Assistant Psychologist
At a glance
- Band
- Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent
- Pattern
- Part-time
- Posted
- 10/09/2026
- Closes
- 17/09/2026
Sponsorship verdict
This contract type is not eligible for Skilled Worker sponsorship.
NHS Trusts cannot issue a Certificate of Sponsorship for part-time, bank, locum, zero-hours, job-share or short fixed-term (under 12 months) contracts under current Home Office rules. This applies even when the wider Trust holds a Skilled Worker licence.
Role summary
This Assistant Psychologist role supports a forensic service on the Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) Pathway, working with individuals with offending histories and complex personality difficulties. The postholder will provide psychological input, support service development, manage databases, and assist with assessments and interventions under supervision. The role involves liaising with various services and contributing to reducing reoffending and improving psychological wellbeing across South West London.
Essential criteria
- A lower second class (2.2) honours degree or higher in psychology
- Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society
Desirable criteria
- Further post graduate training in a relevant area of professional psychology, health and social care practice and / or research design and analysis
- Experience of working with service users with complex needs/mental health problems and/or learning disabilities and/or forensic histories
- Experience of working with people from diverse backgrounds and with a range of cultural experiences
- Experience of group work and/or individual therapeutic contact
- [contact details removed] as part of a team
- Experience with databases, research and methodology
- Experience of using psychometric tests and/or risk assessments
- Experience using computers for databases or data-analysis and good working knowledge of statistical packages
- Experience of providing teaching or training to other professionals
- A desire to explore a career in Professional Psychology
- Personal or lived experience that is relevant to understanding of the work and issues faced by service users
- Ability to work well within a team and foster good working relationships, as well as work autonomously to manage own workload and time
- Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, sensitive and potentially distressing information to service users and other professional colleagues
- Ability to assimilate complex information and use reflective/analytic thinking to apply psychological perspectives in work in a healthcare setting
- Ability to be reflective in therapeutic practice and use clinical supervision appropriately and effectively
- Ability to be flexible and cope with multiple demands
- Skills in providing low intensity psychological interventions
- Ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to mental health and criminal justice contexts
- High standard of report writing
- A lower second class (2.2) honours degree or higher in psychology
- Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society
- Further post graduate training in a relevant area of professional psychology, health and social care practice and / or research design and analysis
- Experience of working with service users with complex needs/mental health problems and/or learning disabilities and/or forensic histories
- Experience of working with people from diverse backgrounds and with a range of cultural experiences
- Experience of group work and/or individual therapeutic contact
- [contact details removed] as part of a team
- Experience with databases, research and methodology
- Experience of using psychometric tests and/or risk assessments
- Experience using computers for databases or data-analysis and good working knowledge of statistical packages
- Experience of providing teaching or training to other professionals
- A desire to explore a career in Professional Psychology
- Personal or lived experience that is relevant to understanding of the work and issues faced by service users
- Ability to work well within a team and foster good working relationships, as well as work autonomously to manage own workload and time
- Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, complex, sensitive and potentially distressing information to service users and other professional colleagues
- Ability to assimilate complex information and use reflective/analytic thinking to apply psychological perspectives in work in a healthcare setting
- Ability to be reflective in therapeutic practice and use clinical supervision appropriately and effectively
- Ability to be flexible and cope with multiple demands
- Skills in providing low intensity psychological interventions
- Ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to mental health and criminal justice contexts
- High standard of report writing
Useful to know
Agenda for Change 2024/25 pays Band 4 at £26,530 – £29,114 a year, across England.
This advert: £34,186 – £37,389 — outside the standard scale; check for HCAS/London weighting.
Posted 0d ago · Closes in 8d
Plenty of time to prepare a strong application.
Full advert · preview
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Assistant Psychologist
The closing date is 17 September 2026
Job summary
This post offers an exciting opportunity for an assistant psychologist with an interest in working with people with an offending history and complex personality difficulties. As part of this 0.6WTE role, the postholder will join a forensic service on the Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) Pathway which provides specialist consultation, advice and training to NHS and probation staff, and other agencies. The service also delivers desistance and stabilisation support, as well as enhanced intervention, to people on probation who present with complex personality difficulties and a high risk of harm to others, with the joint aims of reducing offending and improving psychological wellbeing.
Please note, as well as DBS checks you will also be expected to undertake HMPPS security vetting.
Development opportunities:
We are committed to get the very best out of our staff and support staff in their career aspirations. Opportunities for ongoing in-house training and development are offered to all staff on the OPD Pathway, where you will be able to develop your skills and build on your experience.
Main duties of the job
The postholder will support and enhance psychological input to the South West London Integrated Community Pathways Service (ICPS
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