Job summary
Solar provides specialist mental health support to children and young people (0-18 years) experiencing a range of emotional, behavioural and psychological difficulties. We are recruiting to an Assistant Psychologist post within Solar TEDS (The Eating Disorder Service).

This role offers an excellent opportunity to gain experience working within a psychologically informed multidisciplinary team supporting children, young people and families with eating disorders.

The role will involve supporting the assessment of young people referred to the service, offering low level psychological interventions, providing meal support, helping with the delivery of groups and workshops, inputting outcome measures, contributing to service developments, service evaluation and audit and supporting the clinical/administrative functions of the team. The post holder will work closely with clinical psychologists and the wider MDT. The post holder may also be required to work flexibly across teams within Solar in response to service need, development opportunities and the needs of children, young people and families.

Main duties of the job
The post holder will support the delivery of psychologically informed care within TEDS, working alongside clinical psychologists and the wider multidisciplinary team to support children, young people and families with eating disorders.

The Assistant Psychologist will assist with psychological assessments, support formulation-informed interventions, contribute to group work, and help collect and record outcome measures. The role will also involve preparing clinical materials, and supporting service development activities.

The post will be based in TEDS at Freshfields Clinic in Knowle, and may include travel to other bases and home visits where required. The post holder will work under the supervision of a qualified Clinical Psychologist and may be expected to work flexibly across teams in response to service need. We are looking for motivated, reflective psychology graduates with strong communication and organisational skills, experience working with children or vulnerable groups, and an interest in mental health, eating disorders and neurodevelopmental needs. The ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team is essential.

About us
Welcome to Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. Our 4000 clinical and support staff help us to improve mental health wellbeing and meet the needs of the 70,000 people we serve each year. We provide a range of mental healthcare services across Birmingham and Solihull, as well as specialised services nationally. We also offer medical, nursing and psychology training and are proud of our international reputation for both research and innovation.

Our population is culturally diverse, characterised in places by high levels of deprivation which create an increasing demand for our services and a necessity for us to make sure everyone can access the help they need. We are a team of compassionate, inclusive and committed people working together to provide excellent care to support our community. If you are looking for a place to belong, where you can make a real difference to people's lives, join our team where our warm welcome is waiting for you.

Details
Date posted: 05 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 4
Salary: £28,392 to £31,157 a year per annum, pro rata
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 436-8415568
Job location: Freshfields Clinic, Downing Close, Knowle, Solihull, B93 0QA, United Kingdom

Person Specification
Training and Qualifications

• Essential: An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology
• Essential: Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.
• Desirable: Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology and/or research

Experience

• Essential: Experience of working with young people with mental health problems and/or or of working with eating disorders under the supervision of a qualified psychologist
• Desirable: Paid work in a setting providing direct care.
• Desirable: Experience of working with children and young people with mental health difficulties
• Desirable: Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team.
• Desirable: Experience of working with neurodivergent children and young people
• Desirable: Experience of working with eating disorders
• Desirable: Experience of working with parents/carers and families

Knowledge and Skills

• Desirable: Experience of collecting research data, including questionnaire design and interviewing.
• Desirable: Knowledge of psychological approaches to working with young people with eating disorders

Personal

• Essential: An ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines.
• Essential: Under the day-to-day direction of a qualified psychologist, has ability to work independently, reliably, consistently and with initiative (seeking guidance when necessary).

Other

• Desirable: Communicates a genuine passion for working with young people with eating disorders

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website. From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

Employer details
Employer name: Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
Employer's website: https://www.bsmhft.nhs.uk/

Contact
For questions about the job, contact: Principal Clinical Psychologist, Joanna Thomas, joanna.thomas10@nhs.net, 01213012730

The closing date is 17 November 2026. Apply through our website.