Assistant Psychologist Perinatal or Ocean Mental Health Service: Sponsorship Available

Job summary

Assistant Psychologist Perinatal or Ocean Mental Health Service

The Bedfordshire and Luton Perinatal Mental Health (PMHT) and Maternal Mental Health (Ocean) Teams have an exciting opportunity for two enthusiastic and reflective Assistant Psychologists to work with pregnant and postnatal women and birthing people. These are separate but co-located teams based in Bedford, working closely to provide a seamless perinatal mental health pathway for service users. The Perinatal Mental Health Team works with women and birthing people who have moderate to severe and complex mental health needs during their pregnancy, and up to the baby’s age of 24 months. The multidisciplinary team includes psychiatrists, mental health nurses, psychologists, and nursery nurses who together support parents and their relationship with their baby. The Ocean Service is a blended psychology and midwifery team, providing trauma-informed care to pregnant and postnatal women with moderate to severe mental health needs who have experienced loss and/or trauma during their fertility or maternity journey.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for someone who is able to engage positively and sensitively with people with mental health difficulties and their support networks and be able to demonstrate an awareness of experiences and challenges that may face those experiencing mental health difficulties in the perinatal period. The Perinatal Mental Health Team is a multidisciplinary team working with women and birthing people during pregnancy and up to 24 months post-birth. The Ocean service is a blended psychology and midwifery service working with maternal trauma and loss. The Assistant Psychologist will support and enhance the psychological trauma-informed care of clients within the service. They will support structured assessments, the preparation and delivery of psychoeducational groups and manualised individual psychological interventions, under the supervision of a qualified psychologist. There are opportunities to get involved in Quality Improvement and service evaluation. We are looking for a candidate who shares ELFT’s values, is willing to learn and able to form good working relationships. We are actively working on how to become a more culturally sensitive service and address perinatal health inequalities and welcome applicants from Black or Asian ethnicity. The post requires the ability to occasionally travel between sites and offer home visits across Bedfordshire.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• An approved qualification in psychology conferring eligibility for graduate basis for registration with the British Psychological Society, with either a Bachelor’s degree (Class 2.1 or higher) OR A Bachelor’s degree (any class) together with a higher degree. OR A Bachelor’s degree (any class) AND evidence of psychological therapy or counselling training.

Desirable

• Post graduate training in psychological therapies

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in a mental healthcare setting (paid or voluntary).

Desirable

• Mental health care of women in the perinatal period
• Delivering therapeutic group interventions.
• Working with carers
• Working in Multi Disciplinary Teams
• Audit, evaluation or research

Knowledge

Essential

• Basic overview of mental health issues and approaches to treatment and intervention
• Basic understanding of health care systems and structures: staffing, roles and responsibilities, the role of hospitals, primary care and community care.

Desirable

• Up to date knowledge of psychological research and national guidance relevant to the client group
• Aware of the potential impact of discrimination & disadvantage on mental health
• Able to draw upon a specific theoretical knowledge base in the analysis of facts or situations to arrive at appropriate formulations, under clinical supervision

Skills

Essential

• Good interpersonal, active listening and communication skills with service users, carers and staff
• Contain and work with moderate team level stress and able to appreciate the stress of others
• Manage limited exposure to distressing or emotional circumstances.
• Demonstrate good literacy and report writing skills
• Ability to use a computer competently, especially with regard to word processing
• Ability to work using own initiative but to work within the boundaries of their role
• Accept and use supervision appropriately

Desirable

• Work cross-culturally and/or in different languages

Closing Date: 23 August 2026