Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Assistant Psychologist to join ELFT's multi-disciplinary Bedfordshire and Luton Complex Needs Service. Our service aims to work with service users, colleagues, and carers to establish a learning culture that improves the care and treatment for adults with complex emotional needs (often diagnosed as 'personality disorder') and their families/carers in the community. This role will include contributing to the assessment and formulation of service users' clinical needs, strengths and any risks presented to themselves/others; working as part of the team to support with the delivery and evaluation of the clinical offer (including MBT and DBT); co-facilitation of Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) group skills training; promoting the development of therapists through active participation in team consultation meetings; and supporting the facilitation of Family, Friends and Carers' support and skills groups. There are also opportunities to develop skills in clinical audit and service evaluation.

Main duties of the job
The main duties of the Assistant Psychologist include:

• Supporting the wider team in the comprehensive assessment and formulation of clinical needs, strengths and risks by completing clinical note audits, and offering joint assessments;
• Working as part of a DBT team to co-facilitate weekly DBT skills training sessions, enhance therapist motivation and development by actively participating in weekly DBT team consultation meetings, and offer telephone skills coaching to service users;
• Supporting the delivery of the MBT offer;
• Supporting the facilitation of monthly Family, Friends and Carers groups;
• Coordinating the routine collection of service user experience and clinical outcome measures;
• Maintaining and updating a database of clinical outcome measures;
• Conducting service evaluations and clinical audits aimed at improving and maintaining the quality of services delivered;
• Collating and developing resources, including leaflets.

About us
Our mission is to make a positive difference to people's lives by improving the quality of life for all we serve.

Our values are: We Care, We Respect, We are Inclusive - so we are looking for people who live and breathe these qualities when supporting service users and carers, and in their relationships with colleagues in the Trust and our partner organisations.

Job responsibilities
This job vacancy may close earlier than the specified closing date if we have reached the maximum number of applicants

For further information please refer to the job description and person specification attached to this vacancy.

Person Specification
Educational/ Qualification
Essential

• A first or upper second class honours degree in Psychology
• Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society (BPS)

Desirable

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

Experience
Essential

• Experience of working with people with physical or mental health and social care needs
• Experience of working within the NHS or a Mental Health setting
• Experience of ensuring that values including care, compassion, respect, inclusivity, courage and commitment are embodied on a daily basis in the workplace.
• Experience of raising matters of concern with a relevant Line Manager in order that these can be addressed through the relevant processes and procedures.

Desirable

• Experience of working in a clinical team as an Assistant Psychologist.
• Experience of group work with people with mental health problems.
• Experience of delivering DBT skills training to people who experience difficulty regulating emotions.
• Experience of completing risk assessments under supervision

Knowledge/ Skills
Essential

• Ability to apply existing psychological knowledge, underpinned by theory, to a mental health context
• Understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems and other disabilities.
• Expertise in using Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint) to a professional standard; expertise in using statistical software (e.g R-studio, SPSS, Statistica) for evaluation and research.

Desirable

• An understanding of current NHS/Social Care policies relating to Mental Health.

Personal Qualities
Essential

• Able to take initiative and work independently.
• Committed to learning in order to improve practice and service provision.
• Embraces team work and is able to work effectively in a team environment.
• Confident, friendly, approachable and assertive.
• Self-motivated, committed and open to new ideas and experiences.
• Able to organise and prioritise workloads

Additional Requirements
Essential

• Mobility to travel across sites to carry out work as required.
• Ability to interact and develop rapport with individuals with mental health difficulties.
• Ability to contain and work with organisational stress
• Willingness and ability to engage in reflective practice
• Ability to work independently, reliably and consistently within agreed time frames and within limits of competence, with work being agreed and managed at regular intervals.
• Professional interest in Clinical Psychology.

Desirable

• Ability to drive and access to a vehicle insured for business use for travel between sites in Bedfordshire and Luton.

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).

Employer details
Employer name: East London NHS Foundation Trust
Address: Complex Needs Service, Mountbatten House 56 High Street South, DUNSTABLE, LU6 3HD, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.elft.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Carol-Ann Sargent, Carol-Ann.Sargent@nhs.net, 01582293000

Details
Date posted: 24 September 2026
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 5
Salary: £32,073 to £39,043 a year
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 363-BED8132066-A
Job locations: Complex Needs Service, Mountbatten House 56 High Street South, DUNSTABLE, LU6 3HD, United Kingdom