Job summary
We are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated Assistant Psychologist to join our specialist Community Forensic Team (CFT), working across Devon from our base in Easby House, Langdon Hospital, Dawlish.

This is a unique opportunity to work within a specialist forensic mental health service that supports individuals with complex mental health and psychosocial needs as they transition from secure hospital settings back into the community.

As the Assistant Psychologist, you will work closely with the Principal Psychologist and multidisciplinary team to support the delivery of psychologically-informed care across the service. This is a varied and rewarding role that combines direct clinical work with opportunities to contribute to wider psychological practice, service development, and staff support.

We sit within a wider service of forensic teams specialising in personality disorders and intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities. We work closely with criminal justice agencies, community accommodation providers, and health and social care.

To be successful in this role, you will need to be open-minded, forward-thinking, and emotionally resilient with a passion and commitment to supporting people who have engaged in offending behaviour. This requires the effective use of supervision, and an ability to be highly reflective of your own values and biases, as these will often be challenged.

Main duties of the job
As an Assistant Psychologist, you will work under the supervision of the Principal Psychologist to deliver high-quality direct and indirect psychological practice.

Direct clinical work: You will deliver low-intensity psychological and psychosocial interventions on both an individual and group basis. You will work directly with service users transitioning into or established within the community, as well as contributing to comprehensive clinical information gathering for risk assessments.

Indirect work & service support: You will assist the Principal Psychologist in developing psychologically-informed clinical and risk formulations, co-facilitating structured risk assessments, and supporting multidisciplinary practice. Additionally, you will play an active role in delivering training, consultation, and reflective practice spaces for staff in partner community agencies.

Important Information
We are planning to hold in-person interviews at Langdon Hospital, Dawlish, on 21 and 22 October 2026. The interview process will include participation from a patient panel member. Reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010 will be accommodated upon request.

We anticipate a high level of interest in this vacancy. As a result, the advert may close before the advertised closing date once sufficient applications have been received. We therefore encourage interested applicants to submit their application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

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.

Job responsibilities
Main Responsibilities
You will play an important role in supporting the psychological understanding of patients' needs across the service. Working under the supervision of the Principal Psychologist, you will contribute to:

• The development of psychologically-informed formulations of both clinical and risk-related difficulties.
• Structured professional judgement approaches to risk assessment and risk management.
• Psychological consultation to multidisciplinary teams and partner agencies.
• The development and delivery of training to staff and stakeholders.
• Reflective practice and psychologically-informed spaces for staff within the Community Forensic Team, the wider Secure Services Directorate, and partner community services.

Alongside your indirect work, your direct work may include:

• Delivering structured psychological interventions under supervision.
• Facilitating psychoeducational and therapeutic groups.
• Supporting recovery, social inclusion, and community reintegration.
• Gathering and synthesising information to inform formulation and risk assessment processes.
• Working collaboratively with patients to identify goals and develop individualised support plans.

Supervision and Support
You will receive regular professional and clinical supervision in accordance with Trust policy and the professional guidelines set out by the British Psychological Society.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• An undergraduate or postgraduate qualification recognised by the British Psychological Society (BPS) as providing Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC). This could be a BPS-accredited undergraduate degree at 2:2 or above and/or a BPS-accredited postgraduate qualification.

Desirable

• Any further training and/or qualifications in a relevant area of applied psychology.

Experience
Essential

• A minimum of 12 months of experience in a relevant role, such as an Assistant Psychologist, a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner, or any role with a primarily psychological focus.
• Experience of providing direct psychological interventions (individual, systemic, or group work).
• Experience of working as part of a team.

Desirable

• Experience of working with people with complex mental health needs (e.g., psychosis).
• Experience of working within a mental health or forensic setting.
• Experience of psychological assessment, including the use of psychometric tests.
• Experience of providing teaching, training and/or supervision.
• Experience of completing structured risk assessments.

Communication
Essential

• To be able to communicate effectively under pressure and maintain a high degree of professionalism at all times.
• To be able to provide and receive complex, sensitive and/or contentious information in a potentially highly emotive atmosphere.
• Excellent verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills.
• High standard of report writing.

Research, evaluation, and evidence-based practice
Essential

• Ability to apply new and existing psychological knowledge to a mental health and offence-focused context.
• Relevant clinical and research skills.
• Basic knowledge of databases, research skills, and methodology.

Planning and organisation
Essential

• Organisation and time management skills.
• Ability to be flexible and cope with multiple demands.
• Capable of using initiative and organise work to agreed goals.
• Ability to work independently and know when to ask for and use supervision, identifying when there is need for advice and using supervision at agreed intervals.
• Small-scale project management skills.

IT skills
Essential

• Highly developed skills in the use of standard Microsoft Office software.

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.
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 (Opens in a new tab).
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 (Opens in a new tab).