Assistant Psychologist - HMP Downview

Role overview

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a motivated, creative and committed Assistant Psychologist to join its growing Health and Justice Services team at HMP Downview. This post sits within a service focused on delivering patient-centred, high-quality care and supporting the health and wellbeing of people in custody.

The role is suited to someone with a strong academic background in psychology, excellent professional skills and an interest in contributing to healthcare within a criminal justice setting. The successful applicant will work alongside Surrey Prisons Health Care Team colleagues to support the healthcare needs of prisoners while also helping promote health and wellbeing.

The wider service works in collaboration with the criminal justice system and partner agencies to provide responsive, reliable and high-quality primary care and mental health support to people who have offended or are at risk of offending, with the aim of improving health outcomes and encouraging social inclusion.

Main purpose of the role

The Assistant Psychologist will help strengthen psychological practice across the service by providing support with clinical, training and research activity. The postholder will contribute to assessment, intervention and evaluation work, carrying out tasks that are suitable for their level of training and competence. Day-to-day work will be completed independently within an agreed plan and under regular supervision from a qualified applied psychologist registered with the HPC.

Clinical and service responsibilities

• Carry out assessments and psychological interventions, including neuropsychological tests, self-report tools, rating scales, direct and indirect observation, and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in care, in line with training and supervision.
• Help develop psychological frameworks that improve understanding and care for service users.
• Contribute to care, training or research plans in environments that may involve hostility, challenging behaviour or high emotional intensity.
• Search the literature, gather audit and outcome evidence, analyse data and prepare reports that support service improvement.
• Support the organisation and delivery of therapeutic groups, training sessions and research projects.
• Where needed, help gather risk histories for use in care plans, risk plans and crisis plans.
• Work with the wider team to improve care delivery, training, research practice and overall quality of life for service users.
• Attend and participate in multidisciplinary meetings.
• Support the delivery of evidence-based psychological interventions.
• Complete additional clinical and administrative duties appropriate to the grade of the post.
• Maintain up-to-date competence in de-escalation, physical breakaway and PMVA techniques relevant to the service setting.

Training, supervision and development

The trust provides structured development for Assistant Psychologists and has a strong track record of staff progressing into further training in line with their personal development plans. Support for career growth includes monthly supervision, yearly appraisals and personal development plans, access to internal and external training, and opportunities such as a Preceptorship Programme, revalidation support, and recognition through staff award schemes.

Benefits and staff support

Staff benefits are described as highly competitive and include access to health and wellbeing services, season ticket loans and a cycle to work scheme. Employees can also join MyTrustBenefits, an online discount portal for CNWL staff and their family and friends, offering more than 1,400 discounts across many retailers and access to free online courses covering professional and personal development topics such as business management, languages, law and teaching.

Additional information

The employer may close this vacancy early if a high number of applications are received, so interested candidates are encouraged to apply promptly.

Candidate profile

Applicants should have strong psychological knowledge, good research and clinical capability, the ability to remain calm in challenging environments, and the confidence to work independently while using supervision appropriately. The role also requires comfort with emotionally demanding situations, flexible working across competing priorities, and strong IT and report-writing skills.

Qualification requirements

A minimum 2:1 honours degree in Psychology, or an equivalent qualification, is required. Candidates must also be eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartership with the British Psychological Society (BPS). Additional training in professional psychology, mental health practice, research design or data analysis would be an advantage.

Experience and skills expected

Relevant clinical and research experience is required, along with evidence of teamworking, basic knowledge of databases, research methods and the ability to apply psychological theory within a healthcare setting. Experience in mental health, disability, complex needs, psychometric testing, group work, individual therapeutic contact, inpatient environments, teaching healthcare staff, or lived experience of mental health issues would be desirable.

Working style and practical demands

The post demands sustained concentration over long periods, emotional resilience, tolerance for occasional verbal hostility, good computer use, the ability to work in constrained seated positions for extended periods, and manual dexterity with strong hand-eye coordination for psychological testing and computer-based work.

Notice and working context

This is an onsite position based at HMP Downview in Sutton Green, England, United Kingdom, within a health and justice environment where the work may involve high emotional demands, challenging behaviour and close multidisciplinary collaboration.

Application context

The advertisement notes that full duties and person specification should be reviewed in the job description document.