Assistant Psychologist - Eating Disorders

Assistant Psychologist - Eating Disorders

NELFT North East London Foundation Trust

We are seeking an Assistant Psychologist to join our dedicated multi-disciplinary North East London NHS Foundation Trust SET CAMHS Community Eating Disorders Service.

The Eating Disorder service provides the latest in evidence-based NICE compliant psychological interventions to children/young people and their families with an Eating Disorder. Unlike many other mental health services, we offer specialist assessment within 7 days or 28 days for routine assessment and commence treatment after assessment.

We welcome applications from psychology graduates who would like to develop their knowledge and skills and have a passion for working with children and young people with eating disorders.

The successful applicant will be part of an MDT. We are seeking an individual with the knowledge and skills to work as part of a multi-professional team and be innovative in their approach to supporting this client group. The role includes clinical, research, and audit aspects.

Main duties of the job

Key Responsibilities:

1. To undertake, under the direct supervision of a qualified professional psychologist, protocol-based psychological assessments of clients, including the use of 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.
2. To assist in the formulation and delivery of routine care plans involving the psychological treatment and/or management of a client's problems, under the direct supervision of a qualified psychologist/psychological therapist.
3. To manage an ongoing programme of audit of outcomes from treatment involving measures administered to clients and their caregivers at multiple stages during their care journey.
4. To analyse this data and contribute to the production of reports of outcomes for the team and for commissioners.

About us

NELFT places a great deal of importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and will undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks, which will include mandatory training, systems training, and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process, new starters will have the opportunity to meet the executive team, senior managers, and attend a number of drop-in sessions focusing on engagement, health and wellbeing, and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.

This post will be subject to a probationary period. Internal applicants are exempt from the probationary period (unless you are an internal applicant currently partway through a probationary period or currently a bank member of staff).

This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 5% of the basic salary (minimum payment of £1,258 and a maximum payment of £2,122 per annum pro-rata).

Job responsibilities

The successful applicant will contribute to the development and maintenance of the highest professional standards of practice, through active participation in internal and external CPD training and development programmes, in consultation with the post-holder's professional and team/operational manager(s). The successful applicant will maintain the highest standards of clinical record keeping and report writing in accordance with professional codes of practice of the British Psychological Society and Trust policies and procedures.

The post holder is expected to work well within a team setting and operate within recognised professional guidelines and the overall framework of the eating disorder services policies and procedures.

There will be an opportunity within this role to support the delivery of evidence-based group activities and treatment for clients. We actively encourage a team approach and are interested in informing new treatments for eating disorders.

Please refer to attached Job Description and Person Specification.

Person Specification

Assessment Criteria (see JD/PS)

• Personal Qualities

Qualifications

• An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology. Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.
• Further postgraduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice, and/or research design and analysis.

Experience

• Work with people with mental health problems and/or other disabilities.
• Experience of paid work in direct care provision.

Knowledge

• High-level communication skills (written and verbal).
• Ability to communicate sensitive information to patients, carers, and colleagues in a way that addresses psychological resistance.
• An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems or other disabilities.
• An ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a mental health context.
• Knowledge of Eating Disorders.

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.

NELFT North East London Foundation Trust

Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working