Job summary
We are delighted to offer a full-time Band 5 Higher Associate Psychologist (HAP) post within our Adult Inpatients Service based at St Nicholas Hospital, Jubilee Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 3XT. We are looking for an enthusiastic psychology graduate, with interest and experience in working as an Assistant Psychologist in clinical settings, paid or voluntary, with mental health issues, to help provide specialist psychological input into our wards. Previous experience of working in an inpatient setting is desirable but not essential.

Adult Mental Health Inpatient Services provide care and treatment for service users with complex mental health needs, at a time of crisis. Care is provided by a multi-disciplinary team using a biopsychosocial model of understanding. Service users have often experienced trauma in their lives, and have a range of difficulties including psychosis, personality difficulties, neurodiversity and learning disabilities, risk to self and others, and forensic issues.

Our Adult Mental Health Inpatient Psychological Service is an integrated part of the multi-disciplinary team. This post will focus on supporting specialist psychological assessment (including neuropsychological assessment), formulation and psychological interventions with service users, under the supervision of an experienced psychologist. The Higher Assistant Psychology role will also be instrumental in supporting family and group work within the inpatient environment.

Main duties of the job
The successful applicant will work within a multidisciplinary context to help the psychology team undertake specialised psychological assessments, treatments, and other types of clinical intervention appropriate to this level of training with individual clients/ groups of clients, and families. They will have weekly supervision from an experienced Practitioner Psychologist.

The successful applicant will manage a caseload and be responsible for providing effective evidence-based care in line with national and local guidelines. They will support the service in the delivery of training and service development initiatives.

About us
We aim to attract and retain a diverse, talented and committed workforce, who are caring and compassionate, and therefore able to meet the demands of the modern NHS now and in the future. In return we can offer a dynamic working environment in which to build a career.

NHS Employees identified as at risk of compulsory redundancy and those eligible for the NENC Re-Deployment careers hub will receive prior consideration.

The post holder will be part of a supportive psychology team which provides Acute, Rehabilitation, and Older Adult inpatient services for Newcastle and Gateshead. The team is part of a valued trust wide psychological service which has a range of regular meetings and support activities to ensure professional governance and to promote evidence based and innovative psychologically informed care.

Working in inpatient services offers excellent opportunities to develop a range of skills. These include skills in both direct clinical work, as well as clinical leadership, service development, staff support, and training. We welcome contact from interested candidates to further discuss the role and to visit our service.

Details
Closing date: 19 November 2026
Salary: £32,073 to £39,043 a year per annum
Band: Band 5 (Agenda for Change)
Contract: Fixed term, 12 months
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 263-ICG26-071-AD

Essential Qualifications and Experience

• Upper 2nd class honours degree, or higher, in psychology.
• Eligibility for graduate membership of British Psychological Society.
• Paid or unpaid work with people with mental health problems and/or other disabilities.
• Experience as an assistant/research psychologist.
• Knowledge of evidence based practice.

Desirable Qualifications and Experience

• Further post graduate training in relevant areas of psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis.
• Experience of paid work in direct care provision.
• Experience with client group relevant to post.
• Experience of psychometric test administration and interpretation.
• Experience of providing individual or group interventions.
• A high standard of report writing.

Essential Skills and Competencies

• High level of communication skills (written and oral), including an ability to communicate and work in highly emotive circumstances.
• Ability to communicate sensitive information to clients, carers and colleagues.
• An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems and other disabilities.
• Ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a mental health / cognitive impairment / disability context.
• Computer literate, including use of databases & data analysis, e.g. SPSS for Windows.
• Demonstrates graduate level knowledge and experience of research and research methodology.
• An understanding of psychology applied to healthcare.

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.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer contact
Consultant Clinical Psychologist Selma Ebrahim, selma.ebrahim@cntw.nhs.uk

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear (CNTW) NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice applies.