Job Summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Higher Assistant Psychologist to join our new Intensive Support Team (IST) working alongside the Community Autism and Learning Disability Service. This is a community-based, specialist team preventing crisis, reducing hospital admissions, and supporting people with a learning disability and/or autistic people who are most at risk of unplanned admissions due to mental illness or behavioural presentation. Core hours for the service are 8am to 8pm, however, therapists within the team will be working Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. The expectation of the Intensive Support Team will be to: support people who present with behaviours that challenge the system, work with people with complex mental health presentation work with the person in their own residence, reducing/preventing the need for the use of restrictive practices, inpatient services and out-of-area/residential placements. The service will be integrated at a local level across all relevant services and provide psychological and psychiatric person-centred interventions for people accessing either the specialist autism/learning disability team, or the enhanced primary care service. Geographical area is South Tyneside and there is an expectation that the post holder will need to be able to facilitate community appointments and access other CNTW and STSFT sites.

Main Duties of the Job
A key aspect of the role will be supporting psychological assessment, formulation and interventions for people with a learning disability and/or autistic people who access our services.

The role will involve working collaboratively alongside multidisciplinary staff in the team, by participating in meetings and clinical discussions, supporting team supervisions and supporting indirect work with patients.

There will be opportunities to participate in the development and delivery of training.

Assistant psychologists are supported to access relevant training as part of their role.

Assistant Psychologists will be expected to participate in service development and service evaluation projects.

As a service, we value the role of robust, supportive and effective supervision and you will have access to separate clinical and management supervision. We will expect the post holder to actively pursue their own continuous professional development and will support them to identify needs and progress in a meaningful way.

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.

We have good links with the clinical psychology training courses in the area.

Experience of paid or unpaid work with people who experience mental health problems and/or other disabilities is essential. Previous community experience is an advantage.

Job Responsibilities
Working alongside the multidisciplinary team to support with formulation, education, developing and implementing care plans and risk management plans.

Please find attached job description for full details.

Advertising date: 16th July 2026
Closing date: 30th July 2026

Person Specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential

• Upper 2nd class honours degree, or higher, in psychology
• Eligibility for graduate membership of British Psychological Society

Desirable

• Further post graduate training in relevant areas of psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis

Knowledge and Experience
Essential

• Paid or unpaid work with people with a learning disability, autistic people, or people with mental health problems and/or other disabilities
• Experience as an assistant/research psychologist
• Knowledge of evidence based practice

Desirable

• 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

Skills and Competencies
Essential

• 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 a learning disability, autistic people or people with mental health problems and/or other disabilities
• Ability to apply existing psychological knowledge to a mental health / cognitive impairment / disability context
• Computer literate, including use of databases and 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

Desirable

• A high standard of report writing

Personal Characteristics
Essential

• An ability to interact effectively with staff from all disciplines
• An ability to interact appropriately with people with a learning disability, autistic people or people with mental health problems and/or other disabilities
• Ability to work independently, reliably and consistently with work agreed and managed at regular intervals by supervisor

Desirable

• A desire to explore a career in applied Psychology

Additional Requirements
Essential

• Ability to accept and use supervision appropriately and effectively
• Able to manage own stress in difficult conditions and to identify when additional personal support may be necessary

Desirable

• A desire to explore a career in applied Psychology

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.

Employer Contact Details
For questions about the job, contact:
Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Dr Fiona MacDonald
fiona.macdonald@cntw.nhs.uk
01916041065

Employer Details
Employer name: Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and wear (CNTW) NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Monkton Hall Hospital, Monkton Lane, Jarrow, NE32 5NN, United Kingdom
Website: Apply through our website