Assistant Psychologist

Our service offers a low secure hospital setting based on the Norfolk/Suffolk border and provides a range of assessment and treatment services to 31 adults with primary diagnosise of learning disability who challenge the provision in mainstream care

Our Assistant Psychologist role involves:

Contributing to all aspects of the Psychology teams work with patients, particularly in terms of assessment, treatment and risk management. The post holder will be expected to facilitate groups and individual work including completing assessments and contributing to the positive behaviour support framework on all sites as required.

This role would be appropriate for anyone wanting to gain experience before further training and would be particularly suitable for someone wanting a Career in Clinical or Forensic Psychology

Main Duties (under the supervision of a Forensic or Clinical Psychologist) will include:

• Completing a range of assessments with patients as part of developing individual treatment formulations and plans.

• Facilitating regular intervention groups on different units

• Contributing to the delivery of adapted Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Skills Groups

• Supporting 1:1 DBT skills coaching with clients

• Completion of collaborative risk assessments with patients using tools such as HCR20’s

• Contributing to ensuring Priory Healthcare meets best practice on positive behaviour support including carrying out functional analyses and developing/maintaining/monitoring any behavioural programmes.

• Writing a range of reports on assessment and treatment completed by patients.

• Contributing to research and audit

• Contributing to staff training and support

• Attending regular supervision

To be successful as an Assistant Psychologist, you’ll need

• Degree in Psychology (2:1 minimum).

• Graduate basis for registration with B.P.S (eligible).

• To be highly motivated and interested in working in a forensic setting with patients who have Learning disabilities and complex needs (including personality disorder)

• Effective time management and organisational abilities

• Some experience in a clinical or institutional setting is essential.

• Some experience in learning disability and/or forensic services is desirable

• Knowledge of treatment approaches such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy; Cognitive Analytic Therapy and /or Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and; Positive Behaviour support; would be an advantage but not essential.