Assistant Psychologist (Higher Level) B5

Job summary

Would you like to join a progressive, award winning, multi-disciplinary team spearheading innovative practices in the treatment of people with eating disorders?

We would like to invite applications for the post ofHigherAssistant Psychologist(Assistant Psychologist - Higher Level). These posts will be based at the Eating Disorders Outpatients Department (EDOPD/Day Services), Maudsley Hospital.

The EDOPD is internationally renowned for providing best practice, evidence-based care for adults with the full range of eating disorder difficulties. Community outpatient treatments include guided self-help, group and individual interventions.

The team is renowned for its high quality clinical and research contributions to the evidence base, and in 2017, won the prestigious BMJ Award for Mental Health Team of the Year. The team focuses on learning and development, and you would have the opportunity to work alongside qualified psychologists and psychotherapists and to attend weekly multidisciplinary team meetings, supervision, and training forums.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will provide individual and group psychological therapy interventions, under the close clinical and professional supervision of a qualified psychologist, psychotherapist or CBT therapist.

The successful applicants will be engaging, approachable, motivated, committed to personal and professional development, and able to engage with people with complex mental health difficulties. They will be organised, with existing experience working with mental health care and good research skills.

The role will include delivering low-intensity individual psychological interventions (such as guided self-help and 10-session cognitive behavioural therapy for eating disorders; CBT-T) and assisting with group interventions, under supervision. You will be involved in delivering patient workshops and carer support groups. You will gain experience with assessment processes and working within a multidisciplinary team.

Please note - we will not cap the number of applications and therefore expect to receive a large number of applications. Please ensure that you address the following essential requirement and explain how you can apply this experience to our Eating Disorders Outpatients Department, in the first paragraph of your supporting statement: "Sufficient post-graduate experience of psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs to be able to work clinically without direct supervision."

About us

The team focuses on learning and development, and you would have the opportunity to work alongside qualified psychologists and to attend weekly multidisciplinary team meetings, supervision, and training forums.

As a department, we have close links to the clinical psychology doctoral training programmes at the IOPPN and Salomon's training centres, and frequently have clinical and counselling psychology trainees on placement.

Our Trust headquarters is located at Denmark Hill less than 5 minutes from the train station (zone 2).

Details

Date posted

14 October 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 5

Salary

£37,259 to £45,356 a year per annum Incl. HCAs

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

334-CLI-7371605-A

Job locations

Maudsley Hospital

Denmark Hill

London

SE5 8AZ

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the full job description for further information.

To assist practitioner psychologists, psychotherapists and CBT therapists in the delivery of a specialist applied psychology service in the Community Eating Disorders Outpatients Service & Day Service.

To provide clinical work as required by the service, under the clinical and professional supervision of a practitioner psychologist, psychotherapist or CBT therapist, with oversight from a clinical psychologist.

To assist in clinically related administration, conduct of audits, collection of statistics, development of audit and/or research projects, teaching and project work.

To work as at appropriate levels of independence, following clinical guidelines and the policies and procedures of the service, and seeking help from clinical/professional supervisor or manager as required.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the full job description for further information.

To assist practitioner psychologists, psychotherapists and CBT therapists in the delivery of a specialist applied psychology service in the Community Eating Disorders Outpatients Service & Day Service.

To provide clinical work as required by the service, under the clinical and professional supervision of a practitioner psychologist, psychotherapist or CBT therapist, with oversight from a clinical psychologist.

To assist in clinically related administration, conduct of audits, collection of statistics, development of audit and/or research projects, teaching and project work.

To work as at appropriate levels of independence, following clinical guidelines and the policies and procedures of the service, and seeking help from clinical/professional supervisor or manager as required.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• A First-class or Upper-second-class Bachelors degree with Honours in Psychology that is accredited by the British Psychological Society and confers the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society.

Experience

Essential

• Sufficient post-graduate experience of psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs to be able to work clinically without direct supervision. Please ensure you address this requirement and how you can apply this experience to our Eating Disorders Outpatients Department in the first paragraph of your supporting statement.
• Post-graduate experience of conducting research projects or audits.
• Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and / or lived experience.

Desirable

• The Trust encourages and welcomes applications from people with lived experience of mental health challenges. We see this as valuable and recognise the positive impact this experience can have on the work we do.
• Direct clinical experience with individuals with eating disorders.

Knowledge

Essential

• Graduate level knowledge of psychological research methodology and statistical analysis.
• Awareness of racial and diversity issues through attendance of relevant training.
• Skills in relevant psychological assessment and interventions that enable working independently as a pre-qualified practitioner with clinical supervision.
• Well-developed verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex, sensitive or contentious information to clients, families and colleagues.

Abilities

Essential

• Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.
• Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions.
• Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• A First-class or Upper-second-class Bachelors degree with Honours in Psychology that is accredited by the British Psychological Society and confers the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society.

Experience

Essential

• Sufficient post-graduate experience of psychological assessment and treatment of clients with a range of psychological needs to be able to work clinically without direct supervision. Please ensure you address this requirement and how you can apply this experience to our Eating Disorders Outpatients Department in the first paragraph of your supporting statement.
• Post-graduate experience of conducting research projects or audits.
• Experience that supports working with, and addressing issues of, diversity within local communities. This may have been gained through work, research, volunteering and / or lived experience.

Desirable

• The Trust encourages and welcomes applications from people with lived experience of mental health challenges. We see this as valuable and recognise the positive impact this experience can have on the work we do.
• Direct clinical experience with individuals with eating disorders.

Knowledge

Essential

• Graduate level knowledge of psychological research methodology and statistical analysis.
• Awareness of racial and diversity issues through attendance of relevant training.
• Skills in relevant psychological assessment and interventions that enable working independently as a pre-qualified practitioner with clinical supervision.
• Well-developed verbal and written communication skills including communicating complex, sensitive or contentious information to clients, families and colleagues.

Abilities

Essential

• Ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to effective team functioning and holding team roles.
• Ability to maintain concentration and to remain in restricted positions for long periods during observations, assessments and psychological interventions.
• Ability to manage emotionally stressful situations such as working with victims of abuse or trauma, or with people who engage in severe self-harming or aggressive behaviour.

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

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Maudsley Hospital

Denmark Hill

London

SE5 8AZ

Employer's website

https://www.slam.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Maudsley Hospital

Denmark Hill

London

SE5 8AZ

Employer's website

https://www.slam.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)