, under the supervision of a qualified professional psychologist, in both community and in-patient/residential settings. 
  • Assist in the development of a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the Thames Valley Forensic Mental Health Service, across all settings where care takes place. 
  • To liaise with other agencies and services as appropriate to enhance the psychological understanding and support of the SCFT’s service users in the community.
Please refer to the job description attached for a comprehensive list of duties. This role is based in Oxford and requires travel across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Berkshire to support clients. Applicants must have a full valid driving licence and have access to a vehicle for work. Adjustments can be considered in line with the Equality Act 2010 where required.  
 
Interviews for this role will be held at the Oxford Clinic in Littlemore on Thursday 7 August. 
 

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

You'll be part of a large forensic psychology department which is proud of its diversity of approach and values difference. We are strongly committed to maintaining a culture of sharing and connection within the department and, as such, have monthly department meetings, reflective practice, and CPD groups.
 
The SCFT consists of a growing number of staff from different disciplines. The SCFT model of care emphasises the importance of good multidisciplinary team working for the benefit of the service users, as well as feelings of satisfaction in the team.
 
This service provides intensive in-reach support to inpatients helping them prepare for and navigate their discharges and safely settle into life in the community. We also provide support to other services, such as housing providers and local Community Mental Health Teams, so that our service users can increasingly access non-forensic provision and transition into primary or secondary care.
 
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

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Upper second class honours degree (or above) in Psychology at Undergraduate level
Desirable criteria
  • Additional postgraduate degrees e.g. MA, MSc, in relevant field.

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience in role as an Assistant Psychologist in any field
Desirable criteria
  • Experience in forensic services, including forensic mental health, prisons, probation

Personal Qualities

Essential criteria
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

Personal Qualities

Essential criteria
  • Ability to engage with service users with complex mental health needs and risks
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
Harriet Lawrence
Job title
Clinical Psychologist
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07760171266
Additional information

At Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust we want to employ people not just with experience, but with the aptitude and motivation to succeed and whose values resonate with our own.

Therefore, if you don’t meet all the requirements of the role and are unsure about applying but are excited about the opportunity, please do get in touch. We will be happy to discuss the requirements in more detail ahead of making a written application. 

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