Clinical Associate in Psychology – Inpatient Psychology

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for one qualified Clinical Associate in Psychology (CAP) to join our Adult Acute Inpatient Psychological Services Team in Colchester. Our wider team, covering 16 wards across 5 sites, is comprised of qualified Clinical and Counselling Psychologists, Arts Psychotherapists, CBT Practitioners, Assistant Psychologist and CAPs at different points in their career. We feel passionate about delivering the best psychological care possible within the inpatient setting which sees us supporting individuals with a wide range of often complex mental health difficulties. As such, this role offers a wide range of opportunities, within the scope of practice appropriate to CAPs. You will be supported to work autonomously, offering assessments, individual work and group interventions to patients across three adult acute wards based at The Lakes, Colchester.

You will have opportunities to support service evaluation, development and staff training and will be able to benefit from supervision from very experienced clinicians. We very much value the contributions CAPs make to our wards and are committed to training CAPs as well as supporting further CPD for our qualified CAPs in line with their interests & service needs. If you’re passionate about trauma-informed care, working in a dynamic and multi-disciplinary environment that not only values psychological support and interventions but is committed to improving patient experiences, we’d like to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will work alongside qualified Psychologists, together with the wider network of MDT colleagues across our local adult acute inpatient wards, providing a high quality Psychology service to service users. This will require assessment, formulation and intervention for adult clients who may experience severe and enduring mental health difficulties or have come to be admitted following a crisis without prior contact with mental health services. The wide range of mental health difficulties we support mean this role requires an individual who is passionate about learning, adapting interventions to specific needs, with excellent skills in engaging highly vulnerable individuals. The role involves the delivery of group based interventions across our three adult acute wards with opportunities for joint working with our wider therapies team (consisting of Occupational Psychologists and other Allied Health Professionals) and innovation depending on identified gaps in service provision and service user needs. With our commitment to supporting the wider MDT we work with, the development and provision of staff training and support is another aspect that makes this role both varied and exciting.

Person Specification

Education / Qualifications

Essential

• Masters Clinical Associate in Psychology qualification.
• Eligibility for registration on the BPS Wider Psychological Workforce register as an Associate Psychologist.

Desirable

• Further continuing professional development courses relevant to work in mental health and/or psychological interventions.

Skills/Knowledge

Essential

• Masters level knowledge of psychological theory and research, including psychological assessment, formulation, intervention and evaluation.
• Masters level knowledge of mental health presentations, within CAP
• Masters level knowledge of applied research design and methodology.
• Knowledge of wider healthcare systems, NHS services and the role of psychological services within the NHS.

Experience

Essential

• Relevant supervised experience of delivering psychological assessments and interventions in inpatient services
• Experience of working in a setting with service users presenting with severe and enduring mental health difficulties.
• Experience of working within a multidisciplinary team.
• Relevant CPD as required by the BPS

Closing Date: 12 July 2026