Job summary
Are you psychology graduate living in Coventry or Warwickshire? Do you experience barriers to gaining work experience within the psychological professions?

This Assistant Psychologist post is a paid work experience opportunity funded by NHS England's Aspiring Clinical Psychologist Scheme aiming to increase access to careers in the psychological professions for underrepresented groups.

To be eligible for this funded opportunity applicants must meet the following criteria and clearly demonstrate in the supporting information how they:

• Have been at a disadvantage of gaining work experience as a result of one or more of the following: financial hardship, having a disability, having caring responsibilities, and or having experience of the care system.
• Have not had previous paid or unpaid experience as an assistant psychologist role. This opportunity is for applicants who have not yet been able to gain experience
• Have obtained a second upper class (2:1) honours psychology degree or masters conversion degree accredited by the British Psychological Society within the last 18 months.
• Have unrestricted rights to work in the UK or is a current employee on a work permit. This post would not attract a Certificate of Sponsorship
• Live within Coventry or Warwickshire

Please review the accompanying information for the full eligibility criteria.

Main duties of the job
Please ensure you have read the supporting information to assist with your application.

This post will be hosted within our Staff Psychological Wellbeing Services and will involve working alongside a team of psychological professionals. The successful candidate will contribute to service improvement projects and supporting the clinical activity of the service. There will also be opportunities for shadowing across teams.

The funding for this fixed-term post provides 0.6 WTE (3 days a week) up until March 2026. There is the opportunity to negotiate the working hours and days depending on the needs of the successful applicant.

Please note: We are unable to accept applications from candidates who:

• Have held salaried positions relating to a psychology role
• Are enrolled as postgraduate trainees/ students within university based or psychological professions training programmes.
• Have previously held a paid Assistant Psychologist or Research Assistant role.
• Hold or are studying for a masters degree (with the exception of the conversion course)
• Non-psychology graduates without a conversion degree
• Have not described in their application how they have experienced disadvantage in gaining work experience.

About us
At Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust (CWPT), we deliver a wide range of physical, mental health, learning disability and autism services, and are proud to serve communities across Coventry, Warwickshire and beyond.

We put 'people at our heart'; this ethos is at the centre of everything we do and how we do it. We care for our staff and colleagues as much as they care for others and offer a wide range of benefits and development opportunities.

• generous annual leave entitlement which increases during your time with us
• excellent learning and development opportunities, including apprenticeship frameworks, distance learning, internal training, coaching and mentoring, and much more
• salary sacrifice schemes for lease car/ vehicle, Cycle to Work, home and electronics, gym membership and more
• discounts with a range of retailers, restaurants and entertainment venues through our Employee Assistance Programme and NHS discount schemes
• wellbeing support, including an in-house counselling service, external helpline and more
• staff networks and support group

We're always on the lookout for people who share our passion for improving the lives and wellbeing of people in our community, as well as our values of compassion, collaboration, excellence, integrity and respect.

Job responsibilities
For more information on this role please see the attached support information. This will give you a better overview of the job role and requirements.

Person Specification
Qualifications

• Degree level qualification in Psychology 2:1
• Eligibility for graduate basis for registration (GBR) with the British Psychological Society

Skills

• Ability to effectively use computer equipment including the use of Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to demonstrate ethical values and attitudes within a culture of equality and diversity.
• Appropriate understanding of confidentiality in a mental health context
• An understanding of the needs and difficulties of people experiencing distress and mental health problems
• Ability to communicate effectively at both written and speaking level, including sensitive information to service users, their families, carers and a wide range of people within and outside the NHS
• Able to develop good therapeutic relationships with clients, and good working relationships.
• Ability to learn to offer psychological therapy / psychoeducation to suitable clients in a manner consistent with the service.
• Participate and undertake audit, evaluation and research.

Experience

• Experience in a health or care setting
• Communicating with people in distress
• Working and liaising with other professional groups
• Working as a member of a team or team environment
• Experience of service evaluation / audit or research

Personal Attributes

• High level of enthusiasm, motivation, and commitment
• Ability to work within a team and foster good working relationships
• Ability to use clinical supervision and personal development positively and effectively.
• Regard for others and respect for individual rights of autonomy and confidentiality.

Other

• Have access to means of transport where required for work purposes
• Enhanced DBS disclosure

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Psychology Degree giving GBR status with the British Psychological Society, Grade 2:1 or above.

Experience
Essential

• Experience in a health or care setting
• Communicating with people in distress
• Working and liaising with other professional groups
• Working as a member of a team or team environment

Other
Essential

• Have access to means of transport where required for work purposes

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.