Devon Partnership NHS Trust
Assistant Psychologist
The closing date is 27 November 2026

Job summary
As a Band 4 Assistant Psychologist you will be working as part of our innovative psychology team, which provides specialist psychological work to people at Langdon Hospital, with the opportunity to work across the Directorate. We are seeking an assistant psychologist who has a passion for working with clients with mental health and risk histories using relational, dynamic and trauma informed practice.

In the Secure Directorate psychology is a core and valued profession within our multidisciplinary teams. Psychology is at the heart of developing an innovative multidisciplinary care pathway and therapeutic learning culture for people who work or live here.

The psychology team includes experienced and enthusiastic clinical and forensic psychologists, trainee psychologists and a team of assistant psychologists. Forensic mental health settings provide an enviable clinical environment in which to pursue clinical interests and develop specialism in areas such as risk assessment, offence focused work, individual or group work, trauma, psychosis, personality and relational difficulties, as well as cognitive and developmental difficulties. The role involves using risk assessment skills, developing therapeutic, assessment and report writing as well as group skills to support the clinical and service development of our psychology team and psychologically informed culture within the secure services directorate.

Main duties of the job
The principal purpose of the role is to improve the psychological health & wellbeing of people with mental health difficulties at Langdon Hospital.
This will be achieved in this post by:

• Providing a Psychology and Psychological Therapies service to the forensic psychiatric service in Langdon Hospital as a key component of integrated mental health and wellbeing services to Devon Partnership Trust.
• Implementing specific assessment and clinical care packages and providing advice and consultancy to patients, family members, carers and professionals within standing operating procedures under the supervision and management of a nominated psychologist.
• The post holder will be supported by their supervisor and line manager and also by senior colleagues within the psychology department. The post holder will be expected to make good use of the expertise of others within the service to further develop their clinical knowledge and skills relevant to a clinical and staff population in a forensic mental health service.
• To work within professional guidelines and Devon Partnership Trust procedures and protocols.
• The post holder will receive regular professional and clinical supervision in accordance with Trust policy and to Professional Practice Guidelines set out by the British Psychological Society or appropriate designated Professional Body

About us
About Devon Partnership Trust
We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.
We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do

Our values
We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

Details
Date posted: 13 November 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 4
Salary: £28,392 to £31,157 a year
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working
Reference number: C9369-26-0917

Job description
Job responsibilities
Communication & Working Relationships

• Clients, family and carers: To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner with clients who may have specific difficulties in understand and/or communicating and who may be distressed.
• Multidisciplinary team colleagues: To work closely with colleagues in the multiprofessional integrated mental health and wellbeing service on a day to day basis.
• Health & social care staff: To communicate with a wide range of health & social care staff in hospital and in community settings in a skilled and sensitive manner, complex and sensitive information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under the services care. Under supervision to provide support, training & guidance in the application of psychological principles and techniques, and to foster reflective practice.
• Senior managers & professional staff: To maintain and build good working relationships with senior professional staff and managers in the Secure Services Directorate and in DPT, to foster a positive approach to the integrated mental health and wellbeing service and to enable effective negotiation.

Planning & Organisation

• The psychology and psychological therapies service: With the identified supervisor, to plan and prioritise workload and schedule in accordance with departmental needs. To regularly maintain and review caseload record as part of supervisions.
• The multidisciplinary service: To provide knowledge to the multi-professional planning, development, delivery and marketing of Secure Services.

Responsibility for Patient/Client Care, Treatment & Therapy

• Assessment & intervention: To make assessments, provide formulations and reports and deliver treatment interventions within a supervised context for individuals, carers, families and groups, and to demonstrate awareness of diversity issues.
• Consultation & guidance: To provide advice, guidance and consultation on psychological aspects of patient care to colleagues, other service providers, patients, supporters and families.

Policy, Service, Research & Development Responsibility
The post holder is responsible for their own actions, acting within Trust policies and procedures and Professional Practice Guidelines, working within clearly defined occupational procedures and structures.

• Policy & service: To follow policy guidance in own role and to comment on proposed policy changes and service developments.
• R & D: To undertake service-relevant research and development activity agreed within the Secure Services Directorate, and to organise personal or service led R & D, surveys, and related activities as required.

Responsibility for Finance, Equipment & Other Resources

• Careful use of equipment, including psychometric tests within the psychology department and wider Directorate.

Responsibility for Supervision, Leadership & Management

• Leadership & supervision: To adhere to professional and local guidelines on supervision and management. To assist the work of less experienced assistants &/or trainees as required. To role model and provide support and consultation to health and social care colleagues when agreed.

Information Resources & Administrative Duties

• To maintain accurate records in accordance with professional and local guidelines and policies.
• To be responsible for using an email account to generate, monitor, and respond to the e-mail traffic by which the Trust conducts much of its internal communication.
• To support administrative processes within the psychology department associated with the operation and delivery of the clinical service.

Any Other Specific Tasks Required

• To ensure all clinical care and treatment provided by psychologists is carried out under appropriate supervision and leadership.
• To ensure that all psychologists continuously update the skills and techniques relevant to their clinical work.

Person Specification
Experience
Essential

• Clinical placement and/or supervised practise with a psychologist or psychotherapist in a mental health, neuropsychology and or forensic setting.
• Further training in applied / clinical psychology interventions / research methods.
• Experience, and/or training in diversity awareness and social inequality
• Excellent verbal, nonverbal and written communication skills
• Ability to integrate complex data; make evaluations formulations and decisions
• Organisation and time management skills
• Ability and motivation to work independently within defined occupational procedures and use initiative within a forensic mental health service.
• Ability to work as a member of a clinical team and to work collaboratively , flexibly and supportively.
• Ability to tolerate ambiguity, and maintain own morale and motivation in challenging service delivery contexts.
• Ability and experience of reflecting on practice and to understand, to respond and to be receptive to the process of professional development.
• Understanding that clinical supervisors and line management may change and that this role is not restricted to one ward area within the Forensic Service at Langdon Hospital.
• A willingness to receive training in patient restraint if required, and to support the clinical team in a manner appropriate to the role of assistant psychologist.

Desirable

• Further training in applied / clinical psychology interventions / research methods.
• Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients across a wide range of care settings, including outpatient, community, primary care and in patient settings. Experience gained during supervised training of working in applied psychology
• Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision
• Experience that can enrich the role and delivery of a psychological service

Qualifications
Essential

• BA or BSc in Psychology eligible recognised by the British Psychological Society

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.

Employer details
Employer name: Devon Partnership NHS Trust
Address: Langdon Hospital, Exeter Road, Dawlish, Devon, EX7 0NR, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.dpt.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Inpatient Psychology Lead, Lisa Hutchinson, lisa.hutchinson9@nhs.net

Supporting documents
NHS Employment Checks, How to apply using NHS Jobs
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