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Job summary

Main area
Mental Health
Grade
NHS AfC: Band 5
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
354-FH-20550
Employer
Sussex Partnership NHS FoundationTrust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Brighton Probation Office
Town
Brighton
Salary
£29,970 - £36,483 pa
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
10/08/2025 23:59

Employer heading

Sussex Partnership NHS FoundationTrust logo

Senior Assistant Psychologist

NHS AfC: Band 5

Come and join us

We're looking for people who share our values (compassion, accountability and optimism) to help us provide high quality care to the patients, carers, families and local communities we serve. We specialise in providing NHS mental health and learning disability services.

So what can we offer you in return?

We're an organisation which puts people first. We'll do everything possible to help you feel respected, valued and included. We'll help you learn, acquire new skills and gain further experience to support your career development. And we'll provide the opportunity for you to bring your fresh ideas to work about how we can do things differently and continue improving.

You will also be joining a health and care system committed to working together to do the best we can for the communities we serve. Above all, at Sussex Partnership you'll have the chance to make a difference to the lives of the patients, carers and families across our communities.

As a Trust we are committed in making a difference. Your development is important to us, so don't forget to ask us during interview what opportunities we can offer. We can offer fully funded lifelong learning opportunities such as an apprenticeship from GCSE to Masters level.

If you like the sound of that, then come and join our team.

Job overview

Are you excited by the challenge of being involved in a new and expanding service? The Reflect Primary Care Mental Health Treatment Requirement Service is commissioned by NHS England to provide Community Sentence Treatment Requirements in collaboration with the Probation Service and substance use services. The service provides Primary Care Mental Health Treatment Requirements for eligible people who are sentenced at Sussex Magistrates Court and county wide Crown Courts.

You will be based in Brighton Probation and work closely with our partner agencies, the Probation Service and CGL, to deliver high quality, evidence based psychologically informed interventions to an often high need and marginalised population.

As Senior Assistant Psychologist you will be skilled at working alongside multi-disciplinary colleagues and able to support with clinical governance, data collection, audit, research and service development under the supervision of the clinical lead. With support, you will undertake psychological assessments and deliver psychologically informed interventions to the client group. You will be part of a broader psychology professions team working in forensic mental health services, with access to psychological professions networks that will support you to develop and take the next step in your career.

Experience of working in the Criminal Justice System is advantageous.

Main duties of the job

The Senior Assistant Psychologist is central to the MHTR pathway to support and enhance the psychological care of users of the service, providing psychological assessments and interventions within the scope appropriate to level of experience and training, and undertaking related tasks to enhance assessment, intervention and evaluation within the care group.  The Senior Assistant Psychologist will work independently with work managed and goals agreed and reviewed through regular supervision by an HCPC registered Practitioner Psychologist.

 

Working for our organisation

At Sussex Partnership we are committed to providing opportunities for flexible working. If you would like to work differently or different hours to as advertised, please get in touch to discuss this in more detail.

If you haven't thought about living in Sussex before then you should consider the following:

  • Journey from the coast to the countryside in minutes
  • Enjoy a lifestyle where there are renowned cycle routes and picturesque walks, including the famous South Downs Way in the South Downs National Park!
  • Embrace taking time to discover all the miles of scenic coastline, including Hastings, Bexhill on Sea and Eastbourne
  • Easy access to airports - Gatwick and Heathrow are both within 90 minutes of the county, providing links to Europe and beyond
  • London is within easy reach via local and national bus routes and national mainline stations

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

·       To undertake projects relating to service development and evaluation.

·       To set up databases, spreadsheets and using advanced IT skills in evaluation audit and research.

·       To support assessment and treatment interventions undertaken by the service.

·       To undertake direct clinical work that is managed, and goals agreed and reviewed through regular supervision by a qualified applied HCPC registered Practitioner Psychologist.

·       To liaise with a range of services (including health, social care and voluntary agencies) relevant to the working area. 

See Attached JD and PS for full details of role. 

For further details about this role or to arrange an informal visit, please contact: 

Dr Gabriel Schnitzer

Clinical Lead / Principal Psychologist
Mobile: 07887571686

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Honours degree at 2:1 or above in Psychology, or equivalent. Eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartership with the BPS
Desirable criteria
  • Further post graduate training in relevant area of professional psychology, health and social care practice, and / or research design and analysis

Knowledge/Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience of working with people with complex needs
  • Experience of working with people with disabilities, in a health or Mental Health setting and or work with people with complex needs
  • Relevant clinical and research skills
  • Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team
  • Basic knowledge of databases, research skills and methodology
  • Experience of group work and individual therapeutic contact
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of the use of psychometric tests

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyDisability confident leaderDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - BronzeCare quality commission - GoodArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardStep into healthPride In Veterans

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
Steve Eaton
Job title
Interim Service Manager
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07464 925097
Additional information

 

Dr Gabriel Schnitzer

Clinical Lead / Principal Psychologist

[email protected]

Mobile: 07887571686

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