Assistant Psychologist

Site Springfield University Hospital Town London Salary £34,186 - £37,389 per annum inclusive of inner London HCAS Salary period Yearly Closing 19/10/2026 23:59

South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust has a rich history, well-established community links and an international reputation. We provide a full range of local mental health services to the Kingston, Merton, Richmond, Sutton and Wandsworth London boroughs, as well as specialist forensic mental health services, including specialised services such as national deaf adults and CAMHS inpatients and OCD.

We are committed to providing high quality integrated health and social care for local people with mental health problems in South West London and more specialist mental health services for people throughout the UK. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’ however we aim to be ‘outstanding’.

Our Values

We take pride in providing specialist care to our service users where our Trust values; being consistent, compassionate, collaborative, respectful and open is at the heart of everything we do. Our mission is "making life better together".

When you join us, you’ll be part of something special – an innovative and rapidly growing organisation that is helping to redefine the Mental Health, education and social care landscape in the UK.

As a Trust, we are happy to talk flexible working.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Assistant Psychologist to join our specialist Deaf Adult Community Team. We are looking for a motivated individual with strong BSL skills, an interest in Deaf mental health, and a commitment to reducing health inequalities. The post offers experience across community and inpatient settings within a highly skilled multidisciplinary team serving Deaf BSL users with complex mental health needs.

The Deaf Adult Community Team (DACT) is part of a high-quality regional service covering London and the South of England for adults (18+) who are Deaf and experiencing complex mental health difficulties. The team provides specialist assessment, intervention and support for Deaf people across community and inpatient settings.

You will be joining a well-established multidisciplinary team consisting of Psychiatry, Psychology, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, and Social Work.

Main duties of the job

The role of the Assistant Psychologist is to support and enhance the professional psychological care of service users within the service. The post holder will contribute to psychological assessment and intervention under the supervision of a qualified Psychologist, working independently according to a plan agreed with the supervising clinician and within the policies and procedures of the service.

The post holder will also assist with clinically related administration, audit, service evaluation, research, teaching and project work.

The successful applicant will be primarily based within the Deaf Adult Community Team but will also support psychological work within Bluebell Ward, our specialist Deaf inpatient service. Clinical supervision and professional support will be provided by Clinical and Counselling Psychologists across both services.

Working for our organisation

We are Proud to Belong at South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust.

We have expert services, a rich history and a clear commitment to providing the best quality care for those with mental ill-health. The Care Quality Commission already rates our services as ‘good’ - we aspire to be ‘outstanding’.

This is a great time to join us. We are transforming the way we care for our communities to support our mission of Making Life Better Together. We have built two brand new mental health facilities at Springfield University Hospital, which are amongst the best in the world. More developments are planned across our sites and services.

We are inclusive and diverse and strive to be actively anti racist. We want to attract people from all backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work we do together. We are proud to co-produce and involve our local communities in all that we do.

We offer flexible working, career development and a varietybenefits to enable a positive, welcoming environment in which our people and their careers can thrive.

Come and join our inclusive teams and help our patients on their recovery journey.

Unless expressly stated in the job advert the role is not subject to sponsorship, please be advised that all offers of employment are subject to evidence of right to work in the UK

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To undertake psychological assessments of clients using psychological and neuropsychological measures, self-report questionnaires, rating scales, structured observations and semi-structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the client's care.

To assist in the formulation and delivery of care plans involving the psychological treatment and/or management of a client’s problems.

To work with other staff to assess outpatients, develop individualised intervention / treatment plans and review their care.

To assist in the development of a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings where care takes place.

To attend and contribute to appropriate multi-disciplinary meetings.

To develop skills and competencies that assist in the delivery of current duties

To contribute to the training and support of other staff in psychological care.

To assist in the design and implementation of service development and Quality Improvement Projects within the service, including initiatives aimed at improving accessibility and reducing health inequalities experienced by Deaf people.

To assist in the design and implementation of audit and research projects.

To undertake data collection, analysis, the production of reports and summaries, using IT and statistical programmes.

To hold a minimum British Sign Language (BSL) Level 3 qualification, or demonstrate equivalent signing fluency.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in job applications

If you have used AI to support the preparation of your application, please briefly indicate how it was used within your supporting statement or application form.

Please remember, your application is your opportunity to tell us about your skills, experience and motivation for the role. We encourage applicants to complete their application and supporting statement in their own words wherever possible. We recognise that AI tools can be helpful in supporting accessibility, and for improving spelling, grammar and structure.

Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content can become generic and fail to accurately reflect an applicant's individual experience. Applications that clearly demonstrate your own voice, reflections and experiences are often the most effective and help us better understand your suitability for the role.

Please be aware that information provided in your application and supporting statement may be explored further during the selection process. It is important that all applications accurately represent your own knowledge, skills and experience.

Person specification

Training & Qualifications

• An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology
• Eligibility for Graduate Membership of the British Psychological Society
• Additional training relevant to mental health, research or psychological therapies.

Experience

• Experience of working with people with mental health problems and/or other disabilities
• Experience of direct client-facing work
• Experience of using IT packages for report writing, data collection and analysis.
• Experience of working with Deaf people as colleagues and/or service users.
• Experience of audit, service evaluation or research projects

Knowledge & Skills

• Ability to communicate effectively with Deaf service users in British Sign Language.
• Excellent written and verbal and/or signed communication skills.
• Ability to communicate sensitive information appropriately to service users, carers and professionals.
• Understanding of the relationship between deafness, communication barriers and mental health.
• Knowledge of health inequalities experienced by Deaf people.

At South West London St Georges Mental Health Trust we are committed to providing services which embrace diversity and that promote equality of opportunity. We are a Disability Committed Employer, and welcome applications from all sections of the community and people of all protected characteristics. We are Members of Stonewall Diversity Champions and Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion.

As part of the Trust's commitment to Equalities and Diversity, the Trust supports the establishment of Staff Networks groups to promote diversity in the workplace:

• BME (Evolve) Staff Network
• DiverseAbility
• Mental Health Staff Forum
• Women's Staff Network
• LGBTQIA+

We are committed to supporting the Armed Forces Community and has signed the Armed Forces Covenant.

We provide reasonable adjustments to the interview process for any candidates with a disability.

Please note:

• That the closing date listed is a guide only and that the vacancy may close earlier should sufficient number of applicants have been received
• That once you have submitted your application you agree to your application being transferred to a 3 rd party e-recruitment system
• That should you not have heard from us within three weeks from the closing date your application has not successful
• That priority consideration for applications may be given to at-risk NHS employees
• That should you be successful and appointed, you authorise South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust to confirm your previous NHS service via an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) process
• That your employment is offered subject to successful completion of a Probationary Period depending on your Band (except medical roles)
• That we are a smoke-free Trust

South West London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process, including job applications, sponsorship arrangements, or employment offers. The contact details published on our official website are the Trust’s authorised contact channels and should be used for all recruitment communications, job applications, and verification of employment offers.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

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