Assistant Psychologist

Job Overview

We have an exciting opportunity for psychology graduates who are interested in developing a career in Clinical Psychology. We are recruiting to four Psychology Assistant posts to join our widening access programme for aspiring Clinical Psychologists . The posts are each half time (18.75 hours per week) and employed at Band 4 on the NHS pay scale. They are offered on a 6 month fixed term contract.The programme offers paid clinical work experience to Psychology graduates, with a particular focus on supporting those from minoritised and/or disadvantaged backgrounds who aspire to become Clinical Psychologists. We are committed to a fair and inclusive selection process, aiming to recruit candidates with strong potential for success within the profession, who otherwise might have had difficulty accessing the necessary workplace experience due to educational, economic and social disadvantage.

Main duties of the job

EPUT has a strong track record of supporting Psychology graduates in their development and training within the psychological professions. We host Clinical Psychology trainees from both the University of Essex and the University of Hertfordshire, and we also run a Clinical Associate in Psychology (CAP) training programme. The Trust has a vibrant and active Diversity & Inclusion Committee with an Ethnic Minority and Race Equality Network, along with LGBTQ+, Disability, Faith and Carers Networks. Our Psychological Services Directorate has an Anti-Racism group that provides open dialogue, support and allyship, along with an active Pre-qualification Group of aspiring Psychologists who offer an environment of peer support and learning.

If you are enthusiastic, self-motivated and committed to a career delivering high quality psychological care to service users we would like to hear from you. We are specifically seeking applicants who are familiar with and committed to living and working in the geographic area served by the Trust (Essex). We particularly encourage applications from those who come from less advantaged and minoritised backgrounds and for whom access to experience and further training in the psychological professions may be hindered by social or economic circumstances. Applicants should tell us how they meet these criteria in their application forms.

Working for our organisation

EPUT offers excellent staff support and engagement, and as an employee of the Trust, you would have access to these resources.

The Widening Access Programme sits in the Training & Partnerships team within the Psychological Services Clinical Care Unit. The Care Unit is host to a wide range of staff working in psychological provision and beyond, from psychology students, trainees and assistant psychologists, through to psychological therapists, practitioner psychologists, social workers, mental health nurses and many others. You would be joining a dedicated, hard-working and innovative group of colleagues, who hold service user care at the forefront of what they do.

Please note - staff who are formally at risk within the organisation will be given priority in securing alternative employment. Should it come to light that a post being advertised by the Trust is considered ‘suitable alternative employment’ to an individual who is at risk, the recruiting manager will be advised and the post will be withdrawn from NHS Jobs.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.

Important Professional References

Make sure that as a part of your application you have professional references with business contract information covering your last three year employment history. We are unable to accept personal or character references.

As a newly appointed employee you are responsible for incurring the cost of your initial DBS check relevant to your post, the amount will be deducted from your first salary with the Trust.

Applications for Job Share are positively welcomed.

Equal Opportunities Employer

Our Trust is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We particularly welcome applications from people with experience of using mental health services. We also hold the Disability two tick symbol and have made the pledge to commit to employing more people with learning disabilities, we encourage people with a disability to apply. If you require this application form in another format i.e. Braille or audio tape etc, please contact the Recruitment Department on 01375 364513 or email [email protected] and we can arrange for this to be dispatched to you.

The Trust has the right to expire vacancies prior to the closing date if they so wish. The Trust makes every attempt to contact all applicants and we strongly advise that you check the email account which is registered with NHS Jobs regularly, we would advise however due to the high number of applications we receive that if you have not heard from us within three weeks of the closing date your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expect all staff to undertake this commitment. Applicants will be subject to robust safer recruitment processes.

Covid Vaccination

Although Covid vaccinations are no longer a mandatory requirement within the NHS we continue to encourage and support the vaccination uptake as this remains the best line of defence against Covid19. The safety of our staff and patients is a top priority for us at EPUT.

If you would like to book a Covid vaccination or would like more information please contact us by emailing [email protected] .