Assistant Psychologist | Barts Health NHS Trust

We are seeking a band 4 Assistant Psychologist to support improvements to service delivery within community services for patients living in North East London (NEL) with sickle cell disease and Thalassaemia. This post is part of a project funded by NHS England, with the aim of developing ‘end-to-end’ pathway support for people living with sickle cell disease and Thalassaemia, to ensure their needs are being met.

Sickle cell disease is one of the most common of the ‘rare’ blood disorders and disproportionately affects people from Black African and Caribbean populations. The focus will be on improving service provision to this underserved population, with a concentration on community settings. Key to improving service delivery will be service user involvement, as well as working in collaboration with existing service providers to ensure effective pathways.

We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds and/or with an interest in haematological conditions such as sickle cell disease. Options for flexible working are available.

The post-holder will join the Adult Sickle Cell and Thalassemia Service at the Royal London Hospital. You will be working closely with the multi-disciplinary team and under the supervision of the Lead Clinical Psychologist in the service. A robust leadership and supervision structure is in place, alongside operational management. The previous post holder was successful in securing a place on a clinical psychology doctorate course.

The job involves working as part of a community pilot project helping to improve services and access to psychology for people with Sickle Cell Disease and Thalassaemia. The post-holder will work under the supervision of a Lead Clinical Psychologist to help develop psychological services across the North East London (NEL) network, particularly in areas of high need. While it is a community project, the job will involve integrated input across community, outpatient, and inpatient settings.

Key responsibilities will involve screening for psychosocial difficulties as well as providing brief low intensity psychological interventions, with support from the Lead Clinical Psychologist. There may also be opportunity to co-facilitate therapeutic group programmes – e.g. a pain management programme. The post-holder will be supported with the development of core assessment and intervention skills, drawing on ideas related to third wave CBT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy & Compassion Focused Therapy) and systemic approaches.

While the post-holder will be embedded within haematology services, they will also become part of a broader network of psychological professionals working within Clinical Health Psychology and will attend regular meetings and CPD events.

Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain’s leading healthcare providers. Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.

We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.

The full job description provides an overview of the key tasks and responsibilities of the role, and the person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and knowledge required.