Assistant Psychologist: Sponsorship Available

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust

Job Summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for two Assistant Psychologists to join the multidisciplinary team providing services under supervision to our inpatient services for men and women, based in Norwich. The current post-holders are moving on due to successful applications in the doctorate of clinical psychology training.

Our inpatient secure services form part of a wide and growing body of clinical services operating in a variety of settings linked to criminal justice services. NSFT Secure Services offer low and medium secure mental health services for men, an innovative integrated secure mental health service for women, mental health and personality disorder services in the local prisons, community forensic services, criminal justice liaison and diversion services and Offender Personality Disorder services in partnership with probation services.

 

Main duties of the job

One post holder will be allocated to Whitlingham Ward, Hellesdon hospital, a 16-bedded blended security ward for women. The second post holder will be allocated to Drayton ward, a medium secure ward for men.

The post-holders will work alongside the qualified psychologist for the ward, and under the umbrella of the wider, well-established NSFT Secure Services Psychology Team.

Within this role, you will have the opportunity to help deliver risk assessments, mental health assessments and psychological interventions to service users, as well as co-facilitating therapeutic group work.

As part of the MDT, you will be working with the ward team to help create and implement positive behaviour support plans, and to support the ward team with psychological formulations and psychologically informed practice.

The posts involve working with a range of mental health difficulties, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, psychosis, personality disorder and neurodevelopmental disorders. There will also be the opportunity to learn about offence specific assessments, formulations and interventions which are delivered by the team.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • A BPS accredited degree in Psychology, conferring eligibility for GBC.

Desirable

  • Further post-graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis

Experience

Essential

  • Experience of work with people with mental health needs.

Desirable

  • Experience of working in forensic/secure services.

Skills

Essential

  • High level of interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal)

Desirable

  • Skills in administering psychometric tests and using psychological equipment

Knowledge

Essential

  • An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems or other disabilities.

Desirable

  • Knowledge of the criminal justice system and its interactions with health services.
  • An ability to link and apply psychological theory; principles, understanding and knowledge to applied practice within a mental health context.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Closing Date: 06 July 2025

To apply for this job please visit apps.trac.jobs.