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Band 4 Assistant Psychologist - Secure Care and Offender Health
Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust View all jobs
Posted 1 day(s) ago
Reference: 2377105
Job summary
Secure Care and Offender Health - (Adult Forensic Community Services, Male Medium Secure Service, & Secure (CAMHS) Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service)
Several vacancies for Assistant Psychologists have arisen across the Secure Care and Offender Health directorate. Our services which currently have vacancies are:
Forensic Intensive Recovery Support Team (FIRST) (based in Northfield
Mental Health Treatment Requirement (MHTR) Service (based in Erdington)
Reaside Clinic, male medium secure unit (based in Rubery)
Secure Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, SCAMHS (based at Ardenleigh hospital, Erdington)
Women's Outreach Service (based at Ardenleigh hospital, Erdington) - 0.6 WTE
This role would suit committed, hardworking, and compassionate candidates who have an interest in supporting people with complex needs within the criminal justice system.
As an Assistant Psychologist within our services, you will have access to regular, highly specialist supervision and continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities as part of a wider Psychological Therapies team comprising over 70 staff. We are committed to supporting ongoing professional growth and career progression within this network, while ensuring that our roles remain inclusive, rewarding, and enriching. We also place a strong emphasis on staff wellbeing, striving to create a positive, supportive, and fulfilling working environment.
Main duties of the job
Assistant Psychologists support qualified psychologists in delivering high-quality care as part of multi-disciplinary teams. The role involves working directly with men, women and children who present with complex mental health needs, high levels of risk and/or offending behaviours.Current vacancies are available across a range of services within Secure Care & Offender Health Division:
FIRST - a specialist forensic community mental health service for adults with mental health and forensic needs.
MHTR - a psychological treatment service designed to help people over the age of 18 who experience mental health difficulties to engage with treatment as part of their sentence outside custody.
Reaside Clinic - a medium secure psychiatric hospital for men with mental health difficulties and forensic risks
Secure CAMHS (SCAMHS) - a secure inpatient service for young people aged 12-18 experiencing significant mental health difficulties.
Women's Outreach Service - supporting teams working with women who present with complex trauma, emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD), and self-harm.
Assistant Psychologists will typically contribute to psychological assessments, formulations, and individual or group interventions for adults and young people with complex mental health needs and histories of high-risk behaviours. Candidates with previous experience of working within a range of clinical settings including Forensic, Mental Health, Social Care, Learning Disabilities are welcomed.
About us
Welcome to Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. Our 4000 clinical and support staff help us to improve mental health wellbeing and meet the needs of the 70,000 people we serve each year. We provide a range of mental healthcare services across Birmingham and Solihull, as well as specialised services nationally. We also offer medical, nursing and psychology training and are proud of our international reputation for both research and innovation.
Our population is culturally diverse, characterised in places by high levels of deprivation which create an increasing demand for our services and a necessity for us to make sure everyone can access the help they need. We are a team of compassionate, inclusive and committed people working together to provide excellent care to support our community. If you are looking for a place to belong, where you can make a real difference to peoples lives, join our team where our warm welcome is waiting for you.
Details
Date posted
01 October 2026
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 4
Salary
£28,392 to £31,157 a year per annum, pro rata
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full-time
Reference number
436-8298276
Job locations
Main House
Birmingham
B31 5HE
United Kingdom
Job description
Job responsibilities
For further information about the main responsibilities please view the attached job description and person specification.
We highly recommend you submit your application as soon as possible, this post may close earlier than the indicated closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received.
Please click on the link for a little insight into our services and our people
https://vimeo.com/benthompsonfilms/psychologyrecruitment?share=copy
Job description
Job responsibilities
For further information about the main responsibilities please view the attached job description and person specification.
We highly recommend you submit your application as soon as possible, this post may close earlier than the indicated closing date if a sufficient number of applications are received.
Please click on the link for a little insight into our services and our people
https://vimeo.com/benthompsonfilms/psychologyrecruitment?share=copy
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology.
- Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.
Desirable
- Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of work with people with mental health problems or disabilities, or other relevant problems or disabilities (e.g. learning disabilities, organic impairment).
Desirable
- Experience of working with people with serious mental illness (e.g. schizophrenia)
Skills
Essential
- High level interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to work and effectively communicate complex or sensitive information in highly emotive and emotionally charged settings involving conflict and significant personal distress.
- An awareness and understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems and disabilities and of contemporary issues in the field
- An awareness and understanding of the differential needs of people from black and minority ethnic communities and from other minority groups and of the service issues arising within a multi-cultural urban area.
- Awareness of boundary issues between professionals and between clients and psychologists.
Personal
Essential
- Ability to interact and to build and sustain relationships with people with mental health problems and associated disabilities
- Adaptable and able to work flexibly when required (e.g. in the light of changing service priorities) such as some evenings and/or weekends
- Capacity for tolerating frustration, change and high levels of demand with an ability to work effectively under pressure.
Desirable
- An interest in working with people with mental health problems or other disabilities.
Other
Essential
- Ability to accept and use supervision appropriately and effectively.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- An upper second class honours degree or higher in psychology.
- Entitlement to graduate membership of the British Psychological Society.
Desirable
- Further post graduate training in relevant areas of professional psychology, mental health practice and/or research design and analysis.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of work with people with mental health problems or disabilities, or other relevant problems or disabilities (e.g. learning disabilities, organic impairment).
Desirable
- Experience of working with people with serious mental illness (e.g. schizophrenia)
Skills
Essential
- High level interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal) including an ability to work and effectively communicate complex or sensitive information in highly emotive and emotionally charged settings involving conflict and significant personal distress.
- An awareness and understanding of the needs and difficulties of people with mental health problems and disabilities and of contemporary issues in the field
- An awareness and understanding of the differential needs of people from black and minority ethnic communities and from other minority groups and of the service issues arising within a multi-cultural urban area.
- Awareness of boundary issues between professionals and between clients and psychologists.
Personal
Essential
- Ability to interact and to build and sustain relationships with people with mental health problems and associated disabilities
- Adaptable and able to work flexibly when required (e.g. in the light of changing service priorities) such as some evenings and/or weekends
- Capacity for tolerating frustration, change and high levels of demand with an ability to work effectively under pressure.
Desirable
- An interest in working with people with mental health problems or other disabilities.
Other
Essential
- Ability to accept and use supervision appropriately and effectively.
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship
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).
Additional information
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship
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
Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Main House
Birmingham
B31 5HE
United Kingdom
Employer's website
Employer details
Employer name
Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Main House
Birmingham
B31 5HE
United Kingdom