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Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
About
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (CNWL) is one of the largest trusts in the UK, caring for people with a wide range of physical and mental health needs. We have approximately 7,000 staff who provide healthcare to a third of London's population and across wider geographical areas, including Milton Keynes, Kent, Surrey and Hampshire.
As a Foundation Trust we involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way that we are run and our future development. If you are interested in becoming a member of our Foundation Trust please visit: www.cnwl.nhs.uk
(source: Central and North West London NHS Foundation NHS Trust website)
Assistant Psychologist
Closed for applications on: 23-Jun-2025 16:57
Vacancy status: Closed
Closed for applications on: 23-Jun-2025 16:57
Key details
Location
- Site
- Willesden Centre for Health & Care
- Address
- Harlesden Road
- Town
- London
- Postcode
- NW10 3RY
- Major / Minor Region
- London
Contract type & working pattern
- Contract
- 12 months (Fixed term)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Salary
- Salary
- £31,081 - £33,665 per annum inc outer London HCAS (pro rata if P/T)
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Grade
- (NHS AfC: Band 4)
Specialty
- Main area
- Clinical Psychologists
CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has almost 8,000 staff providing integrated healthcare to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and areas beyond. We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way that we are run.
Our catchment area spans diverse communities, with over 100 first languages spoken. It contains areas of great affluence as well as areas of much deprivation. We are committed to providing services that meet the needs of the people who use them, and we actively encourage involvement from local people who can help make a difference. We’re proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME and people with disabilities to promote good relations and understanding between our staff.
We are recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ only the best people, and our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries.
We offer a generous relocation package (subject to eligibility assessment) and flexible working options, including bank assignments for most roles. For more information on these and other benefits of working for us, see our Benefits, Reward and Wellbeing page
Become part of our team. We care for you as much as you care for others.
CNWL NHS Foundation Trust are committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children and vulnerable adults.
Job overview
We are looking for an enthusiastic Assistant Psychologist to join our small and dynamic team at the Recovery Day Programme, Brent New Beginnings.
The role includes completing assessments, assisting qualified staff in delivering individual and group therapy, and conducting audit and evaluation. Post-holders will also have the opportunity to contribute to the delivery of the specialist psychological intervention programmes offered in the service, which are primarily CBT based. The post will also include exposure to research endeavours being undertaken.
There is a strong organisational support element to the role in the form of overseeing the referral and assessment booking process, using databases, and providing administrative assistance to the team as required. Ability to work independently, reliably and consistently is essential. Supervision will be offered by qualified clinical/counselling/forensic psychologists.
The successful applicant will be an enthusiastic and committed team player with a genuine interest in addictions and mental health.
Advert
To support and enhance the professional psychological care of clients within the service, providing psychological assessment and interventions of a routine nature, under the direct supervision of a qualified professional psychologist drawing on their supervisor’s expertise and intervention as and when advised and directed. To work according to a plan agreed with a qualified psychologist and within the overall framework of the team’s policies and procedures. To assist in clinically related administration, conduct of audits, collection of statistics, development of audit and/or research projects, teaching and project work. To assist with the daily operation of the clinic as required, including liaising with referrers and maintaining an oversight of client progress from first contact to discharge.
Working for our organisation
The Addictions Directorate within CNWL Foundation Trust is a large, well-established provider which offers a wide range of specialist NHS drug and alcohol treatment interventions to the diverse and multicultural populations in Central and North West London. Our drug and alcohol services include community services, A&E liaison services, Peripatetic nurses, Family Therapy, a National Problem Gambling Clinic and a Club Drug Clinic.
Our substance misuse services are dedicated to helping reduce the harm caused by substance misuse dependency; helping people overcome their dependency on substances and helping clients and their families rebuild their lives and enable recovery. We are committed to working in partnership with other providers and service users in local systems of treatment and recovery.
CNWL is committed to providing high quality, evidence-based treatment options and is a learning organisation which promotes staff competence and training and values clinical governance, audit and research. We are linked with Imperial College, University of London and are committed to evaluating our services and developing new and innovative approaches.
The successful applicant may have contact with patients or service users. As an NHS Trust we strongly encourage and support vaccination as this remains the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and of course patients and service users when working on our healthcare settings.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
1. To plan and undertake assessments of clients. This may include using motivational interviewing techniques, self-report measures, risk assessment, rating scales, direct and indirect observations and semi-structured interviews with clients. Assessments will involve making judgements involving complex facts or situations, which require the analysis, interpretation and comparison of a range of options, as well as requiring prolonged concentration.
2. To write clinical summaries and care plans based on information gleaned at assessment and present these to the multi-disciplinary team.
3. To participate in group CBT interventions.
4. To work in a highly emotive atmosphere with clients with addiction problems on a regular basis, and be able to communicate sensitive and complex information, whilst maintaining a high degree of professionalism at all times. May be subject to verbal aggression in individual and group sessions.
5. To assist in the co-ordination and running of therapeutic groups, under the supervision of a qualified member of staff.
6. To liaise with referrers and clients and facilitate the referral process along with administrative staff. To maintain an oversight of client engagement from first contact to discharge.
7. To assist managers and senior staff as required to ensure the safe daily operation of the clinic.
8. To assist in the design and implementation of audit and research projects on a regular basis in order to help develop and improve service provision. This may include complex audits / service evaluation using qualitative or quantitative methods.
9. To undertake production of questionnaires, data collection, setting up of databases and spreadsheets, data analysis, and the production of reports and presentation of summaries to colleagues using IT and statistical programmes, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint) and SPSS.
10. The post holder will input and maintain appropriate clinical records and statistical data using the relevant system.
11. The post holder will work with Admin colleagues to ensure clinical records are accurate and up to date.
Applicant requirements
Person specification
TRAINING & QUALIFICATIONS
Essential criteria
- A First-class or Upper-second-class Bachelor’s degree with Honours in Psychology that is accredited by the British Psychological Society and confers the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society.
Desirable criteria
- Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis.
EXPERIENCE
Essential criteria
- Sufficient post-graduate experience of psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs in addictions to be able to work clinically with close direct supervision.
- Post-graduate experience of conducting research projects or audits.
- Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and / or lived experience.
Desirable criteria
- The Trust encourages and welcomes applications from people with lived experience of mental health challenges. We see this as valuable and recognise the positive impact this experience can have on the work we do.
- Experience of paid work in direct care provision
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
Essential criteria
- Graduate level knowledge of psychological research methodology and statistical analysis.
- Good theoretical knowledge of the problems experienced by and needs of clients with addiction and of methods of assessment and treatment.
- Awareness of racial and diversity issues through attendance of relevant training.
- Skills in relevant psychological assessment and interventions that enable working as a pre - qualified practitioner with close clinical supervision
- Skills in providing supporting teaching and training provided by psychologists or others to other professional groups.
- Well-developed IT skills including entry and analysis of research data
Desirable criteria
- Experience using microcomputers for databases or data-analysis, especially SPSS for Windows.
- High standard of report writing
ABILITIES
Essential criteria
- Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team, participating in effective team functioning and holding team roles
- Ability to identify and follow relevant clinical governance procedures
- Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions.
- Ability to manage occasional emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour
- Ability to communicate complex, sensitive or contentious information to people who may have impediments to understanding
- Ability to manage verbal abuse and hostility directed at self.
- Ability to manage physical aggression directed at self, including use of physical interventions as prescribed by Trust policies.
Desirable criteria
- An interest in working with people with mental health, addiction, and other disabilities.
- A desire to explore a career in Professional Psychology
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Dr Nicole Harvey
- Job title
- Highly Specialist Forensic Psychologist
- Email address
- [email protected]
If you have problems applying, contact
- Address
- Argo House
- London
- NW6 5FA
- Telephone
- 02072669710
No longer accepting applications
Sorry, this vacancy is no longer accepting applications.
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